History Proves Papua Is Indonesia Since the Proclamation of Independence

History Proves Papua Is Indonesia Since the Proclamation of Independence

Not many Papuans know that when members of the Indonesian Independence Preparatory Agency for Investigation (BPUPKI) convened on July 14, 1945, the founding fathers of the Indonesian state had determined that Papua was also the territory of Indonesia which would declare its independence.

In the Minutes of the Session of the Investigation Board for the Preparation of Indonesian Independence (BPUPKI) published by the Republic of Indonesia's Secretariat, the meeting stipulated that the territory of Indonesia was the former Dutch East Indies, supplemented by Malaya, North Borneo, Papua, Portuguese Timor and the islands around it.

The determination of the territory of Indonesia was basically based on the geopolitical view of the founding fathers at the time, namely the existence of a common destiny among the inhabitants of the region, which at that time was the colonial territory of the western countries (Dutch, English and Portuguese).

However, we know that the Malaya region of North Borneo was a British colonial colony, while Timor Leste was a Portuguese colonial colony. Based on the concept of international law uti posideti juris, then the provisions apply that a state inherits the territory that was previously occupied by its colonial state.

With this principle, the territory of the country of Indonesia is currently a former Dutch colony, including Papua. So that the Dutch government's argument at the Round Table Conference in 1949 which stated that Papua was not included in the territory of Indonesia because of ethnic / racial differences automatically fell out and was contrary to international law.

The formation of ethnic / racial differences opinion which was built by the Dutch in the Papua issue at that time was actually a Dutch strategy to build racial sentiments of Papuans towards other Indonesian people who came from various ethnic and ethnic groups. We do not forget that the Dutch colonial government also did the same thing when they implemented the Colonial Law of 1854 in which they created social status segregation based on race.