You might have heard of the Free West Papua Campaign. It is a movement that demands the government of Indonesia to let the West Papua province declare its independence. Here is how it came about.
Historical Background
The Free West Papua movement is linked to the Free Papua Organization (Organisasi Papua Merdeka, OPM) is a general term for the Papuan pro-independence movement. OPM was originally a reaction by the Papuans to the attitude of the Indonesian government since 1963. To understand the origins of the OPM, we must first understand the history of West Papua.
The Round Table Conference on December 27, 1949, sparked the dispute for control of West Papua. The Netherlands wants West Papua, then also known as Netherlands New Guinea, to be a distinct country under Dutch control. Indonesia, on the other side, wants the entire land returned to them.
The West Papua news was finally brought to the United Nations. On January 2, 1962, President Sukarno launched the Mandala Command to capture Papua, pressing the Netherlands to renegotiate with Indonesia. The New York Agreement on August 15, 1962, specified that the Netherlands would hand over the authority of Papua to the UN Temporary Executive Authority (UNTEA).
The Netherlands signed the New York Agreement in 1962. By doing so, it agreed to relinquish the interim United Nations administrative zone in exchange for a referendum to be held before 1969. Thus, Indonesian rule over Papua began on December 31, 1962, under UN supervision.
The Birth of the OPM
This supervised rule lasted until May 1, 1963, when West Papua was fully handed over to Indonesia. However, not all West Papua people agreed to this. Some argued that Indonesia had committed a military occupation of Papua and demanded independence. As such, the OPM was started. OPM first launched its armed resistance in Manokwari, present-day West Papua, on 26 July 1965.
Finally, in 1969, a new chapter in West Papua history began when the people voted for a referendum to remain part of Indonesia. The military declared that the result was to support integration into Indonesia. However, West Papua independence activists raised allegations that the votes were rigged, who launched a protest campaign against Indonesia’s military occupation of West Papua.
In response to this, Nicolaas Jouwe of the OPM declared West Papuan independence on 1 July 1971 Two OPM commanders, Seth Jafeth Roemkorem and Jacob Hendrik Prai, had drafted its constitution. Today, the OPM consists of three elements. The first is the armed groups, each with different territorial control. They operate in Timika, the highlands, and the northern coast of West Papua. The second are groups conducting demonstrations and protests.
Finally, there is a group of leaders who are trying to raise awareness about the Papua issue and generate international support for independence. One of these leaders, mostly based abroad such as in Australia, Europe, and the US, started the Free West Papua Campaign.
Free West Papua
In 2004, the UK-based Free West Papua Campaign was founded by exiled West Papuan leader Benny Wenda to demand the United Nations to hold an independence referendum in West Papua. The campaign has grown to international support and endorsement.
Benny Wenda declared the independence of West Papua on December 3, 2020. He is now waiting for the Indonesian government’s response, especially with Joko Widodo, to discuss a solution to the Papuan conflict.
On the other hand, the Indonesian government views this campaign as a separatist movement. OPM members have also been accused of various acts of violence and terrorism. So, the question of the validity of the Free West Papua campaign remains blurry.
