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Sep 18, 2008

Obama: Throwing Papua Under the Bus

In an article entitled "A Forgotten Cause", Peter Tatchell sheds light on the plight of the West Papuans, many of whom are Christians and have suffered under Indonesia's brutal policy of ethnic and religious persecution. The untold story though is how the Obama campaign would sell out the West Papuans in a desperate attempt to protect Obama's presidential bid.

On the 3rd of July 2007, U.S. Congressman Eni Faleomavaega would touch down in Jakarta, Indonesia. A staunch outspoken critic of Jakarta's rule over West Papua, New Guinea and a crusader for West Papua’s right to self-determination, the chairman of the House Subcommittee on Asia, The Pacific and the Global Enviroment, Faleomavaega promised to be a force to be reckoned with.


Having been barred from visiting Papau by the Indonesian government, Faleomavaega would instead settle for a private meeting in Jakarta with Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and Barnabas Suebu the governor for the Indonesian province of Papau. The Papuan issue though wasn't the only thing on Faleomavaega's mind, being one of Barack Obama's most devoted disciples, Faleomavaega would be seeking the Indonesian government's assistance in supporting Barack Obama's presidential campaign as well as making the requisite pilgrimage to Barack Obama's childhood school.

According to our Indonesian sources, "officials" who accompanied Faleomavaega were interested in acquiring any and all documentation or photographs of a young Barry Soetoro for America's "national archives" and they were offering cash, lots of it. In a show of faith, Barack Obama's childhood school would be one of the very first beneficiaries of this outpouring receiving thousands of dollars to upgrade the school and for the purchase of computer equipment, thanks in part to the benevolence of this visiting junket.

The challenge of course was securing Indonesian goverment records potentially damaging to Barack Obama's candidacy for the US presidency as well as other records pertaining to a young Barry Soetoro and his family wouldn't be so easy to acquire and secure, and for this, the visitors would need the assistance and cooperation of the Indonesian government.

It's not that getting Indonesian government help is difficult, it's not. It's no secret that Indonesia is one of the most corrupt countries on the planet, but we're not talking about the challenge of dealing with corrupt government officials here, but rather, dealing with the "true believers of change". Convincing the Indonesian government that an Obama presidency will be able to deliver that "change" and that it was in the interest of both countries to see that Barack Obama was elected was nothing more than a fait accompli for Faleomavaega's entourage.

For West Papau's governor in attendance, having been pacified at the prospect that an Obama presidency would enable him to make zillions trading carbon credits on the Chicago Climate Exchange, Barnabas Suebu would sit quietly as the fate of West Papau was decided.

The only issue of contention Faleomavaega would face from the Indonesian government would be the issue of West Papau. In the end, it was simply a give and take situation. The Obama campaign needed assistance from the Indonesian government and the Indonesian government wanted a free hand in Papau.

Later concerning Faleomavaega's meeting, Indonesian presidential spokesman Dino Patti Djalal would have this to say: "One thing that is sure is that Faleomevaega's visit here has changed his views about Indonesia. It has made him realize this country is so vast and complex it cannot be reduced by the Papua issue..." Dino said Faleomavaega was known as a US Congress member who often commented on the Papuan issue but now he had changed his views. "He now sees that Papua is inalienable part of the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia."

Faleomevaega's and meeting with Indonesia's president regarding West Papau and his subsequent flipflop on supporting West Papau's right to self-determination is something that you might think would warrant at least a press release on the congressman's website, but there is nothing, nor is there any mention on the House Subcommittee's site. No press release, nothing, not even a mere mention of his trip to Indonesia.

In the end, everyone got what they wanted, all to the detriment of the West Papuans.

The is no denying the fact that the prospects of an Obama presidency has emboldened the Indonesian government's brutal repression in Papau. In an earlier article, we would explain in detail how an Obama presidency would stoke ethnic and religious chauvinism in Indonesia and how Indonesia's Islamic fundamentalists will use an Obama presidency to radicalize a new contingent of militants from the ranks of Islam's moderates. Individuals who are mesmerized by the phantasmagorical image of one of their own now inhabiting the White House and who will see it as a sign of America's impending submission and our nation's acquiescence to the superiority of Islam. Tee-shirts blazoned with messianic images of Barack Hussein Obama are already starting to replace the Osama Bin Laden tee-shirts that have been so popular in Indonesia. In Indonesia Barack Obama is fast becoming the "Che Guevara" of Indonesia's young wannabe Islamists.

The Indonesian government is not only failing to protect the West Papuans from the violence of militant Islam, the government is actively stoking the fires of ethnic and religious chauvinism and supporting intimidation againstWest Papuans with many in recent days taking to the streets protesting the introduction of Islamic law.

For Indonesia's national news agency to refer to the US government as the "George Bush administration" highlights the dichotomy of opposing foreign policy positions that are being both presented and exploited by the left. That Indonesia would feel it was safe to renew their campaign of brutal repression in Papau, in the last few months of the current administration, the diplomatic sabotage conducted by the Obama campaign is partially if not wholly responsible.




6 comments:

  1. Keep up the good work Expat I have been reading your blog for for at least a year or so. You are getting to the bottom of a very dark well.
    Hawker7

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  2. Anonymous8:18 AM

    The O's Bro-inLaw reports on Emi F. campaigning for President Dunham-Soetero:

    http://my.barackobama.com/page/community/post/konrad/gGgMlt

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  3. Anonymous9:13 AM

    Lao,

    It seems to me that you might have confused Western New Guinea with "West Papua". "West Papua" or "Irian Jaya Barat" is actually just the west of Western New Guinea.

    Perhaps Jakarta purposely made things so confusing, in order to deflect criticism. If people have trouble figuring out the area being discussed, it's hard to generate sympathy.

    Western New Guinea is a territory of Indonesia where the population is predominantly Black, Christian, and tends to support true autonomy or independence from Indonesia.

    Western New Guinea is the western half of the Island of New Guinea. It is divided into Indonesia’s largest province, “Papua”, and the province of “West Papua".

    Indonesia calls Papua "Irian Jaya", and calls West Papua "Irian Jaya Barat". The Indonesian government split off West Papua from Papua in 2003.

    Indonesian acquired the entire territory in 1963, and renamed it “Irian Jaya” in 1973. The region was sighted by the Portuguese in 1511, and claimed by the Dutch in 1828. The Dutch then gifted it to Indonesia. The population of all Indonesian-held territory is 2,646,489; 78% Christian [54% Protestant + 24% Roman Catholic], 21% Muslim, less than 1% Buddhist or Hindu, all other religions [including Orthodox Christianity, and, of course, Judaism] are illegal in Indonesia.

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  4. Regarding the Freedomstruggle of West Papua Melanesia, we kindly request you to send enclosed attachements and below information to relatives concerned. Furthermore, according to these documents, we kindly request you to consider this issue and its contents, inorder to make this a revealing topic on your forum.
    For authenticity check/ more information please do not hesitate to contact us.

    We thank you in advance for your kind cooperation.

    =================================================================
    Please consider the break-away of West Papua/ Melanesia from Indonesia through Self determination as simple mathematics by executing the following formula:

    1. The original 1945 Proklamasi Sukarno-Hatta was from "A till A" (Atjeh till Ambon), NOT including West Papua. Because on that same day West Papua tribal leaders led by Marcus Wonggor Kaisiëpo, issued a statement in Kota Nica to RADEN Colonel Abdul Kadir Widojojoatmodjo of the NICA (Netherlands-Indies Civil Administration) which was governing West Papua. The message was simple: "West Papua Melanesia would determine its own future and therefore will never be a part of the new Indonesian republic".

    As from that moment any historical claim of Indonesia on West Papua is not funded as this 1945 statement widely expressed the Will of the West Papua people.
    On this basis the 1947 Canberra Agreement between Pacific States and western states (U.S., Netherlands, France, Ireland Australia, N-Zealand) was signed, recognizing West Papua as a Nation and recognizing it's Melanesian territorial borders and establishing the South Pacific Commission. As from that moment West Papua leaders attended the plenary sessions of the SPC.

    So Indonesia is living in denyal by considering West Papua as an internal question and within it's own territorial integrity, as Indonesia is ILLEGALLY OCCUPYING the undisputed territorial Melanesian borders of West Papua ever since 1963.
    Underlining this illegal basis, Indonesia prooved its democratic INCAPACITY by renaming West Papua several times, divide and conquer- politics, and keeping the world opinion happy by demonstrating democracy by issueing autonomy legislation in 2000, which still has to be implemented. And on top of this, issueing new legislation in 2006, dividing provinces, undermining its own 2001 autonomy law.

    Indonesia's failing attempts for democracy is illustrated with the banning of showing the West Papua Morningstar flag in public, which's freely expression was adopted in 2001 by the parlement under president Wahid.

    2. The revenues of West Papua's natural resources and wealth (gold, copper nickel, oil& gas, wood) are feeding the economy of the failed democratic state Indonesia. West Papua is Indonesia's guarantee for economic survival and to avoid bankruptcy of the failed democratic Indonesian state.

    See link: www.fcx.com/operations/grascomplx.htm

    3. According to the Pax Americana doctrine, the Kennedy Administration handed over West Papua in 1962 to Indonesia. Whenever USA's interest & profits (natural resources revenues) is endangered, the USA will strike Indonesia for its benefit ( see cases of Kuwait, Afghanistan, Iraq).
    So in despite of the brutal and corrupt Indonesian Generals regime and its atrocities, the US will take back West Papua by re-implementing the 1962 New York Agreement to its merites through the the United Nations Special Committee on Decolonization (C-24), inorder to maintain the Pax Americana Worldpeace.

    See link: www.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/NSAEBB/NSAEBB128/index.htm
    See link: www.house.gov/list/press/as00_faleomavaega/enionwestpapua.html
    See link: www.house.gov/list/press/as00_faleomavaega/enipayneltrtosusilo.html

    It is a Long Way to Go Never Give Up / Persevero !

    Insjah Allah / Na Kores Ra Refo

    Setia Djudjur Mesra / Trouw, Eerlijk, Innig Verbonden


    Kind regards,

    Kobe Oser/ Unity

    Write to:
    Kobe Oser office
    P.O.Box 10377
    7301 GJ Apeldoorn
    The Netherlands
    kobe_oser@hotmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  5. OBAMA MY PEOPLE OF WEST PAPUANS NEED YOU TODAYS
    if you need more informations you may visit at :
    http://www.blogger.com/home?pli=1
    http://laotze.blogspot.com/2008/09/obama-throwing-papau-under-bus.html
    http://www.sfbayview.com/2008/obama-song-for-west-papua/

    BY : EDOWAY YUNUS

    ReplyDelete
  6. great insight of give and take policy between US and Indonesia

    ReplyDelete

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