Flag of West Papua

The Morning Star flag (Indonesian Bintang Kejora) represented the territory of West New Guinea from 1st December 1961 until 1st October 1962 when the territory came under administration of the United Nations Temporary Executive Authority (UNTEA). The flag is commonly used by the West Papuan population including OPM supporters to rally self-determination human rights support and is popularly flown on 1st December each year in defiance of Indonesian domestic laws. The flag consists of a red vertical band along the hoist side, with a white five-pointed star in the center. The flag was first raised on 1 December 1961 and used until the United Nations became the territory's administrator on 1 October 1962.

History

After national elections in January 1961 a New Guinea Council consisting of 28 members were sworn into office by Governor Dr. P.J.Platteel on 1st April 1961 and the Council's inaugurations on 5th April 1961 were attended by Australia, Britain, France, Holland, New Zealand and other Pacific Forum nations with exception of the United States. An emergency session of this Council on 19th October 1961 in response to news that the Hague was considering submitting to US pressure to trade the West New Guinea territory first to United Nations and then Indonesian administration; elected a National Committee to draft a Manifesto for Independence & Self-government, design National flag (Morning Star) and select a national anthem ("Haitanahkoe Papue" / Hail to our Soil Papua). The full New Guinea Council endorsed these actions on 30th October 1961 and the first Morning Star flag was presented to Governor Platteel on the 31st October 1961 who says "Never before has the oneness of the Council been put forward so strongly." The official raising of the flag took place during a day of celebration on the 1st December 1961 with National Committee Chairman Mr Inury saying "My Dear compatriots, you are looking at the symbol of our unity and our desire to take our place among the nations of the world. As long as we are not really united we shall not be free. To be united means to work hard for the good of our country, now, until the day that we shall be independent, and further from that day on." Design of the flag is credited to Nicholas Jouwe, The Netherlands recognized this national symbol on November 18, 1961. The flag is also known as the "Morning Star" (or, natively the "Bintang Kejora"). The similarity to the flag of the United States is intentional, and the similarity to the flag of Cuba is incidental, as Cuba's flag is also derivative of that of the United States.

Nationalist movement

Jouwe was a member of the Council, and after the annexation of West Papua by Indonesia, he remained in the Netherlands as an advocate of the Organisasi Papua Merdeka (OPM, or "Free Papua Movement"), a nationalist organization demanding independence from Indonesian rule. To this day, the Morning Star is flown by advocates in the Netherlands and Vanuatu. It is illegal to fly the flag under Indonesian law however it is reportedly flown by separatists in the absence of Indonesia authorities, and is regularly raised at nationalist demonstrations . Special ceremonies take place on December 1 of each year, to commemorate the proclamation of the intention to create the Republic of West Papua in 1961. The flying of the "Morning Star" has been the source of controversy over human rights abuses by Indonesian authorities. Two Papuan men, Filep Karma and Yusak Pakage are serving 15 and 10 year sentences respectively for raising the flag in Timika in 2004.

See also

• Coat of arms of West Papua
• Hai Tanahku Papua (Oh my land Papua)

Sources

• Peter D. King, West Papua & Indonesia Since Suharto: Independence, Autonomy, or Chaos (ISBN 0-86840-676-7), p. 31-32
• Richard Chauvel, Centre of Southeast Asian Studies Working Papers - Working Paper 121: Essays on West Papua, Vol. 2
• West Papuan information and action site - Koteka net
• West Papua Information Kit - repository of reports and historical records