The West Papua history may not be a thing that many people know about it. Well, a history lesson is not particularly attractive for most people. Without a doubt, the so-called Raja Ampat is the bright start of the area. Nevertheless, it is a good thing to know about this kind of thing. More importantly, there are always some positive things to derive from the history of a place. Yet, most people will only know this area for its beauty of nature. So, it is okay to look back a little at the history of the place.
When it comes to West Papua history, it is not that long. Although it began in the 18th century, there are other places in the world with a long history. Nevertheless, it is full of a variety of things that happen in this area. It is a common thing for an island in the South Pacific area to experience colonization. This particular thing happens to the initial period of West Papua as well. It is reasonable to say that the effect of colonization remains until the present day of this region.
The Initial History of the Region
The 18th century is pretty much the start of the so-called West Papua history timeline. It is not a secret that the island has become an ambition for imperial countries at that time. The German, British, Japanese, and Dutch imperials laid their claims to sections of the island. Of course, it happens at different times. That particular thing happens for a reason. The natural resource that sits beneath the island is too precious for those parties to leave. Without that, that thing is impossible to happen.
At that time, Indonesia was not recognized as an independent nation just yet. Therefore, the country was out of contention to fight for the right of the island. Even after the official declaration of independence in 1945, the so-called West Papua remains under the control of the Dutch. It is a bit of a wrinkle in the history of West Papua. Of course, Indonesia, as an independent nation status wants to grab the island as well. Understandably, it will not be an easy process to go through.
The Taking of West Papua
Five years after the Indonesian independence, the Dutch imperial plans to decolonize the area and give it freedom. Nevertheless, the government of Indonesia decided to intercept that plan. The aim is to ensure that West Papua will be one of the provinces of Indonesia. It is the exact moment that initiated Papua history became Indonesia. In 1961, Indonesia launched a military operation to take back the land of West Papua from the Dutch imperial.
It was the time of the intense Cold War in which international attention shifted to Indonesia. Without a doubt, the US played its role in this part of Papua history. The reason was that US investors just secured a stake in the natural wealth of the land. Underneath the island is a tremendous source of gold. Nowadays, it is under the control of Freeport. Of course, the US wants to secure the stake of their investors in the land for the future.
So it goes that way in West Papua history. The US acts as a broker to secure a deal between the Dutch and the Indonesian government. It involves the United Nations to make sure that the result of the negotiations is the best one for all parties. Nevertheless, it is not the end of the fight to secure the land for Indonesia. Yet, it is the first big step to release the wealthy land of Papua from the grasp of the Dutch imperial at that time.
In the year of 1969, there was the so-called Act of Free Choice. The idea and purpose of this particular thing are to decide whether the land will integrate into Indonesia or not. So, the government picked 1,026 tribal leaders from the area to vote for more than 800,000 people there. Among the West Papua tribes, most of the leaders ended up voting for the land to join the country of Indonesia. Nevertheless, the UN oversaw the process and eventually granted the land for Indonesia.
A Special Autonomy for Papua
As of today, the West Papua people are under the so-called Special Autonomy from the government of Indonesia. It provides them with tremendous freedom of managing their territory. It includes the freedom to handle the matter of local policy, provincial administration, and revenues of the island. Nevertheless, the idea of securing independence remains in the land of Papua. It is not a thing to be afraid of when visiting the natural island of Papua itself today.
The West Papua of the Modern Era
It is without a doubt that the matter of West Papua tourism is a famous one. Many people know about the beautiful island complex of Raja Ampat. It is one of the best places to visit when planning a holiday travel to the tropical paradise of Indonesia. Some people consider it to be better than Bali in many ways. It is also a top-notch thing to learn about the West Papua culture when visiting the area. Most of the locals are pretty traditional in many ways, even today.
Of course, it is pivotal to understand the West Papua custom when planning to go there. There are many sources of information about the land itself. One thing to keep in mind is that it will be different from other provinces of Indonesia. Some people consider it to be another country because of that many differences. Many things are not going to be available in other parts of the world. It is priceless to get a chance to enjoy the beauty of nature on the island of Papua these days.
With a little bit of West Papua history, it helps to enjoy a trip to the island. Just remember to pick the right time when visiting the area. It will boost the joyful experience of traveling there.
