Oceania Books

This book is a mix of great advice for rookies and regular adventurers. It gives you all the info. you need for roughing it in the Outback. Wilby is a well-known adventure and writer and knows her stuff. It is not a "tourist's guide" and is somewhat like that book about Extreme Survival tips where they tell you how to escape a submerged car or killer bees, but not as outlandish.

The first page is hilarious though.

I like Howarth's books and this is no exception. In this particular book, Howarth details the destruction of the true paradise of Tahiti. First the British and later the Spanish and French come and in essence destroy the island paradise of Tahiti. How did the Western powers do this? By imposing their morals and attititudes on the islanders who were already a generous and friendly people. First rough sailors invade the islands and give the islanders sexual diseases. The islanders were generous in both providing the sailors foods and any sexual favors they desired. Then missionaries came and tried to impose their morals on an already generous and good people. These morals also led to the destruction of the people. Introduction of materialism also hastened the end to these people.
The results of all this change was a drastic reduction in the islands population and a complete change in the people's attitudes. Later colonialism by the French and tourism destroyed whatever remained of this fabulous culture. One of the reasons few native cultures now exist in this world, is colonialism and tourism destroying the essential aspects of the natives. Tahiti changed because of the actions of the British and French.

Jan Prince really knows French Polynesia. She has lived and traveled there and it shows. Her descriptions of the resorts and restaurants is far beyond that which you find in most travel books; much more detailed and personal. However, I have the previous edition and felt it actually contained much more information (indeed it was a larger book). Still, I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this for anyone thinking of traveling to French Polynesia. It's great for both planning your trip and using while there.

The bombastic, triumphalist tone of the title is meant in sarcasm. The author describes in impressive detail how Australia was settled by the British. But instead of following the standard path of focusing on the growth of the cities, he looks instead at the farming sector. Along with how water and other resources were harnessed to feed the cities.

Much of the original environment was drastically altered, at least in the coastal regions where farms could be established. The non-native livestock and crops thrived. So too did species like foxes and rabbits and cane toads. The narrative is almost one of a war against the land.

The Lonely Planet city guide to "Tasmania" is a very useful travel guide authored by Carolyn Bain, Gina Tsarouhas, and Paul Smitz. With 19 national parks which cover over a third of the territory, it will come as no surprise that a good portion of this guide is focused on outdoor activities. However, if you are headed to Tasmania for other reasons, as I am, there is still plenty of good information about sites to see, places to go, things to do, and places to eat. This review is based on the 4th edition of this particular travel guide, which was published in October of 2005.

The book opens with several sections about the state as a whole. There are sections on the history, culture, environment, the outdoors, national parks, and food & drink. It then follows with 12 more specific sections covering the major cities and different regional areas of the island, including a small section covering the Bass Strait Islands. The book then has a very useful section titled "Directory", which covers a large assortment of odds and ends which are useful for a traveler, such as business hours, climate, customs, embassies, festivals and events, holidays, insurance, money, and so on. There are then two more sections which cover transportation and health. The book then closes with a glossary, some information about the Lonely Planet books, a section for some notes, and an index.

I am fortunate enough to have friends there, so the main thing I used the guide for was to look at the descriptions of things to do, and to see what looks interesting. That blended well with my friends' suggestions, and I think it will prove to be useful to me in my trip. In particular, the "Directory" section is good to go through, as it can often serve as a checklist for things to think about and to take care of while you are planning your trip.

The TimeOut Guide to Sydney, as with all TimeOut Guides I've used, is great. It is well organized, making it easy to locate your specific interests. The information is consice but clear enough to make sure you are well informed. Maps, which are crucial to any guidebook, are included at the end of TimeOut Sydney. These maps layout the city well, with bright colors and clear text. It is the perfect guide for those in their college years or 20's. The Guide offers information on nightlife and cultural events of interest to such an age group. Beyond simply providing information, TimeOut is cleverly written. It is enjoyable reading.

Dr.Claudia Orange grasps the sense of a displaced people in her book about the Maori and their experience after making the Treaty of Waitangi with the British Crown. There has been an injustice over the reconciliation of indigenous rights and Crown rights, and it still needs to be resolved. This author seems to want to set forth the facts, and presents an enlightened viewpoint.

A great book that gives a good insight in the geology, mythology, history flora and fauna of the National Park.

This recent book (1991) is well researched and will assist those explorers who have GPS (he gives precise lat/long of each Island).

Those of us searching for existing sovereignties that need help getting an ISO 3166-1 code to entitle them to an Internet top level domain (i.e. like .aa or .uk) will also not be disappointed.

Originally published by Llompanics Unlimited.

This is the opinion of a Sovereign Individual, and does not necessarily represent the opinions of Laissez Faire City.

Over 2,700 delegates gathered in West Papua's capital of Jayapura in June 2000 for the Papuan Congress. The theme of the Papuan Congress called for a major historiographical revision: `COME ON, LET'S STRAIGHTEN THE HISTORY OF WEST PAPUA.' The Anatomy of Betrayal is the first significant historical work about the transfer of West Papua from the Netherlands to Indonesia. By the estimation of Papuan nationalists this was this key period that was in need of revision. Dr. Saltford's timely book questions if the people of West Papua were ever given a genuine opportunity to exercise their right to self-determination.

On 15 August 1962 representatives of the Netherlands and the Republic of Indonesia signed an accord at United Nations (UN) headquarters in New York. This accord, which has become known as the New York Agreement, `explicitly acknowledged and guaranteed the right of self-determination for West Papua' by Saltford's analysis. The UN, the Netherlands, and Indonesia were obligated by the New York Agreement to protect the political rights and freedoms of the Papuans and to hold a referendum in accordance with international practice. However, Cold War politics and the interests of `big power,' Saltford argues, meant that Papuan self-determination was never considered to be a serious option once the New York Agreement was signed.

The United Nations Temporary Executive Authority (UNTEA) administered West Papua from 1 October 1962 to 1 May 1963. Saltford has documented how the UNTEA banned Papuan nationalist marches during this period. Indonesian military troops also began a campaign of violence against Papuan nationalists while UN administrators were still ostensibly in control of the territory.

According to the preamble of the UN Charter, one of the aims of this international body is`to establish conditions under which justice and respect for the obligations arising from treaties and other sources of international law can be maintained.' The Anatomy of Betrayal details how the UN ignored the obligations of the New York Agreement. In West Papua the UN violated its' own mandate, by Saltford's analysis.

Indonesian rule of West Papua began on 1 May 1963, before any act of self-determination had taken place. Military operations against Papuan nationalists intensified once Indonesian administration officially began.

In 1969 `The Act of Free Choice' was conducted by Indonesian authorities, Saltford argues, in order to give the false outward appearance that Papuans supported the transfer of authority to Indonesia. This fulfilled the terms of the 1962 New York Agreement which stipulated that Indonesia, under UN supervision, would conduct an act of self-determination `in accordance with international practice.' What contemporary Papuans call `The Act of No Choice' was an unanimous vote by 1,022 carefully selected `representatives.' Saltford details the UN role in monitoring and endorsing this controversial consultation. `The vote was a complete sham' according to a senior UN official quoted by Saltford.

The Anatomy of Betrayal is an important reference work for historians of the Cold War, scholars of post-colonial Southeast Asia, and policy makers who seek to understand the roots of Papuan nationalism. Saltford's documentation is thorough, and at times daunting. An Indonesian language translation of this study-eagerly awaited by Papuan intellectuals-is already in the works. Saltford's exhaustive study of UN sources about the Indonesian acquisition of West Papua is one of the very first academic books about the post-colonial history of West Papua. This book has broken significant ground and sets the stage for future research on related topics with the vast wealth of rich and varied source materials that remain unstudied.

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S. Eben Kirksey completed his Ph.D. in the History of Consciousness Program of the University of California at Santa Cruz. Currently he is writing a book titled "Freedom in Entangled Worlds: Lived Experiences of Possibility in West Papua."

Reprinted from the IIAS Newsletter