Werror dreams of home in West Papua

By Patrick Matbob

AS a child, Moses Werror dreamed of seeing the world. On the white sands that fringed his tiny Moor island home in West Papua, he would sketch outlines of ships. He dreamed that a ship would one day take him away to visit other countries.


Werror at his home in Madang.


While Werror was dreaming, the colonial power struggle for the future of his country had already began. This was the aftermath of the second world war. The struggle between his people of West Papua for self rule and other powerful nations and multinationals with vested interest in his country’s rich resources would eventually drive him away from his homeland. His dream, in some ways, would be fulfilled but it would be nothing like he had ever imagined.
Werror is the exiled Chairman of the Oparesi Papua Merdeka (Free Papua Movement). For the last 30 years, he has carried out a peaceful campaign internationally to win support to free his West Papuan home from Indonesian rule. A window of hope has opened. The East Timor independence and the change of leadership in Indonesia have softened the stranglehold Indonesia had over West Papua. Yet the recent death of prominent pro-independent West Papuan leader Theys Eluay who many believed was murdered by Indonesian military, had been a serious set back.
Werror sat near his three bedroom, high covenant home in Madang town. At 65, he is the reincarnation of Ghandi, his balding head sprinkled grey, as he peered through thick lenses.
Under the Dutch, Werror trained as a teacher. However, he knew he wasn’t going to see the world as a teacher.
Thinking he had a better chance as a seaman, he enrolled at a Nautical College in Hollandia (present day Djayapura) in 1956 and graduated as a seaman.
Werror sailed but his ship was only a coastal vessel servicing the local ports. The world stilled remained elusive so Werror decided to jump ship.
In January 1958, after an argument with one of the ship’s officers he left the ship in Sarong. He had decided to go to Indonesia to pursue his education and fulfil his childhood dream. He found a small fishing canoe, and with two other friends, sailed for Indonesia. Hopping from island to island they arrived in on the island of Moluccus. They were intercepted by Dutch intelligence, and because of the differences between the Indonesians and the Dutch, detained for a week. Later they were sent to an island inhabited by the West Papuan people.


Werror with the late Theys Eluay & supporters in 2001.

Werror did not stay there. He made his way to Ambon city and enrolled at a national high school. Being so far away from home, with no money, and having to live with friends, life was hard.
“I had only one meal a day of rice and fish,” he recalled.
His other problem was that he could not speak Bahasa Indonesia and that made schooling difficult.
In 1961 he sat for final exams with about 3,000 other students.
“I came 93 out of 3000,” he recalled. “I was overjoyed.”
Armed with his certificate, he jumped on a cargo ship and headed for the Indonesian capital, Jakarta. He wanted study political science at the University.
“I had no place to stay in Jakarta. I found some West Irian soldiers and stayed with them.”
“I slept on a table outside the house. The stars were my companion. I had no money, no clothes,” Werror recalled.
The West Papuan people were preparing themselves for independence from the Dutch so he joined the West Papuan movement in Jakarta. He became a spokesman and representative for the students for their cause.
“It was the first time for me to see the West Papuan flag,” he said.
The light blue flag with horizontal stripes and a bright red star at one end swelled his heart with pride. “It was a beautiful flag.”
The struggle for the future of resource-rich West Papua was intensifying. Colonisers of West Papua, the Dutch wanted West Papua to be a separate country but the Indonesians wanted it to be a part of their country, together with East Timor. Indonesia had US support.
Before 1960s, relationship between US and Indonesia was deteriorating because of US support for regional rebellions in Sumatra and North Sulawesi - two Indonesian provinces. After John Kennedy became President in 1961, the US made a huge effort to mend relationship with Indonesia. In so doing, it began to favour Indonesia’s ambitions for West Papua to become part of Indonesia. US turned its back on its former war ally and coloniser of West Papua, the Dutch who wanted West Papua to become a separate country. In March 1962, the US brought Dutch and Indonesia together for negotiations that was concluded five months later resulting in the New York Agreement. The agreement called for a self-determination, enacted in a so-called ‘act of free choice’, to be exercised six years after Indonesia took administrative control of West Papua. The agreement was ratified by UN General Assembly and put into motion within six months.
It was during this time, that the Indonesian Government selected a delegation to travel to New York for the UN General Assembly. The 100-member delegation was made up of West Papuan people and Moses, the poor, struggling student was selected. Finally, he was going to see the world.
His eyes lit up as he recalled the experience from impoverishment to sheer luxury. Travelling through Singapore, Japan, Hawaii and on to New York, the delegation was accommodated at the Plaza Hotel, on 5^th Avenue. The delegation was given first class treatment, staying in luxurious hotels and partied every night. Werror visited Holywood, Disneyland and Washington.
Reality soon set in however, when he returned to Jakarta. There was no one to meet him at the airport and no home to go to.
“The trip seemed like a nice dream,” he said.
But things soon changed. The Indonesian government thought Werror was an asset to them and recruited him to train as a diplomat. He was put up in a hotel room with all expenses paid.
This was better than a University education, Werror thought.
In 1962 he was sent to Australia to work at the Indonesian embassy there. His career in the diplomatic service began but it was not without controversy. The Indonesian Government never completely trusted him.
In 1964, Werror married his wife (name to be provided) who was a West Papuan from Biak Island.
After five years in Australia, he was recalled to Djakarta.
As time was drawing near for the ‘act of free choice,’ the West Papuan freedom fighters began intensifying their campaign against the Indonesian military who were in control of West Papua.
In Jakarta Werror began his activities to push for West Papuan Independence. He met American officers in promoting the West Papuan struggle and to seek help and support from US. This was to be his major work - to use his diplomatic training to campaign and promote his country’s struggle for independence internationally.
However, after a while things began to get too hot and Werror and his family headed home for Nabire. Their stay at Nabire was short however, when he was recalled to Jakarta by the Indonesian military. Suspicious about their intentions, Werror headed instead for Djayapura giving the excuse that he still had incomplete business to attend there.
It was 1969 and the date for the Act of free choice approached. Major demonstrations were planned in Jayapura for the lead up to the occasion and Werror was involved. Meantime, the military intelligence was looking for him. Werror said he kept himself carefully hidden.
However, during the major demonstration in Djayapura, he was asked to speak. Werror said he told the demonstrators to be strong and united, to resist violence yet to be firm on their demand for independence. As he was addressing the demonstration, the Indonesian military arrested him. Together with other leaders, they had their arms and legs chained and were thrown into prison in Djayapura. They went through military court. As a diplomat, Werror had the advantage of knowing many Indonesian Government officials, and a sympathiser slipped him a note in jail warning him not to go when the military came to pick him up.
When the military truck came to pick him and others, he refused. Later he found out that the others were killed.
After a week he was released but Werror was suspicious that he was being set up. He went to the police chief whom he knew personally to get some guarantee for his safety.
Then the United Nations stepped in and recruited him on their staff in Djayapura. He was given a good job, and a home. His wife wanted them to settle down. However, Werror never felt safe and decided they must leave Djayapura.
On August 1971, in the cover of darkness, he and his family crossed by boat into Papua New Guinea arriving at Vanimo.
After staying at refugee camps, he eventually moved to Madang.
As Werror sat near his house in Madang, he is dreaming again. This time it is about his beloved West Papua and the white sands of Moor Island.
Werror has seen the world. Now he just wants to go home again...