Papua and Indonesia

‘Hee yamko rambe yamko aronawa kombe
Hee yamko rambe yamko aronawa kombe

Teemi nokibe kubano ko bombe ko
Yuma no bungo awe ade
Teemi nokibe kubano ko bombe ko
Yuma no bungo awe ade

Hongke hongke hongke riro
Hongke jombe jombe riro
Hongke hongke hongke riro
Hongke jombe jombe riro’

As a kid who grew up in Indonesia, we learnt how to sing every traditional songs from all Indonesian provinces, including this Papuan song. It’s one of my favorite folksong because the happy rhyme that makes us feel happy when sing it.

Every independence day, we have carnival that we wore Indonesian ethnic group traditional costume, including Papua traditional costume.

I’m from West Sumatra –  5 thousands kilometer away from Papua.. , however, back to my old times in elementary and middle school, it’s a nice moment when we learnt how to sing other culture traditional songs. It makes me realized, my country is big, rich with beautiful culture, Bhineka Tunggal Ika or diversity in unity.

In 1998, it’s the most important historical date in my country. We have been facing political instability, economy and it influenced the unity in our nation. I believe, in a nation.. stability is the most important thing we hold to keep the country in peace and harmony.

After 12 years passed, we have faced incredible history when a few part of our provinces demanded their own independence. As a West Sumatran, I love being engaged to Indonesia. It’s a big country, rich with its culture .. I wouldn’t have idea to be separated from other provinces. I can’t imagine, .. if we are apart, then we have to import indomie, teh botol and  then need a passport for traveling to beautiful places over Indonesia. So, just take the ego away, being united is the great thing, we’re in a big family.

But, … Indonesia is not a perfect country,.. our corrupt government and other flaws that I have no desire to mention it or be focus on it.

Injustice in government and massive foreign intervention caused problem in our country. So, our nation is being tested, could we be able to remain ‘Republic of Indonesia’, without losing one more our provinces after East Timor? As Indonesian, I’d like to be optimistic in this issue.

One day, I found this… Lush Cosmetic Campaign for Free West Papua, ‘behind the scene’ of this lush cosmetic is  just to sell their new perfume titled the smell of freedom.

As Indonesian, I feel so sad to see this and at the same time, found this is ridiculous toward British or Western who interfere other’s internal affair.

Why is it bothering me?? From these western viewpoints, it’s like we’re ‘murderer or NAZI’ who created suffering on Papua land. Especially, the way those British I saw on another video over youtubes who yelled ‘Shame on you, Indonesia’ at us, in front Indonesian embassy in London, United Kingdom.

I smell ‘divide et impera’ politics here.

Every country has its own dark history.. Where all those aborigine gone in Australia?? I read British butchered them long time ago. Then Native American (Indian tribe) in north America? If we did human right abuses, just bring this issue to the court and punish them.

Is it a solution to give them an independence??

Independence is not a solution, it will just advantageous for other parties. My cousin is a teacher there, do you think is it okay for her to separate from us, and need passport to visit her family. She loves being there. My aunt lived there for 15 years.. And there’s no bad things like in this propaganda.

There are are some riots and chaos there.. But some of them its not because of the army, they fight each others. For instances, among the tribes over there….

Let me be objective, learning from world history. If they become independence, .. it means they have to start from the beginning. One of Indonesia ARMY task on Papua land is to keep peace when there’s fights between the tribes.

Some Africa countries, they become ‘failed state‘. The situation where they are under United Nation peace keeper, no currency and use temporary American Dollar, and everything would be cost very expensive like what’s happening in East Timor. (Or, we Indonesian experienced this moments after we’re separated from the Dutch in 1949, when we changed the Nederland Indie gulden currency into Indonesian rupiah.)

Failed States in Africa; where they don’t have an obvious government state, there’s no trust among them, endless civil wars, no education for children, children become refugee with arming a gun in hand. The new leader will be a richman, poverty worse than before.

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::Investigations:::

1. West Papua’s cry for help from the Aljazeera clumsy article, it sound so dramatic story. It’s like we Indonesian colonized our own provinces. Wait, Indonesian colonized Papua?? Can we make differences here. Western colonial era in the past, the native is always be a slave.

Do they know, in Papua.. if you are not Papuan, you are not allowed to be a Governor in Papua. Does it sound we colonize them. Subsidize is appropriate word, I guess.

2. Benny Wenda, a provocateur.

Benny Wenda claimed himself as a tribal leader, he confessed his family was being killed and raped by Indonesian ARMY when he was child. Okay, I feel so sorry for him, but from all this life experience, can he be more objective.

For me, he had personal revenge to injustice in Indonesian government. Then, British used this situation by granted him political asylum. He was found by a European NGO to travel to the UK , then British government helped him to  set up the Free West Papua Campaign. It means British support him, promoting separatism.

Sorry Sir, .. I smell all of this is just about politics. Papua is a heaven with gold inside, the second largest island in the world. Using this Papuan son to break apart Indonesian state, and the latter, it’s easy to access all natural resources there. ‘It’s all about the money.. It’s all about the dum dum’  Meja, it’s all about the money song

3. Benny Wenda is a singer, I think he just needs publicity. His band name is Lani Singers. Oops, IF you gain the Independence, and become a leader or West Papua president.. I guess, you’d be like our current President. Our president while his duty has been produced 4 albums.    ;)   (Peace , Mr. President)

My advice, keep going with your music, Benny. I wish the best for you and please, together we’ll build Indonesia. We’re Indonesian.. Don’t let outsiders break us apart. We wish our government could be more serious in improving Economy in Papua, not only Papua… throughout Indonesia.

No more blood from two sides, Indonesian ARMY and you.

4. ‘Hey Indonesian, look at yourself in the mirror. You are yellow, white, it’s different from Papuan who are black, curly hairs. You are Asian, they are Melanesian.’

Indonesia is not a race, it’s a country. We’re Malay, Javanese, Chinese, Indian, Arabic, Minahasa, Ambonese, Dayak, Sundanese, Minangese, Manadonese, Eurasian etc etc and Melanesian.

So what’s the different between Singapore, there are Indian, Malay, Chinese and Eurasian there. What’s the different between United States, there are African and Native American in a nation. How about The Netherlands, there are Indonesian, Suriname, Morocco, Turkish in a country. It’s a state.

5. The real issue in Papua is not about cultural, but, about financial economic.

6. And, Dear the outsiders,… Please.. let Indonesian tackle their problem domestically. Supporting Free West Papua just showing the greediness to dig natural resources more and more  from my view.

So, if every provinces asked an Independence.. we let them without trying to solve the problem. With my respect, please stop interfering other’s internal affair.

Video below, to show you guys what’s happening between Papua and Indonesia. From different story as media like Aljazeera mentioned, .. I’ll let you to decide!

In Indonesia, Papuans are National Football team player, participating on Miss Indonesian, Singers, public figures , in cabinets and government.