The Promise

A forgotten struggle, a lost future. In the 1960s, it seemed that West Papua was on the path to independence. But international interests, geopolitical power struggles, and economic motives dictated otherwise. Using uniquely restored 35mm archival footage, The Promise brings this history back to life, revealing how an entire people is systematically betrayed and oppressed.

As the Netherlands prepared for the independence of Dutch New Guinea, Indonesia strongly opposed it. Under pressure from the United States and the United Nations, the region was handed over to Indonesia in 1962, with the promise of a referendum. But the so-called ‘Act of Free Choice’ turned out to be a sham. Since then, Papuans in Indonesia have been persecuted, displaced, and killed on a massive scale—one of the world’s most neglected genocides.

Against the backdrop of the Cold War, the film shows how the future of West Papua was shaped not only in diplomatic backrooms but also by corporate interests, where influential Western elites, including Prince Bernhard, appeared to prioritise economic gains over human rights. While West Papua’s vast natural resources continue to be exploited by predominantly Western companies to this day, the Indigenous population remains systematically oppressed.

Through powerful testimonies from exiled Papuans and their ongoing fight for recognition, director Daan Veldhuizen paints a painful picture in The Promise of how colonialism gave way to neo-colonialism—and how the world remained silent.