Message from West Papuan tribesman, Sem Karoba

international | miscellaneous | opinion/analysis Tuesday August 12, 2003 21:52 by Ruairi - West Papua Support Group muscailt at yahoo dot com

Appeal for solidarity and action

Sem Karoba is a revolutionary tribesman from the Koteka tribe, deep in the jungle of Indonesian occupied West Papua. Following the withdrawl of the Netherlands colonial government in the 60s, Indonesia, with the support of the UN and U.S, invaded resource rich West Papua. Up to 300,000 people (about 20% of the population) have been murdered and many more raped, tortured and detained. Sem Karoba has witnessed much of this violence and suffering and he has toured Ireland extensively to share his message, a message of radical change, spiritual revolution and the need to understand the connection between humans and the earth, and the 'west' and the 'rest'.

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Ireland,

I am sorry that I cannot present at the same time in more than one place. With this small note, I would like to thank you, all brothers and sisters in Ireland, who understand the meaning of the fight for freedom and
independence. Only Irish people know the "real" meaning of these two words, none of other
European countries know at all. And none of those in Europe will understand why I am travelling all over the world, and telling my stories of sufferings in West Papua, except my Irish brothers and sisters.

I know well that your struggle for freedom and independence costed millions of lives, hundreds of years, so much energy and money, not comparable to what is happening right now in West Papua. And I know that you do respect what
you already got right now, even though the struggle is not yet complete. I know
that until your country is "completely" free, we will sit down together and celebrate it. I know well that when I talk about these two words, you
do not need lectures and or classrooms to understand it. You learn from your daily
lives.

Now, West Papua in many ways has the same problems as those in Ireland, but there is only one difference: IT HAS BEEN SO LONG ISOLATED; not many people ever heard about this humanitarian catastrophy, caused by western-backed moderns tate of Indonesia, against tribal people whom they refer to as cannibals, head-hunters, primitives, backward people and such.

Modern weapons produced in Ireland, transported to England, sold to Indonesia are now
killing the innocent Papuans. Multinational corporations, that we support by buying
their products are funding military training, and act of terror against tribal people, not only in West Papua but all over the world, are exploiting, killing, poisoning, the people and the nature of West Papua.

Yese, I have many more stories to tell. But again, my Irish brothers and sisters do not need these stories. You know all these, even before I
begin telling you.

What we can do now is to support this struggle, to remove colonial power of Indonesia from West Papua, to remove multinational corporations from
this Paradise Land, and to leave the people alone, no matter whether they are 'primitive' or not.

Please do support this work, as you have been doing so since I first visited Ireland not long ago. Write to your TDs, your Ministers, tell your friends and parents, and please help us. I do not know when I will not be able to speak to
you either via letter like this or directly face to face, but what I know is that I will not be able to travel to outside world that much anymore. But my spirit and heart with you.

Missing Ireland so much, my second homecountry.

From me,

The Irish-Honorary Papuan Tribesperson,

WWW - Sem Karoba