The Act of Free Choice

Two articles Indonesia reaffirms sovereignty over Papua (Monday, July 12) and RI repeats same old song on Papua (Tuesday, July 13) concern U.S. attitudes to Papua at the time of the Act of Free Choice.

However, both articles repeatedly state that the Act took place in 1964 when really it happened in 1969.

Interestingly, the graphic accompanying the second article gives the year as 1969 but says the vote was organized by the UN and U.S. Actually it was organized by the Indonesian government with UN assistance. The U.S. government only brokered the 1962 agreement by which the Netherlands withdrew from West Papua to make way for the Indonesians.

The articles also refer to the declassification of "a document" on the Papua vote by the U.S. government. In fact the U.S. National Security Archive released several dozen relevant documents. They can be real at www.gwu.edu/-nsarchiv. Perhaps those who feel that Indonesia is the victim of a conspiracy to reveal the truth could lobby the U.S. congress to repeal its Freedom of Information Act.

JOHN HARGREAVES, Jakarta

Note: Thank you for your correction.

-- Editor