Far East Kingdoms

West Papua (Indonesia) (Oceania)
AD 1961 - Present Day
Incorporating Heads of State (1961-2025)

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Where South-East Asia ends, Oceania begins, although its territory is somewhat debatable. It covers Australasia, Melanesia, of which New Guinea is a part, Micronesia, and Polynesia. New Guinea lies at the eastern end of the Indonesian archipelago, to the north of Australia and separated from it by the Torres Strait.

Modern New Guinea lies within Melanesia rather than South-East Asia. It is divided in half, with the western half belonging to Indonesia and the eastern half the independent nation state of Papua New Guinea. It is in the western half of the island that West Papua is located (Papua Barat to Indonesia).

Officially, West Papua is an Indonesian province which consists of the eastern half of the Doberai peninsula (alternatively known as Vogelkop or Bird's Head peninsula) and all of the Bomberai peninsula. To the east is the Indonesian province of Central Papua, to the south the Banda Sea (across which are the Raiu Islands), to the west is the province of South-West Papua and the Ceram Sea, and to the north are the distant Caroline Islands.

In a broader sense, West Papua consists of the entire western half of New Guinea. This is the entity for which opponents of Indonesian rule have formed a separatist state which is known by that name and which awaits international recognition.

The Dutch moved in to obtain exclusive trading rights over western New Guinea by recognising the sultan of Tidore's suzerainty over the 'Papuan islands' in 1660. They added western New Guinea to the Dutch East Indies in 1828, but did not begin to settle until 1898. When they granted Indonesia its independence in 1949, 'Netherlands New Guinea' was not included.

Please note that the History Files does not regularly monitor changes in modern heads of state or their representatives. Get in touch here if this section requires updating.

(Information by John De Cleene and the John De Cleene Archive, with additional information by Peter Kessler, from The Austronesians: Historical and Comparative Perspectives, Peter Bellwood, James J Fox, & David Tryon (ANU Press, 2006), from National Geographic Atlas of the World, 10th Ed (National Geographic Society, 2015), and from External Links: About West Papua (International Parliamentarians for West Papua), and Early humans Lived in PNG highlands 50,000 years ago (Reuters), and Free West Papua, and Indonesia (World Statesmen), and Was Papua New Guinea an Early Agriculture Pioneer, John Roach (National Geographic Society, 23 June 2003, and available via the Internet Archive), and West Papua (Encyclopaedia Britannica), and West Papua independence leaders declare 'government-in-waiting' (The Guardian), and Indonesia's renewed fighting (Human Rights Watch).)

1961 - 1963

A 'Congress of West Papua' declares independence from the Netherlands at the end of 1961, but Indonesia invades just a few months later. The native Papuans fight back.

An American-sponsored peace agreement between the Dutch and the Indonesians in 1962 turns over the territory to the United Nations for an interim administration. However, the international community in 1963 recognises the de facto occupation of West Papua by Indonesia.

Papuans in this photo wear traditional dress in the highlands of Papua New Guinea on the island's independence day which celebrates the attainment of self-government in 1975

1969 - 1971

A plebiscite is required by the UN handover but this is widely considered to be rigged. Even so it results in the confirmation of Indonesia's possession of West Papua. The West Papuan rebel congress forms the 'Papuan Presidium Council' (or PDP) to further its independence aims. A guerrilla organisation is formed in 1971 under the 'Free Papua Movement' banner.

Seth Jafeth Rumkorem, a brigadier general in the Indonesian army, defects in 1971 and renews the proclamation of West Papua's independence. Other such proclamations will follow, as other groups rise to the cause.

1971 - 2010

President of W Papua. Provisional govt. In exile (1977).

1977

All of the variety of governments for a rebel-controlled West Papua begin operating from exile in a wide variety of places, including London, the Hague, Papua New Guinea, and Australia. In order to attempt to differentiate them, PDP leaders are shown in red text, others who are not affiliated with Seth Jafeth Rumkorem are shown in green.

United Nations Interfet forces escort Bishop Carlos Belo in 1999 during the mission to support East Timor and stave of the risk of further brutal violence

1988

President. Independent State of West Melanesia. Arrested.

1999 - 2001

Chairman (PDP). Killed by Indonesian soldiers.

1999 - 2000

Following the overthrow of the Indonesian strongman, Suharto, President B J Habibie divides the territory into three provinces in a divide-and-conquer strategy. His successor in 2000, Abdurrahman Wahid, reunites them into a single province with a degree of autonomy.

2001 - 2007

Chairman (PDP).

2002 - 2007

The province once again goes through a series of divisions and renaming until, in 2007, the westernmost piece becomes West Papua, its current name but with a larger geographical footprint than at present.

Prominent Papuan activist Filep Karma was sentenced to fifteen years in prison for the act of ceremonially raising the Morning Star flag on 1 December 2004 in the Abepura district of Jayapura in West Papua, with eventual release coming in 2015 only for him to die in a diving accident on 1 November 2022

Indonesia imports a pair of notorious East Timorese officials in 2004 to take command. They are already notorious for their involvement in massacres in East Timor, and now they form pro-Indonesian militias in order to terrorise the people and reduce separatist support.

2007 - 2015

Chairman (PDP). Died 2023.

2011 - 2020

President-elect, 'Fed Rep' of W Papua'. Captured 2011.

2014

The 'United Liberation Movement for West Papua' (or ULMWP) is formed from the merger of three political independence movements which are seeking independence for West Papua.

The ULMWP is formed on 7 December 2014 in Vanuatu, thereby uniting the 'Federal Republic of West Papua' (or NRFPB), the 'West Papua National Coalition for Liberation' (or WPNCL), and the 'National Parliament of West Papua' (or NPWP). Disagreements are frequent, however.

Having steered Vanuatu through the political crisis of 2015, President Baldwin Lonsdale died of a heart attack in 2017

2020 - 2023

President, prov gov of W Papua. In exile in London.

2021 - 2022

Chairman of West Papua Council. Captured.

2023 - On

President of provisional government of West Papua.

2025

Fighting resumes between the Indonesian security forces and the 'National Liberation Army of West Papua', the military wing of the 'Free Papua Movement'. The separatists kill seventeen people in April, all of whom are accused of being miners (the movement opposes mining).

The Indonesian military retaliates in May with drones and explosive munitions. Thousands of civilians are displaced, and eighteen are killed. The military insists that all the dead are separatists, while Human Rights Watch claims that some are civilians.