The New Guinea Council ( nl, Nieuw-Guinea Raad) was a
unicameral representative body formed in the Dutch colony of
Netherlands New Guinea in 1961.
History
Prior to the formation of the New Guinea Council, there existed a Council of Directors, which consisted of the heads of government departments.
Dutch authorities initially began to establish local government bodies such as village councils and regional councils. The New Guinea Council was inaugurated on 5 April 1961 with 28 council members, 16 of whom had been elected in
elections held during January 1961. The council's inauguration was attended by representatives from
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
,
France, the
Netherlands,
New Zealand, the
United Kingdom and other Pacific Forum nations with exception of the
United States.
The council was requested to make its wishes on
self-determination
The right of a people to self-determination is a cardinal principle in modern international law (commonly regarded as a ''jus cogens'' rule), binding, as such, on the United Nations as authoritative interpretation of the Charter's norms. It stat ...
known within a year. During an emergency session the council drafted a national
manifesto
A manifesto is a published declaration of the intentions, motives, or views of the issuer, be it an individual, group, political party or government. A manifesto usually accepts a previously published opinion or public consensus or promotes a ...
and symbols including the
Morning Star flag for a new national identity to be known as "
West Papua".
Council officials
Frits Sollewijn Gelpke was Council Chairman and
Nicolaas Jouwe was Vice-Chair. J. W. Trouw was the Clerk of the Council.
Council building
A council building was built in
Hollandia Hollandia may refer to:
* HVV Hollandia, Dutch football team
* Hollandia Victoria Combinatie, defunct Dutch football team
* ''Hollandia'' (1742 ship), a ship of the Dutch East India Company, wrecked in 1743 on her maiden voyage
* Jayapura, a city ...
from 1960 to 1961 and used until the abolition of the council in 1962. Currently the building houses the regional legislature of
Papua, ( id, Dewan Perwakilan Rakyat Papua or ''DPR Papua'').
[Based on building similarities between the New Guinea Council building on 1961 Netherlands New Guinea stamps () and the current old building of DPR Papua.]
Gallery
Nieuwe serie postzegels t.g.v. installatie Nieuw Guinea Raad, Bestanddeelnr 934-6340.jpg, Council building in Hollandia
Voorzitter en twee leden Nieuw Guinea Raad terug naar Nieuw-Guinea B Mofu , Ab, Bestanddeelnr 913-3648.jpg, Chairman J.H.F. Sollewijn Gelpke and councillors Arfan and Mofu
File:Nicolaas Jouwe (1962).jpg, Vice-chair Nicolaas Jouwe
References
{{reflist
*
Defunct unicameral legislatures
Legislatures of country subdivisions
Dutch political institutions
Organizations based in Netherlands New Guinea
1961 establishments in Netherlands New Guinea
1962 disestablishments in the Netherlands
1962 disestablishments in Indonesia