Act of Free Choice

Act of Free Choice is the title of a 1969 referendum held in the former Dutch territory of western New Guinea, to determine if the people still desired independence or had decided their country should become part of Indonesia.

Related Topics:
1969 - Referendum - Western New Guinea

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Both the conduct of, and the legitimacy of this referendum had been disputed by observers and participants, though Indonesian military officers who arranged and conducted the referendum as well as the UN observer stated the referendum resulted in a unanimous vote against independence.

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People present at the referendum contended that it had been unjust both because the public had not been allowed to vote, and because those who had been selected to vote had been threatened by the military with retribution against their families and townships if they did not vote to become part of Indonesia. Though the Indonesian military denies such a process affected the results, recently released US government correspondence indicated foreknowledge of the intended outcome of the referendum.

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(see Document Release Marks 35th Anniversary of Controversial Vote and Annexation)

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Though the United Nations took note of the results; there has been continued calls for the United Nations to conduct its own referendum in accord with the original New York Agreement. Those calling for a vote, have also pointed to the 30 year license which Indonesia sold to the Freeport-McMoRan company for Papuan mining rights in 1967, and to the Indonesian military's response to the East Timor referendum, as support for discrediting the 1969 Act of Free Choice. The Indonesian Government position is that the United Nations noting of the results validates the conduct and results.

Related Topics:
Freeport-McMoRan - 1967 - 1969

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