Bandung Conference: 70 Years of Deception in West Papua

 April 18, 2025 marks the 70th anniversary of the Bandung Conference in Indonesia, also known as the First Asian-African Conference.

This major post-World War II event saw representatives of newly independent countries unite for the first time to combat colonialism and imperialism in all its forms, further exacerbated by the Cold War.

The Dasasila, or 'Ten Principles of Bandung", championed the fundamental rights of colonized peoples and became a powerful rallying cry for nations still oppressed by Western domination.

However, seventy years after the Bandung Conference, colonialism and imperialism are still deeply felt in many regions of the world. While decolonization ended direct control over former colonies, it did not eliminate the exploitation and interference of superpowers in the political and economic affairs of these newly independent nations.

This injustice is even more revolting considering that some of the pioneering countries of the Afro-Asian Conference themselves practiced what they deemed 'old colonialism.' This is especially true for Indonesia, which, in the name of anti-colonial struggle, annexed West Papua in the 1960s.

When Indonesia gained independence from the Netherlands in 1949, West Papua remained under Dutch control until December 1, 1961. The transfer of sovereignty was promised to the West Papuans a decade later, in 1971.

However, this process of peaceful decolonization was abruptly interrupted by the Trikora military campaign, launched on December 19, 1961, by Indonesia’s first president, Sukarno, just three weeks after the proclamation of West Papua's independence.

After a brief armed confrontation with the Dutch government, President Sukarno succeeded in advancing the process of integrating Western Papua into Indonesian territory through an agreement signed with the Netherlands in 1962, under the supervision of the United Nations (UN). However, this process took place without the direct participation of West Papuan representatives, whose involvement would have been essential in any effort to determine the region’s future.

This situation raises a critical question: how can we explain that President Sukarno, the iconic leader of Bandung, allowed himself to violate the very principles he had championed? And what of international solidarity, particularly among so-called Third World countries?

Why has there been silence regarding the ongoing tragedy faced by the West Papuans after the manipulated 1969 referendum on annexation, which was approved by only 1,025 Papuans out of 800,000?

Indeed, seventy years after the Bandung Conference, the world still faces a range of geopolitical challenges that call for solidarity and cooperation among nations. As members of a society that upholds the values of humanity and justice, it is time to rekindle a genuine anti-colonial consciousness.

The spirit of Bandung 1955 must not remain a mere historical reference. It should be revived as a moral compass. We must not turn our backs on the struggle of the people of West Papua, who continue to fight for their rights and dignity as a nation. Supporting them is an expression of our enduring commitment to freedom, justice, and human dignity.

West Papuan students demonstrate in front of the Bandung conference hall, 2023.

The Ten Principles of the 1955 Bandung Declaration, signed by representatives of 29 Asian and African countries:

1. Respect for fundamental human rights and for the purposes and principles of the United Nations Charter.  

2. Respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all nations.  

3. Recognition of the equality of all races and the equality of all nations, large and small.  

4. Abstention from intervention or interference in the internal affairs of another country.  

5. Respect for the right of each nation to defend itself, singly or collectively, in conformity with the UN Charter.  

6. Refraining from acts or threats of aggression or the use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any country.  

7. Settlement of all international disputes by peaceful means, such as negotiation, mediation, arbitration, or judicial settlement.  

8. Promotion of mutual interests and cooperation.

9. Respect for justice and international obligations.

10. Abstention from the use of arrangements of collective defense to serve the particular interests of any of the big powers; and abstention by any country from exerting pressure on other countries.