Republic of West Papua


The Republic of West Papua is a proposed state consisting of the Western New Guinea region. The region has been administered by Indonesia since 1 May 1963 under several names in the following order: West Irian, Irian Jaya and Papua. Today the region comprises two Indonesian provinces: Papua and West Papua.
The proposal is supported by Solomon Islands and Vanuatu with the Parliament of Vanuatu passing the Wantok Blong Yumi Bill in 2010 officially declaring that Vanuatu's foreign policy is to support the achievement of the independence of West Papua. Vanuatu's Parliament has proposed requesting that West Papua be granted observer status at the Melanesian Spearhead Group and Pacific Island Forum.
The Republic of West Papua was formerly a member state of the Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization since the organization's founding in 1991.

History

The region was formerly a Kingdom of the Netherlands colony part of the Dutch East Indies and in 1949 was known as Dutch New Guinea. The Dutch had planned to withdraw by 1970 and began "Papuanization" to prepare for independence. In February 1961, the Dutch organised elections for the New Guinea Council a Papuan representative body to advise the Governor. The Council appointed a National Committee to prepare a political manifesto for the future state. On 1 December 1961, an inauguration ceremony was held for the Morning Star flag raised outside the Council building in the presence of the Governor, also the national anthem "Hai Tanahku Papua", the birds of paradise coat of arms, motto and the name of Papua Barat for the proposed new state. The Dutch had accepted the Manifesto except the denomination of the flag recognizing it as a territorial flag not a national flag.
On 1 July 1971, Brigadier General Seth Jafeth Rumkorem, leader of the militant independence movement Free Papua Movement, proclaimed unilaterally Papua Barat or West Papua as an independent democratic republic. The Morning Star flag was declared as a national flag.
On 14 December 1988, Dr. Thomas Wainggai proclaimed the Republic of West Melanesia using the Melanesian identity of the West Papuan people as the name. The West Melanesia flag featured 14 stars with three coloured bars of black, red and white.
On 15 October 2008, the International Parliamentarians for West Papua was launched; comprising a cross-party group of politicians from around the world who support self-determination for the people of West Papua. As of 2020, there are approximately 80 current parliamentarians listed as signatories, representing five continents. The IPWP was set up by exiled West Papuan independence advocate Benny Wenda, and is chaired by the British Labour Party MP Andrew Smith and Lord Harries.
On 19 October 2011, Forkorus Yaboisembut, the head of the West Papua National Authority, proclaimed the Federal Republic of West Papua with the Mambruk pigeon as the symbol of state.
In December 2014, all West Papuan independence movement groups united under a single umbrella organisation the United Liberation Movement for West Papua. The organisation is chaired by Benny Wenda.
On 9 November 2017, the OPM's armed wing, the West Papua National Liberation Army, seized control of the villages of Kimberly and Banti near the Grasberg mine, holding these villages until retaken by Indonesian forces 8 days later.