Blackwater appeared on the Not Drowning, Waving LP “Tabaran” (1988). The song tells the story of a Papuan refugee fighting the Indonesian independence movement. In many ways the lyrics are a metaphor for the ongoing struggle faced by the indigenous population of West Papua against their Indonesian oppressors.
Australian Foreign Minister Bob Carr surprised many Indonesians with his latest statement that his country categorically rejected Papuan independence and that public opinion in Australia was “in support of Indonesian sovereignty” over Papua and West Papua. Why he said that remains a question. Had he not recognized Indonesian sovereignty over Papua and West Papua all…