The refugees have a strong fighting spirit. Their plots of land are small, but they work hard to cultivate vegetables and other crops. I must admit, they are tough people who never give up.
By
AGUSTINUS WIBOWO
·5 minutes read
AGUSTINUS WIBOWO
Indonesian Papuan refugee house in Dome-2 Village, Papua New Guinea
Since 1984, refugees from Papua, Indonesia, have been living in the village of Dome in Papua New Guinea (PNG). Their number now exceeds the number of indigenous Dome residents. According to the village head’s data, only around 700 residents live in Dome-1 village, while 1,700 refugees live in Dome-2 village.
In this densely populated village, food is the main issue. The land in Dome is red and cracked, and not fertile enough to cultivate crops. As the number of refugees grew, competition has intensified for land and food sources.
The conflict between the two groups became physical. Angry indigenous residents often cut down the banana trees planted by the refugees. One night, they also burned down a school that the refugees had painstakingly built.
The refugees did not retaliate against these actions. “They are tuan tanah [landholders], we are just migrants,” one refugee told me.
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AGUSTINUS WIBOWO
Activities at the market held in the field between Dome-1 and Dome-2.
Every Saturday, the local people run a temporary market in a field that forms the border between Dome-1 and Dome-2. The traders also seemed to be separated by a border. On one side of the field are refugees, and on the other side of the field are the indigenous residents. These two groups stay far from each other and have almost no interaction.
The refugees mostly sell farm produce, while the indigenous residents mostly sell factory products that they buy from the city.
When the sun had risen and the market grew busy, a PNG woman shouted in the middle of the field, pointing at the refugees.
The woman had just lost her mother last week, and the sound of music from the refugee village had interrupted the funeral. The woman exclaimed: “No more disco music at the refugee camp! You are migrants, always making a racket. Go back to your home country!”
One refugee woman retorted: “It was the young men from Dome-1 village who came to Dome-2 and forced us to play music.”
The PNG woman grew even angrier. “There is only one Dome! You foreigners have no right to give names randomly!”
For half an hour, the indigenous residents shouted and protested against the refugees’ behavior. Meanwhile, the refugees mostly stayed silent.
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The PNG people in Dome use the Malay term sobat (friend) to refer to refugees. However, it seems that the word no longer has any meaning. It just so happened that a funeral for a refugee was being held that day, but none of the indigenous residents cared.
Accompanied by Jenny Wuring, I went to Dome-2, where the refugees lived. We headed for Titus\' house.
Titus made a living running a kiosk. When we arrived, he was not at home. Jenny, her mouth dry after chewing a lot of betel nut, wanted to buy some candy. She shouted, “Candy!” while throwing 20 toea coins on the ground, like scattering corn for chicken.
AGUSTINUS WIBOWO
Indonesian Papuan refugees at Dome-2 eat together at the house of one of the residents.
Like a chicken, Titus’ nephew immediately ran out to gather the coins, saying not a word, returned to the kiosk and respectfully brought some candy to Jenny.
Titus finally arrived from the farm. We walked together towards the burial site. However, it turned out that the body of the deceased had been buried in front of their house, and the men were making a hood out of banana leaves for the grave.
I felt that the refugees were fearful. As soon as I took out my camera, the boys and girls all looked at me.
People whispered to Titus. He then led Jenny and me out of the village. It seemed our presence was very unexpected.
After we left, Titus explained to me that it had been three days after the death, and the family would be placing flowers on the grave. In their belief system, the spirit of the deceased was still hanging around the house on this day. If anyone who is not a family member witnesses the ritual, it will hinder the spirit’s journey. Half an hour later, Titus took Jenny and me back to the home of the deceased. People had already gathered in the hut and kept serving me coffee and food. Titus introduced me as Chinese, not Indonesian.
I must admit, they are tough people who never give up.
The women prepared food in the kitchen, with a large pan of white rice, cassava leaves, rica (spiced) chicken and boiled noodles. PNG people generally boil and grill their food, but refugees cook using much more complex techniques, like Asian people do. They also like chili very much, like the people of western Indonesia.
The refugees also have a strong fighting spirit. Their plots of land are small, but they work hard to cultivate vegetables and other crops. They even grow Asian fruits, such as rambutan and durian.
I must admit, they are tough people who never give up.
