Brief history
The military region was established on 8 August 1962 after Operation Trikora in which the Indonesian National Armed Forces took part in the invasion of the West Papua, in then Netherlands New Guinea. Major General Rukman was appointed its first commanding general, and the command was responsible for the Indonesian Contingent Western Papua (Kontingen Indonesia Irian Barat (KOTINDO)), the Indonesian infiltration units that were deployed to the region during Operation Trikora. It included Detachment A based in Merauke, Detachment B based in Kaimana, Detachment C based in Fakfak, and Detachment D based in Sorong. Kotindo was part of the United Nations Security Force (UNSF) which was the security force of the United Nations Temporary Executive Authority following the September 1962 New York Agreement.
Its Command Day is marked every 17 May marking the 1963 formal handover of West Papua to the Republic of Indonesia. In the same year, Ahmad Yani executed Operation Wishnumurti, to send divisions from Java, Makassar, and Moluccas, to supplement Kotindo forces. The formation of Kodam XVII/Irian Barat was on 17 August 1962, although it did not have any units assigned. On 30 June 1964, the name was changed to Kodam XVII/Tjendrawasih. It was further expanded with more battalions, which includes Battalion 751/Tjendrawasih in Manokwari which was formed from Kodam VII/Diponegoro, Yonif 752/Tjendrawasih in Sorong from Kodam VI/Siliwangi, and Yonif 753/Tjendrawasih in Jayapura. These three units were reorganisation from Yonif 641/Tjendrawasih I from Diponegoro and Yonif 642/Tjendrawasih II from Siliwangi which also integrated infiltration forces of Trikora, guerrilla forces of Cassowary Battalion of Arfai, and former members of PVK after they had been trained in Siliwangi and Diponegoro. [2]
Previously Irian Jaya and the Maluku islands were under Kodam VIII/Trikora, formed in 1984. [3] Kodam VIII/Trikora had in 1997 six infantry battalions plus engineer detachments. [4] The district commands in 1997 included Korem 171 (HQ Manokwari), Korem 172 (HQ Abepura), Korem 173 (HQ Biak), and Korem 174 (HQ Ambon). The South Pacific Yearbook reported three infantry battalions which were based at Manokwari, Jayapura, and Sorong, as well as mentioning a naval base at Biak. The military command derives its name (Cenderawasih) from the Indonesian word for the bird-of-paradise, which is native to Papua.
On June 8, 2012, the Indonesian Police told AFP that one person was killed and 17 wounded when Indonesian soldiers opened fire on civilians after a deadly dispute sparked by a road accident in Papua province. The shootings took place late on June 7, 2012, after residents, angry that two soldiers on a motorcycle hit and injured a child, stabbed one of the troops to death and seriously injured the other in Wamena: "Following the road accident soldiers... arrived in two trucks and took revenge by firing gunshots toward residents and setting several houses on fire," national police spokesman Saud Usman Nasution said. "The trouble then spread to the city centre where several shops and houses were also damaged by gunshots," he told AFP. [5]
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Maj.Gen. Izak Pangemanan
Brig.Gen. Hariyanto
