POST
PRODUCTION
SCRIPT
Foreign
Correspondent
2020
The
War Next Door
29
mins 39 secs
©2020
ABC
Ultimo Centre
700
Harris Street Ultimo
NSW
2007 Australia
GPO
Box 9994
Sydney
NSW
2001 Australia
Phone:
61 419 231 533
Precis
|
Just north of Australia a secret war is being fought. West
Papuan independence fighters and Indonesian security forces are involved in a
protracted and bloody battle over the issue of Papuan independence. The
conflict escalated after young West Papuan fighters killed Indonesian road
workers building a highway into Papua’s central highlands. The Indonesia government hit back hard, deploying hundreds of
police and military who attacked the region in an effort to root out the
rebels. Last year mass protests broke out, with civil resistance leaders
from in and outside West Papua calling for freedom from Indonesia. With foreign media largely shut out, the story of this unfolding
humanitarian disaster remains untold. Hundreds have died and local officials estimate that over 40 000
people have been displaced. There are allegations of torture and human rights
abuses. Foreign Correspondent has been able to report from inside the
conflict zone, gaining access to exclusive pictures of the recent unrest and
speaking to eyewitnesses of the violence. "I have to yell out to the world…because if I don’t, we’re
going to be weaker and the indigenous people will be wiped out," says
one West Papuan highlander, who’s looking after children orphaned in the
recent fighting. "We will not retreat. We will not run. We will fight until
recognition dawns," says a member of West Papua’s young guerrilla force
whose ranks include teenagers orphaned in the ongoing conflict. "Dialogue is needed but dialogue which is
constructive," says Indonesia’s former Security Minister. "We have
closed the door for dialogue on a referendum. No dialogue for
independence." Sally Sara reports on a war with no end in sight. |
|
Episode
tease. |
|
00:00 |
|
SALLY
SARA, Reporter: A secret war, right on
our doorstep. West Papuans activists are fighting for independence from
Indonesia like never before. Jakarta is cracking
down hard, cutting communications and banning foreign media, but we’ve
managed to get inside, where a long running insurgency has
reignited. |
00:07 |
|
This
is the story Indonesia doesn’t want the world to know. |
00:44 |
Aerial.
Port Moresby GVs. Super: |
Music
|
00:52 |
Performers
apply paint for performance. Title: The War Next Door |
|
01:11 |
Super: |
Music
|
01:17 |
|
SALLY
SARA, Reporter: We start our journey in Port Moresby, where the Morning Star
flag, the symbol of West Papuan independence, is
being celebrated. |
01:27 |
Ronny
preparing for performance, face painting |
Musician, Ronny
Kareni wears the colours with pride. RONNY KARENI:
For me, it |
01:37 |
Ronny
interview |
represents
my people. And the significance of how many people have suffered
or died or imprisoned, just for that Morning Star flag. |
01:43 |
Ronny
and band perform |
SALLY
SARA, Reporter: Ronny fled from
West Papua nearly 40 years ago and now lives in Australia.
The performers are drumming up support for their
compatriots across the border. |
01:56 |
Man
waves Morning Star flag |
In
Indonesian controlled West Papua, flying this flag can get
you arrested or worse. |
02:16 |
Ronny
interview |
RONNY KARENI: It makes what we are fighting for and
representing that Morning Star becomes so significant that it is something
that we will die for. |
02:23 |
Band
perform |
[singing]
"Sorong Samarai… one people one soul one destiny…
Sorong Samarai… We’ve got to keep on pushing
forward….Sorong Samarai…" |
02:32 |
Sally
watches performance |
SALLY
SARA, Reporter: The band, Sorong
Samarai sings the soundtrack of the independence struggle. It calls
for the island of New Guinea to be one nation from Sorong
in the west, to Samarai in the east. While Papua New Guinea is
independent, West Papua is part of Indonesia. |
02:45 |
Band
perform |
[singing] |
03:05 |
Parkop
addresses audience |
Powes Parkop,
Governor of Port Moresby: "One people, one culture, one
ancestor." |
03:18 |
|
SALLY
SARA, Reporter:
The outspoken governor of Port Moresby, Powes
Parkop, is urging Papua New Guineans and the international community to
support West Papuan independence. |
03:23 |
|
Powes Parkop,
Governor of Port Moresby: "I have
chosen and committed not to live in fear any more. To
be courageous and to be brave and to tell the truth,
this is our weapon of choice." |
03:34 |
Band
perform |
[singing] |
03:48 |
|
SALLY
SARA, Reporter: The voices for change
are growing louder, but can they undo the past? |
03:54 |
Archival.
Villagers dance/UN meeting |
Music
|
04:00 |
|
SALLY
SARA, Reporter: The western side of
New Guinea was given to Indonesia in a deal brokered by the UN. |
04:07 |
Archival.
1969 ballot |
In
1969, Indonesia held a ballot, called the ‘act of free choice’, but they only
selected just over a thousand West Papuans to vote
and then declared a unanimous victory. |
04:14 |
Archival.
Conflict |
There’s
been conflict ever since – bloodshed and human rights abuses. |
04:35 |
Statue
of soldier |
It
still overshadows the lives of many West Papuans. |
04:43 |
Fly
River GFX: Map New Guinea showing
border |
Music
|
04:49 |
|
SALLY
SARA, Reporter: The Fly River is one of the biggest in Papua New Guinea. It
makes up part of the border with Indonesian
controlled Papua. |
05:04 |
Tony
and Sara in boat of Fly River |
For
Tony Sapioper, getting out on the water is a chance to forget his
troubles for a short while. Sally
Sara: "Are there many families
living by the river?" Tony:
"Yeah. |
05:19 |
|
These Yongu people,
they are West Papuans, but they have been crossing the border for
so many years." |
05:30 |
|
SALLY
SARA, Reporter: Tony is one of
thousands of West Papuan refugees living along the border in PNG. |
05:38 |
Tony
interview |
TONY SAPIOPER: I sometimes feel depressed, because of the
situation that we face here, we are facing
here. Firstly, the government of Papua New Guinea is
not really looking after the refugees here. That’s what sometimes
makes us feel angry. Feel frustration. Feel
depressed. But I think that the only dream that we have is the
fight for our freedom. |
05:53 |
Riverside
houses |
Music
|
06:19 |
|
SALLY
SARA, Reporter: Tony has a makeshift house near
the riverbank. |
06:26 |
Tony
and Sara walk to home and greet Estervine |
He
lives with his 71 year old widowed mother,
Estervine. The family fled West Papua in 1984, because of
unrest. |
06:30 |
|
ESTERVINE: We have lived in this country for 35 years,
Papua New Guinea, |
06:47 |
Estervine
interview |
with
all sorts of difficulties and shortcomings. We have experienced sickness and
death. |
06:54 |
Estervine
and Tony fry bananas |
SALLY
SARA, Reporter: Estervine sells fried
banana to earn a small living. |
07:06 |
|
ESTERVINE: We've reached the point where we long to
return to our country, |
07:14 |
Estervine
interview |
to
our land of Papua. |
07:21 |
Photo.
Estervine teaching |
SALLY
SARA, Reporter: Before she became a
refugee, she was a teacher in West Papua. Her husband
worked for a UN agency. |
07:23 |
Family
photos |
The
family was middle class. TONY SAPIOPER: I used to tell her that |
07:32 |
Tony
interview |
it’s
ok, it’s ok, don’t cry. Because you know, because of your
aim, because of your dream for your homeland to be free, that’s
why you took us here. So you don’t need to cry. Just wait
patiently. Struggle. And then you will see the result of
it. |
07:42 |
Estervine
selling fried banana |
SALLY
SARA, Reporter: It's an impossible
choice, to endure a lack of freedom in West Papua or live in poverty in Papua
New Guinea. Tony
[singing]: "You can’t
imagine or foresee…" |
08:04 |
Tony
playing guitar and singing |
SALLY
SARA, Reporter: Tony is part of a lost generation, lacking education and
opportunity. |
08:19 |
|
Tony
[singing]: "This is how it is,
the reality…" SALLY
SARA, Reporter: The rest of the family has returned and Estervine wonders if
it's better to go back too, but her health is failing. |
08:25 |
Estervine
interview |
ESTERVINE:
I beg, I plead, I express the wishes of my heart,
I want freedom. I want to go home. I no longer want to
live in someone else’s country. As a Papuan, I want to take back
my country, my land and my nation. |
08:42 |
Tony
playing guitar and singing |
Tony
[singing]: "There’s nothing else,
only freedom…" |
09:06 |
Tony
interview |
TONY SAPIOPER: I immediately want to go to West Papua and
fight, instead of wasting my time here. Because that’s the only
dream I have. That's the only dream that I still carry
on. That I hope that one day West Papua will be
free. |
09:19 |
Fly
River GFX: Map New Guinea showing
Kiunga |
Music
|
09:35 |
|
SALLY
SARA, Reporter: When there’s trouble
in West Papua, it’s felt here across the border in
Kiunga. It’s one of the biggest towns in this part of
Western Province. This is the place that asylum seekers try
to reach for safety. The latest |
09:40 |
Kiunga
street |
arrivals
are being processed on the outskirts of town. |
09:54 |
Asylum
seeker camp |
Music
|
09:59 |
Sara
to camera at camp |
SALLY
SARA, Reporter: This is the camp
behind me where the new arrivals are being housed. We have a media visa to be
here in PNG that's been approved all the way from the Prime Minister's
office, and it includes permission to speak with people who have
crossed over the border, but local officials are not allowing us to go inside
the camp or to hear the stories of these people who fled during
last year’s unrest. |
10:06 |
Asylum
seekers at camp |
These
are the first pictures of the more than 100 men, women and
children who crossed the
border last November. No one from the PNG
government here will give us an interview. Off camera they say
they want to protect their relationship with
Indonesia. |
10:29 |
West
Papua protests |
Last
year, the world got a rare glimpse of tensions erupting in West Papua. |
10:56 |
|
These
videos, shared online, show Papuan students being surrounded by Indonesian mobs
and racially abused. Man
on street: You're a monkey! Monkey!
Hey monkey, get out! |
11:04 |
Protest
march |
Protest
leader: Our action today is one of dignity. SALLY
SARA, Reporter:
Thousands of people took to the streets across
West Papua demanding an end to racism and crying 'Papua
merdeka'. 'Freedom for Papua.' |
11:20 |
Student
march |
Students marched
in solidarity, but Indonesia's then
Security Minister, former general Wiranto rejected
the calls. |
11:39 |
Wiranto
press conference |
FORMER
SECURITY MINISTER WIRANTO: Dialogue
is important. Dialogue is necessary, but dialogue that is
constructive. We have closed the door for dialogue on a referendum. There is
no dialogue about independence. |
11:47 |
Police
fire at protestors |
SALLY
SARA, Reporter: Peaceful protests soon turned violent. Protestors: "Freedom! Freedom!" |
12:04 |
Police
with riot shields |
SALLY
SARA, Reporter: More than 6,000
Indonesian soldiers and police were deployed. |
12:13 |
Police
fire at protestors |
This
video shows police shooting at unarmed civilians; Indonesia says it was in
self-defence. Pro-Indonesia militia groups joined the fight. |
12:19 |
Militia
members with flag |
Militia
man: "I’m willing to die for the red and white flag. No fear. I'm
determined to fight." |
12:32 |
Bodies
and injured |
SALLY
SARA, Reporter: The region descended
into the bloodiest unrest in decades. Hundreds of protestors
were detained. An internet blackout was enforced across the region. |
12:38 |
Driving.
Night. |
|
12:55 |
Sara
in car |
We’re
on our way to a secret meeting. One of the activists on the top of
Indonesia's most wanted list has agreed to an interview.
He’s crossed the border illegally into Papua New
Guinea. Finally, we reach a safe house. Victor Yeimo
arrives in the early hours of the morning. |
13:02 |
Sar
and Yeimo at safe house |
"How much
do you worry for your safety at the moment in West Papua?" |
13:43 |
Yeimo
interview |
VICTOR YEIMO:
All my life I worry about my life. Not only me, I worry about my
people’s lives. All the people of West Papua worry about their
lives. There is no future for people of
West Papua today. I grew up with
suffering, I was born with suffering, |
13:52 |
Photo.
Yeimo at protest |
and
I live with suffering. SALLY
SARA, Reporter: Victor Yeimo is the leader of a growing West
Papuan civil resistance movement, |
14:06 |
Yeimo
at protest |
and
was a key organiser of last year’s protests. VICTOR YEIMO:
People of West Papua, |
14:13 |
Yeimo
interview |
for us it’s better for
us to fight before dying, for our dignity. It’s better than
just sit down and give up, be silent and be killed. Occupied
by Indonesia. So fighting is something -- a duty. It's a role of
young generation, like me. |
14:25 |
Student
protest |
SALLY
SARA, Reporter: Victor Yeimo is urging Australia to support West Papuan
independence. |
14:49 |
Yeimo
interview |
VICTOR YEIMO: If you
can do for East Timor, you can do the same thing with the West
Papuan people. Humanity is more important, so please I believe
the people of Australia today, take care of us. You will be remembered
by the generations of West Papua. You will become part of the history of
our nation. |
14:56 |
|
Music
|
15:22 |
Mambor
walks on street |
SALLY
SARA, Reporter: After last year’s
unrest Indonesia banned foreign media in West Papua, |
15:28 |
Sara
and Mambor at laptop looking at demonstration footage |
but
one journalist is determined to get the story out. Victor Mambor
is the editor of a West Papuan newspaper. He reported on the 2019
demonstrations. |
15:44 |
|
"Is it dangerous for
you to get some of these stories?" VICTOR
MAMBOR: Yeah, it’s
dangerous. |
15:58 |
|
SALLY
SARA, Reporter: With an Indonesian mother and West Papuan father, he’s
trusted by both sides. |
16:03 |
Mambor
interview |
VICTOR
MAMBOR: Maybe I am one of them lucky
journalists, because I can work on the Papuan side, but also on the
Indonesian side. This is my advantage to help my people. |
16:09 |
Mambor
at laptop looking at footage |
SALLY
SARA, Reporter: He’s been doing what we can’t -- filming
inside West Papua for Foreign Correspondent. |
16:20 |
|
"How important is
it for the world to know what's happening in West Papua?" |
16:27 |
Mambor
interview |
VICTOR
MAMBOR: I think it's very important for
the world to know what happened
in West Papua because the human rights abuses happen
every day and every place. |
16:33 |
Mambor
in plane to central highlands |
SALLY
SARA, Reporter: Victor Mambor travelled to West Papua’s
remote central highlands. There's long been unrest here, |
16:47 |
|
but
the fighting between separatists and Indonesian forces has intensified. |
16:57 |
River.
GFX: Map showing Nduga |
The
recent conflict started here in the district of Nduga,
causing a humanitarian disaster. Local officials say |
17:07 |
Mambor
driving to meet with Raga |
45,000 people have
been displaced. Victor is meeting Raga Kogoya, a highlander
helping those who’ve fled. |
17:19 |
Raga
at home |
RAGA:
We have 38 heads of family here and 220 people. There are more
children here than adults. |
17:39 |
Raga
with Mambor |
We've
stopped taking notes of who died because per day there were one to five or one
to six deaths a day, children adults and women. |
17:52 |
Aerials.
Trans Papuan Highway |
SALLY
SARA, Reporter: Construction
of this road triggered the current fighting. A 4000
kilometre link called the Trans Papuan Highway. Jakarta says it will
bring economic opportunity and improve living standards. But many
West Papuans fear Indonesia will use it
to take land, exploit natural resources and
destroy local culture. |
18:06 |
Raga
interview |
RAGA:
They need the natural resources but they don’t need the
people of Papua. |
18:33 |
Road
workers vehicles |
SALLY
SARA, Reporter: In December 2018, a group of West Papuan independence
fighters ambushed and slaughtered at least 16 Indonesian road workers. |
18:38 |
Helicopter.
Indonesian troops |
Indonesia
retaliated with a security offensive to capture those responsible. |
18:48 |
Wiranto
press conference |
FORMER
SECURITY MINISTER WIRANTO: "In this country there is no armed group that
is legitimate, who just commit murder and create disorder. Whatever country
they are in, we will pursue them and we will finish them." |
18:56 |
Video
footage. Razed burnt homes |
SALLY
SARA, Reporter: Foreign Correspondent has obtained
exclusive video of the aftermath of Indonesia's operation. It
shows houses burnt to the ground and villages abandoned. |
19:16 |
Villagers
bury dead |
Thousands
of local fled to the jungle for safety, some only venturing out to bury
the dead. |
19:30 |
Man
tends injury |
Others
suffered severe injuries in the attack. Allegations of chemical weapons have
surfaced -- a claim Indonesia strenuously denies. |
19:46 |
Aerial.
Nduga |
Human
rights groups estimate that more than 200 West Papuans have
died. |
19:58 |
Raga
at house |
Irian
Kogoya witnessed the violence
and is still traumatised. |
20:08 |
Irian
with Mambor |
IRIAN
KOGOYA: They had a helicopter above us, and they dropped bombs.
People were murdered, arrested, tortured, forced to dig a hole so
when they got killed they would be buried there. |
20:13 |
Group
of children |
SALLY
SARA, Reporter: Indonesia denies using bombs but admits grenades were
launched during the military operation. |
20:30 |
Human
rights workers at grave |
Last
year, human rights workers discovered this grave, containing the bodies of
three Papuan women and two children who
had allegedly been shot dead. Activists want the United
Nations to investigate events in Nduga. |
20:38 |
Aerial
drone shot. Nduga |
Indonesia’s
former Security Minister, Wiranto, and the Indonesian ambassador to
Australia declined our requests for an interview. In a written statement they
blame separatists for the violence and say Indonesian security
forces “respect and promote human rights”.
They say 'only 2000 civilians were affected by the situation
in Nduga.' |
21:00 |
Rebel
soldier group |
Rebel
Leader: "We will not retreat. We will not run. We will fight until we
are recognised. We demand independence. We want to free ourselves from
the state of Indonesia. SALLY
SARA, Reporter: These are the rebels that Indonesia is hunting; |
21:24 |
Photo.
Egianus with gun |
19
year old commander Egianus Kogoya and his soldiers. |
21:43 |
Child
rebel soldiers |
These
pictures show children in the ranks. |
21:48 |
Raga
at home |
Raga
is Egianus Kogoya’s cousin and she says the use of child soldiers
is a new and tragic part of the conflict. |
21:52 |
Raga
interview |
RAGA:
At the moment those who fight under the leadership of Egianus
Kogoya are children. 14 to 20 years old, 20 to 26 years
old. There is no one in their 30s. The kids don’t
come because Egianus called asked them, but those
whose fathers got shot, tortured, then died, after that they would come
and many school children in Nduga have come out
to join the war. |
22:05 |
Raga's
home. Feeding orphan children |
SALLY
SARA, Reporter: Raga has opened her home in the main town
of Wamena to care for children orphaned by the conflict. The
children are severely traumatised and too scared to reveal their identity for
fear of reprisal. NANESE: When the first
bombing happened they killed my father. |
22:35 |
|
INTERVIEWER:
How did you feel? NANESE: I felt heartbroken. Indonesia must
take responsibility for killing my father. |
22:56 |
Raga
and Mambor |
RAGA: I
believe I have to yell out to the world in particular to the media, because
if I don’t, we'll be weaker and the indigenous people will be wiped
out, because they are killed and slaughtered
like animals. |
23:07 |
Aerial.
Wamena town |
Music
|
23:23 |
Sambom
working on computer |
SALLY
SARA, Reporter: The spokesperson for the armed wing of the West Papuan
independence movement is now based in PNG. Sebby
Sambom is a former political prisoner; he fled across the border in 2013. |
23:35 |
Sambom
interview |
"Will
you kill again?" |
23:52 |
|
SEBBY
SAMBOM: Of course. Before independence
we will kill. We will fight. Continue to fight. No compromise. |
23:53 |
Child
soldiers |
SALLY
SARA, Reporter: And he defends the use of child soldiers even though it’s
banned under international law. He says it's the result of decades of
repression and an estimated 100,000 deaths under Indonesian rule. |
24:02 |
|
SEBBY
SAMBOM: When they see their father
being killed or their mother killed and then they grow up to be
12 to 15 years old, they will become a soldier. |
24:16 |
Yeimo |
SALLY
SARA, Reporter: Victor Yeimo from the civil
movement says they’re committed to peaceful action
but defends the right of Papuans to take up arms. |
24:26 |
Yeimo
interview |
VICTOR
YEIMO: They are not terrorists. They are not troublemakers. They are
not criminals. They are, originally they are freedom fighters. |
24:35 |
Ronny
and Sara driving to Vanimo |
music
|
24:48 |
Aerial.
Coastline. GFX: Map showing Vanimo |
SALLY
SARA, Reporter: On Papua New Guinea’s north coast, the town of Vanimo sits
close to the border. It’s a popular tourist spot for surfers from around the
world. |
25:11 |
Surfer |
Music
|
25:22 |
Ronny
at beach |
SALLY
SARA, Reporter: Life is peaceful here, but for musician Ronny Kareni, this
place is full of memories. RONNY KARENI: There is a lot of pain that my family has
gone through and even my own |
25:35 |
Ronny
interview |
immediate
family. But one thing that we also came to realise is the memory of
suffering. |
25:48 |
Photo.
Young Ronny and family |
SALLY
SARA, Reporter: Ronny was a refugee here for seven years as a
child. His family was one of thousands who fled West Papua,
due to political unrest. |
25:56 |
Ronny
interview |
RONNY KARENI: Growing up in a refugee camp in Vanimo,
it's the survival of the fittest and it's living in limbo. |
26:06 |
Driving
to border |
|
26:15 |
Border
checkpoint |
SALLY
SARA, Reporter: We’ve travelled to the official border checkpoint between Indonesia
and PNG. Normally a busy trade route, today it’s
closed because of coronavirus. |
26:40 |
Ronny
interview at checkpoint |
RONNY KARENI: I'm feeling emotional, especially where I
know the land is one, it's like I'm already in my homeland,
in West Papua. Although the fence behind me will separate me, but
I'm home, this is my home. I feel like I'm home. |
26:55 |
Beach |
|
27:16 |
Dorothy
with boy |
SALLY
SARA, Reporter: Many families are spilt by the border. Ronny’s aunt, Dorothy
Tekwie lives on the Papua New Guinean side. DOROTHY
TEKWIE: My
great grandmother is |
27:19 |
Dorothy
interview |
from
the other side of the border, so we see
our relatives on the other side. So while they enjoy
certain economic benefits brought by Indonesia, there
are other things that they don't enjoy that we enjoy. |
27:29 |
Beachside
village |
Music
|
27:51 |
|
SALLY
SARA, Reporter: Activism runs in the family. Dorothy is
a long-time human rights and environmental campaigner. DOROTHY
TEKWIE: It is time |
27:55 |
Ronny,
Dorothy and Sara walk on beach |
the
world look at what is happening in this little spot. Just because
we are black and we happen to be Melanesians, and we don’t have tanks,
we don’t have fighter jets, that you forget that there are people on this
island that are suffering like that. Something has to be
done. |
28:03 |
Ronny
and band performing |
RONNY
KARENI: [singing]
"Sorong Samarai… one people one soul one destiny… " |
28:26 |
|
SALLY
SARA, Reporter: The battle for independence continues, and
the dream of West Papuan freedom. |
28:36 |
Morning
Star flag flies |
VICTOR
YEIMO: The Morning Star is our vision, our mission, our
destination. |
28:42 |
Yeimo
interview |
After
the night, there will be sunrise in the morning. The people of West
Papua hope that one day, the Morning Star will rise up. |
28:47 |
Ronny
and band performing. Credit start [see below] |
Music
|
28:58 |
Outpoint
after credits |
|
29:39 |
For
the Indonesian Government's response
abc.net.au/foreign
Reporter
Sally
Sara
Producer
Anne
Worthington
Camera
Greg
Nelson ACS
Editor
Leah
Donovan
Additional Reporting
Victor
Mambor
Additional Camera
Fransisca
Manam
Papuan
Voices
Special Thanks
Rize
of the Morning Star
Assistant Editor
Tom
Carr
Digital Producer
Matt
Henry
Graphics
Andres
Gomez Isaza
Archive Research
Michelle
Boukheris
Jenny
Fulton
Senior Production Manager
Michelle
Roberts
Production Co-ordinator
Victoria
Allen
Supervising Producer
Lisa
McGregor
Executive Producer
Matthew
Carney
abc.net.au/foreign
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