Our Genuine Interest in the Land on which People Still Live in Huts

As I'm writing this post in response to a post by a much celebrated fellow blogger Sarapan Ekonomi, Indonesia's biggest newspaper Kompas daily reported today that two US citizens had been, allegedly for immigration permit reason, caught by the Papuan police as the Americans were attending the IV Session of Dewan Adat Papua (or the Papua Indigenous Customary Council) on Monday (26/6). They are Brian Joseph Keane (44, holder of passport no. 102742621) and Casey Kellar Box (21, passport no 302203122), as "observers" from Land is Life, an NGO reportedly as advocating on the indigenous peoples. The former is the NGO's Executive Director. According to information from its Cambridge, MA-based website, this NGO is steered by, not steering, Viktor Kaisiepo of the Papua Indigenous Customary Council in West Papua.

Back to Sarapan Ekonomi's post, which he extended from an article in the Washington Post, he wondered why Papuans still live in huts and ventured several reasons. Like him, I hold that part of the the conspicuous backwardness of the region has much to do with the way the Orba government managed the country, not only this region, in the past. The Orba power is not totally gone, far from it; it is even strengthening anew and reconfiguring its power. We, however, should not forget that much of the future of Papuans will greatly rest with its local people, with its local leaders to be more more realistic, thanks to our big bag decentralization that gave it a special autonomy. Indonesia as well as its Papua is learning the hard way of how to benefit from this point of no return.

One blog post and its ensuing comments would not suffice to address the Papuan problem. But if we are really asking this question, and if we are really wanting to have a clue of some answers, we need to refrain ourselves from not being so selfish as to impose our "modern" judgement. The fact we live in cozy houses, travel by cars and read and write blogs does NOT mean we are better off or any happier than the people who live in the jungles. The fact that, as reported from a slanting angle by the Washington Post, some Papuan families moan over their unfulfilled wishes does not necessarily mean all Papuans aspire so. The way of the world, especially as displayed in this century, has made me believe that the Papuan problems are already complicated without American presence in this land endowed with oil and copper and gold and gems...

Papuans unite! Central and local govenments, stop wasting time and resources! Americans, stay away or just go home!