Seven days into the new year of 1957 and we were already in crisis. From Jakarta, Indonesia came word that the former Dutch colony of West Irian was now exercising its independence in kicking its former Colonial rulers out.
Here’s the background of the United Nations debate between The Netherlands and Indonesia over ownership of Dutch-held West New Guinea known to Indonesia as West Irian:
West Irian is 166,000 square miles of mountainous jungle-covered island inhabited by an estimated 700,000 people known as Papuans.
Nobody knows how exactly many people live there. New tribes are found every few years in the remote mountain valleys. But of an estimated 700,000 people less than half are under Dutch control. Of those under Dutch administration about 170,000 have been, baptized Christians. When the Dutch finally gave Indonesia independence seven years ago they “unconditionally and irrevocably” gave up all of what was then known as The Netherlands East Indies except West Irian. Ever since then West Irian has been a source of friction to already embittered Dutch-Indonesian relations and the rally point for Indonesian nationalists.
Indonesia’s claim rests on the fact that West Irian was part of The Netherlands Indies and that everything that belonged to The Netherlands Indies now belongs to Indonesia. But the Dutch reply that West Irian never was a part of Indonesia and they never intended to relinquish ownership at the time they handed over the other islands. Negotiations over West Irian broke down in 1952 in a rash of bitter words. Both sides accused each other of bad faith. Under Indonesian threats the Dutch attitude hardened until The Nether lands government refused even to discuss the matter.
Indonesia in turn was ready to negotiate only if it was understood in advance that sovereignty over West Irian would be transferred to Indonesia.
Here is a 15 minute rundown of the events taking place during the first week of January in 1957 as presented by the NBC Radio Life and The World on January 7.
