I am Papuan. I refuse to think with a borrowed mind
Papuan Tragedy: 300 Warnings from the Edge of Extinction. The first volume of the Psycho-Cosmocide: Papuan Tragedy and Resurrection series. In this groundbreaking work, Papuan philosopher Yamin Kogoya introduces the concept of psycho-cosmocide — a philosophical framework that describes the systematic destruction of a people's memory, language, spirituality, identity and worldview through the institutions and ideologies of modern colonialism. Through 300 concise warnings and reflections, the book examines how colonial power extends beyond physical occupation to reshape consciousness itself. Using West Papua as its central case study, the book explores the long-term consequences of cultural erasure and historical displacement, as well as the struggle to preserve indigenous knowledge in the face of global systems of domination. By combining philosophy, indigenous thought, history and moral reflection, Papuan Tragedy asserts that the most profound arena of colonialism is the human mind. Rather than being merely an account of one nation's experience, it provides a broader examination of memory, civilisation, justice, and the enduring resilience of Indigenous peoples. It is an invitation to confront difficult histories, recover forgotten truths and reflect on how to preserve the oldest cultures in an age of accelerating cultural transformation.
The Oracles of Papua: The Chronicle of Betrayal and Prophecy: 64 Years of Colonisation and UN Betrayal .This collection of 64 prophetic reflections marks each year since the transfer of West Papua in 1962 and the decades of conflict, dispossession and political struggle that followed. Written by the Papuan philosopher Yamin Kogoya, this powerful literary testimony combines historical reflection, moral inquiry and spiritual meditation. Drawing on the tradition of prophetic literature, these oracles explore themes of memory, justice, sovereignty, cultural survival and the resilience of a people confronting the legacy of colonisation. Rather than being merely political commentary, the book invites readers to consider the ethical responsibilities of the international community and the human consequences of historical decisions. Structured as a journey from loss and lament to hope and an enduring covenant, The Oracles of Papua speaks not only to the experience of the Papuan people, but also to all peoples whose histories have been shaped by conquest, displacement and the struggle to preserve their identity. The book is both a record of remembrance and a call to reflect on justice, truth, and the future of indigenous nations. Papua is not merely a place under occupation; it is a living testament that challenges the world to choose between complicity and justice.
63 Sacred Sayings from the Edge of Extinction: Remembering 63 Years of Invasion, Betrayal and Resistance (1962–2025) is a collection of powerful reflections, one for each year since the invasion of West Papua in 1962. Written by a Papuan philosopher living in exile, these reflections explore themes such as memory, identity, colonisation, cultural survival and the ongoing challenges faced by Indigenous peoples. More than just a book of quotations, this work invites readers to remember what has been forgotten and to reflect on the human cost of cultural erasure. Each saying is a meditation on resistance, remembrance and preserving ancestral wisdom in the face of profound historical change. Grounded in the experience of West Papua, yet resonating with Indigenous communities and readers worldwide, this book beckons all seekers of truth, justice, and cultural memory protection. It is a testament to resilience, bearing witness to history and giving a voice to those who are determined to ensure that the stories, languages and wisdom of the First Peoples endure for future generations.
The entire Psycho-Cosmocide Corpus is catalogued on PhilPapers/PhilArchive. Click the image below to access the complete list of published works, each of which can be downloaded.
A philosophical analysis of why sixty-four years of Papuan resistance has not yet produced the structural change sought, and a plan for the future.
For over six decades, the Papuan people have documented their suffering, buried their dead and presented their case to every willing international body. The world has heard them. And yet, the structures of domination remain largely intact.
Rethinking Sixty-Four Years of Papuan Resistance asks a question that few have been willing to confront directly: why has moral testimony, however extraordinary and costly, failed to produce structural change?
The Papuans: Being Papuan and Papuan Being is a work of philosophy and testimony from a perspective that the world has rarely been invited to consider. Written by a native Lani speaker who was raised in a Papuan village, the book describes a process the author calls 'Psycho-Cosmocide': the gradual destruction of not just bodies and borders, but also a people's memory, cosmology and sense of self-worth. Moving between aphorism and theory, the book draws one key distinction: 'Being Papuan', the condition imposed from outside, and 'Papuan Being', what a people retain and rebuild despite it. This is neither a plea nor despair; it is an act of naming — and, in its final movement, an account of what return and memory might mean for a people who are still asked to prove that they are human.
THE PSYCHOPATHOLOGY OF “LAST-MINUTE MERDEKA” Papuan Struggle for Being, Space-Time, and Sovereignty.
For decades, Papuan resistance leaders and organisers have been quietly haunted by a pattern that is all too familiar to talk about openly: meetings that are called, cancelled, and called again. Tickets bought and wasted. Strategies agreed upon in the warmth of a gathering, only to be abandoned before the following dawn. Insiders half-jokingly call this pattern "last minute", a phrase that has cost the movement more in lost money, lost trust and lost opportunities than most outsiders will ever know. This book asks the question that nobody wanted to address directly: what if this isn't a discipline problem at all? Drawing on over two decades of direct participation in the lives of Papuan families, associations and resistance groups, as well as on the author's original Psycho-Cosmocide framework, this book argues that Papuan 'unreliability' is not a character flaw. Rather, it is the visible, costly symptom of a five-hundred-year institutional asymmetry. Colonial and civilisational systems have been permitted to accumulate continuity, memory, and succession across generations. In contrast, the institutions through which Papuans might exercise their sovereignty have been criminalised, surveilled, and forced to rebuild from scratch time and again.