The fact that it was Melanesian and in no way related to the Indonesian people was simply ignored.

ECONOMIST: Bitter pill

In doing so, it accentuates a bandwagon tendency in Melanesian politics that is also evident in the neighbouring Solomon Islands.

ECONOMIST: To the victor go the spoils

He might even re-explore the idea of a Melanesian federation including West Papua, Papua New Guinea and Bougainville, ethnically a much healthier destiny than Irian Jaya.

ECONOMIST: Letters | The

Others saw it as a move to restore Melanesian control.

ECONOMIST: Fiji

That is the justification it gave for annexing the western half of the island of New Guinea in 1963, even though its inhabitants are Melanesian not Malay, animists and Christians, not Muslims.

ECONOMIST: After East Timor's independence

But the Melanesian chiefs were the political masters.

ECONOMIST: Fiji