'A Loaded Pistol':

Emotional Debate In NNG Council

After a series of emotional protests, members of the New Guinea Council, the first repre sentative body in Netherlands New Guinea, decided on Sep tember 1 to agree to Dutch ratification of the agreement be tween Holland and Indonesia to hand over NNG to Indonesia.

Voting was 12 to 2.

ELEVEN council members—includ ing all six Dutch members— abstained from voting, and left the meeting before the vote.

In discussion on the agreement, one elected Papuan member, Nicolaas Jouwe, said: “Today the representa tives of the people of New Guinea will either sign or refuse to sign their own death sentence. Unlike a man under sentence of death, however, we have not seen asked: ‘Are you guilty?’

“The Netherlands signed, facing a loaded pistol. When it was the Papuans’ turn to speak, it was too late.”

N. Tanggahma (elected) said: “The agreement does injustice to human rights. The Netherlands did everything it could to defend our interests, despite strong American pressure. Do the Papuans want to see the Dutch leave New Guinea?

The general feeling is: No”.

However, Tanggahma urged all members to vote for the agreement because those who did not “might find themselves in difficulties with the Indonesians when they come”.

M. W. Kaisiepo (elected) com pared the internal struggle of the Dutch before signing the agreement with the agony of Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane.

“They were facing the question: whether to drink the cup or not— whether to bathe in polluted water or in blood,” he said.

“As for the question of guilt, we must largely blame ourselves. We were divided.

“Many among us knew that the Netherlands was not here for its own interests. There was also another party, however, who wanted the Dutch to go; they believed that Indo nesia, not Holland, would be in the best position to help us along. Now we must support this agreement. (Over)

“We have been given an inter national umbrella above our heads.

Let us hope it will not become a red umbrella.”

B. Mofu (elected) said: “A dagger was stabbed in our hearts. We are the sheep that will be slaughtered.

We are surrendered to the modern colonialism of Indonesia.

“It would be good still to try to obtain a free choice under the UN.

There is little chance that we shall receive the guarantees we need.

Could the Americans not return the help we gave them in World War II?”

T. Mezeth (appointed) said: “No respect for the views of the Papuans is reflected in the agreement. Whether the agreement is carried out will largely depend on ourselves. We shall have to show patience. We shall have to concentrate on main taining our right of self-determina tion,”

Hetman Womsiwor (appointed) asked his compatriots to be patient and to stay together during the “years of examination” until 1969, when, according to the agreement, the question of self-determination is to be decided.

“In those years, every Papuan must become conscious of his own existence and possibilities,” he said.

“We must be one, not divided into several groups.”

Womsiwor then thanked the Dutch Government for the assistance given in 17 years.