Jayapura- Papua, an island located at the eastern tip of Indonesia, has a long history of relations with the Republic of Indonesia.
Even though it officially became a legal part of the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia in 1963, Papua has actually been an inseparable part of this nation from the start.
History records that Papua and Indonesia share a sense of shared destiny under Dutch colonialism, a bond that strengthens Papua’s claim to be part of Indonesian independence.
Indonesia’s first president, Sukarno, firmly emphasized this in his speech. He stated, “People sometimes say that West Irian is included in the territory of the motherland. Wrong! No! West Irian has been included in the territory of the Republic of Indonesia for a long time.” These remarks underscore Sukarno’s belief that Papua was an integral part of Indonesia from the start.
The Netherlands itself initially recognized Papua as part of Indonesia. They even promised to return West Irian after the Round Table Conference. However, this promise was broken, and the Dutch tried to separate West Irian from Indonesia by making it a puppet state.
This denial sparked increasing tensions between Indonesia and the Netherlands, which eventually culminated in a military confrontation. President Sukarno then issued the Trikora order to retake Papua.
Efforts to return Papua to Indonesia are not easy and require great sacrifices.
Some of the nation’s best soldiers died in various incidents during military operations. However, history is on Indonesia’s side, and until now, Papua remains a part of Indonesia that continues to grow and develop together.
Papua itself is the second largest island in the world after Greenland, with an area of 890,000 km² if combined with Papua New Guinea.
Its strategic location in the eastern region of Indonesia makes Papua an important part of the unity and sovereignty of this country.
Until now, Papua continues to contribute to the development and progress of Indonesia, in line with the government’s efforts to continue to improve the welfare and prosperity of the people in the region.
