Achmad Faisal (Master’s Degree of Law Student)
“The Indonesian government needs to rebuild a trust (trust building) in the land of Cendrawasih. The goal is that the Indigenous Papuans (OAP) have more trust in the Indonesian government than the provocateurs who promised an independent Papua.” (Freddy Numberi).
The Armed Criminal Group (KKB), which is a Papuan separatist group, continues to carry out violence in Papua. Actions that target civilian victims and members of the TNI-Police only to spread terror so that the Indonesian government and the international community will accept their version of the demand, namely an independent Papua.
The same thing was done by the leader of the United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP), Benny Wenda. He stated that his struggle in various UN forums was similar to that carried out by Palestine. He accused Indonesia of illegally occupying Papua.
Through Vanuatu – an ally of ULMWP – the same demands have been repeated at the UN general assembly from year to year, to be precise since 2016.
The KKB and ULMWP behavior were ridiculous. They do not understand the history of the land of Papua joining the Indonesian government. Referendums and referendums continue to be echoed by this group. In fact, if judging from the history of the nation, Papua is Ab Initio belongs to Indonesia.
A Papuan figure who is also a former Minister, Freddy Numberi, in his article published on detik.com, June 28, 2020, stated that Papua Ab Initio belongs to Indonesia.
Freddy, who is a retired Navy Army officer, said that Papua had more than half a century returned to the motherland’s bosom.
Freddy explained that in the 1949 Round Table Conference Charter (KMB), the Kingdom of the Netherlands recognized Indonesia’s independence and sovereignty. However, the residency of New Guinea (Papua) in accordance with Article 2 of the KMB was still under Dutch control on the grounds that the Papuan residency had different socio-cultural and geographic characteristics from Indonesia, so it was given the status quo and would be discussed one year later.
Konferensi Meja Bundar in Denhaag, Netherland, 2 November 1949 (liputan6.com)
Throughout the 1950s, President Soekarno urged the United Nations (UN) to pressure the Netherlands to hand over Papua to Indonesia, but without success. On December 5, 1957, Bung Karno took repressive measures by expelling all Dutch citizens from Indonesia and nationalizing Dutch companies.
Pressure is also exerted by the US government. The Netherlands then handed over Papua to the United Nations through the New York Agreement, 15 August 1962. The UN through UNTEA (United Nations Temporary Executive Authority) on 1 May 1963, handed over Papua Ab initio (as originally / from the beginning) to its legal owner, namely the Dutch East Indies (Nederlands-Indië) which was freed as the Republic of Indonesia on August 17, 1945.
History happens for Papua and Indonesia. Through the 1969 Pepera (Determination of People’s Opinions or the Act of Free Choice), Papua was designated as part of the Republic of Indonesia. This decision was passed on 19 November 1969 at the UN General Assembly through resolution No. 2504 (XXIV). At that time 80 countries supported (including the Netherlands) and 30 countries did not vote (abstained), and 12 countries did not attend.
Dewan Musyawarah Pepera (DMP) on Pepera. Foto: repro book “Api Perjuangan Pembebasan Irian Barat” -Suyatno Hadinoto.
On its way, the UN continues to monitor the implementation of the Act in Papua. And then, the Mandala operations carried out by the Indonesian government in Papua ended with the signing of the New York Agreement on August 15, 1962, on the orders of the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Indonesia President Sukarno.
However, in the period 1950-1959, the Netherlands systematically confirmed its power over Papua. The Dutch spread a promise of “zelf beschikking recht” (right to self-determination) for the Papuan people. This sweet promise was strengthened by the speech of the Dutch Queen Juliana on September 20, 1960.
Freddy said that the Netherlands are strengthening the development of the political system, political parties and the government and its apparatus. The Netherlands also builds physical infrastructure in Papua in order to foster the mindset, attitudes and behavior of the pro-Dutch Papuan people and political elites so that they are increasingly anti-Indonesian (devide et impera politics).
The history records, that the perceptions instilled by the Dutch about the “Papua State” created by the Dutch influenced the US and the United Nations and trapped the Indonesian government in it. Indonesia considers the “Papua State” and its attributes to be an enemy that must be eradicated. In fact, the real source of conflict was the return of the residency of New Guinea as a colony (not a country) from the Dutch East Indies colony which was freed as the Republic of Indonesia, 17 August 1945, according to the KMB charter on 27 December 1949.
President Soekarno felt betrayed, because the Dutch did not comply with the KMB agreement on December 27, 1949. This then made Bung Karno “furious” and responded to the Dutch tactics by setting up the Tri Komando Rakyat (TRIKORA).
After Bung Karno stirred up the spirit of TRIKORA 19 December 1961, supported by the facts of the battle of the Arafura Sea on January 15, 1962 between the Netherlands and Indonesia, where Commodore Yos Soedarso died with the crew of the KRI Macan Tutul convinced President Kennedy that Indonesia was very serious about returning Papua to Indonesia “at any cost”.
For President Sukarno, the return of Papua to its rightful owners was a “point of no return” (no turning point). It was on this basis that Kennedy made a secret note to the Dutch Prime Minister Dr. J.E. de Quay dated April 2, 1962, the point is that if a war breaks out, neither the Dutch nor the West can reasonably win it, only the communists get the greatest benefit from the Dutch-Indonesian conflict.
The UN in several General Sessions which were conducted in connection with the Dutch and Indonesian conflicts saw the fact that many UN member countries supported Indonesia in the context of returning the Papuan colony to its legal owner Ab initio, namely Indonesia (William Henderson, West New Guinea, The Dispute and Its Settlement, Seton Hall University Press, 1972: p. 2). Nearly 2/3 of the countries in the world support Indonesia.
John Saltford in his book The United Nations and the Indonesian Takeover of West Papua, 1962-1969- The Anatomy of Betrayal (2003, p. 8), said: “Therefore, under the principle of uti possidetis juris WNG (West New Guinea) belongs to Indonesia. If the Netherlands gives WNG its independence, it will be an act of separatism against Indonesia.”
Freddy advised the government to build back a trust (trust building) in the land of Cendrawasih. The goal is that the Orang Asli Papua (OAP) have more trust in the Indonesian government than the provocateurs who promised an independent Papua. Because they did not understand the substance of the early history of the Papuan presidency properly and wisely.
Freddy said that the Papuan problem cannot be viewed as something that is “taken for granted” (accept what it is) but requires a change in mindset or way of thinking and way of acting, both in Jakarta and the Papuan people themselves in assessing the existing developments as It is a necessity to achieve an Indonesia that is safer, more peaceful, just, prosperous, democratic and respects human rights as President Jokowi hopes.
Freddy said the Indonesian government had given Papua many privileges. Papua has also made a lot of progress, including as a Special Autonomy area in accordance with Law No. 21 of 2001. Freddy hopes that under the leadership of President Jokowi – Ma’ruf Amin, the Road Map to resolve problems in Papua permanently and completely as a legacy for the land of Papua can be realized. ()
