The West Papua Issue in a Regional Context
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Fifty Years after the ‘Act of Free Choice’: The West Papua Issue in a Regional Context R.J. May Discussion Paper 2021/1 Since the early 1970s the author has followed the which Indonesian troops attempted to invade in 1962. development of the West Papua issue, first as field Realising that they could not hold on to the territory, director of ANU’s New Guinea Research Unit the Dutch pressed for West Papua to become an and director of the National Research Institute of independent state — as the Australian-held territories Papua New Guinea, and later as senior fellow in of PNG in the eastern half of the island were about the Department of Political and Social Change and to become — but met with strong resistance from emeritus fellow with the Department of Pacific Affairs Indonesia. The outcome of this contestation was the at ANU. He has met with West Papuan emigres in creation, under the so-called New York Agreement, the Netherlands, Sweden, Vanuatu and Australia and of a United Nations Temporary Administration in visited West Papuans in refugee camps in Papua New 1962, control of which was transferred to Indonesia Guinea. He has published extensively on West Papua. the following year with the proviso that a vote on self-determination be held before the end of 1969. This paper is a slightly expanded version of an article It quickly became apparent, however, as Indonesia for Revue Outre-Terre in 2020. asserted its authority in West Papua, that Indonesia had no intention of letting the predominantly Background Melanesian population of the resource-rich territory West Papua, the name by which the former territory achieve self-determination. Many West Papuans who of Dutch New Guinea is commonly known,1 sits at the had supported Indonesia’s demand for independence interface of Asia and Oceania. As a result of colonial became disaffected and either left to seek refuge in history and post-colonial politics it is part of the the Netherlands or in neighbouring PNG, or joined Republic of Indonesia and thus part of Southeast Asia. Melanesian separatist groups in the jungle. But as the western half of the island of New Guinea, The so-called ‘Act of Free Choice’ on the future it has a common border with the Oceanic state of status of West Papua (generally referred to by West Papua New Guinea (PNG) and shares the Melanesian Papuan activists as the ‘Act Free of Choice’ or the culture of PNG, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, Fiji and ‘Act of No Choice’) took place in 1969. But rather New Caledonia. The legacy of West Papua’s colonial than a plebiscite, as mandated under the New York and post-colonial history has been a sense of separate Agreement, the Indonesian government selected 1025 West Papuan identity which successive Indonesian West Papuan ‘representatives’ to decide the issue, and governments have tried relentlessly to suppress, warned that any decision other than incorporation resulting in a continuing low-level conflict which into the Indonesian republic would be unacceptable. has in recent years attracted growing regional and A UN observer observed the vote, and later reported international attention. his reservations regarding the implementation of the Initially West Papua was not part of the Republic of agreement and the ‘tight political control over the Indonesia, which declared its independence from the population’ (UN Representative of the Secretary- Netherlands in 1945. It became a contested territory, General 1969:70), but was powerless to intervene. dpa.bellschool.anu.edu.au R.J. May The UN General Assembly took note of (but did not Note on sources endorse) the outcome of the ‘Act of Free Choice’, and it was accepted by all but a handful of African country Access to reliable data on West Papua is difficult, representatives. In the context of the Cold War, and due largely to restrictions on visits to West with separatist movements demanding independence in Papua by scholars, journalists and civil society a number of UN member countries, there was little will organisations, though in recent years the use of 2 at the UN to challenge Indonesia’s actions. social media and cell phone cameras by West The West Papua issue in Indonesia Papuans has provided new sources of information about ongoing developments. Within West Papua, supporters of independence Over the years, however, a number of first raised the West Papuan Morning Star (Bintang organisations, including TAPOL (an NGO Kejora) flag on 1 December 1961. Separatist groups working on human rights in Indonesia, the name came together under the umbrella Organisasi Papua comes from the Indonesian words for political Merdeka (OPM, Free Papua Movement) four years later prisoner tahanan politik), Amnesty International, (Ondawame 2010). Though poorly armed and lacking Survival International, Human Rights Watch, significant international support, and at times plagued ETAN (the East Timor and Indonesia Action by internal factionalism, OPM guerillas maintained a Network), Asia Pacific Solidarity Network, low-intensity armed resistance against the Indonesian the Hong Kong-based Asian Human Rights government. In 1971 OPM leader Seth Rumkorem proclaimed an independent Republic of West Papua. Commission and the World Council of Churches Under the Suharto government, the response to West have provided continuous detailed accounts of Papuan nationalism in what became the province of human rights abuses and other issues affecting Irian Jaya was a heavy military presence and harsh the people of West Papua. The US State repression, which alienated much of the population Department publishes annual country reports on and ensured that nationalist aspirations would persist. human rights practices and has frequently drawn On a number of occasions the raising of the West attention to human rights abuses in West Papua. Papuan Morning Star flag led to mass arrests and the The International Coalition for Papua (ICP) shooting of demonstrators by the military (Tentara has published a compilation of recommendations Nasional Indonesia, TNI). In one such series of military and observations made by the UN, EU and other operations, in the central highlands around Wamena bodies on the conflict and human rights situation in 1977–78, villages were bombed and between 5000 in, and Indonesian human rights policies and 11,000 people were reported to have been killed affecting, West Papua. (TAPOL 2013). The military also exploited its position A good deal of documentary and other to become involved in illegal logging, artifact dealing, material is also to be found on the websites of and other businesses. Estimates of the number of West the Free West Papua Campaign, the United Papuans killed in confrontations with the military since Liberation Movement for West Papua, the Federal 1969 range from 100,000 (Crocombe 2007) to 700,000 Republic of West Papua, and at papuanarchive. 3 (PNG Attitude Blog 26/1/2015). org. West Papua is rich in resources, particularly There is also a substantial scholarly literature minerals and forestry. It hosts one of the world’s largest of West Papua, some of which is listed in the gold and copper mines, the McMoRan-Freeport references. Otto Ondawame’s One People, One mine at Grasberg, but the local Amungme population Soul (2010), based on his ANU PhD thesis, has received little compensation, in terms of money, provides an important insider account of West services or jobs, for the loss of their land and the Papuan nationalism. pollution associated with the mine. Indonesian soldiers This paper has drawn on these and other provide part of the security at the formerly American- owned mine (in which the Indonesian government sources. now has a 51 per cent equity), which has on several 2SSGM Discussion Paper 2012/1 Department http://ips.cap.anu.edu.au/ssgm of Pacific Affairs DPA Discussion Paper 2021/1 occasions been the target of OPM attacks. As recently dumped at sea by Indonesian security forces.6 The years as March 2020 there were reports of clashes between 1999–2000 have been referred to as ‘the Papuan Spring’. security forces and the military wing of the OPM, Under President Habibie, who briefly succeeded Tentara Pembebasan Nasional Papua Barat (TPNPB) Suharto, attempts were made to open negotiations with around Tembagapura, targeting the Freeport mine West Papuan leaders, and then under President Wahid, (Radio New Zealand 4/3/2020). who held office from late 1999 to July 2001, a number On figures of gross regional product nominal per of concessions were made. It was agreed to rename capita for 2018, West Papua Province ranks 6 and the province Papua and to allow the Morning Star flag Papua Province 7 of Indonesia’s 34 provinces, reflecting to be raised (under certain, increasingly restrictive, the provinces’ big resource projects. But human conditions), and the province was granted special development index figures for the same year rank the autonomy (Otonomi Khusus or OTSUS). two provinces at 33 and 34 respectively (Badan Pusat In 1999 a West Papuan People’s Team of 100 Statistik). prepared a statement, addressed to the president, As a result of officially-sponsored resettlement which presented a list of demands, including a (transmigrasi) and spontaneous immigration from national dialogue and recognition of West Papuan other, more populous, parts of Indonesia, the independence. The Team of 100 statement was population of Irian Jaya grew steadily, to the point endorsed by a ‘great consultation’ (Musyawarah Besar where the Indigenous population was threatened Papua) in February 2000, which also created a Papuan with becoming a minority within the province;4 non- Praesidium Council (Dewan Presidium Papua or DPP), Melanesians outnumber Melanesians in the major jointly chaired by Tom Beanal and Theys Eluay. The urban centres and non-Melanesians run most of the DPP organised a Second Papuan People’s Congress (the businesses and much of the administration in the first Papuan People’s Congress had been held in 1961) province, even in the smaller towns.