1976 Jayapura operation

the Papua conflict Southern parts of Jayapura Regency, Irian Jaya January–February 1976 Indonesian victory OPM severely weakened Indonesia Republic of West Papua Free Papua Movement Brig.Gen Imam Munandar Unknown 10,000Osborne 2001 134-135–16,000 troopsSavage Peter The Independence Movement in West Irian Australian Left Review 1980 73 33–41 http://ro.uow.edu.au/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2169&context=alr352 aircraft 3,000–5,000 fighters After the offensive, West Papuan representatives abroad stated that there were 3,000 to 5,000 fighters remaining.Osborne 2001 134-135 Indonesian claim:Savage Martin 1977 342Minor lossesOPM claim:Osborne 2001 134-135Savage Martin 1977 342425 killed800 wounded OPM claim:Osborne 2001 134-135Savage Martin 1977 342Claim includes villagers and supporters killed in the fighting and aerial attack.1,605 fighters killed 1976 Jayapura operations In early 1976, the Indonesian Army launched an offensive against Free Papua Movement (OPM) military elements in the southern parts of Jayapura Regency, in what is today Papua. While the operation failed to completely destroy OPM's presence, the organization was considerably weakened militarily from its losses. Background Following the New York Agreement, administration of Western New Guinea was transferred from the Netherlands (as Netherlands New Guinea) to Indonesia. The agreement contained provisions for self-determination for the Papuans,Savage Martin 1977 338 which resulted in the controversial Act of Free Choice in July 1969, whereas around 1,000 selected representatives all voted unanimously for incorporation. The representatives had no members which were opposed to unification,Savage Martin 1977 341 and by July 1971 the Free Papua Movement issued a proclamation of independence for "The Republic of West Papua New Guinea".Savage Martin 1977 342 Containing both a political and a military wing, the OPM was the only organization which conducted armed opposition against Indonesia, with its military consisting primarily of irregular fighters with few regulars.Savage Martin 1977 342 OPM's primary base of operations at the time, also known as Markas Victoria (Victoria Base), was located southeast of Jayapura, around the Keerom region.Singh Bilveer Papua: Geopolitics and the Quest for Nationhood 2017 Routledge 9781351500944 https://books.google.com/books?id=HK00DwAAQBAJ&pg=PT159 en Operations Following an aerial bombardment by two OV-10 Bronco aircraft, around 10,000 soldiers were dropped onto the area south of Jayapura near the border with Papua New Guinea.Osborne 2001 134-135al Rahab Amiruddin Operasi-operasi Militer Di Papua: Pagar Makan Tanaman? Jurnal Penelitian Politik 3 1 2016 http://ejournal.politik.lipi.go.id/index.php/jpp/article/viewFile/420/234 id 14 The number of Indonesian soldiers involved were around 10,000,Osborne 2001 134-135Savage Martin 1977 342 with reports reaching up to 16,000 soldiers.35 In the operation, OPM claimed that 425 Indonesian Army personnel were killed and 800 were wounded,Osborne 2001 134-135Savage Martin 1977 342 while the Indonesian government stated that losses were minor.Savage Martin 1977 342 The OPM reported 1,605 killed, including armed regulars, sympathizers, and local villagers alike.Savage Martin 1977 342 According to OPM spokesmen located abroad, the organization still had a fighting strength of 3,000 to 5,000 men.Osborne 2001 134-135 Aftermath Brigadier general Imam Munandar, the commander of the Papuan military region for the Indonesian Army, stated that the OPM had been "reduced to scattered remnants". The operation resulted in a significant setback for the OPM's military capabilities, but the Indonesian government failed to achieve its objective of destroying the organization by 1977.Osborne 2001 134-135 Richard Woolcott, Australian Ambassador to Indonesia at the time, visited the border regions in early 1977 and reported that there were "not more than twenty rebels", though armed conflict continued in the Papuan highlands. OPM was further weakened by an internal split, where OPM's leaders Jacob Prai and Seth Rumkorem split ways, and most of OPM fighters joined Prai's organization. Though both leaders eventually were arrested in Papua New Guinea and went into asylum in Sweden, OPM remained active in Papua, with leaders such as Kelly Kwalik leading a number of small-scale military operations denying total control by the Indonesian Armed Forces. Notes References Bibliography Osborne Robin Kibaran Sampari: gerakan pembebasan OPM, dan perang rahasia di Papua Barat 2001 Lembaga Studi dan Advokasi Masyarakat (ELSAM) 9789798981227 https://books.google.com/books?id=MmsomgEACAAJ id Savage Peter Martin Rose The OPM in West Papua New Guinea: The continuing struggle against Indonesian colonialism Journal of Contemporary Asia 1977 7 3 338–346 10.1080/00472337785390341 Category:1976 conflicts Category:Military operations of the Papua conflict Category:1976 in Indonesia Category:Jayapura Regency 1976 Jayapura operation Category:January 1976 in Asia Category:February 1976 in Asia Category:1970s in Western New Guinea