730 Chapter 6
dispute. On February 27, the foreign minister of Indonesia pledged to resolve the issue
with the Netherlands peacefully, and without any further use of force.
Coding changes: Outcome changed from Unclear. Settlement changed from None.
MID#1021
Dispute Number: 1021
Date(s): April 27, 1960 to August 15, 1962
Participants: 850 Indonesia/210 Netherlands
Outcome (and Settlement): Yield by side B (Negotiated)
Fatalities: 26–100 deaths
Narrative: This dispute between the Netherlands and Indonesia is over the contested
territory of West New Guinea. The Netherlands recognized Indonesian independence
on December 27, 1949, but continued to claim to these islands. The territory com-
prised 161,000 square miles, an estimated population of 700,000, and endowments
of oil, timber and minerals. As tensions rose in April 1960 over West New Guinea,
the Netherlands announced it would send an aircraft carrier and two destroyers to the
area. Indonesia responded by placing its forces on high alert. On May 6, Indonesian
students raided the Netherlands diplomatic mission, and on August 17, Indonesia
broke diplomatic ties with the Netherlands.
Clashes began in November when a group of Indonesian “infiltrators” armed with
grenades and automatic weapons landed on West New Guinea. Indonesian forces
directly attacked Dutch positions in West New Guinea from January 15, 1962; how-
ever, they failed to take any Dutch-controlled territory before mid-June. On August
15, the Netherlands and Indonesia signed an agreement turning administrative control
of the disputed area to the United Nations from October 1, 1962, to May 1, 1963, at
which time Indonesia would receive control. The agreement also included a plebiscite
for Papuans in West New Guinea following independence in 1969.
Coding changes: Start Date changed from April 15, 1960.
220 FRANCE/700 AFGHANISTAN
MID#4283
Started in September 2001. See the narrative in the 2 United States of America/700
Afghanistan dyad dispute list.
220 FRANCE/710 CHINA
MID#220
Dispute Number: 220
Date(s): July 25, 1870 to October 5, 1870
Participants: 2 United States of America, 220 France, 325 Italy/710 China
Outcome (and Settlement): Yield by side B (None)