Papuan Volunteer Corps | |
---|---|
Papua Vrijwilligers Korps | |
Founded | 21 February 1961 |
Disbanded | 1963 |
Service branches | Defense |
Headquarters | Hollandia |
Leadership | |
Colonel | W.A.van Heuven (Last) |
Minister of Colonies | Charles Welter (Last) |
Personnel | |
Conscription | No |
Reaching military age annually | (1000) |
The Papuan Volunteer Corps (PVK, Dutch: Papoea Vrijwilligers Korps) was a corps consisting entirely of Papuans, formed on February 21, 1961. It was established to contribute to the defense of Dutch New Guinea against the infiltration of the Indonesian Army. The establishment of the corps by the Dutch Cabinet was approved in December 1959, and the corps was to serve as a semi-military police.
The PVK was composed of different peoples of Papua, mostly members of Arfak and Biak tribes [1] and was under command of colonel of marines W.A. van Heuven. As an emblem the PVK chose the Cassowary (kasuaris in Dutch): the Corp's motto was Persevero (I persist). The PVK was armed and was equipped with a khaki uniform and a hat with the left edge upward, which was adorned with the PVK emblem and a plume.
In 1961–1962, the Indonesian threat greatly expanded. After the administration of the territory was passed to the United Nations (UNTEA) and the subsequent Indonesian government (1962–1963), the PVK was dissolved, and the members were dismissed. Some members later joined the Indonesian Army. Others, including Sergeant Awom Ferry, founded a guerrilla army, the Cassowary Battalion (OPM), and began a struggle for independence from Indonesia. [2] Although later this movement would surrender and some of its members would also join the Indonesian Army after they were trained in Siliwangi and Diponegoro and combined with forces of Trikora, to form Kodam XVII/Cenderawasih. [3] Others would join in the two competing factions of Free Papua Movement, primarily in 'Victoria Headquarters' rather than 'Defenders of Truth' as the former were led by former TNI member, M.L. Prawar and S. Rumkorem. [4]
Dutch New Guinea or Netherlands New Guinea was the western half of the island of New Guinea that was a part of the Dutch East Indies until 1949, later an overseas territory of the Kingdom of the Netherlands from 1949 to 1962. It contained what are now Indonesia's six easternmost provinces, Central Papua, Highland Papua, Papua, South Papua, Southwest Papua, and West Papua, which were administered as a single province prior to 2003 under the name Irian Jaya, and now comprise the Papua region of the country.
The Free Papua Movement or Free Papua Organization is a name given to independence movement based on Western New Guinea, seeking the secession of the territory currently administered by Indonesia as the provinces of Central Papua, Highland Papua, Papua, South Papua, Southwest Papua, and West Papua, also formerly known as Papua, Irian Jaya and West Irian.
The New York Agreement is an agreement signed by the Netherlands and Indonesia regarding the administration of the territory of Western New Guinea. The first part of the agreement proposes that the United Nations assume administration of the territory, and a second part proposes a set of social conditions that will be provided if the United Nations exercises a discretion proposed in article 12 of the agreement to allow Indonesian occupation and administration of the territory. Negotiated during meetings hosted by the United States, the agreement was signed on 15 August 1962 at the United Nations Headquarters in New York City, United States.
The Indonesian Army is the land branch of the Indonesian National Armed Forces. It has an estimated strength of 300,400 active personnel. The history of the Indonesian Army has its roots in 1945 when the Tentara Keamanan Rakyat (TKR) "People's Security Forces" first emerged as a paramilitary and police corps.
The Morning Star flag was a flag used in Netherlands New Guinea for official purposes in addition to the flag of the Netherlands. It was first raised on 1 December 1961 prior to the territory coming under administration of the United Nations Temporary Executive Authority (UNTEA) on 1 October 1962. Today, the flag represents the Republic of West Papua, a proposed country consisting of the Western New Guinea region, which is currently part of Indonesia in the continent of Oceania.
Scouting Nederland is the national Scout organisation of the Netherlands with approximately 110,000 members (53,324 male and 54,663 female, 87,000 youth members, as of 2010.
The Marine Corps of the Republic of Indonesia , previously known as the Commando Corps of the Indonesian Navy, is an integral part of the Indonesian Navy and is sized at the military corps level unit as the naval infantry and main amphibious warfare force of Indonesia. The Marine Corps is commanded by a two-star Marine Major General.
Korps Speciale Troepen was a Royal Netherlands East Indies Army (KNIL) special forces unit that was established for deployment against the Indonesian revolutionaries during the Indonesian National Revolution. It was formed in 1948 with the Depot Speciale Troepen at its core and disbanded alongside the Royal Netherlands East Indies Army in 1950, by which time it had been renamed to the Regiment Speciale Troepen. The DST consisted of about 570 men at its establishment in 1945 and had a precursor in the Korps Insulinde that conducted clandestine operations during the Japanese occupation of the Dutch East Indies. In June 1949, 250 men of the 1st Parachute Company were integrated into the Corps. The KST, which would reach a maximum strength of 1250 men, was composed of Dutch war volunteers (OVWs), Eurasians and native soldiers, including Moluccans. The present day Korps Commandotroepen of the Royal Netherlands Army is considered a continuation of the RST.
The Papua conflict is an ongoing conflict in Western New Guinea (Papua) between Indonesia and the Free Papua Movement. Subsequent to the withdrawal of the Dutch administration from the Netherlands New Guinea in 1962 and implementation of Indonesian administration in 1963, the Free Papua Movement has conducted a low-intensity guerrilla war against Indonesia through the targeting of its military, police, as well as civilian populations.
Nicolaas Jouwe was a Papuan leader who was selected to be vice president of the New Guinea Council that governed the Dutch colony of Netherlands New Guinea. As the president of the New Guinea Council was the Dutch civil servant Frits Sollewijn Gelpke, Jouwe was the highest ranking Papuan politician in the colony.
Operation Trikora was a combined Soviet-Indonesian military operation which aimed to seize and annex the Dutch overseas territory of Netherlands New Guinea in 1961 and 1962. After negotiations, the Netherlands signed the New York Agreement with Indonesia on 15 August 1962, relinquishing control of Western New Guinea to the United Nations.
The Korps Commandotroepen (KCT) is the elite special forces unit of the Royal Netherlands Army. The KCT traces its origins to the Second World War with the founding of No. 2 (Dutch) Troop, and the founding of the Korps Speciale Troepen during the Indonesian War of Independence. At present, the unit is tasked with conducting the full spectrum of special operations, its principal tasks being direct action, special reconnaissance, military assistance and counter-terrorism.
Komando Daerah Militer XVII/Cenderawasih or Kodam XVII/Cenderawasih, is a military area command of the Indonesian Army, as the 17th Kodam, which is responsible for the defense of the Provinces of Papua, South Papua, Central Papua and Highland Papua.
Major TNI Marthen Indey (1912–1986) was a colonial police officer in New Guinea, Dutch East Indies who later became nationalist fighter in the Indonesian National Revolution and a supporter of Papua becoming part of Indonesia. He was declared a National Hero of Indonesia in 1993 along with two other people of Papuan descent, Frans Kaisiepo and Silas Papare.
The Mapenduma hostage crisis began on 8 January 1996 after the Free Papua Movement took 26 members of a World Wildlife Fund research mission captive at Mapenduma, Jayawijaya in Irian Jaya, Indonesia. The hostages were subsequently moved to Geselama. The International Committee of the Red Cross acted as an intermediary between the OPM and the Indonesian authorities. Fifteen hostages, all of Indonesian nationality, were released relatively quickly, but eleven remained in OPM hands. After lengthy negotiations the ICRC secured an agreement for the release of the remaining hostages on 8 May. However, the OPM leader, Kelly Kwalik, backed out of the agreement on the day of the intended release. The ICRC removed itself from the negotiations and stated that the Indonesian Army was no longer bound by an agreement not to engage in combat with the hostage takers.
Dominggus Mandacan is an Indonesian politician and the former Governor of West Papua from 2017 to 2022.
In early 1976, the Indonesian Army launched an offensive against Free Papua Movement (OPM) military elements in the southern parts of Jayapura Regency, in what is today Papua. While the operation failed to completely destroy OPM's presence, the organization was considerably weakened militarily from its losses.
The Arfai incident was a skirmish between Indonesian Army soldiers and Free Papua Movement fighters backed by local sympathizers on 28 July 1965, where the fighters launched a raid against an Indonesian barracks in an attempt to capture firearms.
Komando Daerah Militer XVIII/Kasuari, is the Defense Regional Command in Southwest Papua, and West Papua Province, which was created in 2016 with the division of parts of Kodam XVII/Cenderawasih which is located in Jayapura, Papua Province.
Operation Cartenz's Peace, formerly Operation Nemangkawi, is a joint-operation conducted by Indonesian National Armed Forces and Indonesian National Police to curb armed separatist rebels in Papua. According to Papua Regional Police head, Mathius Fakhiri, there are currently six active separatist groups located mainly in Papua highlands. While there are two groups which became less active or retired after Operation Nemangkawi. Tinggi Nambut faction under Goliath Tabuni were beaten in October 2018, and 10 members were subdued by Police. Goliath Tabuni moved to Gome District and presumed retired. Lanny Jaya faction under Purom Wenda became less active after Police operation in Balingga District and its headquarters in Kali Mau. Some members of this group left and "return" to Indonesia.