All the US involvement in Indonesian Independence is conjecture and perhaps wishful thinking.

This part of the world, like the rest of PNG was being pried away from "colonials" by the UN, in the 1960's and early 70s, who were busy trying to make themselves important and also creating a powerbase for their future.

They did a good job for themselves didn't they? They bullied nations out of countries before they were ready, East Timor, PNG etc.

To be honest, the people of Irian Jaya would be best to start a guerrilla war against the Indons if they want independence.

Relying on the UN, who put them in this position, will never work. In fact, I reckon that would work against them as the UN has no stomach for standing up to despots and tyrants, nearly half the UN members are tyrants and despots.

To hand West Papua to Indonesia was a shameful act and that the
Australian government had a part in it was one of the worse things
an Australian government did.

If I remember correctly it was Goff Whitlam's governement that did it.

Bazz, sorry, it was the UN, Whitlam handed over TPNG to the locals - West Irian, or West Papua was always a Dutch colony .. nothing to do with Australia, never was.

So your shameful act was by the UN .. and the Dutch moving out in the face of the UN against them and the Indonesian "freedom fighters" who claimed that the Indonesian should be reunified. That was Sukarno.

Clearly there is a bit for a need for our schools to teach some local, regional history, as it is so poorly understood.

Actually on reflection Baz, I think you are mixing up East Timor and West Irian .. Geoff agreed to back off when Suharto moved into take East Timor as the Portugese left .. another colonial who was forced out, all the time claiming the country being left behind could not stand on its own .. they were right.

So yes, if that's what you meant, it was a shameful act.

The Shameful act was by the UN members who allowed UN resolution 1752 (XVII), that was to allow the "New York Agreement".

Sukarno wanted colonial power over West Papua. General Suharto's desire for prestige is the reason for the myths in Indonesia about an invasion and 'liberation'; and General Suharto wanted quick profits, which is the reason the first foreign mining license Indonesia sold was to the Freeport corporation for West Papua in 1967.

Amicus,
You are correct in saying that it was the UN that handed West
Papua to Indonesia, but Gough Whitlam agreed with the UN.
Australia did nothing to stop it although it was clearly a wrong
decision and was done to curry favour with Indonesia.

It should now be reversed, but it would take a war to do it.