Transcript
THE TEACHER: Well they shot us with water guns during the demonstrations. They labelled us as rebels, they labelled us as a separatist group. Some of my friends became a targets in killings. In the night the Indonesians come and they shoot us with the guns.
BEN ROBINSON DRAWBRIDGE: And you escaped to Merauke.
TT: Luckily in Merauke I was under in one group of OPM (Free West Papua Movement). I feel safe enough there. But I only used another fake name, so it was really worse there. On the border there is a lot of intelligence being moved around. I noticed that one man, every evening he came and then he interrogate me [and] everything I say. It's about humanity. It's about human rights. The basic right to live.
BRD: While you were in Merauke some people came across from Papua New Guinea.
TT: Village people would come to sell their products. They say the fake allegations by Indonesian policemen, I'm an interpreter for them, so they come to Merauke with legal products, not illegal like gun smuggling ot terrorism, no. Everything that has been alleged by Indonesian policeman is totally wrong.
BRD: What were the allegations?
TT: On my report they claimed that these people they come without any fuss, they come with the drugs, they're smuggling drugs to Merauke. These people, how can they live in Merauke because their products have already been taken by the military, Indonesian policemen.
BRD: Ah, so the military stole these products because they wanted to profit from that?
TT: Yes, this is what happened - exactly. Because I am the interpreter at the police station in Merauke. Because in the end they want money, but also, they do not want this news to appear because there's already too much human rights violations happen along the border [of] West Papua.
BRD: So, why did you leave Merauke?
TT: I left Merauke because I was threatened again by one of the intelligence [officers] of Indonesia. I'm not sure whether he was a policeman or whether he is from the army, i don't know if he was a civilian, because they saw me because I move around with these PNG citizens to seek help, to send them home and also I joined with some people in Merauke, doing peaceful demonstration about West Papua.
BRD: I see, and that is why they targeted you. So this man, this intelligence man, as you say, what did he do?
TT: He just came in the night and then he said to me "I saw you move around with these people and I saw you, you were trying to spread the news out. If you try to spread the news out, your life will end here". Because a lot of already people died.
BRD: So you decided to leave. Where did you go?
TT: I decided to to go to Western Province in PNG, I hid there for several months.
BRD: What took you to Port Moresby?
TT: Because I crossed the border into Australia into Boigu Island and three days later they take me to Moresby.
BRSD: I see, so the australian authorities deported you to Port Moresby?
TT: Yes.
BRD: Why did they send you to Port Moresby and not back to Indonesia?
TT: I said to them that I don't want to go back to Indonesia. My life is in danger. Not only my life, but my friends, my family. Everyone close to me, if they found out me, everyone would be in danger.
BRD: I understand. So now you're in a refugee camp and you are not happy there?
TT: I'm going to go to Australia or New Zealand or Canada - or another country that is really safe. I'm waiting for my refugee status. I'm done with my interview already. PNG Immigration, maybe they're still handling those people from Manus and Nauru. I'll just wait.
BRD: If you're able to leave and go to one of these countries, will you still try to be part of the independence movement?
TT: Definitely. I have seen with my own eyes, I have experienced it with some of my students, with West Papuans, how they cry, how they suffer in West Papua and the border. One hundred percent I fully support my brothers and sisters, they cry so long.
