Markus Haluk: "Why do I write?"

Markus Haluk (right)

After the Papuan uprising that took place in August 2019, a number of Papuan key activists were arrested by the Indonesian police and military. One night, I myself was confronted and threatened by unknown armed men. 

This incident made me realize that as a Papuan freedom fighter, I could be killed at any time. I reflected and said to myself: "What can I do so that my struggle can continue even after I die?" and "What legacy can I leave for my beloved people and nation?"

Then I spontaneously picked up a pen and started to write down everything I had seen, felt and experienced during my twenty years of struggle against the Indonesian colonial regime. I also documented all the efforts made by Papuans in Indonesia, in exile and abroad. Writing after writing continued to flow. As time went on, hundreds of manuscripts were compiled for a book.

Initially, I divided them into 17 categories. But in the end I summarized them into five. These were published recently as five series on the history of politics, human rights and democracy in West Papua:

Series 1: West Papua's return to the Melanesian home: Papuan political history, unity consensus, ULMWP and the struggle for the right to self-determination;

Series 2: Human rights in West Papua: chronicling the failure to implement Papua's special autonomy;

Series 3: With God, we will win: against the Indonesian Government's racist and terrorizing policy against Papuans ;

Series 4: One common oven in the Papuan house: ideas, resolutions and the dynamism of Melanesian life ;

Series 5: Crimes against humanity, ecological disaster by FREEPORT and human rights violations at Degeuwo Paniai.

These books have received positive responses from a number of church leaders and secular academics in Indonesia. I hope my writings will become known to a wider public. So far, these five books are available only in Indonesian. However, I will endeavor to publish them in English and French one day. 

Ora et labora. Let's work for our country as long as the sun still rises. Waaa... waaa... waaa...