Morning Star flag is raised beside the Dutch flag

Labor actions against Dutch-owned companies escalated after the Netherlands refused to transfer West New Guinea. Indonesian law later treated 3 December 1957 as the effective date for...

Indonesia ended diplomatic relations as the dispute over Dutch-held West New Guinea intensified. The rupture followed the incomplete 1949 transfer and Indonesia’s demand that the territory be...

The Dutch colonial administration inaugurated a representative council whose members included both elected and appointed representatives. It created a limited forum for Papuan political participation,...

Council members adopted a manifesto and developed national symbols, including the Morning Star flag and the name West Papua. The initiative articulated Papuan political identity under Dutch rule as...

The Netherlands recognized the Morning Star flag and Papuan anthem under colonial ordinances that took effect on 1 December. This limited symbolic recognition reflected Papuan demands for...

Sukarno called for the mobilization of Indonesians to “liberate” West New Guinea from Dutch rule. The language of anti-colonial liberation overlapped with Indonesia’s claim to the territory, while...

The agreement arranged a transfer from Dutch administration to a United Nations authority and then to Indonesia. It promised an act of self-determination, but Papuans were not parties to the...

The General Assembly adopted Resolution 1752 (XVII), taking note of the New York Agreement and authorizing the Secretary-General to carry out UN responsibilities. The decision formalized a process...

The United Nations Temporary Executive Authority took over administration from the Dutch. UNTEA was tasked with maintaining services and order before transfer to Indonesia, but the short...

UNTEA transferred administration to Indonesia, ending Dutch colonial rule in the territory. The transfer preceded the 1969 Act of Free Choice and placed Papuans under Indonesian administration without...