Evading the Indonesian navy, two tiny boats met near the Australia-Indonesia border to ceremonially reconnect the indigenous peoples of Australia and West Papua. The ceremony was the pinnacle of a 5000km journey beginning in Lake Eyre, in which sacred water and ashes were carried and presented to West Papuan leaders.
While the Freedom Flotilla’s flagship the Pog sailed towards West Papua, the world watched its progress via a live satellite tracker onboard the vessel, providing a much needed distraction for the clandestine ceremony to take place in an undisclosed location off the south coast of Papua.
The cultural exchange of Indigenous elders was held in secret, due to threats made by Indonesian government ministers and military officials who had stated that the navy and air-force would “take measures” against the peaceful protest, and had not ruled out the use of lethal force. Soon to be Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop had also stated that Indonesia may do “whatever it wishes” to stop the peaceful protest.
During the momentous ceremony Arabunna Elder Uncle Kevin Buzzacott presented the sacred water from the mound springs of Lake Eyre, along with ashes from the Aboriginal Tent Embassies around the country, to senior West Papuan leaders. The exchange was intended to reunite the cultures of the two indigenous peoples, whose lands where once joined before being separated at the end of the last ice age, and as a symbol of support for the West Papuans’ 50 year long struggle for freedom and justice under Indonesian military occupation.
Earlier this year, Uncle Kevin Buzzacott called out to all people to join him on this journey to West Papua. “We have a responsibility to care for our brothers and sisters from across the water. We must bring the water and the fire, the love and the music to heal the country and move in solidarity.”
Returning from the historic event Uncle Kevin Buzzacott said “we came in peace, not like those other politicians who are coming selling arms to the Indonesian military, like the Americans who just last month sold them Apache attack choppers, those are to be used against West Papuans, and they know it.”
“We made that dream that we’ve been building with Jacob Rumbiak since 2000, we made it happen,” he added.
Jacob Rumbiak said, “the spirit of the movement is still alive. Our people face many challenges for their freedom but they still show us today the determination and imagination to continue the struggle.”
Footage of the historic ceremony is now available by request, having just been confirmed that participants have made the risky return across the heavily patrolled border, and are laying low inside West Papua.
We work for world peace and justice, we start from our region, the Pacific.” Jacob Rumbiak.
And,
Australia West Papua Association (Sydney)
PO Box 28, Spit Junction, NSW 2088
No democracy in West Papua -rally banned
The 15 of September is International Day of Democracy. The UN General Assembly, in a resolution in 2007 encouraged Governments to strengthen national programs devoted to the promotion and consolidation of democracy, and also decided that 15 September of each year should be observed as the International Day of Democracy.
However, a rally organised by the KNPB for the 16th to commemorate the International Day of Democracy in West Papua has been banned by the Manokwari district police and the local military commander.
Joe Collins of AWPA said, “we keep hearing how Indonesia is now a democracy yet a peaceful rally to celebrate democracy is banned in West Papua. It is a basic right enshrined in article 20 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights that “Everyone has the right to freedom of peaceful assembly and association”.
Crackdown on recent rallies
There is always concern for people involved in rallies in West Papua as the security forces regularly crackdown on peaceful protestors.
Although the cultural parades to protest the signing of the New York Agreement on the 15 August 1962 went of relatively peacefully, in Fak Fak dozens of people including women and children were arrested on the 14th August as they arrive to attend the cultural parade.
On the 1st May three people were killed and up to 20 arrested at a peaceful rally called to protest the handover 50 years ago of West Papua by UNTEA to Indonesian administration.
On the 13 May the security forces arrested four protesters including Victor Yeimo, Chairman of the West Papua National Committee (KNPB). The rally had been called to protest the attack by the security forces on peaceful demonstrators on the 1 May.
In August four activists were arrested after they attended a gathering in Sorong in solidarity with the ‘Freedom Flotilla’. Although they were released they have been charged with “rebellion” (makar) under Articles 106 and 110 of the Criminal Code, which carries a maximum life sentence. Amnesty International in a statement called for the charges against them to be dropped.
Joe Collins said, hopefully the security forces will allow the West Papuan people their democratic right to the freedom of peaceful assembly and association and not crackdown on peaceful rallies as they have in the past.
Ruben Blake
