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Operation TRIKORA

Operation Trikora
Part of the West New Guinea dispute and Cold War
Yos Sudarso Postage Stamp.jpg
Indonesian stamp commemorating the Battle near Vlakke Hoek
Date 19 December 1961 – 15 August 1962
Location Western New Guinea
Result Indonesian victory, New York Agreement, Western New Guinea ceded to the United Nations
Belligerents
 Indonesia
Supported by:
 Soviet Union

 Netherlands

Morning Star flag.svg Netherlands New Guinea
Commanders and leaders

 Netherlands Lieutenant C.J van Westenbrugge

Morning Star flag.svg Colonel W.A. van Heuven
Strength
13,000 Soldiers
7000 Paratroopers
4500 Marines
3000 Soviet Navy
30 Soviet Air Forces
10,000 Soldiers
1400 Marines
200 Papuan Volunteer Corps
Casualties and losses
400 dead (approximately)
73 wounded
126 dead

 Netherlands

 Netherlands Lieutenant C.J van Westenbrugge

Operation Trikora was an combined Indonesian military operation which aimed to seize and annex the Dutch overseas territory of Netherlands New Guinea in 1961 and 1962. After negotiations, the Netherlands agreed on 15 August 1962 to hand over Western New Guinea to the United Nations.

When the rest of the Dutch East Indies became fully independent as Indonesia in December 1949, the Dutch retained sovereignty over western New Guinea, and took steps to prepare it for independence as a separate country. The Dutch and West Papuan leaders argued that the territory did not belong to Indonesia because the West Papuans were ethnically and geographically different from Indonesians, had always been administrated separately, and that the West Papuans did not want to be under Indonesian control. After its independence until 1961, Indonesia attempted to gain control of Western New Guinea through the United Nations without success. Since the Indonesian National Revolution, Indonesian nationalists had always regarded Western New Guinea as an intrinsic part of the Indonesian state. They also contended that Western New Guinea (Irian Barat) belonged to Indonesia and was being illegally occupied by the Dutch.


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Wikipedia

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