The song is about defiance of colonial rule, not supporting it!

The SMH & The Age have front page stories today about a repressive para-military and intelligence unit called Detachment 88 or Densus 88 being funded with Australian taxes. I recall years ago reading a Harnsard report about $millions in Australian aid to the Indonesian military for things including cyanide! The Indonesian military is NOT mean to be mining gold in West Papua, and the giant Freeport Corporation is able to manufacture or buy it's own. I only know one other use for cynanide; and nobody would have noticed if entire valleys in Papua suddenly went silent.

What the heck has the Australian government been funding. And will the Gillard government STOP aiding and abating colonial rule of our neighbours in West Papua?

I think colonial rule is bad no matter who does the ruling. Look what we did to the aboriginal people up to the mid 20th century. The people in Papua deserve autonomy and self rule, nothing less. Indonesia has shown it can be a brutal ruler.

"Look what we did to the aboriginal people up to the mid 20th century."

What makes you think it's any better now?

Because now they have equal rights

just a thought

Jefferson said: What makes you think it's any better now?

It's true both East Timor and PNG are being dicked about by politicians doing deals with the mining companies for a quick buck, instead of restoring or building their own economy. But, at least it's their own bastards doing it - the people in Timor Leste and PNG can if they wish lift themselves out of the mining quagmire.

It's not our job to make life perfect in West Papua, but as a free people it is our responsibility to speak up when somebody else is being denied that basic freedom to life & liberty. A lesson learnt in WW-II which was the basis of the United Nations de-colonization program; and in my view a lesson our Australian politicians have been too eager to ignore.

The following website may be of interest
for those that aren't aware of the history
of the place:

http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=va&aid=2295

We definitely should speak out on behalf of human rights
and the destruction of the environment and indigenous
people. Realistically though, money seems to have more
clout than any morals or ethics. When governments get
dollars in the billions from mining and other resources
who's really going to be concerned with the lives of
the indigenous people in the area?