New Guinea Council

The New Guinea Council was a unicameral representative body formed in the Dutch colony of Netherlands New Guinea in 1961. The 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 was requested to make its wishes on self-determination known within a year,^[1] but on 18 October 1961 received news of a United States effort to involve the United Nations in a new colonization of the territory^{[disputed – discuss]}. During an emergency session the council drafted a national manifesto and symbols including the Morning Star flag for a new national identity to be known as "West Papua".^[2]

Council officials

J.H.F. Sollewijn Gelpke was Council Chairman and J. W. Trouw was Clerk of the Council.

Council building

A council building was built in Hollandia from 1960 to 1961 and used until the abolition of the council in 1962.

References

^ newspaper report. Sydney Morning Herald, 6 April 1961
^ New Guinea Council statements

[1] wspaper report. Sydney Morning Herald, 6 April 1961

[2] New Guinea Council statements

[1]

[2]