therlands over the last Dutch colony in the Far East, Netherlands New Guinea (West Irian), will come up once more before the United Nations General Assembly. Ever since sovereignty of the former Netherlands East Indies colonies was relinquished to the Republic of Indonesia (80,000,000 people), West Irian has been the main cause of irritation and dispute between The Hague and Jakarta.
According to the letter of the law, Holland is entitled to rule West Irian, although the so-called Round Table Conference agreements dated 1950 speak of a mutual settlement within the next year. Indonesia, on the other hand, continually quotes Queen Wilhelmina's famous speech of 1942 in which she stated specifically that ‘colonialism is dead.’ Since West Irian was for 350 years of colonial rule undeniably a part of the former Dutch East Indies, the Indonesians argue that the territory should be turned over to them. The Dutch argue that the Indonesian Government has a large enough job on its hands to settle its own affairs and would only be burdened by Irian.
Last year's u.n. resolution ‘hoped’ for a settlement of the dispute through negotiations. They were held in Geneva, but ended in deadlock.
Source of Resentment
In Indonesia West Irian is the cause of the greater part of feeling against the Dutch for their refusal to yield one inch.
The Netherlands Foreign Office states repeatedly that it will nog discuss the sovereignty of a part of its territory, as Irian is, according to the Dutch Constitution. The Dutch say, furthermore, that they will never agree on a conference with Indonesia on Irian as long as Jakarta states beforehand that Irian will eventually be Indonesian.
But many Dutch citizens believe that our Government should negotiate and keep the door open to discussions with this important Asian power, Indonesia. Dutch churches have protested against the Government policy, and some months ago 116 Dutch intellectuals signed a statement of protest. Only a few weeks ago 300 Dutch citizens, living and working in Indonesia, sent a petition to the Dutch Parliament to reconsider its position and questioned its justification for postponing ultimate self-determination of some hundreds of thousands of Papuans in Irian for an indefinite time and maintaining colonial rule at least for a number of years.
Aspects of Problem
Can the colonial ‘sacred mission’ of the Netherlands in Asia, irrespective of its moral and material value in the past, be further pursued in tranquillity and confidence? International law offers no useful remedies to Holland. International politics turns in favor of Indonesia. Asian and African countries, inspired with the spirit of Bandung and united in their political struggle against Western white colonialism, form an increasing front in number and influence.
Whatever the u.n. decision may be, apart from ‘hoping’ Jakarta and The Hague will find the means to continue discussions, may they both receive the actual moral support of their fellow-members in the u.n. to agree and come to terms over these deplorable causes for the worsening of relations between Indonesia and the Dutch.
Willem L. Oltmans.
New York, Feb. 20, 1957.
Auteursrechtelijk beschermd