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Key dates in the history of Irian Jaya

Source
Agence France Presse - November 30, 2000

Jakarta – Key dates in the history of the Indonesian province of Irian Jaya, otherwise known as West Papua, where separatists Friday will mark the 39th anniversary of their declaration of independence.

1824: An Anglo-Dutch treaty gives Irian Jaya to the Netherlands.

1949: The beginning of twelve years of decolonisation negotiations between Indonesia and the Netherlands during which Indonesia continues to demand sovereignty over West Papua.

1961: December 1: The declaration of Papua independence by Papuans.

1962: Indonesia and the Netherlands reach agreement over West Papua under the so-called New York Agreement. The Netherlands begins transfer of sovereignty over West Papua to Indonesia under the interim administration of the United Nations Temporary Executive Authority (UNTEA) from October 1962 to May 1963.

1963: May 1, Indonesia takes over the former Dutch territory from the UN interim administration.

1964: Pro-independence Papuans form the Free Papua Movement (OPM) and begin an armed rebellion.

1969: A plebiscite, generally seen as rigged, formalizes Indonesian rule, followed by massive Indonesian military operations.

1977-1978: The rise of OPM-led rebellion after which 11,000 Irianese flee to Papua New Guinea.

1983-1984: The second resurgence of the OPM rebellion.

1996: January, 26 people, including seven European scientists, are abducted and held hostage for several months by OPM leader Kelly Kwalik in the Baliem Valley.

1998: April 15, 16 people, including a New Zealand national, are shot dead by a mentally disturbed member of the Indonesian army's Kopassus Special Forces.

1999:

July: Some 200 people raise the Morning Star separatist flag in the province capital of Jayapura.

September: Jakarta splits Irian Jaya into three provinces.

December 1: Chairman of the Papuan Presidium Council Theys Eluay lead a celebration marking the anniversary of the West Papua state's 1961 proclamation of independence, which includes hoisting the separatist "Morning Star" flag.

Indonesian president Abdurrahman Wahid sanctions the raising of the flag for cultural purposes.

2000:

January 1: Wahid witnesses the first sunrise of the new millenium in Jayapura and sanctions the term West Papua for Irian Jaya.

May 29: The Council holds a week-long congress, and calls for Indonesia's recognition of the 1961 declaration.

June 6: President Wahid rejects the council's declaration, and warns of military action.

October 6: At least 30 people, mostly settlers, die in bloody riots in the hinterland town of Wamena when police cut down the separatist flag.

October 24: Wahid holds talks with Eluay to discuss the Wamena riot.

October 26: Wahid asks Irianese not to raise the Morning Star any more.

November 9: The Council agrees with local authorities to restrict the flying of the Morning Star to five tribal districts.

November 29: Police in Jayapura arrested Eluay and his secretary general Thaha Al-Hamid for subversion and plotting to secede from Indonesia.

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