The Netherlands push to prepare Papuans for self-governance came too little, too late. Cold War politics would intervene to evacuate the Dutch and seal Papuas fate. In 1961, the Dutch were pressured by the newly elected Kennedy administration of the United States to virtually hand over Papua to the Indonesians. By the time Dutch preparation for Papuan independence had begun in earnest, the Cold War had quickly evolved into a worldwide struggle between the United States and the communist blocs of the Soviet Union and Communist China.

Compounding this was Indonesias strategic place in the greater conflict. The geopolitical repercussions had an overriding affect on the Papuan situation. The Kennedy administration was concerned that siding with the colonial Dutch in the struggle over West Papua would alienate President Sukarno, helping to deliver Indonesia into the communist sphere of influence. Kennedy demanded the Dutch take heed to Cold War priorities and fall in line with American foreign policy objectives. A free Papua was not in the offing, Kennedy signaled in a now declassified letter to the Dutch government. Indonesia would declare war over anything less than full incorporation of the vast territory, and Kennedy didnt want any further destabilization in greater South East Asia than already existed in neighboring Indo China as the Viet Nam war was in its nascent stages.

Isolated internationally and not willing to go to war with Indonesia alone, the Dutch were forced to accede to the U.S. negotiated New York Agreement and became signatories with Indonesia in August of 1962. The agreement transferred responsibility for the territory to Indonesia following a brief transitional period under the United Nations Temporary Executive Authority (UNTEA). The plan also provided for an ascertainment of the will of the Papuans on their future political status to be held under UN supervision. Implementation of the plan and the handing over of Papua into co-administrative hands of the Indonesian government was made in May of 1963.

The UNs position as overseer turned out to be one of inherent political weakness. They were powerless to prevent the sham elections of 1969- ironically known as Act of Free Choice- where a small cadre of some one thousand hand-picked Papuans was given the power to choose on behalf of the greater population of Papuan people between self-determination and becoming a part of the Republic of Indonesia. This in lieu of a true plebiscite- and it is reported that those Papuans who actually voted in the Act of Free Choice did so at Indonesian gun point. Incredulously, the electoral results were unanimous save one vote in support of incorporation into Indonesia. Even more striking was that no one in the international community- including the United Nations- filed any complaint as per this final and deciding phase of the New York Agreement.

Suharto was Indonesian president during the Act of Free Choice elections, and it was his administration that designed, arranged for, and supervised over them. No checks and balances were in put in place as the Indonesians were in full control. Firmly supported in the West for his anti-communist leanings, Suharto was given free license to proceed in West Papua as he so chose. The fate of West Papua was a fait de complet, and the Act of Free Choice just so much pro forma protocol whose outcome had been predetermined.

In the form of Act of Free Choice, the international community had betrayed the only opportunity Papua has yet to have in becoming an independent state. Not a single nation protested the sham elections. Nor did the UN. And to have the greatest democratic force in the world, the United States, be the determinate factor behind the betrayal fully exacerbated the treachery. Realpolitik had determined the victor and the vanquished

Yes indeed,
the poor West papuans were merely used as pawns, in a much larger political game.

All the western nations were playing political games, entirely in their own self interest. They saw "reds under the beds" everywhere. Their fear of commmunism bordered on paranoia. So to appease th Indonesians, they sacrificed the West Papuans. After all, what did they count for? They were just a poor black people with no political clout. They were expendable.

Unfortunately, in this world, If one of my fellow humans is enslaved, then I too am diminished. However, the world apparently still sees them as expendable. I guess all we in Aust. can do, is to continually petition our govrenment to do something.

Free West Papua......Ralph.

The sad thing is that in PNG we are allowing ourselves to become enslaved by the stealing and decisions of our leaders. We deserve no mercy and no sympathy because we're bringing this all on ourselves.

My wantoks unfortunately read a story of one big project or one new tall building or road being built and they are blinded to the fact that this represents only a few getting richer at the expense of many more Papua New Guineans slowly becoming poorer. Yes, they may have more money than before, but they are finding themselves working a lot harder for that money than they would have 10 years ago. Such is an indicator of subtle but definite impoverishment.

West Papua was traded by the UN and the US, when J F Kennedy was in power. It is obvious that these people did not have any consideration of the people and what they wanted. It's been many years now and I do not think Indonesia will give up its hold on WP, increasingly since the large discovries of natural gas and gold in the area. The uprising in the area is small. What we need is large media coverage in the area about what indoesia is doing to our Melanesian brothers and sisters over there. I hear that there is a media ban over there. God please help these people.