I remember Tom Beanal saying at the closure of the Second Papuan Peoples’ Congress (May-June 2000) that the main enemy for the Papuans are the Papuans themselves.
The year 1960-’61 and ’62 were the years of construction. I was walking in shorts through Jayapura with Arnold Ap and Demi Kurnie. At that time, the struggle for Papua Merdeka was most active outside West Papua. In 1965, the resistance movement Organisasi Papua Merdeka was established in the jungle of Manokwari. From then on the struggle is waged inside and outside the country.
The third resurrection took place after the fall of Suharto in 1998. The struggle for Merdeka (independence) is no longer waged in the forests but in the towns, the villages, the offices, the universities, the homes. By now the talk about Merdeka is everywhere, both inside and outside West Papua.
Pa Tom is right with his ideas: it is time we join forces inside and outside the country — in the towns, the villages, the offices, the universities, the homes - in order to make our aspirations into reality.

Coming December, both the Dewan Adat Papua and the presidium Dewan Papua will have important meetings, what we call a Pleno. Then we shall decide on tactics and strategy:

• All sectors of society will cooperate.
• An organisation is an instrument and not a goal.
• The goal is liberation from oppression.

December 1 is approaching and in West Papua you can feel the spirit of the dynamic of the people but also of the opponent. I believe that we should use the atmosphere of last week’s symposium and today’s gathering to develop new activities. Activities that should energise our struggle with new élan. Not only in West Papua and in the Netherlands, but everywhere where Papuans are residing,

I hope we will not run into problems because of our travel. This morning I called home. The police has delivered an order, a warrant that I am to report. That is the custom around December 1. But through the years the tension diminishes. In the beginning I was arrested and had to spend the 1^st of December in jail. The following year I was put in jail for only one night. The year upon that I had to come and talk in the police station. I anticipate that this year the situation will be enjoyable.

We have now a complex situation in West Papua. It can be compared with a plate gado-gado, we get bits and pieces of everything. The situation is tense. Indonesia is planning to have elections for governor for the illegal province of West Irian Jaya. West Papua used to be different because of its history, now it is different because of the illegal legal system. The ceiling is clear and visible in the NKRI (Unitarian State of the republic of Indonesia). In West Papua the situation is different. We have the MRP (the advisory people’s council) that would make the Papuans boss in their own country. But again, we are facing mobilisation of the Indonesian armed forces. Yesterday, in Timika, a 28-year old man was stubbed to death by the military for no reason. Many military troops have entered great-Jayapura; fifteen military have been stationed in every village. More troops create more tension.

Today, members of the MRP and the Commission on Papua are meeting in Jakarta with vice-president Kala. The question is who has the most power, the constitution or the vice-president. The problems cannot be solved in Jakarta, they must be solved in West Papua.

Who does what in our struggle for liberation of oppression? We have to clearly formulate the responsibilities. We should also consider the role of reverends, priests and mullahs. The people are praying and coming together in gatherings of prayer. We are all in the same canoe and we have to row together. We need to agree on who is steering and who is peddling. If you are not able to peddle you can bail out the water; if you cannot bail you can sing; if you can do neither you can go to sleep, but when we get ashore you have to explain why you have slept. Everybody should have a task.

It is important to know that Indonesia is not in good shape at the moment. If there is no major reshuffle in the government, the tensions between the president and the vice-president will escalate. In 2006, black clouds will gather over Jakarta.

In West Papua we all should sing the same song. In The Netherlands you should cooperate under a just and strong leadership. Our arrival last week at Schiphol airport was heart-warming; young Papuans welcomed us with the Papuan flag. That was very encouraging.

The question no longer is Merdeka atau Mati (Freedom or Death), but Merdeka atau Merdeka (Freedom or Freedom). We must be convinced of our goal, we must lift ourselves over any obstacle.

I was in prison in Abepura together with Theys Eluay. Every morning he made me play our national anthem Hai Tanahku Papua on my harmonica. He told me: "There will be a day when I get murdered, but behind me are the spirit and the blood of them who will proceed. You must bring Merdeka to the golden gate".

Finally I’ll tell you a short anecdote: last year Seth Rumbewas died in Manokwari. Before he passed away, he had called for a teacher. He told this man that he wanted to be buried with the Morning Star. Literally with the flag, his body wrapped in the flag and then into the grave. The teacher asked why he wanted it that way. Seth replied: "if I have to fight in the hereafter too, than I will be accompanied by my flag".