Implementation New York Agreement

the new york agreement fulfilled dream of republic of indonesia sabang merauke . indonesian flags mark settlements within regions of aceh (left) , west new guinea, both highlighted.

some members of quasi-legislative new guinea council established under dutch disappointed netherlands had signed agreement without consulting council. nevertheless, council decided support agreement, , cooperate united nations , indonesian authorities in keeping peace , order. small minority of council members, including nicolaas jouwe, refused support agreement , went exile in netherlands. period of united nations administration ended on 1 may 1963, envisioned new york agreement.

fernando ortiz-sanz, united nations secretary-general s representative in new guinea, observed , approved process of musyawarah during march , april 1969 final act of free choice, although recommending councils enlarged better comply adult eligibility provision of new york agreement. in report, said majority of petitions received new guineans pro-indonesian, although assessment of local opinion contradicted reports foreign embassies. between july , august 1969, act of free choice overwhelmingly concluded in favor of staying indonesia. professor of international law h.f. van panhuys attributes lopsided results lack of demilitarization of territory, process of musyawarah ( talking until unanimous decision reached... [was] not conductive atmosphere in people secretly , therefore fearlessly express preference ), , lack of option union netherlands.

at united nations general assembly, group of african states, led ghana, denounced act of free choice moslem imperialism , asian racialism . other states such india refuted charges , celebrated indonesian unity. in october 1969 united nations general assembly passed resolution 84 0 30 abstentions noted appreciation fulfillment... [of] 1962 agreement , thanked indonesia efforts promote economic , social development of west irian . dissenting african states proposed amendment direct second referendum in 1975, failed because of indonesian , american opposition. dutch government accepted results, , said process compliant new york agreement. reflecting on vote, retired under-secretary-general chakravarthy narasimhan said in 2001, mood @ united nations rid of problem possible , , [m]y heart isn t bleeding [for papuans] . united states partially achieved goal win [indonesia] on west , although indonesia–malaysia confrontation , struggling indonesian economy cooled relations.

for indonesia, implementation of new york agreement completed indonesian nationalist goal of sukarno called republic of indonesia sabang merauke , , represented successful resistance against partition on ethnic or religious grounds. on other hand, implementation of new york agreement 1 of cited grievances of militant free papua movement (opm), , years following implementation violent in emerging guerrilla conflict independence supporters, opm fighters kidnapped , attacked police, military, , transmigrant targets while indonesian military strafed whole villages in response. although supporters of independence west new guinea regard act of free choice illegitimate , noncompliant new york agreement, united nations officially maintains west new guinea s status part of indonesia final . in 2002, nationalist assembly of papuans led independence activist theys eluay declared new york agreement unlawful , morally unacceptable, because representatives [west new guinea] not involved in .