On 1 July 2023, the West Papua community organized several events in West Papua, Papua New Guinea and the Netherlands in honour of the unilateral independence declaration of 1 July 1971. Below is the speech by Jeroen Zandberg at the event in The Hague, the Netherlands.
Good day,
My name is Jeroen Zandberg and I have been working with the Papua Association for almost ten years.
First of all, I would like to thank Simon Sapioper, the current president of the National Government of the Republic of West Papua and the National Papua Association, for inviting me and organizing this meeting.
Welcome everyone to this celebration of the 52nd year since the Papuans unilaterally declared their independence. The declaration of independence of July 1, 1971 was the result of the injustice that was done to the Papuans of West Papua in the previous years.
In the years after World War II, a wave of decolonization swept the world. The areas in Africa and Asia that were controlled by the Europeans claimed their right to self-determination, which they then successfully converted into independence.
Indonesia was one of the new countries to break away from the former colonial ruler; in this case the Netherlands. However, West Papua remained a colony until 1962. The Dutch rulers meanwhile prepared the region for independence.
The decolonization period has produced dozens of new, independent states; However, West Papua is not among them.
As is well known, the New York Agreement was signed on August 15, 1962, placing authority over West Papua with an interim United Nations administration. The implementation of this administration, however, was in the hands of Indonesia, which was thereby able to determine the fate of West Papua and the Papuans.
The promise of a fair referendum by the people to determine the future of West Papua was falsified by Indonesia through the Act of Free Choice in 1969. The freedom of choice in this referendum was limited and directed in such a way that the outcome served Indonesia’s interests and not that of the Papuans.
The outrage of the Papuans who strived for peace and justice and were confronted with this injustice stands at the basis of the declaration of independence in 1971.
At present, West Papua has been divided into smaller areas by the Indonesian government and population movements from densely populated islands have led to a new demographic and administrative structure. However, the desire for self-determination still lives on and is seen by many as the best solution to transcend the injustices that have been and are being done to the Papuans.
The United Nations Charter gives peoples the right to self-determination and its wording was intended to give European colonial possessions their right to independence. This right has not been given to West Papua, as it is now part of Indonesia, against the wishes of the Papuan population.
According to Indonesian law, West Papua no longer has the right to independence, but this view is like a local association that makes rules that go against national law. International law should always take precedence over national law. Unfortunately, those who interpret and implement the law are actually above the law, because they determine when something is applicable and should be enforced.
Since the international system is a partnership of sovereign states, they determine the application of the right to self-determination. However, the NGRWP and the National Papua Association are trying to prioritize the rights of the Papuans and thus make the right of self-determination also applicable to West Papua.
In the rest of my speech, I would like to discuss the activities we have undertaken in the past year to advance the self-determination and right to existence of the Papuans and the West Papuan identity.
Monument
One activity concerns participation in the consultations for a colonial and slavery monument in The Hague, the Netherlands. In 2021, the city council commissioned a monument that would reflect the colonial and slavery past of the city of The Hague and where commemorations could take place.
The National Papuan Association was officially invited to participate in this consultation process as a representative of the Papuans. Other communities that participated in these consultations included the Surinamese, Caribbean, Moluccan and African communities.
Through bimonthly sessions, we came to these meetings in 2022 as ambassadors for the Papuans, which took place in the Stroom building, an artistic and cultural meeting place in The Hague.
In the intervening periods we have often thought and discussed about this monument and the interpretation of the possible activities related to the commemorations that could go with it. The monument is not a one-off structure, but a symbol where an annual ceremony is held to focus on the situation of, among others, the Papuans.
The municipality also offers a subsidy scheme of several hundred thousand euros to carry out related activities.
The advisory committee presented its findings in a report on 30 January 2023. This advice was accepted by the alderman of The Hague. However, the Municipal Executive decided in March to only partially adopt this advice.
The memorial is now dedicated solely to the groups who suffered from the Transatlantic slave trade. The population groups, including the Papuans, who are geographically excluded from this are therefore placed outside the monument and the related activities. This is a bitter pill to swallow and I see it as an unfair action that is disrespectful to the Papuan community.
However, I am confident that the Papuan community will eventually succeed in convincing society to also acknowledge their history. We are advocating for a memorial place for the Papuans as well. We hope that there will be a follow-up to the project of the colonial and slavery monument in the near future, of which the Papuans will then become an integral part.
Dialogue
A second activity concerns the international dialogue between the various Papuan groups, the Indonesian government and the international community.
Within the Papuan community, there are different views on the social, economic and political future of West Papua. One of the spearheads of the NGRWP and the National Papua Association is to bring these groups together in order to gain broad support, joint action and a coherent vision of the future. Mr. Sapioper and others have regular informal conversations with Papuan leaders in West Papua, Papua New Guinea and Europe. Simon was also a guest on popular Indonesian talk shows to share his vision.
The dialogue also focuses on the Indonesian government and the international community. For example, we had a meeting with the Indonesian Human Rights Commission, Komnas, when they were touring Europe to discuss the situation and future political action with regard to West Papua.
In December [2022] we also visited the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland as a four-person delegation. There we had the opportunity to inform the UN about this dialogue through two speeches. During our visit we also spoke with potential partners and UN staff and met with the Indonesian representation. With these activities we ensure that the self-determination of West Papua remains in the public domain and we work towards a better future for the Papuans.
Other international activities
We have also carried out other activities that can advance the cause of West Papua:
For example, we participated several times in meetings and training sessions for human rights activists of the European Parliament in the House of Europe in The Hague, where we were able to raise the situation of West Papua.
We also organized several international football matches where the national anthem sounded over the fields and the flag of West Papua flew. Thanks to these international football matches, we reach a large international audience that is informed about the situation in West Papua.
Closing
I would like to conclude my speech with a look to the future. Although the Declaration of Independence lies 52 years in the past, the activities we engage in ensure that the spirit of this document lives on. I am confident that the strength and motivation of the Papuans will ensure that we can celebrate great successes in the near future that will put West Papua on the map.
Thank you for your attention and I look forward to working together towards this positive future.