West Papua became the 26th province of Indonesia in 1969, after the so-called “Act of Free Choice” sponsored by the United Nations saw the transfer of official administration of the territory from the Netherlands to Indonesia. With the growing number of nations voicing their support for the United Nations to revisit what has now been widely criticized as a flawed plebiscite in 1969, Jakarta should indeed be concerned that they could eventually lose the resource-rich territory, an event which could drag Australia into conflict with its restive neighbor.
The Question of West Papuan Independence
The Question of West Papuan Independence
The Question of West Papuan Independence
West Papua became the 26th province of Indonesia in 1969, after the so-called “Act of Free Choice” sponsored by the United Nations saw the transfer of official administration of the territory from the Netherlands to Indonesia. With the growing number of nations voicing their support for the United Nations to revisit what has now been widely criticized as a flawed plebiscite in 1969, Jakarta should indeed be concerned that they could eventually lose the resource-rich territory, an event which could drag Australia into conflict with its restive neighbor.