Selemat Hari Raya Kemerdekaan’

17 August 2008

Indonesians celebrate the proclamation of independence from 350 years of Dutch colonial rule.

The Indonesian Declaration of Independence was officially proclaimed at 10.00 a.m. sharp on Friday, August 17, 1945. The declaration marked the start of the five year diplomatic and armed-resistance of the Indonesian National Revolution, fighting against the forces of the Netherlands until the latter officially acknowledged Indonesia’s independence in 1949.

Its Indonesia's' Independence Day today. The people of West Papua are celebrating their Independence The main festivities will be at the parade field. All around town for the past few weeks preparation and practice has been taking place for today. A mass cleaning and painting has occurred along the main pot hole studded route that the President's motorcade will travel to the main event. Indonesian Red and White flags have been placed every where. Festivities abound in cities and villages alike, organized by the government, neighborhood community associations and organizations.


I am stoked for a great photo outing. I do my prep the night before clean my lens , charge my batteries, set everything out so I can get up early and get out there and get some good "behind the scenes" shots of West Papua at its best.
I arrive at 0703 and the area is packed already with about 50 different parade troops all assembling in their various areas. Every branch of the military is represented, police honor guard troops, dance troops and schools are represented. Important military and government officials are taking there front row seats under the only covered area. Many High Ranking Military, with weathered faces and chests full of medals take the prime seats.

I am clicking away, the photo ops are every where. I am wandering through a troops of military cadets all with automatic rifles (I am pretty sure they are in safety lock mode) and getting great close up shots as they march in formation right by me. I am grabbed by two guys...one on each side, each with a firm, squeezing grip on my arm, steadily increasing their grip to get my attention. They are swiftly ushering me out of the street and telling me I cant take pictures.

I react calmly and cooperatively to the plain clothed Secret Police's control of the situation...wisdom gained from leaning the hard way how to react in a situation like this.. About ten years ago in Cancun, Mexico, I was grabbed from behind, and with a much more aggressive reaction I turned with a round house punch. The punch landed squarely on a 300 pound Mexican Federalie's jaw. What happened after this is a 24 hour very uncomfortable and unpleasant story...This scene flashed though my mind as I was being ushered off the parade staging area street.

So the parade is starting and so is my drama with the Indonesian secret police. Who am I, why am I taking pictures, what agree the pictures for.... To make matters worse I forgot my passport on the boat. Now I am detained behind a fence with four guards on me. I am told I need to wait until immigration officials arrive. In the mean time I call our local, ships agent "Whaid" She can vouch for me and help translate to me what is going on and what I can do to diffuse the situation.

Fast forwarding four hours after being taken away in a immigration police vehicle, missing the ceremony, I am questioned, forced to delete all of my photos, and had to sign a statement that said "I am sorry for taking pictures and forgetting my passport, I will not do it again"! Seriously, this is what I had to say and sign a statement before they would let me go.

I was waiting for the Immigration chief to ask me to write it out 500 times on the black board.

When in Indonesia, do as the Indonesian's do...

I am driving back from my morning detention with the Indonesian Immigration and Secret Police. All around town festivities and Independence day celebrations continue on. On the left I spot a very large gathering at a Police/Military post. The attraction is two greased telephone poles, each with a prize carousel at the top. Men from two competing villages are trying to reach the top and score the prizes by building a human pyramid. As if having the pole covered in grease was not challenging enough, he poles are set in the middle of a mud pool.

I spent about ten minutes watching and photographing this. Keep in mind I am the only white person in town so I am getting a lot of attention. I watch these guys try and fall, then pick themselves out of the mud, rally and try again, only to fall in a heap of grease, mud covered bodies.

For some reason I got the urge to do this, I actually thought that with my help we could do it!

This was much harder than it looks. First of all you can barely breath because of the body order of your team mates, then you can barely get your footing in the mud, then you get the first guy on your shoulders, his feet are covered in a coarse sand/mud mix that immediately starts to work your skin like 60 grit sandpaper. Now you have to plant your self, wrap your arms around the grease covered pole, like a wrestler going for a single leg take down and hold on, block out the pain in your forearms and shoulders, forget your legs trembling as the third layer of people go up.

Then it happens, a weak link gives out, with out warning, and everyone comes falling down on top of you.

Well by the third go of this, I had the battle going in my mind should a quit or stick it out. I quit, I could not do it! I was sore, my skin was shredding and I was afraid that someone was going to fall on my neck and that might be the end of the day.

Covered in mud and grease I do walk of defeat off the field. I have not quit many things that I have started, but I am pretty sure I made the right decision here!


Now time to find a hose and rinse down. I am out behind the Military Police barracks grimacing in pain as I rinse the ground in sand out of my shoulders and clean off all of the mud.

Walking out of the office door next to me strolls the same Secret Police guy that grabbed me in the morning. Both with complete suprise, I look at him, he looks at me...and we both just start shaking our heads and laughing!