The author of the below 1968 Telegram was U.S. Ambassador to Indonesia 1965-1969, Marshall Green. Adam Malik (1917-1984) was Chairman of the 1962 Indonesian Delegation for the land grab of West Papua, and Indonesia's Foreign Minister from 1966. A pdf copy of the original document may be found at the George Washington University's National Security Archive.

4. Much has to be done before 1969. Current situation is far from satisfactory and deteriorating, just as it has to the west of West Irian {West Papua} in Ambon where bad administration has been root cause of recent outbreaks of what in effect was gang warfare between military elements engaged in smuggling and other corrupt practices.
- Green 
Department of State  TELEGRAM

CONFIDENTIAL 173
PAGE  01  DJAKAR  04917  290604Z

12
ACTION EA 15
INFO EUR 15,CIAE 00,DODE 00,GPM 03,H 02,INR 07,L 03,NSAE 00,NSC 10,P 04,RSC 01,SC 01,SP 02,SS 20,USIA 12,SAH 03,19 13,ACDA 16,AID 28,RSR 01,/156 W 

R 290600Z FEB 68
FM AMEMBASSY DJAKARTA
TO SECSTATE WASHDC 5340
INFO AMCONSUL MEDAN 1270
AMCONSUL SURABAYA 1300
AMEMBASSY THE HAGUE 317
USUN 148
CINCPAC 839

CONFIDENTIAL DJAKARTA 4917

CINCPAC FOR POLAD

SUBJECT: WEST IRIAN
1. NEWSPAPERS YESTERDAY REPORTED THREE-HOUR MEETING BETWEEN FOREIGN AND INTERIOR MINISTERS ON SUBJECT OF WEST IRIAN. I ASKED MALIK ABOUT THIS. HE SAID HE WAS STRONGLY URGING INTERIOR MINISTER BASUKI RACHMAT TO INTRODUCE MAJOR REFORMS IN ADMINISTRATION OF WEST IRIAN, STARTING WITH THE WITHDRAWAL OF ONE-HALF OF 10,000 TROOPS NOW STATIONED THERE AND INVOLVING REMAINING 5,000 IN CIVIC ACTION ACTIVITIES THAT WOULD HELP DEVELOP POSITIVE SUPPORT FOR GOI AMONGST IRIANESE. TEN THOUSAND TROOPS ARE NOT NEEDED THERE. THEY ARE A DRAIN ON INDONESIA AND ESPECIALLY ON OVERSTRAINED WEST IRIAN ECONOMY. THEY DEVOTE NO TIME TO HELPING PEOPLE BUT MERELY ATTEND TO THEIR OWN WANTS AND COMFORTS (SUCH AS THEY ARE).

2. MALIK SPOKE HIGHLY OF GOVERNOR, WHO IS A CIVILIAN, BUT PRESENT DEPUTY GOVERNOR SHOULD BE REPLACED BY SPECIALIST FROM INTERIOR MINISTRY. MALIK HAS ALSO RECOMMENDED TO HIS CLOSE FRIEND BASUKI THAT A LARGE GROUP OF YOUNGER TRAINED OFFICERS FROM INTERIOR AND FOREIGN MINISTRIES BE SENT TO WEST IRIAN AS SOON AS POSSIBLE TO WORK UNDER GOVERNOR AND DEPUTY IN PREPARING WAY FOR 1969 UN PROCEDURES FOR DETERMINING CHOICE OF PEOPLE IN WEST IRIAN WITH REGARD TO THEIR FUTURE position. MALIK DID NOT USE LANGUAGE OF ASCERTAINMENT OR PLEBESCITE BUT RATHER PHRASE "ACT OF FREE CHOICE" WITH REGARD TO UN DETERMINATION.

3. MALIK HAS RECOMMENDED TO BASUIK RACHMAT AND REMAINDER OF CABINET THAT PREPARATIONS MUST BEGIN IMMEDIATELY FOR 1969. HE BELIEVES THAT BEST WAY TO DETERMINE THE WILL OF TRIBAL PEOPLES IS THROUGH THEIR CHIEFS. HE HAS SUGGESTED THAT SUPPORT OF THE SOME 60 TRIBAL CHIEFS OF WEST IRIAN BE GAINED THROUGH CAREFUL GROUNDWORK, INCLUDING FAVORS FOR THEM AND THEIR TRIBES AND INVITING CHIEFS TO SUKARNAPURA ONE BY ONE FOR DISCUSSIONS WITH GOVERNOR AND STAFF. GAINING SUPPORT OF THESE TRIBAL CHIEFS AS WELL AS EQUAL NUMBER IRIANESE LEADERS DRAWN FROM NON-TRIBAL AREAS SHOULD SET STAGE FOR SUCCESSFUL "ACT OF FREE CHOICE". CERTAINLY TRIBAL CHIEFS COULD AND WOULD SPEAK FOR ALL THEIR PEOPLE.

4. MUCH HAS TO DE DONE BEFORE 1969. CURRENT SITUATION IS FAR FROM SATISFACTORY AND DETERIORATING, JUST AS IT HAS TO THE WEST OF WEST IRIAN IN AMBON WHERE BAD ADMINISTRATION HAS BEEN ROOT CAUSE OF RECENT OUTBREAKS OF WHAT IN EFFECT WAS GANG WAREFARE BETWEEN MILITARY ELEMENTS ENGAGED IN SMUGGLING AND OTHER CORRUPT PRACTICES.

GP-3 GREEN

CONFIDENTIAL
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