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.
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……
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".
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.
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
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".
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.
Thank you for this incredible story, Hugh. Had it not been for your reporting efforts, we may never have known.
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