Sumbawa keris

[A. G. Maisey]

A lot of people are still not aware of it, but the people concerned have known about it all along. The visits by the fishermen stopped in 1907 when the new Australian government outlawed them.

The relationship between peoples who are now Indonesian and the long term contact of these people with Northern Australia was something that was being pushed by the new nation of Indonesia from the 1950's through to the 1960's as the foundations for a claim on Northern Australia to become a part of Indonesia.

School atlases during that period showed Northern Australia as "South Irian" (Irian Selatan).

The new masters of Indonesia wanted everything that had been Dutch. It was an emotional thing, but they tried to justify it by claiming that West New Guinea was a part of the old "Mojopahit Empire", which never existed except in imagination.

When they invaded West New Guinea they named it Irian Jaya, so when they cast eyes on Northern Australia they named it "Irian Selatan".

Right through into the 1960's Indonesia was considered a possible threat to invade Northern Australia, and our defence strategy was based on this possibility.

Actually, the Indonesian take-over of West New Guinea makes very interesting reading, there is a heap of info on the net that covers the genocide and brutality of the Indonesian military in this place. The indigenous people will never win though, they'll be wiped out and bred out. Google "Grasberg Mine" or "OK Tedi Mine" and you will understand the reason why Indonesia needs this place.