ABSTRACT
Indonesia’s difficulties in West Irian were with the indigenous population. The Papuan political leaders felt that they had not participated in the negotiations that had resulted in the transfer of their homeland from the Netherlands to Indonesian sovereignty. A strong body of opinion among the small Papuan political elite had supported the Dutch plans for a process of decolonization over a ten-year period leading to an independent West Papua. Among the pro-Indonesian Papuan leaders there was a confidence that President Sukarno would honour his promise to grant West Irian a special status within Indonesia (Kirihio 1962a). Sukarno also impressed Fritz Kirihio, the first Papuan to study at a Dutch University, with his determination to use force against the Dutch, if necessary. This persuaded Kirihio of the need to protect Papuans from armed conflict between Indonesia and The Netherlands (Kirihio 1962b).
