- Title: WEST IRIAN: ENAROTALI SELECTS REPRESENTATIVES TO VOTE ON ACT OF FREE CHOICE
- Date: 13th July 1969
- Summary: CROWD OUTSIDE ELECTORAL BUILDING; OFFICIALS; NATIVES WITH PRO-INDONESIAN BANNERS; SPEAKER, WOMEN AND U.N. OFFICIALS; INDONESIAN OFFICIAL; OFFICIAL SPEAKING; HEAD-MAN SELECTION HIS CANDIDATES; HAND SHAKES AFTER SELECTION. Initials EH/VS/DB/ES Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
- Embargoed: 28th July 1969 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: ENAROTALI, WEST IRIAN
- Country: Papua New Guinea
- Reuters ID: LVA3P8X3J19ASB5KEZGXUFBSIPER
- Story Text: TOMORROW (MONDAY) THE TERRITORY OF WEST IRIAN -- FORMERLY DUTCH NEW GUINEA -- BEGINS ITS "ACT OF FREE CHOICE" TO DECIDE WHETHER TO BECOME INDEPENDENT OR ADHERE TO INDONESIA, THE ADMINISTERING POWER UNDER THE UNITED NATIONS-SPONSORED AGREEMENT OF 1962.
THE FIRST STAGE OF THE PROCESS OF "FREE CHOICE" WAS THE SELECTION -- UNDER U.N. SUPERVISION -- OF 1025 REPRESENTATIVES THROUGHOUT WEST IRIAN, WHO ARE TO FORM THE REGENCY COUNCIL OF REPRESENTATIVES. THIS BODY WILL DISCUSS AND DECIDE ON THE ISSUE. ONE OF THE AREAS WHERE THE SELECTION PROCEDURE WAS CARRIED OUT LAST MONTH WAS ENAROTALI, IN THE PANIAY REGION -- A TROUBLE-SPOT WHERE INDONESIAN PARATROOPS PUT DOWN AN UPRISING BY NATIVES ONLY 10 WEEKS EARLIER, AND WHERE THIS FILM WAS TAKEN.
EARLIER THIS MONTH INDONESIAN TROOPS WERE ATTACKED WITH BOWS AND ARROWS ONLY SEVEN MILES FROM ENAROTALI.
THE "ELECTION OF ELECTORS" IN ENAROTALI -- ATTENDED BY INDONESIAN AS WELL AS U.N. OFFICIALS -- TOOK TWO HOURS. A SPEAKER OF THE WEST IRIAN ASSEMBLY EXPLAINED THE ELECTORAL PROCESS. A PRO-INDONESIAN BANNER AND INDONESIAN FLAGS WERE DISPLAYED BY GROUPS AT THE MEETING.
AFTER THE EXPLANATION THE LOCAL HEADMAN STEPPED FORWARD TO NAME THE 32 ELECTORS TO REPRESENT ENARTOLI IN THE "ACT OF FREE CHOICE". THEIR NAMES WERE THEN REGISTERED, EACH VOTER SIGNING EITHER IN HAND-WRITING OR BY THUMB-PRINT.
MORE THAN HALF OF THE 800,000 INHABITANTS OF THE VAST, REMOTE REGION OF WEST IRIAN ARE PRIMITIVE TRIBESMEN LIVING IN THE FOREST AND MOUNTAINS OF THE INTERIOR. INDONESIAN OFFICIALS HAVE SAID THAT IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO CARRY OUT A ONE-MAN-ONE-VOTE REFERENDUM BECAUSE OF THE DIFFICULTIES OF TERRAIN AND COMMUNICATIONS.
THE DECISION OF THE REGENCY COUNCIL OF REPRESENTATIVES IS NOT EXPECTED TO BE REACHED UNTIL EARLY AUGUST.
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