To Look For The Solution of The Papua Dispute

Since the World War Two was over in 1945 and likely until now, the  Indonesian nation under the leadership of The Government of Indonesia and the Papuan Community are in the dispute situation, to answer the question whether yes or not they should unite as one Indonesian Nation or to live separately as two countries with their respective national identity.

By the will of God, Indonesia and Papua are located geographically on the same geo-political environment, but influenced by the different historical background and now they are in delicate situation to decide their course of action to face their future. Indonesia and Papua looked likely different physically, but being the Asian nation  they are  definitely to have the similar sense of human life. This phrases is intended to lay ground the basic idea how does the decision to look for the solution of the dispute might likely to be made.

Observations to the historical background: The Situation of the island of Papua Niew Guinea during  World War Two.

The territory of Papua as the subject of this discussion is the territory of the western part of the island of Papua New Guinea, located on the Arafura Sea North of Australia. The territory of Papua as the western part of the island of Papua New Guinea before World War Two was controlled by the Dutch Kingdom/The Netherland Indie and the eastern part of the island of Papua New Guinea was controlled by the Australian, the British and the German.

After the Second World War Two, Papua the territory of the western part of the island of Papua New Guinea was returned to be controlled by the Dutch Kingdom and the eastern part of the island was controlled by The United Nations. However Indonesia declared the independent of the territory of the former Netherland Indie in August 17, 1945.
 Now the eastern part of the island is an  independent country, named Papua New Guinea (PNG) with the capital of Port Moresby, while Papua should be part of the Republic of Indonesia.

The Situation of the territory of Papua After World War Two

After World War Two was over, the Dutch Kingdom wanted the territory of Papua to be returned and controlled by the Dutch Kingdom. However the Republic of Indonesia based on the Indonesian Independent Proclamation in 1945 to demand all the former territory of the Dutch Kingdom/Netherlands Indie becomes the territory of the Republic of Indonesia.

The historical reason was because, apparently the Dutch Kingdom left totally her colonized territory (the Netherland Indie in 1942) and let the Japanese to control this territory all along the World War Two (1942-1945) without any responsibility.

Thanks to the intervention of the US, The Republic of Indonesia and the Dutch Kingdom reached an Agreement of Den Haag in 1949 and both countries agreed the following conditions: Firstly, the Dutch Kingdom will hand over the former colonized territory of the Netherlands Indie to the Republic of Indonesia in 1950.  There will be the foundation of the Federal Republic of Indonesia and the Republic of Indonesia is one of its member state.

Second, the Dutch Kingdom recognizes the sovereignty of The Federal Republic of Indonesia over the former territory of the Duch Kingdom, except the Papua territory will be still under the control by the Dutch Kingdom, subject to be discussed again one year after Den Haag Agreement was signed in 1949.

Third, the Republic of Indonesia agreed to pay all  of the debt of the Dutch Kingdom utilized to back up the administration of the territory of the Netherland Indie since the year of 1942 until 1950.
President Kennedy said this agreement is necessary to prevent Indonesia to be leaning to the Soviet Union and becoming the big Communist country in South East Asia.
       
However actually the Dutch Kingdom was not happy with the respective agreement. An analysis done recently concluded that it was likely the Dutch Kingdom secretly design the subtle conspiracy to disturb the control of the Federal Republic of Indonesia over the Papuan territory. In this connection a puppet state which was leaning to the Dutch Kingdom will be founded in Papua as the member state of the Federal Republic of Indonesia before the Netherland Indie is handed over to the Federal Republic of Indonesia.

The Situation of Papua after 1949

The Den Haag Agreement was signed in December 1949 and it was planned the Dutch Kingdom to leave Indonesia totally in 1950. In this agenda, it was designed the Federal Republic of Indonesia would be  founded. The Federal Republic of Indonesia will be consisting of the Republic of Indonesia and a number of the States, founded by the Dutch Kingdom in the occupied territories of Indonesia as the result of her military aggression to the Republic of Indonesia in 1945-1949.

There is an indication - in the connection of creating the subtle conspiracy-the Dutch Kingdom was preparing a local government to be established in Papua that later will be expected to become the State member of the Federal Republic of Indonesia, but it will be leaning to the Dutch Kingdom interest.
   
The Dutch Kingdom taught and trained a number of Papuan educated figures in various school. They were designed to occupy various Government jobs of the local government that will be created  named The State of  West Papua.
 
The attribute of the State of West Papua among others are: The name of the State: The State of West Papua ; The State Flag : Bintang Kejora ; The National Anthem : Papua my Native Country ; The State of West Papua is designed to be proclaimed on December  1, 1961.

This element has definitely influenced the way of thinking and the attitude of the separatist in Papua presently. Accordingly  the Republic of Indonesia considered  the action of the Dutch Kingdom to form the State of West Papua was a treason. President   Soekarno was angrily and President Soekarno made his decision to take over Papua territory trough the military campaign named TRIKORA, declared on December 20, 1960.

The TRIKORA campaign was the giant military offensive that would be done in 1962 under The Command of May Gen Soeharto, the Commander of the Army Strategic Reserve Unit. Latter this Army Strategic Reserve Unit had been developed to become The Army Strategic Reserve Command as it is popularly known today.
 
President Soekarno wisely exploited the atmosphere of the Cold War hostility between the Soviet Union and the United States to apply for the buying of the giant military hardware to the Soviet Union, comprising Land, Sea and Air Force equipments. The Indonesian Armed Forces became one of the Strong Armed Forces in Asia and considered as leaning to the Communist Block.

President Kenedy of the US ask the Dutch Kingdom to soften its policy facing the Republic of Indonesia,  President Kennedy also warned his Western European ally, that the lost of Indonesia will lead South East Asia could fall into the Communist influence  under the domination of the Soviet Union. President Kennedy was successful to bring the Dutch Kingdom and the Republic of Indonesia to meet in the Meeting of Agreement in New York to discuss the problem of Papua.

The Influence of The New York Agreement to the situation of Papua

Again, with the intervention of the US, an agreement between The Republic of Indonesia and the Dutch Kingdom was reached in New York supervised by the American brilliant diplomat assigned in the United Nations, Bunker.
 
Based on New York Agreement between The Republic of Indonesia and the Dutch Kingdom, supervised by the United Nations it was agreed that Indonesia will  control Papua since 1962 but The Act of the Free Choice will be held in Papua in 1968. The Act of the Free Choice was a modification of the Self Determination Process as the implementation of Referendum of Papua.
 
For this purpose the United Nations formed an organization named The United Nations Temporary Executive Authority (UNTEA) with its mission to supervise and control the implementation of the Act of the Free Choice as the modification of the Referendum of Papua in 1968 utilizing the principle of One Tribe, One Vote. UNTEA  was working in Papua to prepare the Act of the Free Choice in 1967 until 1968

The Foundation of the Freedom Movement Organization of Papua

The clear and complete record on the freedom movement of Papua is not available, bellow are the description of the foundation of the freedom movement of Papua in general:

First, the foundation of the Free Papua Organization or popularly known as OPM in 1965 by a group of the Papuan figures, mostly coming from the professional military background. The armed organization was named the Free Papua  Organization (OPM) under the leadership of Seth Rumkorem and some others military professional figures. Seth Rumkorem was a former Army Officer,   he was elected as the Commander of the Free   Papua Organiation (OPM) with the rank of Brig. General.

Seth Rumkorem died in Netherland because of sick in 1970/1980. General Mathias Wenda was considered as the second senior Commander of the Free Papua Organization (OPM) to be elected to become the Commander of the Free Papua Organization (OPM) until now.

Second, meanwhile as the expression of rejection to the Act of the Free Choice in 1968, in 1971 a new Freedom Movement Organization of Papua was founded, named  the Free  West Papua Organization under the leadership of Beny Wenda. The Free West  Papua Organization was active domestically to mobilize the people's political support, mainly among the students and labors.

Third, Beny Wenda who was recorded as "wanted person" by the security apparatus escaped abroad to get political asylum from the British Government, he lives in London and he is active in international forum to look for support for the freedom of West Papua. Beny Wenda supported by a number of foreign human right activists created the United Liberation Movement of West Papua (ULMWP). The objective  of this organization is involving in various international forum to popularize Papuan struggle.

In conclude now it is identified three kinds of the Free Papua Organizations in Papua, namely: First, the Free Papua Organization (OPM) that is active in the military struggle under Gen Mathias Wenda.
 
Second, the United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP) that is active in international forum lead by Beny Wenda.

Third, the Free West Papua Organization (FWPO) that is active in the political activities domestically. No leader is recorded.

Recently the activities of the Free West Papua Organization (FWPO) is strengthened supported by the develoment of the National Committee of West Papua (NCWP), the local NGO that has been developing significantly. However it tends to be concluded   there is weak coordination among those three Free  Papua Organizations. It is also noted, there is no anyone to be considered as the top leader of the  Freedom Movement of West Papua.

In the mean time the decision of The Act of the Free Choice that was held on August 1968, with the result that all of the representatives of the Tribes of Papua decided to choose Papua to be remain as the territory of the Republic of Indonesia is internationally and domestically firm and strong.

This decision could never be changed and deleted.  Firmly Papua has become the advance Province of Papua and the Province of West Papua.
         
The development record of the Province of Papua and The Province of West Papua, have been supported by  the facts: First, the Republic of Indonesia is the strong independent country, so that the integration of Papua into the Republic of Indonesia (1968), directly brought the Papua and Papuan people as the independent nation.

Second, the Republic of Indonesia is the potential country politically, economically and militarily to bring the Papuan to become the advance, strong and modern ethnic in the Pacific.

Third, based on the Indonesian philosophy of Pancasila and the implementation of the Constitution of 1945, Papua has been led toward the strong, mighty and powerful nation of this region.

Fourth, with the holy spirit Indonesia has likely developed Papua as the leading ethnic to establish the cooperation among the Polynesia, Micronesian and Melanesian countries in the Pacific region.

Fifth, President Jokowi is planning to develop  completely the Papua Province, similar to other Indonesian Provinces.

Sixth, Now the amendment of Law on Special Autonomy of Papua is being perfected. By the Government and the House of Representatives.

The Idea to Solve the Papua Dispute to face the Future life of the Papuan

Now the situation of the "battle field" are clear, the Republic of Indonesia is always to control the geo-political situation of Papua, in the meantime there is no any progress resulted by the freedom movements of the Free West Papua Organization,   both in the military field and also in the UN, but misery and sadness. So why not a cease fire to be implemented, to give chance to the people of Papua to continue developing Papua peacefully.

With the assumption that the peaceful and cordial situation of Papua is preferable, it is expected   the readiness of both the Indonesian Government and the Papuan People to soften their hostile, their hard and firm attitude of both the Government of the Republic of Indonesia and the various freedom  movement of the Papuan People respectively.
 
In the meantime the human life condition in Papua could be improved significantly. Accordingly it is expectedly both the Indonesian Government and the Free West Papua Organization should be ready to meet and to talk cordially to search the solution.
 This is the only way to solve the dispute of Papua  to prevent Papua to plunge into misery life and hell.

The solution of the Papua dispute could be likely achieved when both side agreed that some changing attitude should be made but not to delete the main principles, namely: Both side recognize that both the Republic of Indonesian and the Papuan People to have the proportional sovereignty and authority over the Papuan; Both sides agree that The Republic of Indonesia and the Papuan People are against the Colonialism and Imperialism.

The Republic of Indonesia is not Colonialist Power suppressing Papua. Papua is part of the Big Family of Indonesia; Papua does not need Referendum, but Papua wishes strongly the progress of economic development, education, advanced, modern  and  mature society at the latest of the half of the21 Century. So of course Papua should not miss the time and waste the chance.  

Conclusion

The integration of Papua into Indonesia will never  omit and delete the Papuan sovereignty to this territory Accordingly the Papuan leaders have to change their spirit of their struggle based on cooperation and coordination, meeting and understanding.

The Republic of Indonesia is a mature country, strong, firm, full of experience that never retreat but always to be ready for cooperation and erasing dispute and hostile.

In conclusion it is the time for the Government of Indonesia and the Papuan leaders to meet and to discuss how to develop the Papuan to become fully peaceful, prosperous, educated, advanced, modern and mature society in the half of the 21 th Century.
   
Both the Governor of Papua and the Governor of West Papua are the Indonesian Government Officials and concurrently are also the Papuan leaders who are  ready to help the political and social leaders of Papua to solve the necessary technical supports needed.
           
*) Written by the Political and Security Observer.