The tribesman in the photo is wearing a pair of faded shorts. Bearded, his body scarred and weathered, he slumps on the ground. His eyes are closed.

Behind him, wearing pristine uniforms, crouch the young, beardless Indonesian soldiers. Two of them have grabbed the man by his hair, so they can hold him up for the camera. Another is pointing a victorious gun at his stomach. It is the 5th November 2003, and they have just shot and killed Yustinus Murib, along with nine of his companions. His body is their trophy.

Yustinus Murib was a local leader of the OPM; or the Free West Papua Movement. For almost forty years, people in West Papua have been fighting the Indonesian government's attempts at colonisation. They have also been fighting the transnational corporations who, with the backing of the Indonesian government, arrived in the area with one purpose; to exploit as much of West Papua's wealth as possible. Chief among these transnationals is the British based company Rio Tinto, whose website boasts that it is:
'A world leader in finding, mining and processing the earth's mineral resources...Rio Tinto encourages strong local identities and has a devolved management philosophy, entrusting responsibility with accountability to the workplace.'

It is true that Rio Tinto is expert in processing West Papua's mineral resources. It is part owner of the infamous West Papuan Freeport-McMoran mine, which recently admitted that it paid $5.6 million to the Indonesian armed forces during 2002. Such payments are in breach of Indonesian law, but senior officers have confirmed that their troops are being paid wages directly by transnationals. A statement by campaign group Mines and Communities says:

'It is no exaggeration to say that the transnationals have been able to create imperiums on the territory of a sovereign state.
The payment of money by Freeport to the armed forces and the fact that the armed forces have been able to make use of transnational facilities when violating human rights and committing violence means that the transnationals are themselves directly involved in and contribute towards this violence and these abuses.
The transnationals cannot wash their hands, hide behind the armed forces and police and say that they have not been involved in the abuses and violence in their areas of operation... It is clear from a number of incidents that the state security forces and the transnationals stand shoulder to shoulder in committing violence and human rights abuses.'
Amnesty International Australia also notes that 'West Papua has been the scene of gross human rights violations by the Indonesian security forces including ‘disappearances’, torture and arbitrary detentions'. Among these was the suspected murder of another West Papuan leader, almost two years to the day before Yustinus Murib's death. Theys Eluay was the Chief of the Sentani tribe, among the most pro-western leaders in West Papua, and an advocate of non-violence and of dialogue with Indonesia. His death, campaigners recognised at the time, was a serious blow to the prospects of a peaceful solution, to West Papuans' requests for the recognition of their historic rights, and for the restoration of their human dignity. He had been tortured before he died.

The current round of Indonesian military repression and terrorism has involved the burning of schools, churches and villages. The Papuan Independence movement has appealed to the governments of Indonesia, Australia, the United Nations, and various other interested parties, pleading for international intervention to end the military assault. The day before his murder, Yustinus Murib had also issued a personal statement asking for dialogue and calling for the United Nations to protect Papuans from Indonesian troops. There was no response.

'Whose sense of humanity would not be disturbed?' asked the Jakarta Post, after the photo of Yustinus Murib's body was distributed. 'Even in the most brutal of wars such behavior is intolerable'. And indeed, on the faces of the two young Indonesian soldiers can be seen a tentative, growing awareness, as if they can see the future coming closer. Meanwhile, repression and murder on behalf of the transnationals continues, and continues.

UPDATE: West Papuan Independence Day (December 1st) was marked with protests and international appeals on behalf of the West Papuans by groups such as the Womens' International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF). In West Papua itself, seven people have just been arrested for being suspected of being separatists (ie raising a West Papuan flag) and are being charged with treason, and threatened with life sentences. While the heads of Freeport and Rio Tinto have just been announced as winning the Death Roll Award, as part of the Dirty Digger Awards set up by Mines and Communities to mimic the Mining Journal's 'Outstanding Achievement' awards ceremony.

ACTION:

Rio Tinto plc
6 St James's Square
London SW1Y 4LD
United Kingdom
t: +44 (0) 20 7930 2399

Indonesian Embassy (UK)
38 Grosvenor Square
London W1K 2HW
t: + 44 (0) 207 499 7661

CAMPAIGNS:

www.westpapuaaction.buz.org
People Against Rio Tinto (PARTIZANS): http://www.minesandcommunities/.org/partizans
http://www.converge.org.nz/wpapua/
http://www.minesandcommunities.org
OPM Solidarity Group http://www.eco-action.org/ssp/index.html

FURTHER READING:
One No, Many Yeses by Paul Kingsnorth (published by The Free Press) contains an excellent insight into the reality of the situation in West Papua, as well as an overview of the anti-globalisation movements.

While
http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2003/11/280206.html
shows the original photo of Yustinus Murib, and gives background information on the annexing of West Papua.