I have never understood why the people of West New Guinea were so abandoned and why the Indonesians were allowed to take it over. The bloody Indonesians had just won their own freedom from their former colonial masters, and yet here they were doing the same colonising, jackbooting their way into a country with which they shared no culture, ethnicity or religious heritage. I support the right of West New Guineans to govern themselves, or perhaps even enter a union with PNG. What a pity the United Nations is so useless!
The Papuans are still fighting for their self determination and no one is interested. Keep up the great work exposing their plight and the forces military, corporate and international stacked against them.
Yes, when the people of West Papua were trampled into the dirt. I have a friend of Dutch heritage, born in Indonesia but has only ever been to The Netherlands once in his life, about five years ago. Born in 1937, he lived through the Japanese occupation during WWII and then the Sukarno take over. He went to then Dutch New Guinea as we knew it as, especially when I lived in PNG in the 1950s, when he was 14 years old. Through suffering Beri Beri and poor health as a child, virtually no education, he now suffers poor eyesight and basic literacy skills.
He has just published his memoirs of that period, a long winded process. He dictated to his wife, who wrote it longhand, then sent it to their daughter who put it into a word document. She then sent it to me to edit and format. I worked with their son and published it through Amazon.
I will show him your article but I know it will bring up some strong emotions and memories of the hardships and cruelties he was subject to, some of which he is still still traumatised by.
Fascinating & rather sad. Reminds me of how Oz gave an unofficial green light to Indon. to take over East Timor in 1975. Politics always trumps morality. No wonder people are cynical about "the system".
Your story reminds me of what I was doing when the Americans landed on the moon. As a Nasho (called up as a teacher) I was training with 7RAR for tropical warfare in sleet, in the Putty mountains. A mad weather system was bringing wind and rain from the Southwest.
On the last night of the exercise, before being flown back to Holsworthy on Caribous, we went “non-tac” and were allowed to erect shelters. Myself and the other riflemen in the two-man tent (we called them “hootchies”) hung an army blanket across its front to keep the wind out. When we pulled it down in the morning after a very uncomfortable night, the blanket eerily stayed in place.
It had frozen overnight.
We were the first and last flight out that day. From my sideways sitting position in the Caribou, I could see the pilots fighting to keep the aircraft pointing down the dirt strip against the roaring cross wind which was snagging the aircraft’s very large tail. We were the last flight, because the conditions were deemed dangerous and the rest of B Coy waited until the wind dropped next day. We had twenty four hours of bliss back at the barracks, as our platoon sergeant was not on the first (and only) flight that day and we were left to our own devices.
I went to Vietnam in February 1970 and did a tour of duty until December. I came back in one piece, physically at least.
As one of my comrades said the other day when I caught up with him - “We must all have been mad”. I noted in reply that perhaps we weren’t, but our government at the time may have been……
Just wanna show up here to say thank you to the author Mr. Hugh Lunn. Its a long overdue historical yet a first hand, primary source of what happened to us and our future. During my time as a student at the University of Rhode Island, both my undergrad. & grad, I've written many coursework assignments about my home and my country, but never did come across such primary source. Thankfully, another Papuan friend did work on her assignment where she came across this article where she shared with others. And I have read it thoroughly, makes me feel smile for other side, yet feel frustrated on the other for what exactly had happen.
For goodness sake, why we have been forgotten for so long, our struggle has for that 55+ years since what has happen in 1969.
Our struggle continues but no-one is hearing us, even the UN, we call for help not because we asking the upper echelon to do for us but together we can take action that is best for everyone, we are not asking for "what the USA (UN) can do for us, but together we can do for the freedom of..." Papua and Papuan (JFK).
The question is, I'm not sure why the US does have a wonderfully great relationship with Indonesia, the biggest and #1 Muslim nation on the Earth, yet it does go against all the Muslim countries? Why is that?
Another thing to keep in mind is: Israel-Palestine conflict and Indonesia- West Papua conflict, so what have you notice with the case of Israel -Palestine war. I know, you have seen what's Indonesia has been saying to Israel all these time.
Thank you Carlos Omkie. The great thing about my substack site — which I didn’t realise when I started — that people from around the world read it. Substack tell that me only 72% of my readers and listeners are from Australia. Something I never expected.
I like your academic version of me as “a primary source” — but you’re right I was there and so have a responsibility to tell what happened.
And I liked your word “historical”. When something happens to you, you never think you are being part of History — but when you get to 84 years old, you are.
That’s why its important for me to tell these telling tales.
Hugh, It was good that you and another reporter, Otto decided to go and report on the actual event of the 'Act of Free Choice', to document to the world and for historical purposes what really happened there.
What is amazing is you were there to report and witness the truth playing out of the farcical 'Act of Free Choice'. Thank you for your eloquent words and for the hauntingly beautiful photos. I was 6 years old watching the moon landing on tv - those black and white images of a modern scientific miracle. To think, much closer to home - the travesty unfolding on our doorstep and we did nothing to help. I learn something each time I read your words - thank you again.
I’ve spoken with you many times about this extraordinary story Hugh - and about the even more extraordinary coincidence of this sham ‘Act of Free Choice’ taking place under the auspices of the US-based ‘United Nations’ just as the US was taking its first tentative steps towards colonising outer space.
However it is the photographs of you, and the moon - and those elegant works of art inadequately labelled as ‘stone axes’ - that powerfully transform your story from foreign correspondent reportage to a personal and political journey that is more Homeric than Hemingway-esque.
Your article reminded me of stories on Indonesia and Soekarno's expansion plans for Singapore, Borneo, Timor
The first I heard on Borneo was a physio I was getting treatment from at Rye Mornington Peninsula, Vic, who told me his elder brother had been in Borneo with the Aust Army in the 'secret" war against Indonesia along the border in the jungle and had been killed by a rogue elephant of all things
Then later I got to know a Sorrento local Jock Richardson a tough little, Scot who had amazing stories of his army career finishing up as a Sgt Major at Portsea Officer School. When Aust got involved in Korea initially they had WW2 soldiers volunteering but when they needed more they advertised in UK and Jock a young Scot joined and finished up in Korea with stories of mass Chinese attacks. He stayed in the Army and was sent to Malaysia for the Red incursion there and then to Borneo for the border "war" a nasty one, then stayed on at Portsea for some years Keith Murley
It touched me. I learn so much. Safe then as a teacher at a primary school in Turramurra, Sydney, I am in awe to read this especially to see the zPapuan with the axe and the moon.
I have never understood why the people of West New Guinea were so abandoned and why the Indonesians were allowed to take it over. The bloody Indonesians had just won their own freedom from their former colonial masters, and yet here they were doing the same colonising, jackbooting their way into a country with which they shared no culture, ethnicity or religious heritage. I support the right of West New Guineans to govern themselves, or perhaps even enter a union with PNG. What a pity the United Nations is so useless!
The Papuans are still fighting for their self determination and no one is interested. Keep up the great work exposing their plight and the forces military, corporate and international stacked against them.
Yes, when the people of West Papua were trampled into the dirt. I have a friend of Dutch heritage, born in Indonesia but has only ever been to The Netherlands once in his life, about five years ago. Born in 1937, he lived through the Japanese occupation during WWII and then the Sukarno take over. He went to then Dutch New Guinea as we knew it as, especially when I lived in PNG in the 1950s, when he was 14 years old. Through suffering Beri Beri and poor health as a child, virtually no education, he now suffers poor eyesight and basic literacy skills.
He has just published his memoirs of that period, a long winded process. He dictated to his wife, who wrote it longhand, then sent it to their daughter who put it into a word document. She then sent it to me to edit and format. I worked with their son and published it through Amazon.
I will show him your article but I know it will bring up some strong emotions and memories of the hardships and cruelties he was subject to, some of which he is still still traumatised by.
Fascinating & rather sad. Reminds me of how Oz gave an unofficial green light to Indon. to take over East Timor in 1975. Politics always trumps morality. No wonder people are cynical about "the system".
Thank you for this incredible story, Hugh. Had it not been for your reporting efforts, we may never have known.
Hugh
Your story reminds me of what I was doing when the Americans landed on the moon. As a Nasho (called up as a teacher) I was training with 7RAR for tropical warfare in sleet, in the Putty mountains. A mad weather system was bringing wind and rain from the Southwest.
On the last night of the exercise, before being flown back to Holsworthy on Caribous, we went “non-tac” and were allowed to erect shelters. Myself and the other riflemen in the two-man tent (we called them “hootchies”) hung an army blanket across its front to keep the wind out. When we pulled it down in the morning after a very uncomfortable night, the blanket eerily stayed in place.
It had frozen overnight.
We were the first and last flight out that day. From my sideways sitting position in the Caribou, I could see the pilots fighting to keep the aircraft pointing down the dirt strip against the roaring cross wind which was snagging the aircraft’s very large tail. We were the last flight, because the conditions were deemed dangerous and the rest of B Coy waited until the wind dropped next day. We had twenty four hours of bliss back at the barracks, as our platoon sergeant was not on the first (and only) flight that day and we were left to our own devices.
I went to Vietnam in February 1970 and did a tour of duty until December. I came back in one piece, physically at least.
As one of my comrades said the other day when I caught up with him - “We must all have been mad”. I noted in reply that perhaps we weren’t, but our government at the time may have been……
Thanks for the memory.
Love your work.
Bob Whittaker
Just wanna show up here to say thank you to the author Mr. Hugh Lunn. Its a long overdue historical yet a first hand, primary source of what happened to us and our future. During my time as a student at the University of Rhode Island, both my undergrad. & grad, I've written many coursework assignments about my home and my country, but never did come across such primary source. Thankfully, another Papuan friend did work on her assignment where she came across this article where she shared with others. And I have read it thoroughly, makes me feel smile for other side, yet feel frustrated on the other for what exactly had happen.
For goodness sake, why we have been forgotten for so long, our struggle has for that 55+ years since what has happen in 1969.
Our struggle continues but no-one is hearing us, even the UN, we call for help not because we asking the upper echelon to do for us but together we can take action that is best for everyone, we are not asking for "what the USA (UN) can do for us, but together we can do for the freedom of..." Papua and Papuan (JFK).
The question is, I'm not sure why the US does have a wonderfully great relationship with Indonesia, the biggest and #1 Muslim nation on the Earth, yet it does go against all the Muslim countries? Why is that?
Another thing to keep in mind is: Israel-Palestine conflict and Indonesia- West Papua conflict, so what have you notice with the case of Israel -Palestine war. I know, you have seen what's Indonesia has been saying to Israel all these time.
Thank you Carlos Omkie. The great thing about my substack site — which I didn’t realise when I started — that people from around the world read it. Substack tell that me only 72% of my readers and listeners are from Australia. Something I never expected.
I like your academic version of me as “a primary source” — but you’re right I was there and so have a responsibility to tell what happened.
And I liked your word “historical”. When something happens to you, you never think you are being part of History — but when you get to 84 years old, you are.
That’s why its important for me to tell these telling tales.
Hugh Lunn in Taringa, Brisbane, Austrlaia.
Hugh, It was good that you and another reporter, Otto decided to go and report on the actual event of the 'Act of Free Choice', to document to the world and for historical purposes what really happened there.
What is amazing is you were there to report and witness the truth playing out of the farcical 'Act of Free Choice'. Thank you for your eloquent words and for the hauntingly beautiful photos. I was 6 years old watching the moon landing on tv - those black and white images of a modern scientific miracle. To think, much closer to home - the travesty unfolding on our doorstep and we did nothing to help. I learn something each time I read your words - thank you again.
I’ve spoken with you many times about this extraordinary story Hugh - and about the even more extraordinary coincidence of this sham ‘Act of Free Choice’ taking place under the auspices of the US-based ‘United Nations’ just as the US was taking its first tentative steps towards colonising outer space.
However it is the photographs of you, and the moon - and those elegant works of art inadequately labelled as ‘stone axes’ - that powerfully transform your story from foreign correspondent reportage to a personal and political journey that is more Homeric than Hemingway-esque.
Craig Munro
Hugh Lunn, Irian jaya Indonesia
Your article reminded me of stories on Indonesia and Soekarno's expansion plans for Singapore, Borneo, Timor
The first I heard on Borneo was a physio I was getting treatment from at Rye Mornington Peninsula, Vic, who told me his elder brother had been in Borneo with the Aust Army in the 'secret" war against Indonesia along the border in the jungle and had been killed by a rogue elephant of all things
Then later I got to know a Sorrento local Jock Richardson a tough little, Scot who had amazing stories of his army career finishing up as a Sgt Major at Portsea Officer School. When Aust got involved in Korea initially they had WW2 soldiers volunteering but when they needed more they advertised in UK and Jock a young Scot joined and finished up in Korea with stories of mass Chinese attacks. He stayed in the Army and was sent to Malaysia for the Red incursion there and then to Borneo for the border "war" a nasty one, then stayed on at Portsea for some years Keith Murley
It touched me. I learn so much. Safe then as a teacher at a primary school in Turramurra, Sydney, I am in awe to read this especially to see the zPapuan with the axe and the moon.
Those axes are very special objects.
Wonderful! I was watching the moon landing in Athens at the Parthenon - a vivid memory even in my old age.
Thanks, Hugh