History of the West Pacific

Part 1

4,000 BCE onwards: Prehistory

While human were said to have settled in the region as early as some 50,000 years ago, the first Austronesians is said to have migrated into the region as early as 4,000 BCE. Despite many conflicting evidences, it is theorised that the Austronesians spread throughout the region beginning from Taiwan and Maritime South East Asia and going as far to Hawaii, Easter Island and New Zealand, and even to Madagascar. Within the present-day West Pacific, the Austronesians had developed into two distinct branches of its culture: Melanesian in the Southern region and Micronesian in the Northern region. However, there are also some evidences of Polynesian influences within the easternmost archipelago of Aomari.

1st Millennium onwards: Early Empires

As the Austronesians settled down, several groups began organising themselves over the years to form empires. Prior to the first European contact in the 1600s, four key empires dominate the present-day West Pacific: Kerenis, Pohnpei, Tidore and Tonga. The relationship between the key empires vary according to circumstances. Pohnpei minded their own business. Both Ternate and Tidore often battle against each other to gain control over the spice trade. Tonga’s influential status in the region and its trade prowess earned them a friendly relationship with Kerenis, co-existing with each other.

1500s – 1914: European Discovery & Colonisation

European explorers begin to discover this region since the 16th Century, first by the Portuguese (from 1512), then by the Spanish (from 1527), the Dutch (from 1570s) and the British (from 1766). To summarise the general timeline of the colonisation of the present-day West Pacific: 1565 ➜ Spain colonises Chuuk, Kosrae, Marshalls region, Palau, Pohnpei and Yap 1869 ➜ Netherlands colonises West Caroline and West Eauripik 1874 ➜ Germany colonises the Marshalls region with no opposition from Spain 1884 ➜ UK colonises Aomari, Banaba Island, part of Highlands and Southern (Papua) 1884 ➜ Germany colonises the Kereni Empire (except Aomari), as well as the rest of East New Guinea region 1888 ➜ Germany colonises Nauru 1899 ➜ Spain cedes Chuuk, Kosrae, Palau, Pohnpei and Yap to Germany

1914 – 1945: The World Wars

To summarise the general timeline of the empire changes of the present-day West Pacific during the World Wars: 1914 ➜ Japan seize Chuuk, East Caroline (East Eauripik and Mussau), Kosrae, the Marshalls region, Palau, Pohnpei and Yap from Germany 1914 ➜ UK seize rest of Kereni Empire and rest of East New Guinea region from Germany 1940s ➜ Japan invades South East Asia and the Pacific before being pushed back by Allied forces As the Japanese colonises the former German possessions, the local population were generally subjected to brutality and harsh treatment, especially towards the Chinese and later to those sympathetic to the Allied forces. Forced labours and massacres are commonplaces, which escalated during the Second World War as Japan invades the rest of the region in order to aggressively take advantage of its abundance of resources (such as oil and rubber) that the Japan lacked.

1944 – 1945: Japan’s Puppet State in the Pacific

In a last ditch attempt to bolster support for Japan as its empire begin to collapse under the might of the Allied forces, Japan granted independence to several European colonies in Asia and the Pacific. Specifically within this region, Japan merge its own Pacific colonies together with the occupied British colonies of Kerenis, New Guinea and Papua to establish the United Western Pacific Republics (UWPR) in 1944. Although short-lived (it was disestablished and broken up sometime after the surrender of Japan), it helped to formalise the movement for self-determination that only existed as an idea amongst the populace prior to World War II, as well as an increasing anti-colonist mindset. Also within the region, the Dutch colony of West Caroline were included as part of the nationalisation movement in Indonesia. Japan had planned to grant Indonesia independence but it ended when Japan surrendered to the Allied forces. Nonetheless, Indonesia declared independence a few days later, much to the Netherlands’ chagrin.

1945 – 1949: Beginning of Self-determination

Following Japan’s surrender in 1945, its Pacific possessions were transferred to other countries for post-war administration. As determined by the United Nations, Australia was to administer over the former Kereni Empire and East New Guinea, while USA was to administer Chuuk, Kosrae, the Marshalls region, Palau, Pohnpei and Yap. The return of the now Australian-administered government was not fully embraced by the local populace. The failure of the UK to defend the region had destroyed its credibility as an infallible ruler in the eyes of West Pasifika. Also compounded with issues like poor living conditions, high food prices and unemployment, the region saw the rise of anti-colonialism and nationalist sentiments. Australia, on their part, were prepared to gradually increase self-governance for the local populace. This led to the creation of the Autonomous Territory of the West Pacific and its nation’s first legislative council in 1949 via an election. Meanwhile, following failed negotiations with Indonesia, the Dutch in 1949 retained sovereignty over West Caroline and West New Guinea, renamed it to Netherlands Caroline and New Guinea (NCNG), and later prepare it for independence as a separate nation.

1954: The Castle Bravo Crisis

The Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands (TTPI) proved valuable for the United States for nuclear testing due to its relative isolation from populated areas. Within the region, both Bikini Atoll and Enewetak Atoll were chosen as testing sites. However, the Autonomous Government of the West Pacific expressed dissatisfaction at USA for their ill-treatment against Micronesians after it was made known that the affected residents, once relocated to other islands, were left to starve to death due to lack of access to food. Following worldwide condemnation, the US Government provided regular food shipment to the affected residents. The Castle Bravo test on Bikini Atoll in 1954 however sparked widespread protests across the territory after thousands of residents living well-beyond the test sites were exposed to radiation and fallout. This allow anti-American sentiments to reach an all-time high. In some areas, the local police had to suppress rioters that were attacking and destroying American properties. In addition, the Autonomous Government’s relationship with Australia also soured after it accused them for lack of “strong actions” against USA.

1956 – 1961: Independence & Pan West Pasifika

On 1 June 1956, the territory gained independence as the West Pacific Commonwealth following a referendum about a year earlier which saw nearly 80% of the voters supporting full independence, largely boosted by the Castle Bravo Crisis. Under the ruling of the United Alliance supergroup, the Government have called for Pan West Pasifika, or the unification of the people of the West Pacific, including the former lands currently administered by USA. The West Pacific government also sided with the Netherlands over the fate of NCNG, supporting their rationale that the people of the territory is ethnically different from that of Indonesia. At one point, the West Pacific also offered NCNG to join the Commonwealth but it was declined. Following NCNG’s independence in 1961, the West Pacific government also offered to provide limited military assistance to protect the nation against increasing incursions by Indonesia; the Netherlands reluctantly accepted the offer.

1961 – 1962: The Confrontation

About a month after the Republic of Caroline and New Guinea gained independence in December 1961, Indonesia launched Operation Trikora against the disputed territory with limited success. While Netherlands had the support from USA, UK and Australia, none of them are willing to commit military support. By contrast, Indonesia’s claim over the territory had the support from the Soviet bloc, as well as receiving military assistance. Meanwhile, the Non-Aligned Movement (in which both Indonesia and West Pacific are members) is largely divided on this issue as some agreed it belonged to Indonesia on the basis that it was part of the predecessor Dutch East Indies, while others agreed with the West Pacific that, due to ethnicity and cultural differences, it should either gain statehood or join the West Pacific Commonwealth. Nonetheless, the West Pacific gradually provided military support as the incursion campaigns intensified. However, there were also a growing support for West Pacific to include the country under Pan West Pasifika. This increased the likelihood of an all-out war between Indonesia and West Pacific.

1962 – 1969: The Compromise

With a likelihood of war happening and to prevent Indonesia from entering the Soviet bloc, USA stepped in to mediate the increasing tensions between Indonesia, Netherlands and West Pacific. This resulted in the signing of the New York Agreement on August 1962, in which the United Nations would administer Caroline and New Guinea to facilitate transition of the respective halves to both Indonesian and West Pasifika authorities (this was completed by 1963). A plebiscite was to be held by 1969 to determine if the local populace would want to gain statehood or not. Later in 1966, both Indonesia and West Pacific later agree to not interfere each other’s plebiscite processes and to respect the results, essentially opening the possibility to divide the nation if the result calls for such. The Act of Free Choice was eventually held in 1969, with each half choosing to be governed by the respective administrative authority. Despite denouncement by several UN members that the plebiscite did not confirm to international practices, the United Nations voted in favour of Resolution 2504 to accept the plebiscite result (Y-84/N-0/A-30).

1965: Pan West Pasifika achieved

In concurrent with the New York Agreement negotiations, both USA and West Pacific also held bilateral discussions over the West Pacific’s territorial claims within the TTPI. Prior to the discussions, a growing handful of Pan West Pasifika radical government officials insist West Pacific should go for an all-out war against Indonesia in order to fight for Caroline and New Guinea. The rational officials however fear this could lead to yet another ideological war similar to the Korean and Vietnam Wars, considering the fact that Indonesia has been purchasing weaponries and equipment from the Soviet bloc. Ultimately, both the West Pacific and USA agreed to a compromise. USA will hold an independence referendum for TTPI within 2 years time. In exchange, West Pacific will get to administer a half of the disputed territory and to hold an independence referendum by 1969. An independence referendum for TTPI was eventually held in 1964, with all districts except the Northern Mariana Islands wishing to join the West Pacific Commonwealth. The transfer of administratorship was completed officially in 1965 on June 1st, the same day West Pacific gained independence.

Part 2

1956: Enforcement of Racial Harmony

Ensuring that no racial groups will be disadvantaged both socially and financially in the West Pacific, the Government introduced policies to enforce racial harmony in all aspects of the nation. In general, there are two categories and five sub-categories of races based on population size:

• Core Groups: Melanesians; Micronesians; Polynesians
• Supportive Groups: Asians; Non-Asians

While the Government recognises a wide variety of languages, English is adopted as the common language. Mother Tongue is also introduced as a tool to maintain one's understanding its heritage. Racial quotas are also imposed in other aspects of the society, including in the workplaces, housing and schools. This is to ensure neither Core nor Supportive Groups dominate any sector of the society, thus enforcing racial equality. Various laws are also introduced to punish those who seek out racial disharmony.

1957 to 1968: National Development Programme

In the following year of 1957, the Government (under management of the United Alliance [UA] supergroup) announced its first National Development Programme (NDP). It aims to achieve 5 broad goals within 6 years, namely:

• Expanding and enhancing agricultural and food manufacturing output.
• Constructing new and improving existing transportation and utilities infrastructure, including the development of regional hubs to support regional industries.
• Setting up the Housing Development Board to identify and build affordable public housing in areas with severe housing and sanitation issues.
• Revamping the education system to train the labour force with fluency in the English language and practical skills needed to support the nation’s economic strategy. “National Education” is also introduced to foster a multi-cultural national identity.
• Setting up the Economic Development Board to formulate and implement future economic strategies, as well as establishing the United Federation of Trade Unions to enhance tripartism.

Satisfied with the progression of the first 5 broad goals, the Government announced 5 new broad goals to enhance and complement the existing ones. The new goals for the next 6 years are:

• Implementation of new policies to gradually shift the economy into a partial export-oriented economy, including the establishment of the Derosten Special Region to enhance and transform the existing transshipment port into the nation’s major trading hub.
• Nationalisation of all natural resources to ensure effective management and distribution across the country, as well as ensuring that such activities benefit the nation first. This includes extensive land reforms such as the Land Acquisition Act.
• Enhancing and supporting industries that produce high-value goods, with immediate focus on steel and petrochemical industries.
• Expanding the service industry to support new economic strategies.
• Continued upgrading and expansion works on key transportation and utility infrastructures, with immediate focus on modernising the sea transportation network for both passenger and freight.

1960s to 1970s: Changes to Economic Strategies

While the West Pacific have a decent-sized professional army, the British still maintains the nation’s naval and air forces which contributes substantially to the nation’s GDP. As such, the 1967 and 1968 announcement of the British troops withdrawal “East of Suez” by 1971 shocked the West Pacific Government since the nation’s budget was not focused on military spending. In response, the Government made changes to its economic strategies. The 6-year timeframe was dropped in favour of providing the Government more flexibility in adapting to sudden and unexpected changes of the status quo. In 1969, the Government introduced National Service, in which it is compulsory for all citizens born from 1951 onwards to serve in either military or civilian services. The Government also made an agreement with the UK to facilitate transference of key military assets, amongst other things. A defence industry is to be developed as well to support the West Pacific military. In the 1970s, a decision is made to also develop the automative and shipbuilding industries too.

1970s to 1980s: Formation of Central Bank & SWFs

With an increasingly complex banking and monetary environment, the Government establish the West Pacific Monetary Authority in 1970 to regulate the nation’s financial services, insurance and securities industries, as well as currency issuance and promoting monetary stability. The Government in the 1970s also had ownership or joint ownership of various local companies, largely due to its nationalisation efforts in the 1960s. It also acquired or established several other companies deemed necessary under the NDPs. With the growing number of companies managed by the Government, Pweida Holdings is incorporated in 1975 to hold and manage these companies, making it the nation’s first sovereign wealth fund. This allows the Government to focus solely on policymaking. A second sovereign wealth fund, West Pacific Investment Corporation, was later established in 1983 to manage the nation’s foreign reserves on behalf of the Government.

1990s: Major Recession of the late-1990s

Since independence, West Pacific have mostly enjoyed 8-11% GDP growth. Following multiple mild recession periods in the 1970s, its GDP dropped to a milder 4-7% growth in the 1980s and early 1990s. However, the financial crisis that hit across East and Southeast Asia in the late 1990s saw the nation suffering a relatively long recession period, more severe than the 1970s recessions (though it faired better than other worse-affected countries). In an effort to soften the impact of the recession, the Government introduced several measures, including a gradual depreciation of the West Pacific dollar, relaxing social security contributions, rebates on certain taxes and loans with lower interest rates. The Government also brought forward several infrastructure and social projects, as well as partial deregulation on the private sector. It also privatised many of its state-owned companies. However, it chose not to intervene in the capital markets, allowing the index to drop. A committee was also formed to propose economic reforms to address the causes of the recession, and to also steer the country towards the next phase of redevelopment. By the next year, the economy fully recovered and continued on its growth trajectory, albeit at a lower rate (1-5%).

1967: Operation Kunai

Disagreements over the soft handling over CNG and TTPI independence referendum discussions, as well as the Government softening its aggression against Indonesia and USA, ultimately resulted in several UA members expelled from the party after voting against the government in a no-confidence motion. The expelled members then formed the Pan West Pasifika Front (PWPF), effectively becoming a credible opposition party. Under the narrative of a possible subversion to threaten the nationhood of the West Pacific, the Government launched Operation Kunai and arrested hundreds of people, who were detained without trial under the Emergency Regulations Ordinance. As many of the arrested were PWPF members, this caused a significant number of parliamentary seats to be vacant that a snap election was called in 1967 instead of by-elections. A PWPF-led protest resulted in further arrest, significantly weakening the party and subsequently losing the general election. PWPF’s boycott of the 1973 elections allowed UA to win all seats. Despite returning to contest in future elections, PWPF failed to win any seats, eventually leading to its dissolvement into the People’s Alliance in 1983.

1980s to 1990s: Period of Electoral Reforms

Since the PWPF election boycott of 1973, UA has enjoyed a parliamentary monopoly for the next 15 years by winning all seats with numerous walkovers due to the lack of a strong opposition. The monopoly however ended following the 1985 general elections, with the opposition supergroup People’s Alliance winning a few seats. Nonetheless, UA returned to power on nomination day and retained a supermajority control. Months before the 1991 general elections, all electoral districts were redrawn and grouped into 3-seat constituencies represented by an elected multi-racial team, with the aim to ensure better racial representation in Parliament. However, critics argued that it is designed to disadvantaged the opposition as it failed to retain any seats in the election later in the year due to a higher barrier to entry. 1997 also saw the introduction of “Non-constituency MPs”, giving best-performing opposition parties a limited number of seats. “Functional MPs” were also introduced, in which a parliamentary committee select representatives from different functional groups of the society. Despite being criticised that these initiatives are undemocratic, the Government maintain the position that it allows a more diverse voices in Parliament.

1998: Devastation in East New Guinea

Situated along the Pacific Ring of Fire, West Pacific often experience earthquakes everyday of varying magnitude. However, the magnitude 7.0 earthquake that stuck near the Northern coast of East New Guinea region in the evening was the nation’s worst earthquake-related disaster. The earthquake generated a tsunami caused by an underwater landslide. As it struck close to shore, waves up to 15m high slammed along the coastline, flattening and destroying multiple communities including the Sandaun’s provincial capital of Aitape, claiming the lives of up to 3,000 and leaving thousands of people homeless. Waves of up to 2m high also reached the Southern shore of Caroline Besar island, which caused little to moderate damages. A state of emergency was declared for the Sandaun province to allow the Government to provide emergency reliefs to the affected areas. Humanitarian aids were also sent by the international community.

since 1960s: Split in the Muslim Movements

The West Caroline Muslim Independence Movement was formed in the 1960s as it accused the Government for belittling the Muslims by classifying it as Supportive Group than a Core Group, claiming historical linkages in the region. However, the group split in the 1970s following disagreement over its ideology, creating the West Caroline National Liberation Movement (WCNLM) (establishing an egalitarian state) and the West Caroline Islamic Liberation Movement (WCILM) (establishing an Islamic state). Despite communal violence, both movements had attempted and occasionally succeeded in diplomacy with the West Pacific Government to find solutions to regional affairs. In 1990, the breakaway group Caroline Islamic Freedom Fighters (CIFF) was formed and pledged allegiance with the al-Qaeda network (including Jemaah Islamiyah). Its operations are however more violent than both WCNLM and WCILM, later targeting the US-friendly Government since the start of the US-led War on Terror. CIFF later shift alliance by pledging allegiance to ISIS in 2014 following a weaken al-Qaeda. Both WCNLM and WCILM have since denounced the group.

2003: Country Under Quarantine

On March 2003, a sick citizen returning from a flight from Hong Kong was admitted to a hospital in Derosten. Unbeknownst to the staff, he was infected with the SARS virus and soon a viral outbreak happened within the hospital. It then spread throughout the entire city as well as others. Region after region, the Government soon placed the entire nation under quarantine due to the novelty of the virus. Schools were shut, public areas were closed off and infected individuals were quarantined in attempt to limit transmission of the virus. The country also dipped into a recession with the retail and tourism sectors hit the hardest. Months later, no further cases were reported and the World Health Organisation eventually removed West Pacific off the infected country list. In total, 483 people were infected, of which 67 died either directly or indirectly from the virus.

since 2000s: Stronger Typhoons, Thicker Hazes

With the growing awareness of climate change since the turn of the 21st century, the West Pacific has experienced increasingly intensified weather phenomena since the 2000s, with stronger tropical cyclones (affected more areas with prolonged flooding) and longer periods of dry weather (causing longer droughts and thicker hazes). Most notably, Typhoon Mangkhut in 2018 was the costliest typhoon-related disaster to date, whereas the haze event of 2015 saw the nation’s highest air quality reading to date. In addition, 2019 holds the nation’s hottest and wettest year to date. The Government has adapted several policies in order to combat climate change, with its recent goal to be carbon neutral by 2050. Measures include the introduction of carbon tax and gradual conversion of power generation to less-pollutive fossil fuel and eventually to renewable sources. The Government has also begun exploring alternatives to fossil fuel power generation such as microgeneration, power storage and smart grid. It will also dedicate a fund of at least $100 billion over a long period in constructing coastal and river defence infrastructure against rising sea level.