After the Dutch-supervised election of a regional parliament, the New Guinea Council (Dutch: Nieuw Guinea Raad), a group was formed on 19 October 1961 to elect a national committee. The committee drafted a manifesto for independence and self-government, a national flag (the Morning Star Flag), state seal, selected "Hai Tanahku Papua" as a national anthem, and called for the people to be known as Papuans. The New Guinea Council voted unanimously in favour of these proposals on 30 October 1961, and on 31 October 1961 presented the Morning Star flag and manifesto to Governor-General Pieter Johannes Platteel. The Dutch recognized the flag and anthem on 18 November 1961 (Government Gazettes of Dutch New Guinea No. 68 & 69), and these ordinances came into effect on 1 December 1961. The anthem went out of public use after Operation Trikora and handover of West Papua to Indonesia in 1963.
Current status
The anthem is currently a prominent symbol of independence activists, including Organisasi Papua Merdeka (Free Papua Movement), and use of the anthem within the province is prohibited. The song has also been proposed as a symbol of the province of Papua.[2]
Lyrics
Lyrics to "Hai Tanahku Papua" in several languages
Old Indonesian Spelling
New Indonesian Spelling
Dutch translation
English translation
Hai tanahku Papoea,
Kaoe tanah lahirkoe,
Koe kasih akan dikaoe
sehingga adjalkoe.
Koekasih pasir poetih
Di pantaimoe senang
Di mana laoetan biroe
Berkilat dalam trang.
Koekasih goenoeng-goenoeng
Besar moelialah
Dan awan jang melajang
Keliling puntjaknja.
Kukasih dikaoe tanah
Jang dengan boeahmoe
Membajar keradjinan
Dan pekerdjaanku.
Koekasih boenji ombak
Jang poekoel pantaimoe
Njanjian jang selaloe
Senangkan hatikoe.
Koekasih hoetan-hoetan
Selimut tanahkoe
Koesuka mengembara
Di bawah naoengmoe.