Viktor Kaisiepo
Encyclopedia
Viktor Kaisiepo also spelled Victor Kaisiepo, was a Netherlands New Guinea
n-born Dutch
activist for West Papuan independence and self-determination
. His family fled West Papua when its sovereignty was transferred to Indonesia, and he lived the Netherlands thereafter.
in 1948. Kaisiepo's family, known as the Kaisiepo clan, was originally from Biak
, an island in Cenderawasih Bay
just north of New Guinea
. His father, Markus Wonggor Kaisiepo (1913-2000), a minister and elementary school teacher for the Dutch Reformed Church
Mission and former official in the Dutch New Guinea colonial government, was an advocate for West Papuan self-determination. His father's cousin, Frans Kaisiepo
, was an advocate for Indonesian annexation of West New Guinea, and became a national hero of Indonesia.
The United Nations in 1948 had noted with satisfaction that Indonesia
was an independent state, and that the Netherlands New Guinea
(West New Guinea) was a separate Dutch
colonial
possession. From 1949 the Netherlands resisted Indonesia
n demands for the Netherlands New Guinea
which the Netherlands asserted was Melanesian with predominate Christian
and animist traditions separate from the Malay-dominated Indonesia
nation.
Markus Kaisiepo won a seat on the New Guinea Council
in the elections held in January 1961 and took office in April. The Dutch government under pressure from the United States in 1962 decided to transfer sovereignty of the territory to Indonesia. Markus Kaisiepo moved his family, including Viktor, to the Netherlands soon after the hand-over was announced.
for Papua's inclusion on the United Nations list of Non-Self-Governing Territories
and served as a spokesperson for the West Papua People’s Front, a coalition of Papuan organizations in the Netherlands. He also advocated for the human rights of other indidenous people worldwide.
In May 2000, Viktor Kaisiepo made his first visit to West Papua since the family left in 1962. Indonesian President Abdurrahman Wahid
, who was elected in 1999, had introduced a more open form of government in Indonesia since the fall of Suharto. Wahid had changed the name of Indonesian-controlled Western New Guinea
from the Bahasa Indonesian Irian Jaya to the previous name, Papua.
Kaisiepo saw an opportunity to travel back to West Papua during Wahid's presidency. In May 2000, Kaisiepo flew back to West Papua for the first time in thirty-eight years. Kaisiepo first flew from the Indonesian capital, Jakarta
, to the island of Biak, the home of the Kaisiepo family.
He then travelled to Jayapura
, the capital of Papua. He attended the Papuan Congress in Jayapura, which appointed Kaisiepo as a member of the Papuan Presidium, the executive governing body of the Free Papua Movement
. In a speech before the Papuan Congress, Kaisiepo told the audience, "I dream not of the UN, I work there. The Decolonisation Committee of the UN has a list with seventeen regions eligible for independence. West Papua is not on that list. But the outcome of our struggle does not depend on a UN list. We can ensure that West Papua gets on that list and I can help you accomplish that."
Viktor Kaisiepo father, Markus, died in the Netherlands at the age of 87, while the younger Kaisiepo was travelling to West Papua. He returned to the Netherlands, where he maintained ties to Papuans and opened a dialogue with the government of Indonesia.
Kaisiepo was diagnosed with an incurable illness in 2009. He died in Amersfoort
, Netherlands
, on 31 January 2010, at the age of 61.
Netherlands New Guinea
Netherlands New Guinea refers to the West Papua region while it was an overseas territory of the Kingdom of the Netherlands from 1949 to 1962. Until 1949 it was a part of the Netherlands Indies. It was commonly known as Dutch New Guinea...
n-born Dutch
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
activist for West Papuan independence and self-determination
Self-determination
Self-determination is the principle in international law that nations have the right to freely choose their sovereignty and international political status with no external compulsion or external interference...
. His family fled West Papua when its sovereignty was transferred to Indonesia, and he lived the Netherlands thereafter.
Early life
Kaisiepo was born in the Netherlands New GuineaNetherlands New Guinea
Netherlands New Guinea refers to the West Papua region while it was an overseas territory of the Kingdom of the Netherlands from 1949 to 1962. Until 1949 it was a part of the Netherlands Indies. It was commonly known as Dutch New Guinea...
in 1948. Kaisiepo's family, known as the Kaisiepo clan, was originally from Biak
Biak
Biak features a tropical rainforest climate with nearly identical temperatures throughout the course of the year. The average annual temperature in the city is 27 degrees celsius, which is also generally the average temperature of each day in Biak...
, an island in Cenderawasih Bay
Cenderawasih Bay
Cenderawasih Bay , also Teluk Sarera , formerly Geelvink Bay is a large bay in northern Province of Papua and West Papua, New Guinea, Indonesia, at . The Dutch name comes after a Dutch ship and family called Geelvinck...
just north of New Guinea
New Guinea
New Guinea is the world's second largest island, after Greenland, covering a land area of 786,000 km2. Located in the southwest Pacific Ocean, it lies geographically to the east of the Malay Archipelago, with which it is sometimes included as part of a greater Indo-Australian Archipelago...
. His father, Markus Wonggor Kaisiepo (1913-2000), a minister and elementary school teacher for the Dutch Reformed Church
Dutch Reformed Church
The Dutch Reformed Church was a Reformed Christian denomination in the Netherlands. It existed from the 1570s to 2004, the year it merged with the Reformed Churches in the Netherlands and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in the Kingdom of the Netherlands to form the Protestant Church in the...
Mission and former official in the Dutch New Guinea colonial government, was an advocate for West Papuan self-determination. His father's cousin, Frans Kaisiepo
Frans Kaisiepo
Frans Kaisiepo was a National Hero of Indonesia .Kaisiepo was born in Wardo on the island of Biak on October 10, 1921. As the representative of Papua he was involved in the Malino Conference , where the formation of the Republic of Indonesia was discussed...
, was an advocate for Indonesian annexation of West New Guinea, and became a national hero of Indonesia.
The United Nations in 1948 had noted with satisfaction that Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
was an independent state, and that the Netherlands New Guinea
Netherlands New Guinea
Netherlands New Guinea refers to the West Papua region while it was an overseas territory of the Kingdom of the Netherlands from 1949 to 1962. Until 1949 it was a part of the Netherlands Indies. It was commonly known as Dutch New Guinea...
(West New Guinea) was a separate Dutch
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
colonial
Colony
In politics and history, a colony is a territory under the immediate political control of a state. For colonies in antiquity, city-states would often found their own colonies. Some colonies were historically countries, while others were territories without definite statehood from their inception....
possession. From 1949 the Netherlands resisted Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
n demands for the Netherlands New Guinea
Netherlands New Guinea
Netherlands New Guinea refers to the West Papua region while it was an overseas territory of the Kingdom of the Netherlands from 1949 to 1962. Until 1949 it was a part of the Netherlands Indies. It was commonly known as Dutch New Guinea...
which the Netherlands asserted was Melanesian with predominate Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
and animist traditions separate from the Malay-dominated Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
nation.
Markus Kaisiepo won a seat on the New Guinea Council
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....
in the elections held in January 1961 and took office in April. The Dutch government under pressure from the United States in 1962 decided to transfer sovereignty of the territory to Indonesia. Markus Kaisiepo moved his family, including Viktor, to the Netherlands soon after the hand-over was announced.
Advocate for Papuan self-determination
Once in the Netherlands, Markus Kaisiepo continued to advocate for the independence of West Papua. Viktor Kaisiepo took up his father's cause, becoming a leading international advocate for the sovereignty movement. Kaisiepo believed that there several ways to guarantee human rights for Papuans besides political independence for West Papua. He lobbied the United NationsUnited Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
for Papua's inclusion on the United Nations list of Non-Self-Governing Territories
United Nations list of Non-Self-Governing Territories
The United Nations list of Non-Self-Governing Territories is a list of countries that, according to the United Nations, are non-decolonized. The list was initially prepared in 1946 pursuant to Chapter XI of the United Nations Charter, and has been updated by the General Assembly on recommendation...
and served as a spokesperson for the West Papua People’s Front, a coalition of Papuan organizations in the Netherlands. He also advocated for the human rights of other indidenous people worldwide.
In May 2000, Viktor Kaisiepo made his first visit to West Papua since the family left in 1962. Indonesian President Abdurrahman Wahid
Abdurrahman Wahid
Abdurrahman Wahid, born Abdurrahman Addakhil , colloquially known as , was an Indonesian Muslim religious and political leader who served as the President of Indonesia from 1999 to 2001...
, who was elected in 1999, had introduced a more open form of government in Indonesia since the fall of Suharto. Wahid had changed the name of Indonesian-controlled Western New Guinea
Western New Guinea
West Papua informally refers to the Indonesian western half of the island of New Guinea and other smaller islands to its west. The region is officially administered as two provinces: Papua and West Papua. The eastern half of New Guinea is Papua New Guinea.The population of approximately 3 million...
from the Bahasa Indonesian Irian Jaya to the previous name, Papua.
Kaisiepo saw an opportunity to travel back to West Papua during Wahid's presidency. In May 2000, Kaisiepo flew back to West Papua for the first time in thirty-eight years. Kaisiepo first flew from the Indonesian capital, Jakarta
Jakarta
Jakarta is the capital and largest city of Indonesia. Officially known as the Special Capital Territory of Jakarta, it is located on the northwest coast of Java, has an area of , and a population of 9,580,000. Jakarta is the country's economic, cultural and political centre...
, to the island of Biak, the home of the Kaisiepo family.
He then travelled to Jayapura
Jayapura
Jayapura City is the capital of Papua province, Indonesia, on the island of New Guinea. It is situated on Yos Sudarso Bay . Its approximate population in 2002 was 200,000....
, the capital of Papua. He attended the Papuan Congress in Jayapura, which appointed Kaisiepo as a member of the Papuan Presidium, the executive governing body of the Free Papua Movement
Free Papua Movement
The Free Papua Movement is a militant organisation established in 1965 to encourage and effect the violent overthrow of the current governments in the Papua and West Papua provinces of Indonesia, formerly known as Irian Jaya to secede from Indonesia, and to reject economic development and...
. In a speech before the Papuan Congress, Kaisiepo told the audience, "I dream not of the UN, I work there. The Decolonisation Committee of the UN has a list with seventeen regions eligible for independence. West Papua is not on that list. But the outcome of our struggle does not depend on a UN list. We can ensure that West Papua gets on that list and I can help you accomplish that."
Viktor Kaisiepo father, Markus, died in the Netherlands at the age of 87, while the younger Kaisiepo was travelling to West Papua. He returned to the Netherlands, where he maintained ties to Papuans and opened a dialogue with the government of Indonesia.
Kaisiepo was diagnosed with an incurable illness in 2009. He died in Amersfoort
Amersfoort
Amersfoort is a municipality and the second largest city of the province of Utrecht in central Netherlands. The city is growing quickly but has a well-preserved and protected medieval centre. Amersfoort is one of the largest railway junctions in the country, because of its location on two of the...
, Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
, on 31 January 2010, at the age of 61.