Papuan Volunteer Corps

Last updated
Papuan Volunteer Corps
Papua Vrijwilligers Korps
PVK Papua Vrijwilligers Korps Papuan Volunteer Corps Dutch New Guinea West Papua Indonesia Netherlands.jpg
PVK Coat of arms
Founded21 February 1961
Disbanded1963
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 during the West New Guinea dispute. 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 in the Papua conflict 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]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dutch New Guinea</span> 1949–1962 Dutch possession in Oceania

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Netherlands Marine Corps</span> Royal Dutch Navy component

The Royal Netherlands Marine Corps is the elite naval infantry corps of the Royal Netherlands Navy, one of the four Armed Forces of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. The marines trace their origins to the establishment of the Regiment de Marine on 10 December 1665, by the then grand pensionary of the Dutch Republic, Johan de Witt and famous Admiral Michiel de Ruyter. It is the second-oldest still-active marine corps in the world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Free Papua Movement</span> Separatist movement in Western New Guinea

The Free Papua Movement or Free Papua Organization is a name given to a separatist movement that aims to separate West Papua from Indonesia and establish an independent state in the region. The territory is currently divided into six Indonesian provinces of Central Papua, Highland Papua, Papua, South Papua, Southwest Papua, and West Papua, also formerly known as Papua, Irian Jaya and West Irian.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Republic of West Papua</span> Proposed state consisting of the Western New Guinea region

The Republic of West Papua, alternatively known as the Federal Republic of West Papua is a quasi-state consisting of the Western New Guinea region, which is currently part of Indonesia on the continent of Oceania. The region has been part of Indonesia since 1 May 1963 under several names in the following order, West Irian, Irian Jaya, and Papua. Today the region comprises six Indonesian provinces: Papua, Central Papua, Highland Papua, South Papua, West Papua, and Southwest Papua.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New York Agreement</span> Agreement on resolving Western New Guinea dispute

The New York Agreement is an agreement signed by the Kingdom of 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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Act of Free Choice</span> 1969 referendum in Western New Guinea

The Act of Free Choice was a controversial plebiscite held between 14 July and 2 August 1969 in which 1,025 people selected by the Indonesian military in Western New Guinea voted unanimously in favor of Indonesian control.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Morning Star flag</span> Flag of Netherlands New Guinea and West Papua independence movement

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. The territory would come under the administration of the United Nations Temporary Executive Authority (UNTEA) on 1 October 1962 and would be transferred to Indonesian control on 1 May 1963. Today, the flag represents the Republic of West Papua, a proposed country consisting of the Western New Guinea region, which is currently administered as part of Indonesia in the continent of Oceania.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Indonesian Marine Corps</span> Branch of the Indonesian Navy

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Papua conflict</span> 1962–present separatist conflict in Indonesian New Guinea

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 by targeting its military and police, along with ordinary Indonesian civilians.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Viktor Kaisiepo</span>

Viktor Kaisiepo, also spelled Victor Kaisiepo, was a Netherlands New Guinean-born Dutch activist for West Papuan independence and self-determination. His family fled West Papua when its administration was transferred to Indonesia, and he lived in the Netherlands thereafter.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nicolaas Jouwe</span> Papuan activist

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Operation Trikora</span> 1961–1962 Indonesian military operation

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Korps Commandotroepen</span> Special forces unit of the Royal Netherlands Army

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kodam XVII/Cenderawasih</span> Military area command of the Indonesian Army

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marthen Indey</span> Indonesian National Hero

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">West New Guinea dispute</span> International conflict

The West New Guinea dispute (1950–1962), also known as the West Irian dispute, was a diplomatic and political conflict between the Netherlands and Indonesia over the territory of Dutch New Guinea. While the Netherlands had ceded sovereignty over most of the Dutch East Indies to Indonesia on 27 December 1949 following an independence struggle, it retained control over its colony on the western half of New Guinea. The Indonesian government claimed this territory as well, on the basis that it had belonged to the Dutch East Indies and that the new Republic of Indonesia was the legitimate successor to the former Dutch colony.

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kodam XVIII/Kasuari</span> Military unit

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Machmud Singgirei Rumagesan</span> Raja al-Alam Ugar Pik-Pik Sekar

Machmud Singgirei Rumagesan was an Indonesian Papuan king of Sekar and pro-integration activist from West Papua. He founded the movement Gerakan Tjendrawasih Revolusioner Irian Barat (GTRIB) in 1953, and became the member of Supreme Advisory Council in 1959. On 10 November 2020, Singgirei Rumagesan was posthumously declared a National Hero of Indonesia for his lifelong efforts to unite West Irian with Indonesia.

References

  1. "1 July Kilas Balik Batalyon Papua dan TPN-OPM". Suarapapua. 2020-07-01. Retrieved 2022-03-24.
  2. "Het korte bestaan van het Papoea Vrijwilligers Korps | Stichting Papua Erfgoed (PACE)". www.papuaerfgoed.org. Archived from the original on 2012-08-24.
  3. Rahab, Amiruddin al (2016-08-30). "OPERASI-OPERASI MILITER DI PAPUA PAGAR MAKAN TANAMAN?". Jurnal Penelitian Politik. 3 (1): 3–23. ISSN   2502-7476 . Retrieved 2022-03-24.
  4. van Klinken, Gerry (1996). "OPM information". Inside Indonesia. 02. Archived from the original on 8 July 2007.