★ Free Papua Movement ~ Australia/US War in Indonesia

Indonesia --> Separate states such as East Timor/West Papua

A POD that is recent (I'd say after 1990)
  • 2004 Tsunami?
  • 1999 East Timor Independence?

For those who don't know, the stuff that the Indonesians do to the Melanesian people of the area is atrocious, and should be stopped in real life. Could it realisticly get to a point where Australia (with US backing?) invade for peace and the succession of these states?

Any ideas on what areas would go, and how this could be realistic?

Sources you may want to read:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Free_Papua_Movement#Republic_of_West_Papua_declaration

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Papua_conflict

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kelly_Kwalik - One of the main freedom fighters - KIA
 

HJ Tulp

Donor
Indonesia --> Separate states such as East Timor/West Papua

A POD that is recent (I'd say after 1990)
  • 2004 Tsunami?
  • 1999 East Timor Independence?

For those who don't know, the stuff that the Indonesians do to the Melanesian people of the area is atrocious, and should be stopped in real life. Could it realisticly get to a point where Australia (with US backing?) invade for peace and the succession of these states?

Any ideas on what areas would go, and how this could be realistic?

Sources you may want to read:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Free_Papua_Movement#Republic_of_West_Papua_declaration

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Papua_conflict

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kelly_Kwalik - One of the main freedom fighters - KIA

A POD in the '60s would be better. Australian support for the Dutch would go a long way...
 
Australia sided with the Dutch in 1961 when Indo tried to take over West Papua but JFK decided to support Indo and so pulled the rug from under us.

Perhaps West Papua gets a vote like East Timor does and it goes the same way.
 

HJ Tulp

Donor
Australia sided with the Dutch in 1961 when Indo tried to take over West Papua but JFK decided to support Indo and so pulled the rug from under us.

Perhaps West Papua gets a vote like East Timor does and it goes the same way.

From what I read a few years ago Australia initially sided with the Dutch out of fear for Papua New Guinea but changed that position when Sukarno said he had no intention to expand in that direction. The Dutch Aircraft Carrier Doorman had to use a couple of planes attached to the deck because Australian longshoremen refused to aid it when it wanted to dock in a Australian port.
 
Australia sided with the Dutch in 1961 when Indo tried to take over West Papua but JFK decided to support Indo and so pulled the rug from under us.

Perhaps West Papua gets a vote like East Timor does and it goes the same way.

Can you please explain this more? Sounds very interesting.

And yes, could West Papua have a movement that mirrors East Timor with a referendum that faces the imposing militia of Indonesia?

Maybe America (under the part Indonesian Obama?) makes amends for what JFK did in the 60's? Or maybe Obama is pro-Indonesia.
 

Cook

Banned
Perhaps West Papua gets a vote like East Timor does and it goes the same way.

Indonesian internal migration of people from Java to West Irian Jaya has been on such a scale that the Papuans are a minority in their own lands and have been since at least the early 1990s, any referendum on independence would fail even if it was run honestly.
 
The big problem is that by the 1990s the status quo is 30 years old, I think the best time is to set a different the status quo while the whole thing is in chaos.

I'd have the Karel Doorman leave a bit earlier and travel a bit faster, maybe head for Darwin not Perth, and deliver the Hunter sqn to West Papua. Then organise an impromtu air/naval exercise with Australia over the Northern Twerritory, Arafura Sea and West Papua. This would drastically effect the diplomacy over the issue, and make it possible for the Dutch to say no.
 
President Nixon in 1960? I imagine he would be less inclined to abandon the Australians and Dutch over the issue. Small potatoes for a pretty important POD but it would do the trick
 
President Nixon in 1960? I imagine he would be less inclined to abandon the Australians and Dutch over the issue. Small potatoes for a pretty important POD but it would do the trick

I think the same pressures JFK faced Nixon would face too;
  • Berlin crisis needing maximum NATO strength in Europe, and Dutch efforts in Asia diluting this.
  • Indonesia going cap-in-hand to the Soviets and getting $250 million worth of weapons after being rebuffed by the US.
  • The commercial concerns of the American Freemont mining company.
With no different action from any other actors Nixon would make the same decision as JFK.
 
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