The 1969 Papua referendum<\/p>\n
Reading your editorial titled Spotlight on Papua (The Jakarta
\nPost, July 16, in response to the recent publication of
\ndeclassified U.S. documents by a private Washington-based
\nresearch group, which raises questions about Indonesia's takeover
\nof the disputed territory 35 years ago, I find it necessary to
\nmake some comments.<\/p>\n
Quoting the sixth and seventh paragraphs, it said: \"It should
\nbe remembered that when Indonesia gained its independence in
\n1945, the country comprised more than 400 ethnic groups,
\nencompassing Stone Age to modern civilization. Indonesian leaders
\nbelieved that the most efficient way to hold the referendum was
\nthrough tribal chiefs. Even today the vast and rugged province,
\nwhich is 10 times the size of the Netherlands, is still acutely
\nunderdeveloped. When the referendum was held some Papuan tribes
\nstill lived in Stone Age societies. Language was a big barrier as
\nIndonesian was new in the province and the tribes' dialects were
\nalien to Indonesian officials.\"<\/p>\n
An argument to justify your claim above is that, due to the
\nrugged geographical location and illiteracy of the Papuans at
\nthat time, 1,025 hand-picked Papuans who voted in favor of
\nintegration with Indonesia through an \"Indonesian-style
\nreferendum,\" known as musyawarah (consultation or deliberation)
\nin 1969, would be the best method, instead of exercising a one-
\nman, one-vote plebiscite as guaranteed in article 18 of the New
\nYork Agreement.<\/p>\n
The agreement reads, \"All adult Papuans have the right to
\nparticipate in an act of self-determination, to be carried out in
\naccordance with international practice\".<\/p>\n
Honestly and truthfully, I'd like to underline the point that
\nyour claim above is definitely baseless, misleading and untrue.
\nWhy? As you know, in 1971, all eligible Papuan voters (not just
\nappointed representatives) had, from all walks of life -- Stone-
\nAge tribesmen to semi-modern society -- proven themselves to
\nsuccessfully participate in Indonesian general elections, two
\nyears after Dutch New Guinea was incorporated into the Republic
\nof Indonesia through the 1969 plebiscite. The facts, however,
\nshowed that the backwardness, underdevelopment and high levels of
\nilliteracy before and after two years of integration remained the
\nsame.<\/p>\n
Also, the language barrier, as you claimed above, did not, in
\nreality, turn out to be a large obstacle. After receiving some
\nbriefing on methods and polling procedures from appointed
\nbilingual officials, the entire process was successful.<\/p>\n
JOHN FATIE
\nTembagapura, Papua<\/p>",
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