WEST PAPUA’S SELF-DETERMINATION AS A NON ......2019/04/01  · 3. New Guinea RAAD vo1ng on proposal, May 1961. 4. RAAD member Tokoro-Hanasby being sworn in by Governor Plaeel , 5

WEST PAPUA’S SELF-DETERMINATION AS A NON-SELF-GOVERNING TERRITORY

Reflecting on 1 December 1961

JACOB RUMBIAK, Spokesperson United Liberation Movement for West Papua

KEY SOURCES

Jacob Rumbiak, 2010 Solving the political impasse between Indonesia and West Papua; the readiness of West Papuans to run their own country

Christiaan Lambert Maria Penders 2002 The West New Guinea debacle—Dutch decolonisation and Indonesia 1945-1962

Peter Dale Scott, 1985 The United States and the Overthrow of Sukarno 1965-1967

Annette Culley, 2016 West Papua: Decolonisation, Boundaries and Self Determination

Andrew Johnson, In Annette Culley, 2016: pp84—110

George E Lambert (ICJ) 2002 Indonesia: a history of peoples divided and plagued by treachery, aggression, and deprivation

Ide Anak Agung Gde Agung 1996 From the formation of the State of East Indonesia towards the establishment of the United States of Indonesia

Jim Elmslie 2011 West Papuan Demographic Transition and the 2010 Indonesian Census: Slow “Motion Genocide” or not?

Mark Davis & John Martinkus, The Saturday Paper Indonesia accused of suing banned chemical weapons in West Papua

https://www.thesaturdaypaper.com.au/edition/2018/12/22

West New Guinea—United Nations Security Force https://peacekeeping.un.org/mission/past/unsfbackgr.html

New Guinea Council, New Guinea Chronicle 21-the road to self-determination https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iDgwFEBdfAs

Nederlands Nieuw Guinea periode 1959-1961 (Amedems Dnaleor) www.youtube.com/watch?v=jgydCmvP33I

Installation of the New Guinea Council, National Parliament of West Papua http://www.westpapuaparliament.org/instalation-of-the-new-guinea-coucil/

United Liberation Movement for West Papua Winston Churchill St, Port Vila, Vanuatu

Spokesperson Jacob Rumbiak 61 (0) 49786 7070; [email protected]

Produced by FRWP Women Office in Docklands 211/838 Collins St, Docklands 3008 Victoria

0420 250 389; [email protected]

3.NewGuineaRAADvo1ngonproposal,May1961.

4.RAADmemberTokoro-HanasbybeingsworninbyGovernorPlaEeel,5April1961.

5.PresidentoftheAustralianSenate,SirAlistairMcMullin,Inaugura1onoftheRAAD,5April1961.

6.WestPapua’sMorningStarflyingalongsidetheNetherlandsflag,Manokwari,1December1961.

7.PapuaVolunteersBaEalion(PVK)alongsideNetherlandsMilitary,Hollandia,1December1961.

REFLECTINGON1DECEMBER1961,steppingstoneintheSelf-DeterminaConofWestPapuaasaNon-Self-GoverningTerritory

Brothersandsisters,on1December1961,theNetherlandsAdministeringPower—inresponsetoamanifestoissuedbytheNieuwGuineaRAAD,ourfirstparliament—raisedtheMorningStarflagalongsidetheDutchflaginmajortownsacrossWestPapua.Thiswasasignificanteventinourself-determina1on,whichwasrecognisedbytheUnitedNa1onsinDecember1950whentheGeneralAssemblyacknowledgedWestNewGuineaasaNon-Self-GoverningTerritory(UNGARes.448(V)).

Ar1cle73oftheUNCharterdefinestheAdministeringPower’ssacredtrustobliga1onsofaNon-Self-GoverningTerritorytopriori1zeourinterestsandadvanceself-government.Itmeantthatallsocial,economicandpoli1caldevelopmentinWestPapuaa_er1950wasbasedonself-determina1onprincipleswhichwereadoptedbytheNetherlandsInter-DepartmentalCommissionin1951,airedinQueenJuliana’s1952address,andenshrinedinDutchlegisla1onin1953.ArCcle73obligaConsremain,bylaw,unCltheNon-Self-GoverningTerritoryaPainsafullmeasureofself-government;inotherwordsunClavalidactofself-determinaCon(referendum).

Ourself-determina1onwassetinmo1onbyDutchResidentJanvanEechoudin1944duringtheAlliedoccupa1onwhenheembarkedontherehabilita1onofourwar-ravagedpeopleandlandwithtrainingprojectsandthecrea1onofins1tu1onsforanindependentstate.Bytheendof1944hehadestablishedaPoliceSchool,thePapuanVolunteersBaEalion—adefenceforceof400armedsoldiers,andaPublicServiceTrainingSchoolthatproduced150graduatesincludingmembersoftheNewGuineaRAAD.By1946Consulta1veCouncilswerebeingdevelopedindistrictsacrosstheterritoryandmanagedinaccordwithlocalcultures,andatthesame1meCanberraandNewZealandinvitedustojointhenewSouthPacificCommissionformedto‘promotetheeconomicandsocialwelfareoftheNon-Self-GoverningTerritoriesintheSouthPacific’.

Besidesmajoradvancesineduca1onandhealth,andconcertedeffortstodevelopanexporteconomythatdovetailedsubsistenceeconomies,theDutchadministratorstookcaretogenerateappropriateins1tutesforamoderndemocra1cstate.ThisincludedthreePapuan-majorityadvisorycouncilsin1951;andelectedregionalcouncilsastraininggroundsforpoli1ciansinMimikain1953;Hollandia,SchoutenIslands,Manokwari,Japen,andSorongin1955;Fak-Fakin1958;andinBiak-Numforin1959(inexistencesince1948asKankainKankaraBiak).Thesecouncilsweretaskedwithimplemen1ngandenforcingordinances,regula1ngandadministeringlocalaffairs,andlevellingtax.By1960theNetherlandswasinves1ngFl91Mperyear(upfromFl15Min1950)withplansto‘papuanise’thecivilservice(to90-95%)withadministrators,teachers,nursesandpolice,includingtopposi1onsrequiringter1aryqualifica1ons,overthenexttenyears.

On5April1961theNewGuineaRAADwasinaugurated“officia1ngasaParliament,withallitspowers”(GovernorPlaEeel).Twenty-twoPapuanshadbeenelectedtothe28-seatins1tu1onincludingawoman,Tokoro-Hanasby.Memberssharedlegisla1ngpowerwiththegovernoranddepartmentalheads,includingresponsibilityforframingthebudget.Theyhadparliamentaryimmunity,andrightsofpe11on,interpella1onandamendment.TheRAADwasinauguratedinfrontofthousandsofrepresenta1vesfromeveryregioninWestPapuaandanarrayofinterna1onalnewspaperradioandtelevision.InaEendancewere135officialguestsfromtheSouthPacificCommission,andthegovernmentsofBritain,NewZealand,andAustralia—whosedelega1onincludedPaulHasluck(MinisterforTerritories),AlistairMcMullin(PresidentoftheSenate),BrigadierCleland(Administrator,Papua-NewGuinea),andsixmembersofthePapua-NewGuineaLegisla1vethatwasscheduledtoopenfivedayslater.

DuringthelaunchoftheRAADGovernorPlaEeelspokeofthefuture:“DutchNewGuineaisasmall

1.Womanvo1ngforNewGuineaRAAD,February1961.

2.Rally,Sorong,1961,demandingfullimplementa1onofAr1cle73(UNCharter,Non-Self-GoverningTerritory).

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HisconcordwithPresidentKennedy,withindaysofAmerica’sfailedinvasionofCubawith1500CIA-trainedparamilitary,requiredhimtoreinintheIndonesianCommunistParty—anotherloadbearingelementoftheNewYorkAgreementsignedon15August1962wherebyWestPapuaeffec1velybecameaUNTrustTerritoryadministeredbyIndonesiaun1lanactofself-determina1on.Therehasneverbeenanactofself-determinaConinWestPapua.

Inlaymen’stermstheNewYorkAgreement(1962-1969)wasalandgrab(byIndonesiaandAmerica)renderedasapeacetreaty(betweenIndonesiaandtheNetherlands)inthemidstofglobalwar(betweentheUSandUSSR).Itwasconstructedinpartonunlawfulac1onsbyUNSecretary-GeneralUThantthatpositedtheUNincontemptoftheauthority,jus1ceanddignityofinterna1onallaw,andcondemnedWestPapuanstoanauthoritarianstateonthebrinkofeconomiccollapse.Forinstance,inSeptember1962,theSecretary-GeneralomiEedtoinformtheUNTrusteeshipCouncilofitsArCcle88repor1ngresponsibili1es;andthentooktheunprecedentedstepofdispatchingmilitaryobserversandtheUSandCanadianairforcestoWestPapuawithouttheauthorisaConoftheGeneralAssemblyorSecurityCouncil.In1966hedidn’tques1onthecapacityoftheIndonesiaStatetoorganiseanactofself-determina1on(asperAr1cleXX,NewYorkAgreement)a_erithadturnedonitsownpeopleinanorgyofkillingdescribedbytheCIAasoneoftheworstmassacresinthetwen1ethcentury(threemillionmostlyface-to-facekillingsinJava,BaliandSulawesi).In1969hecolludedindressingtheAgreement’sconclusionasanactofself-determina1onwhentheact-of-free-choicewasaninvoluntaryresponseby0.12%ofthepopulaCon—ineightlocaCons,overnineteendays—toascriptwriPenbytheIndonesiangovernment.ThiswasparCcularlyegregious,asthe‘freechoice’grantedtotheWestPapuapopulaCon“isamaPerofworldconcernforwhicheachMemberoftheUnitedNaConscarriesaresponsibilityofthesameorderasthatoftheparCesthemselves”(OFFICIALRECORDS,UNGA,1127PENARYMEETING,21SEPTEMBER1962,PARA194).

In1962a_erdecadesundertheDutchWestPapuanscons1tuted99%ofthepopula1on;in2010theywere47%withagrowthrateof1.8%incontrasttothenon-Papuanrateof10.8%(JElmslie2011).Genocideisblamedfor546,126missing—assassinated,poisoned,exiled,starved,borndeadornotatall.Minersandloggersravagetheland,uniquefloraandfaunaisfloggedinblackmarkets;once-pris1newatersareheavilypolluted.Thatthereisnohopeofinternalresolu1onofthislong-standingissuewasevidentinDecember2018whentheIndonesianParliamentdeclaredwarontheWestPapuaLibera1onArmyandtheAirforcedroppedbombsofthedeadlywhitephosphorouschemicalonanumberofhighlandvillages(THESATURDAYPAPER,18DEC2018).On12March2019thegovernmentdeniedthesevillagesemergencysuppliesoffood,waterandmedicinebybanningtheaccessoflocalchurchesandNGOs.

On25January2019,theUnitedLibera1onMovementforWestPapuapresentedape11ontotheUNHighCommissionerforHumanRightfrom1.8MPapuansreques1ngWestPapuabeinsertedontheUNDecolonisa1onList.Thepe11onwaspresentedtothePresidentoftheUNDecolonisa1onCommiEeeon30September2017.We,liketheChargossians,believewehaveunfinishedbusinessintheUN,andnotetheAdviceoftheInterna1onalCommissionofJuriststotheUK(25February2019)thatMauri1us’decolonisa1onwasalso‘notlawfullycompleted’.

Godbless,andpeacebealwayswithyou.

JacobRumbiakSpokesperson,UnitedLibera1onMovementforWestPapua

country,butmaysetagreatexample.MayGodgrantyouthewisdomtomakeuseoftheCouncil’swork.Hewillblessyourdelibera1ons.”StateSecretaryforHomeAffairsDrBotsaidtheRAADshouldmakeitswishesknownonself-determina1on(referendum)withintwelvemonthssinceby1970onlyafewforeignexpertswoulds1llbeneeded,addingthatHollandwouldcon1nuetogivematerialandfinancialaidtohelpachieveindependence(SYDNEYMORNINGHERALD,6APRIL1961).QueenJulianainarecordedspeechsaid:“NetherlandswantsyourpeopletotakeadignifiedandequalstandinthecommunityofthemodernworldandtheUnitedNa1ons…thisisthefirststepontheroadthatleadstotheexerciseofself-determina1on.Maythatturnouttobeshort.Remainyourselfandenterintheformthatyouchoosebasedonyourownnature.”

On1December1961,theNewGuineaRAADsucceededinbirthingthepeople’saspira1onforanindependentsovereignna1onwhen,withtheGovernmentofDutchNewGuineaandtheNetherlandsGovernment,itimplementedits19-30Octoberresolu1ontocallthenewna1on‘PapuaBarat’,toraisetheMorningStarflagalongsidetheNetherlandsflag,tohave‘HaiTanahKuPapua’asthena1onalanthemandtheVictoriaCrownedPigeonasthestatesymbol.

On19December1961,IndonesiaviolatedourNon-Self-GoverningTerritorywithaperformaCvedeclaraConofwarto‘annihilatetheDutchdefenceandoccupytheDutchpuppetstate’(WestPapua).Amonthlater,on15January1962,threeRussiantorpedoboatsintheArafuraSeafiredonaDutchaircra_.Theboats,carrying150soldiers,mortar,transmiEersandautoma1cweapons,engagedtwoDutchfrigates,buta_eroneboatwashitandsanktheIndonesianNavyabortedthemission.Theuseofforce(inbreachoftheUNCharter)andaerialphotosofIndonesiamassingitsRussianandAmericanarsenalonnearbyCeramIslandacCvatedtheproducConofaUN‘peacetreaty’inAugust1962thateffecCvelygibedIndonesiawith459,412kms2ofMelanesianland.

Indonesiahadbegunpreparingforwara_erthefailureofitsfourthaEemptintheUNGeneralAssembly(1957,1956,1955,1954)togainrecogni1onofitssovereigntyclaimoverWestPapua(UNLEGALRECORDS,CHAPTERXI,ART73).ItsclaimwasbasedonU#posside#s,alegalprincipleassociatedwith‘territorialintegrity’wherebynewstatesinherittheircolonialborders.U"posside"showeverisnotanormofinternaConallaw—unlikethe(WestPapuans’)rightofself-determinaConwhichisalegalnormthatcannotbesetasideordisobeyed(ACULLEY2016:18-30).MoreoverIndonesiadidnotinheritDutchNewGuineaattheCmeofitsindependence.Itssovereignty-transferagreementauspicedbytheSecurityCouncilin1949directed“thestatusquoremainswhileIrian’sstatehoodisdeterminedbynego1a1onbetweentheDutchCrownandtheUnitedStatesofIndonesiawithinthenexttwelvemonths”(ANAKAGUNG1996:657).Whenthenego1a1onscommencedsixmonthslater,theUnitedStatesofIndonesia—thefederalconstructtowhichsovereigntyhadbeentransferred—hadbeenbulldozedandreplacedwithaunitarystatewithadifferentcons1tu1on.Nego1a1onscon1nuedanyway,butfailed,repeatedly,becausetheIndonesiangovernmentdismissedtheUNDecolonisa1onPrinciplesandAr1cle73obliga1onsas‘irrelevant’and‘inadmissible’.

Atthe1meofitsbellicosedisplayinJanuary1962IndonesiawasthebiggestmilitarypowerinAsiaoutsideChina(PENDERS2002:370)TheUShadbeenassis1ngtheArmysince1958with$20Mayear;andcovertmilitaryaidof$28.4Mbetween1949and1961peakingat$16.3Min1962(PDSCOTT1985:246-53).USSRsupportbySeptember1961included300militaryadvisers,thelatestMig-19andMig-21fighters,IlbushinandTupolev-16bombers,thelatestdestroyersandsubmarines,aSverd-lodskheavycruiser,ItalianMTBS,moderntransportcra_,missiles,smallarms,tanks,rocketlaunchers.Thewargamewaspointlessanyway,asninemonthsbefore,on24April1961,PresidentSukarnohadagreed—fora$900,000helicopterand$100Meconomicaidpackage—toashortinterimUNTrusteeshipfollowedbyanIndonesiantakeoverofWestPapua(CLMPENDERSP335).