Issue and Opponents: This event resulted from the Indonesian control over West Papua. It was designed to highlight the abuses faced by West Papuans under Indonesian rule, as 500,000 Papuans have been killed since Indonesia gained control over the territory in 1960. Participants of the Freedom Flotilla were denied Indonesian visas.
Dilemma Action: The demonstration began with the collection of water from the springs near Lake Eyre, a symbolic connection between the separated indigenous populations. Boarding Freedom Flotillas, demonstrators began their journey on Indonesian Independence Day (which dominated international news), setting the path for the Indonesian colony of West Papua, despite the Indonesian government’s explicit refusal of permission and Australia’s stated refusal to assist should they be arrested. 50 people took turns crewing at least 2 yachts up the east coast of Australia through the Torres Strait and on to Papuan New Guinea. Aboriginal elders and leaders played a key role in this event. Because they were not granted Indonesian visas, they illegally entered Indonesian waters without a sailing permit. “When the Indonesian government refused the activists entry, the organizers of the flotilla issued their own Aboriginal ‘passports’ and West Papuan ‘visas’ in a symbolic challenge to state-centric notions of sovereignty.” Meeting in the waters between the two countries, the demonstrators exchanged the “sacred water” and celebrated in song and dance.
Outcomes: Activists claimed their mission was a success. The stated purpose of the mission was to reunite the cultures of the two indigenous peoples. Cultural exchanges between Indigenous leaders were held in secret, as the Indonesian military claimed to take military measures against the flotilla. The campaign gained global media attention and put West Papua on the map and in people’s minds.