SBS Dateline - Archives - March 29, 2006
West Papua - Long Boat to Freedom
Back in mid-January, when 43 asylum seekers came ashore in far north Queensland, pretty quickly, the Howard Government found itself in a political bind. Indonesian President Yudhoyono was straight on the phone to John Howard promising in effect, "Send them back. They won't be harmed when they get here." But at the same time, the West Papuans were telling Immigration officials they feared the worst if they returned.
Last week, when they were granted temporary visas, there were howls of outrage from Jakarta and the Indonesian Ambassador to Canberra was hastily withdrawn in protest. The fracas is now being described as the worst rift in our relations with Indonesia since Australian troops were sent to East Timor six years ago.
Late last week, Dateline's Mark Davis managed to get himself to Christmas Island, where he met with the refugees to find out just why they made their hair-raising voyage.
REPORTER: Mark Davis
All sorts of people have washed ashore on Christmas Island but none quite like this. These West Papuan men have just been released from detention. Today they are re-united with their families, housed in the suburbs above the town.HERMAN WANGAI, ACTIVIST: Good day for us West Papuan people. We heard from Australian Government yesterday that we have protection visa for three years.
It's hard to imagine 43 of these men, women and children crammed into an outrigger canoe for five weeks, lost at sea, without food or water, for the last four days. They survived an incredible journey through treacherous seas and now a political storm is breaking around them.
HERMAN WANGAI: I just want to say, just thank you.
REPORTER: Indonesia is very angry.
HERMAN WANGAI: Yeah, but for me and my friends, Indonesia angry just for one day but for West Papuan people, we suffering for 40 years.
Herman Wangai, a well known independence activist in West Papua, led the exodus which included his wife Ferra, also an activist, and their two children.
HERMAN WANGAI: If Australian Government send me back to West Papua, I will die. That is reality. I don't want to talk lies, because we have experienced under control of Indonesia military.
Indonesian intelligence were closing in around Wangai late last year for his activities. He'd already served 2.5 years in prison for raising the outlawed West Papuan flag, a serious and often deadly offence in Indonesian West Papua.
HERMAN WANGAI: 2004, I completed my prison...
REPORTER: And this was for a flag-raising, was it?
HERMAN WANGAI: Yes, raising a flag in West Papua.
Herman and friends were planning another flag-rasing for December 1 last year.
HERMAN WANGAI: I have to escape.
Their involvement became known to the authorities. Fearing a wave of arrests, Herman and co. set out to sea.
This group are a mixture of urban students and bush activists, all of them serial flag-raisers for the independence movement.HERMAN WANGAI: All of us are activists from Jakarta, a lot are from West Papua,in Jayapura.
REPORTER: But why now, why this year?
HERMAN WANGAI: Yes in West Papua the situation now is very risky, a very bad situation because you know every way in West Papua, especially in Jayapura town the military take over every place, district and especially in university. They come to university to find out who are West Papuan activists.
Since the loss of East Timor, thousands more police and military have been deployed in West Papua. In the remote highlands, tribal protests and flag raisings have been met with deadly force. In the towns, the students, including many of the refugees, have risked their liberty, even their lives, through a string of protests in recent years.
MAN, (Translation): We were intimidated and terrorised, slandered and beaten, so we the Papuan people and students in particular, organised protests demanding justice in West Papua from t he Indonesian government. This was a good opportunity for the Indonesian government, military and police to kill us with guns.
All but one of the refugees are now free but not all are free of fear.
YOUNG MAN: I saw with my eyes, plenty people die. Blood all over the place. I am just crying and pray that all of my friends run to the jungle...
This young man still fears reprisals against his family in West Papua but wants to tell of the things he has seen in recent years.
YOUNG MAN: A lot of army come to our village and we can not run and we hear a gun. Plenty people die. Student, old ladies, child and I am just crying with my friends.
A witness to a massacre, an activist himself, he also faces another danger, unique to many in his group - he is the son of a well-known independence leader, making him a special target for Indonesian intelligence.
YOUNG MAN: My father was arrested, in jail, by military in Indonesia and the effect of that is I am not free to get school and stuff like that.
The most remarkable story belongs to four children who came alone on the boat, without their parents.
REPORTER: And what happens today? What is special about today?
BOY, (Translation): We’re sad to be leaving our teachers and our friends at this school.
Today is their last day at Christmas Island Public School, where they have been studying for the last two months.
BOY, (Translation): We like it a lot , school here is really disciplined, disciplined and advanced.
An ordinary Australian morning for boys who have had anything but an ordinary childhood.
REPORTER: The Indonesian army killed your grandfather? How did they kill him?
BOY, (Translation): They shot him.
REPORTER: Because he was activist?
BOY 1, (Translation): Yes.
Most of the children in this group, including some older teenage girls, who do not wish to appear, are from remote highland villages. Their fathers, living in the jungle, constantly hunted by the Indonesian army.
BOY 2, (Translation): My father is a freedom fighter, his life is never easy. He’s always being chased, he’s been arrested and terrorised. My father has a hard time, he sleeps in the jungle.
BOY 1, (Translation): My father was chased by Indonesian troops, by TNI troops, he was chased and terrorised. My grandfather was shot and thrown into the sea. No he was thrown into the river. Some people were shot dead with guns, some were hung by the neck.
Their fathers, fearing that their own lives may soon end, made the heart-rending decision to send their children into exile. For most of the boys, it was the first time they'd ever seen the sea.
BOY, (Translation): When we were on the boat we cried and called out to our fathers “Dad, we really don’t want to go on this journey” and we called out to God “God help us”.
BOY, (Translation): We’re going to study and learn English so we can speak English, English is important to us because we live in Australia now.
Whatever traumas they have suffered in West Papua, and on their journey, these people have been treated well by officials here and welcomed by many residents. Christmas Island has been kind to them. It's lunchtime at the Chinese Literary Association and the West Papuans are guests of honour.
GORDON THOMPSON, SHIRE PRESIDENT: The West Papuan group are all flying out today, and it is very important I think, that we have a meal together to say farewell.
Christmas Island Shire President, Gordon Thompson, has openly welcomed the Papuans.
GORDON THOMPSON: 70% of the island is National Park, so it’s forest.
He is proud of his island but fears that its future will not be tourism but as an Australian Government prison.
GORDON THOMPSON: The reason we do not want Christmas Island to be a detention centre I guess, is because we do not believe that people who are fleeing repressive governments, should be locked up at all.
REPORTER: So, the official position of the Shire is you do not want them.
GORDON THOMPSON: We do not have the decision-making power for we would like. We should have.
Behold.Gordon may hope that the Christmas Island is not seen as a prison bad is well on the way to becoming that. This centre, due to be finished next year, is likely to replace the so called Pacific solution, a remote holding centre where certain Australian laws will not apply. The Papuans are now waiting for the weather to clear and for a charter flight to take them to Melbourne. A radically new life awaits all of them, but especially the boys from the bush.
REPORTER: Have you seen a big city before, what’s the biggest city you’ve seen before?
BOY, (Translation): Only in a photo.
REPORTER: In Melbourne, it is very big, it’s like Jayapura times one thousand, 4 million people.
The Papuans are largely oblivious to the political debate that will surround them in Australia, on Christmas Island it is just a time for goodbye’s and thank you’s.
HERMAN WANGAI: We come under pressure, military government of Indonesia. Without you praying, without you supper, we can in short time, we can get protection visa from Australian government. You are friendly people, you are kindest people, also Gordon Thompson, thank you for your supper.
Archives - March 29, 2006
Sabam Siagian Interview
Do we have another East Timor on our hands here? A few years back, now, Sabam Siagian was Indonesia's man in Canberra. These days, he's back in his old journalistic life as Senior Editor at the 'Jakarta Post' newspaper and earlier today, George Negus talked with him.GEORGE NEGUS: Mr Siagian, as a person who's familiar with both sides of this argument, do you think this refugee visa issue is a storm in a teacup or as some people are suggesting, the worst rift in relations between Australia and Indonesia since this country sent troops to East Timor?
SABAM SIAGIAN, FORMER AMBASSADOR TO AUSTRALIA: Well, it's neither a hiccup nor a calamity but I think this case shows that there must be increased awareness on the Australian side that the current democratic Indonesia is full of - what shall I say? - sense of participation in the political process and alertness about the bilateral relationship.GEORGE NEGUS: Your newspaper reported today in fact, that Indonesia has no plans to sever diplomatic ties with Australia because it granted refugee status to this group of West Papuans but, that said, this is not over yet, by a long way. What if more people were to appear on the northern Australian coastline and to be granted visas in the same way?
SABAM SIAGIAN: I would say, given the shifting geopolitical context in the Asia-Pacific, whatever agency and whoever is making the decisions in Australia, they should be aware about the current sensitivities in a large neighbour as Indonesia. And, if I may continue, George, it does not mean that, if a case like this comes up, principles of human rights are not being considered. It does mean, however, that continuous communication should be maintained.
For instance, in this case, after the arrival last January, you know, not suddenly a decision, like now, if they say or they have said or they have claimed, the 43 refugees, that they have fled Papua because there is "genocide" in Papua, and that's a strong word, George, then the Australians, you know, to be fair, would say, we're going to send somebody - either a senior judge or whatever - to look into the matter, whether there is indeed cases of genocide in Papua, and then publish it, you know?
What I am advocating is, George, a more phased process of coping with requests for asylum and not, sort of, a unilateral decision as perceived by Indonesians.GEORGE NEGUS: Would you agree with an MP from Jakarta who is, in fact, a member of the powerful foreign affairs commission, Djoko Susilo, when he says that he believes that giving asylum to these people means that Australia has confirmed what they are claiming, which are in fact acts of genocide, persecution, imprisonment of physical abuse of torture and even possible execution they say.
SABAM SIAGIAN: You do create that kind of perception, you know. That's the trouble with this case. By making that kind of unilateral decision all the built-up reserve of goodwill between the two countries, especially since President SBY is in office, evaporates - that's my concern from a person that cares very much for the friendship between our two countries, George.
GEORGE NEGUS: We've spoken to these people, one of our reporters, and they are basically saying that if they go back to Jakarta, or West Papua, they fear imprisonment, they fear possible execution.
SABAM SIAGIAN: Yeah, but you know very well, our President has stated very clearly, if I'm not mistaken, to Prime Minister Howard himself in a phone conversation, that he guarantees that will not happen.
GEORGE NEGUS: He might make that guarantee but what about the Indonesian police and security in West Papua? What about them?
SABAM SIAGIAN: If you do not trust our President's words what's the use of maintaining this bilateral relationship, George?
GEORGE NEGUS: Promises have been made before, the West Papuans would claim, and people have lost their lives.
SABAM SIAGIAN: Not since President SBY has stated, so don't refer to previous cases. I mean, he has gone to Australia, he is well accepted. Do you trust him or not? That's the point.
GEORGE NEGUS: I think most people would agree that President SBY is honourable in his intentions but what control does he have over the Indonesian military when it comes to a place like West Papua?
SABAM SIAGIAN: You leave that to us, George. Are you questioning... Do you want us a neighbour or don't you want it?
GEORGE NEGUS: What do you think would happen if 50 more people were to arrive in Australia tomorrow and the Government gave them visas, and then another 50 and then another 50?
SABAM SIAGIAN: Apparently you didn't listen to me before. If anyone comes up then the whole approach should be different. The approach should be, here we are dealing with a good friend, our large neighbour, and the future of Australia also depends on the future of a democratic and stable Indonesia. Now, how do we handle this?
GEORGE NEGUS: How else should they handle it, because Alexander Downer does say that this is a case-by-case thing?
SABAM SIAGIAN: Foreign Minister Downer says it's not up to him, it's up to the Minister for Immigration and an independent agency out of that so the whole process should be carried by taking seriously the geopolitical context of our relationship.
The whole map is shifting now, George, so if these things come up it cannot only view that case per se. It does not mean that we expect Australia to give up its principles of human rights - no.
But the way you handle it, by maintaining continuous dialogue with your largest neighbour friend, that's what we want and not suddenly a unilateral decision announced.GEORGE NEGUS: Could I ask you a broader question - some people say that what we are looking at here is another East Timor, that Indonesia seems to have learned nothing from that experience and the situation could deteriorate along the same lines?
SABAM SIAGIAN: Yes, George, you are wasting your words, you know. I mean, given this short interview I stay away from comparing it with East Timor because there is much more to it.
GEORGE NEGUS: Why is it different where East Timor was concerned? Why is it wrong to compare the two?
SABAM SIAGIAN: In the case of Papua, it's part of Indonesia, we care for it, our Vice-President pays attention to it, I have visited it many times, I am a member of Forum Papua, an NGO comprising of intellectuals, lawyers and so forth, so we are in constant touch with the leadership of the Papua People's Council, so I mean, by from the outset always linking it with the possibility of "East Timor" you create an atmosphere that's not conducive and not constructive George.
GEORGE NEGUS: Spoken like the diplomat that you once were. It's good talking to you again.
SABAM SIAGIAN: OK, George, take care.
