Page 80 - THE MELANESIA DIASPORA FILE CETAK ISI 10022017

routes. One was the western migration route through mainland and peninsular south-east
Asia and they spoke an ancient form of Austroasiatic language. The other was the eastern
route from Taiwan and these people spoke an ancient form of Austronesian language. The
interaction between these two races is still being investigated. However, it is the Mongolic
populations that now dominate, along with the many languages in the Austronesian family.
The presence of these new comers must have had an impact on the life of the indigenous
Austromelanesoids. The interactions between these two different races led to a mixing of
culture and biology. Archeological evidence reveals that there were co-habitation periods
between these two races in the islands. There was a strong indication that the migrant
populations had absorbed certain cultural aspects of the existing populations they interacted
with. On the other hand, the meeting of these two races caused the Australomelanesoid
populations, slowly but surely, to migrate towards and occupy the eastern part of Indonesia.
The cultural and biological interactions kept taking place, especially in the contact zones
of the eastern part of south-east Nusa Tenggara and Maluku. This led to a new population
which had shared characteristics, blending Melanesian and Mongolic in different degrees,
although the original characteristics were still dominant. Since the arrival of the Mongolic
population, the interactions continued and colored the life and history of Indonesian
Archipelago. The Austromelanesoids are better known as Melanesian.
The fourth major occurrence took place in the recent historical period when Indonesia
was struggling for its independence from the Dutch. The people in the Indonesian
Archipelago united to establish a unified state, the Republic of Indonesia. The interaction
of these two populations was getting intense in various aspects of life, so that the biological
and cultural bonds were formed. Hence, frictions between them also occurred particularly
with Papuan population which had colored the political journey of our nation. Indonesian
people have mobilized intensely from the East to the West or vice versa because of the
concept of the united Republic of Indonesia, and it is likely to be more intense in the future.
If this condition keeps going on, the cultural and biological amalgam between those two
will be more resilient. One of the aspects that unite them is the Indonesian language,
Bahasa Indonesia. In fact, the Papuans and people living in the eastern part of Indonesia
in general, even people living in remote areas speak Bahasa Indonesia fluently, a lot better
than their fellow-countrymen living in the inland of western Indonesia.
In the future, the synergy and unity of these two groups is the only way to keep up the
nation’s fighting spirit. The united Republic of Indonesia should be developed based on the
principles of equality, togetherness and brotherhood. Interactions and communications

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