Jean-Marie Tjibaou and Markus Haluk: crossed portraits

"If I were asked to name two pro-independence leaders who fought wisely, I'd say Jean-Marie Tjibaou and Markus Haluk."

This was emphasized by François Vaillant, editor-in-chief of Alternatives Non-violentes magazine, at a meeting of the French Commission for Peace and Justice on Wednesday, January 8, 2025.

The two figures mentioned above may be unfamiliar to most of us. Jean-Marie Tjibaou, let alone Markus Haluk, are not as well-known as Mahatma Gandhi or Nelson Mandela. But it's good to get a glimpse of who they were, what they fought for and how?

Jean-Marie Tjibaou, Kanaky independence leader

Jean-Marie Tjibaou was born on January 30, 1936 in Hienghène, New Caledonia. The son of a tribal chief, Tjibaou was ordained as a Catholic priest, but he abandoned his vocation to dedicate his life to the independence of New Caledonia or Kanaky from France. 

In the 1970s, he took up a thesis in ethnology at Sorbonne University. Although he did not complete his studies, he became involved in cultural and ethnic issues in New Caledonia. In 1975, he organized the Melanesia 2000 festival, which emphasized the importance of maintaining the Kanak identity.

On December 1, 1984, Tjibaou presented the political manifesto of the Kanak nation while raising its national flag. This date coincided with the anniversary of the proclamation of West Papua, another Melanesian nation, which had been independent in 1961, but was later annexed by Indonesia in 1963.

In his actions, Tjibaou put forward a strategy of non-violence, dialogue, and diplomacy in dealing with the Parisian central government. His vision of decolonization was pacific and inclusive, with no intention of expelling French settlers from Kanaky. "Independence with everyone", he used to say. This new idea, unprecedented in the history of decolonization, has raised the suspicions of certain Kanak independence activists.

On May 4, 1989, Tjibaou was shot dead along with his driver Yeiwéné Yeiwéné in Ouvéa by a hardline Kanak independence fighter Djubelly Wéa.

Markus Haluk, West Papuan independence leader

Markus Haluk was born in August 1980 in Indonesian-occupied West Papua. He spent his childhood in Pugima, a village in the Baliem valley, Wamena. He is the youngest son of Hakhowok Yogotak Haluk, chief of the Hubula tribe.

Like many Papuans, Markus was raised in the Christian faith. As a teenager, he lost his father. But thanks to the sponsorship of Father Frans Lieshout, a Dutch Franciscan missionary, Markus was able to pursue his higher education. He entered the Fajar Timur seminary to become a priest.

In 2004, Markus decided to give up religious life to devote himself to his people. “I want to be a pastor not only for Catholics, but for all Papuans,” he told his superiors at the seminary. Since then, he has become a guide for the people of West Papua to free themselves from the colonial yoke of Indonesia. For Markus, liberation theology remains the driving force behind his commitment to non-violence. This activity led to his arrest and interrogation dozens of times!

Just like Tjibaou, Markus champions the concept of peaceful decolonization that prioritizes dialogue and diplomacy. While there has so far been no open dialogue between Jakarta and West Papua, Markus has been working towards it: in late 2022, in the midst of Indonesia's military operations in Nduga, Markus, who served as executive director of the United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP), signed a humanitarian pause agreement with Indonesia's National Human Rights Commission. This agreement was unfortunately not sustainable.

Currently, Markus is actively lobbying political leaders in the Pacific, and working with a number of NGOs as well as religious organizations, both nationally and internationally, to make his people's aspirations heard.

Conclusion 

Both Jean-Marie Tjibaou and Markus Haluk were leaders who fought with modern concepts to end colonialism in the Melanesian region, which earned them respect, including by some of their opponents.

This is what former French President François Mitterrand had to say about Jean-Marie Tjibaou: “He is a person I respect, with whom words are more than words”. The same is true for Markus Haluk. In 2006, during a discussion on religious harmony, former Indonesian president and prominent Islamic Nahdlatul Ulama leader Abdurrahman Wahid told Markus in person, "What the Papuan people are fighting for is the right thing, so go ahead. As long as the struggle is peaceful, you can do it."

The greatest tribute to these two Melanesian leaders perhaps came from an unnamed West Papuan priest. “The struggles of Jean-Marie Tjibaou and Markus Haluk were characterized by sharp and diplomatic Catholic intellectualism,” he said.

Hopefully Kanaky and West Papua will soon achieve their independence in peace and dignity.