I am Melanesian
I come from a society full of beautiful cultures, traditions and rituals
My ancestors were born free
They lived happily and enjoyed life without oppression
I am West Papua
I am Melanesian
I also have ancestors who came from what is now called Papua New Guinea
I have a connection with them
Long ago a demarcation drawn on a paper by the white men separated me from them
Their ideologies made me a prisoner in my own land
I have my own destiny
My own flag
And my land
I do not look like you
Why do I belong with you?
Merdeka on my lips
Merdeka in my heart
Merdeka in the form of tears and blood
Some of my kind have died fighting
I am a fighter too
Born into a free world
But made a fighter by foreign policies turning a blind eye on me
All I want is Freedom
I have sunshine
I have beautiful moonlights
I have forests
I have beaches
But what I need is Freedom for me, my children and their children
For our Melanesia.
~ Ekspres Melanesia ~
Pics: A West Papuan lass, Cairns and Family Photography, AFAR, Samia Soms, West Papua.
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