Papua New Guinea - West Papua
In the 1880s the western part of Papua New Guinea was an overseas territory of the Dutch East Indies and was administered as Netherlands New Guinea (Nederlands-Nieuw-Guinea in Dutch) until after World War Two. Japanese invasion of Dutch East Indies during World War II ended Dutch colonial rule, but also encouraged independence movements previously suppressed to emerge. Two days after the surrender of Japan in August 1945, independence was declared by Sukarno, an influential nationalist leader and he was appointed President of Indonesia.
The Netherlands attempted to re-establish its rule, and the resulting five-year long conflict ended in December 1949, when in the face of international pressure, the Dutch formally recognized Indonesian independence. It was forced to recognise Indonesian sovereignty of the islands it once controlled with the exception of Western New Guinea which was incorporated into Indonesia following the 1962 New York Agreement, and the UN-mandated Act of Free Choice of 1969. Pressure from American President John F. Kennedy and Indonesian nationalists caused the Netherlands to cede Western New Guinea to Indonesia. The handover of Western New Guinea was considered a farce as a mere 1,025 "community leaders" carefully picked by the Indonesian regime delivered a unanimous vote in favour of integration.
Not all indigenous Papuans were happy with Indonesia’s involvement and Papuan insurgent independence movements such as the Organisasi Papua Merdeka (OPM or Free Papua Movement) have continued to oppose Indonesian rule and are seeking their own independent state. They cite racial differences because they are Melanesians as opposed to Austronesian (Indonesian) and mistreatment for being a minority group. Their grievances are linked to injustice and denial of sovereignty as they feel they are not being nationally or universally recognised. The area they perceive as their independent state now forms Indonesia’s two easternmost provinces of West Papua (formally known as Irian Jaya) and Papua.
There have been cross border movements of militants from Indonesia to Papua New Guinea, and reprisals from Indonesian forces. PNG recognises Indonesia’s sovereignty although it houses refugees who have crossed to its territory. Recurring tensions between the two countries form part of their domestic politics and foreign policies. The signing of a Treaty of Mutual Respect, Friendship and Co-operation in 1986 has encouraged both countries to work to maintain cordial relations.
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