The 1962 Military Confrontation on Salvaging West Papua: An Analysis on War Theory

Abstract

Based on the Round Table Conference between Indonesia and the Netherlands' representatives in 1949, West Papua will be delivered to Indonesia a year later. Nevertheless, the Dutch broke their promise to return West Papua to Indonesian sovereignty. The Dutch continued to insist on West Papua as their land and then increased their military presence in West Papua to prepare for defending the territory. Responding to this, initially, Indonesia made peaceful efforts, namely bilateral diplomacy within the Indonesian-Dutch Union ties, continued with trilateral diplomacy and diplomacy efforts using the Asian African Conference and United Nations organizations. However, Indonesian diplomatic efforts met with deadlock. Hence, another form of diplomacy, the military effort, has been displayed. This study's main aim is to review the 1962 military confrontation on salvaging West Papua in the analysis on war theory. Also, to prove that with sufficient military strength, the country will confidently step up to be the negotiating table winner. The Indonesian military strength at that time was playing a significant role as a deterrent effect. The research uses a qualitative descriptive phenomenology method, using data sources from several books and journals available. The result of the research shows that Indonesia absolutely needs a modern and more rigid military force to maintain its sovereignty, protect our Island and its natural resources. Without the deterrent effect of military power, Indonesia will be underestimated in international politics.