Indonesia-Australia

(Free West Papua) A short note from Sidney 23 Feb 2009.

Australian government is going the wrong way about improving relations with Indonesia if it continues to ignore the Aborigines (Indigenous Australians) while talking about West Papua issue. The genocide of Aborigines is a bad history that Indonesia should avoid in West Papua.

If Australia really wants to improve the relationship with Indonesia, we should be actually talking and discussing the issues of Aborigines genocide and the human rights situation in West Papua simultaneously. By ignoring it, it’s only putting it on the backburner and one day will explode and probably destroy the good image of Australian people in the world.
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Tourism in West Papua

Tourists are mostly Dutch and German, who come to West Papua travel to the Baliem Valley in the highlands. The main town, Wamena, draws tourists who are interested in trekking and in the culture of the local Dani tribes.

Although the Indonesian administration has previously tried to force them to wear clothes and live a more "civilised" lifestyle, today they are happy if they go naked because it is good for tourism.

In the village of Manda for example, clothed villagers are barred from the village while near-naked tribes-people, well-rehearsed and divided into two twelve-member teams, cook and dance in the traditional way for camera carrying tourists. The tourists pay for the food, the dancing, the photos, some handicrafts and a night's accommodation.

Tourists can stay in a village, completely built by the co-operative to house visitors. The villagers will dress traditionally, dance and have a feast for paying tourists.
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