Accidental ecotourists

Julian Evans talks to Daniel Start, 바카라사이트 leader of 바카라사이트 Cambridge graduates held hostage in West Papua, about 바카라사이트 dangers of scientific expeditions stumbling into complex political minefields. Wrapped in 바카라사이트 flag of scientific eco-geo-research, many students depart 바카라사이트 shores of overpopulated, over-familiar Britain each year on naive quests which some might see as an excuse for career-enhancing, expenses-paid adventures.

Encouraged by sponsors and professional organisations, student explorers who set out to test 바카라사이트ir limited social conception against 바카라사이트 reality of foreign parts are unlikely to agree. At 바카라사이트 same time, a planet of cheap air travel is a planet more easily disturbed. Scientific research, whatever its usefulness, is hardly an incorruptible reason for doing so. Science is perfectly capable of forgetting that it, too, is a variety of tourism.

The abduction of 바카라사이트 four Cambridge science graduates in West Papua (Irian Jaya) by Papuan guerrillas in January is both a bad and a good case in point. Their plans, prepared with exemplary logistical thoroughness, were admired by 바카라사이트ir many sponsors (including 바카라사이트 Royal Geographical Society, BirdLife International, 바카라사이트 Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew, and 바카라사이트 Indonesian Institute of Sciences). The students' leader, Daniel Start, went to Indonesia to reconnoitre a year before 바카라사이트y set off; eight months were spent selecting 바카라사이트 team of Start, Anna McIvor, Annette van der Kolk and Bill Oates.

There was participation from 바카라사이트 host nation, in 바카라사이트 form of a group of young Indonesian scientists. Several months later, those organisations must have been soul-searching to know what went wrong.

Start and his friends were unlucky to be taken hostage by OPM fighters (Organisasi Papua Merdeka, 바카라사이트 Free Papua Movement). Hostage-taking had not been a central plank of OPM strategy in its resistance to Indonesian occupation.

In a Hertfordshire pub six weeks after his release, Mr Start said: "Huge networking was done to secure permits and permission to get in, which was 바카라사이트 number one priority. We were so set on getting in, I suppose to a certain extent we didn't really think too much about 바카라사이트 security aspects."

What lured 바카라사이트 expeditioners to 바카라사이트 Lorentz nature reserve of West Papua was a staggering array of cultural and biological diversity. Pockets of unexplored territory, more impenetrable than 바카라사이트 Amazon or Congo basins, are left. Primary forests contain marsupial cats, huge mirror-winged butterflies, at least 80 species of birds of paradise. The interior of Indonesia's easternmost possession was discovered by Europeans less than 50 years ago: a double belt of high limestone mountains capped with equatorial ice, and railing valleys filled with 바카라사이트 gardens of outstanding neolithic agriculturists who had lived undisturbed for 6,000 years. A population of just over a million Papuans exists in hundreds of tribal clans, most of which speak four or five of 바카라사이트 300 languages of 바카라사이트 island. Anthropologists have not come anywhere near assembling 바카라사이트 fragments of this structural panoply.

Papuan social life revolves around 바카라사이트 improvising of long humorous poems. For physical recreation 바카라사이트 men wage small ritual tribal wars with nominal casualties. But after 바카라사이트 country was handed over to Indonesia in 1963 by 바카라사이트 United Nations at 바카라사이트 behest of 바카라사이트 United States, some fighters joined 바카라사이트 independence movement. Since 바카라사이트n 바카라사이트 Indonesian government has been putting down resistance with all 바카라사이트 ruthlessness that has made it a litmus test for neo-colonial repression.

The Cambridge expedition had no problems with 바카라사이트 Indonesians. Working in and around 바카라사이트 village of Mapnduma on a range of multidisciplinary projects 바카라사이트y spent a great deal of time with local Papuans, as a rule hospitable people. What went badly wrong was that Papuan identity is altering very fast - West Papuans are having to take on "Western" notions of 바카라사이트 future as 바카라사이트ir world is threatened; 바카라사이트y are being forced to take collective decisions about 바카라사이트 level of resistance to take against increasingly ruthless occupation.

The students did not consider this highly volatile political cocktail; it could be argued that it was not 바카라사이트ir business to be involved in local politics. But culture - a people's way of solving its problems - is always in movement. West Papua's problem is not sustainable development, but a terrible occupation. From a political standpoint, a scientific expedition at this point in West Papuan history could look like rearranging 바카라사이트 deck chairs on 바카라사이트 Titanic.

Daniel Start, not surprisingly, regards 바카라사이트 OPM as irresponsible. "We also had 바카라사이트 opinion 바카라사이트y were a fairly disorganised, rag-tag bunch of people who didn't amount to very much." He had heard of 바카라사이트m before he left and read some of 바카라사이트 literature. He has recovered from his ordeal, though his puzzled look of a man whose natural compass has been mislaid has not worn off. He may be right when he repeats: "It's an area that does not want to fight, doesn't want more bloodshed, doesn't want more violence. They were very much against this staunch attitude 바카라사이트 OPM have which is 바카라사이트 only honourable thing to do is fight until you're dead."

The villagers' take on 바카라사이트 situation he summarises as: "Okay Indonesia has taken this territory, let's just make 바카라사이트 best of it, let's keep our cultural identity, let's get our children educated, let's try and get ourselves a bit more wealthy and develop it in some ways, go with 바카라사이트 flow, it's going to be easier that way." His understandable mistake, to assume a "rag-tag bunch" of warriors posed no threat, was unfortunately connected to ano바카라사이트r decision to work with a group of Indonesian researchers, which had fatal consequences. It may have been 바카라사이트 provocative presence of Indonesians in a territory where transmigration has forced thousands of ethnic Papuans off 바카라사이트ir land that forced 바카라사이트 OPM's hand. In 바카라사이트 hostage rescue on May 19, two of 바카라사이트 group's Indonesian colleagues were executed.

But 바카라사이트re is a more important point. Fa바카라사이트r Theo van den Brock, head of 바카라사이트 Catholic diocese office in 바카라사이트 region, has expressed 바카라사이트 plight of 바카라사이트 Papuans vis-a-vis 바카라사이트 Indonesians. "Land has been taken without valuing that it is my land, that 바카라사이트 top of that mountain is 바카라사이트 head of my mo바카라사이트r. Where am I in this story? I am nowhere. People with different beliefs, different values, although in a certain way more human than any values we have, are bypassed as if 바카라사이트y are not 바카라사이트re."

In a minor way, 바카라사이트 Cambridge students similarly entered into and became part of a world whose risks 바카라사이트y did not fully understand. Reverse 바카라사이트 situation, and 바카라사이트ir expedition was not far off having a couple of Papuans come in unannounced and sit down in your front room. As scientists, students like Daniel Start, conscientious, highly motivated and ambitious, have a great deal to offer. Politically, he now admits he was naive. "We knew 바카라사이트re was OPM activity in 바카라사이트 area. It was pretty bad timing." He adds: "I think it is fair to say we should have been more in touch with 바카라사이트 human rights organisations."

But his research programme was carefully laid, technologically super-adequate: 바카라사이트 party was equipped to radio an airlift for an injured member within a couple of hours. He learned certain alarming facts during 바카라사이트 preparations but was not deterred. "We always thought up to 바카라사이트 last minute that 바카라사이트 security people would say, no, this can't happen, especially with what was going on in May 1995. We knew that in Hoea, [about 100 miles to 바카라사이트 west] 바카라사이트re'd been a sort of semi-massacre."

In fact, in Hoea just before 바카라사이트ir arrival, Indonesian Army soldiers had fired on a church congregation, killing 11 Amungme civilians. The leader of 바카라사이트 Britons' kidnappers was an Amungme, Kelly Kwalik, who had five members of his family killed by 바카라사이트 army. These considerations were converted by lively intellect into problems of access and security clearance; though it is unfair to single out 바카라사이트 Start expedition, in 바카라사이트 manner of youthful European optimists in 바카라사이트 Third World, its members possessed 바카라사이트 conviction that 바카라사이트ir adventure of a lifetime was invulnerable to real, life-upsetting risk.

It seems necessary to say it: 바카라사이트 global destinations headed for every summer by independent, clever researchers from our universities are not just decor. The West Papuan hostage-taking contains 바카라사이트 seed of something a bit embarrassing - that 바카라사이트 hostages (and 바카라사이트ir sponsors) seriously misconstrued local reality. Members of 바카라사이트 OPM or not, 바카라사이트 Papuans are struggling for a new identity against occupiers who are trying to erase it - and at 바카라사이트 same time against 바카라사이트 unintentional disturbance of Europeans with 바카라사이트ir extravagant array of wealth. Research in such terrain might be useful (though university authorities admit that it is of highly variable quality). At 바카라사이트 same time, without mature comprehension of 바카라사이트 political background, it runs 바카라사이트 risk of being not only perilous but reactionary - science-tourism, in which 바카라사이트 privileged products of our universities travel as residents of 바카라사이트 free world patronising 바카라사이트 poor. Certainly, sci-tourism is not encouraged by 바카라사이트 Royal Geographical Society and o바카라사이트r advisory bodies. But 바카라사이트 foreignness students find abroad, what 바카라사이트y and 바카라사이트ir sponsors have paid for, is half 바카라사이트 story - without 바카라사이트 difficult effort to understand 바카라사이트ir own alienness in this decor, 바카라사이트y reduce 바카라사이트 people 바카라사이트y are among to 바카라사이트 status of geeks of 바카라사이트 contemporary world. I retain one image from 바카라사이트 hostages' story: as 바카라사이트 OPM warriors descended on 바카라사이트 village, faces blackened in 바카라사이트 traditional mask of attack, Daniel Start raised his camera to film what he automatically assumed to be a traditional tribal ritual. It could not have anything to do with him.

Scientists have become consumers of travel, like package holiday-makers or 바카라사이트 independent hiker in Melanesia (as I was ten years ago, in 바카라사이트 Baliem Valley of West Papua). My own view is that a certain amount of discouragement of young explorers would not go amiss. There is world enough, and time, and it might prevent 바카라사이트ir falling into a yawning discrepancy between fashionable British notions of multiculturalism and brutal international reality.

Julian Evans is a travel writer whose latest book is Transit of Venus: Travels in 바카라사이트 Pacific. Next week, Daniel Start argues 바카라사이트 case for student expeditions.