Len Garae – The Vanuatu West Papua Association and Unification Committee (VWPAUC) Chairman, Pastor Allan Nafuki, has welcomed two new young members into the West Papua Struggle; late Andy Ayamiseba's second born son, Harold Ayamiseba and an Australian, Tom Young.
The Chairman says it is highly encouraging to continue to have energetic new members join the ranks because the work towards the struggle is immense and requires young, determined, focused and dynamic individuals who have West Papua's interests at heart, to come in to continue to strengthen the Movement.
Harold who was still a young boy during the Black Brothers' stay in Port Vila, arrived back in Port Vila with his first-born brother in recent days to reconnect with the land where they grew up as children.
His first-born brother could not be present at the meeting where Executive Members of both the United Liberation Movement of West Papua (ULMWP) and Vanuatu West Papua Association and Unification Committee (VWPAUC) were present to welcome them.
Both young men confirmed the late manager of the once famed Black Brothers Band, Andy Ayamiseba, as responsible for convincing them to join the struggle.
When asked if he had anything to say, Young revealed that he grew up in Papua New Guinea where his father had a business.
It was the environment in which he grew up and the human relationships that he developed there that stayed with him and late Ayamiseba senior's gentle explanation of the struggle of the people of West Papua convinced him to reconnect with the Melanesian struggle.
He said it is his hope that he would one day be able to contribute meaningfully towards the West Papua Struggle.
While the majority of people in Vanuatu knew the Black Brothers Band first before knowing the struggle of the Melanesians of West Papua, the truth was that knowing the band and listening to their soulful tunes was in fact knowing the struggle of the people of West Papua.
On the other hand, the Black Brothers Band was perhaps the first modern band to weave traditional Melanesian lyrics into modern musical instruments that kept toes tapping in the night clubs throughout Port Vila from the 1980s onward.
The band was also the first foreign band to step onto the Vanuatu local political stage to contribute by performing in fundraising events towards the Vanuatu Struggle.
What is happening in Vanuatu today therefore, is the most relevant Melanesian gesture of appreciation to West Papua considering the immense contributions by the Black Brothers Band after the country's freedom from 74 years of Joint Colonial Rule by Britain and France.
To prove the Band's achievements towards the development of Vanuatu, one of its hit songs to listen to is called "1984, Yia Blong Buluk".
After the release of the album, I had an exclusive interview with the Manager of the Band, Andy Ayamiseba, and asked him to elaborate on the hit reggae song "... Yia Blong Buluk".
The manager of the band made the following profound prophesy, "One day Vanuatu will become the Jamaica of the Pacific".
Andy Ayamiseba passed away in Australia only this year following a long illness.
His siblings chartered a jet with flying doctors onboard to Port Vila to fly him to Australia for further medical treatment. He received medical treatment in a private medical facility.
His siblings knew of their father's musical contributions towards the political development of the Republic of Vanuatu.
That was why they turned to Vanuatu for urgent financial assistance through ULMWP and VWPAUC to assist them to continue to keep their father at the costly private medical facility in Australia.
It is not clear if the Government had responded to their request at all.