Nixon records on Papua

Jason Smathers filed this request with the Nixon Presidential Library & Museum of the United States of America.
Submitted Oct. 30, 2010
Est. Completion None
Status
Withdrawn

Communications

From: Jason Smathers

Subject: None

None

To Whom It May Concern:

This is a request under the Freedom of Information Act. I hereby request the following records:

All records concerning the province of Indonesia currently known as Papua. The province was known as "West New Guinea" or "Netherlands New Guinea" until 1969, when it was renamed "West Irian" until 1973 when it was renamed "Irian Jaya." Please search for records on each name appropriate for the time frame. Include all records concerning "the August 1962 New York Agreement," the so-called "Act of Free Choice," and the 1969 election on self-determination.

I also request that, if appropriate, fees be waived as I believe this request is in the public interest. The requested documents will be made available to the general public free of charge as part of the public information service at MuckRock.com, processed by a representative of the news media/press and is made in the process of news gathering and not for commercial usage.

In the event that fees cannot be waived, I would be grateful if you would inform me of the total charges in advance of fulfilling my request. I would prefer the request filled electronically, by e-mail attachment if available or CD-ROM if not.

Thank you in advance for your anticipated cooperation in this matter. I look forward to receiving your response to this request within 10 business days, as the statute requires.

Sincerely,

Jason Smathers
Filed via MuckRock.com
185 Beacon St. #3
Somerville, MA 02143

Daytime: (857) 488- 3081
E-mail: requests@muckrock.com

From: Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum

Subject: None

None

Dear Mr. Smathers,

Thank you for your recent inquiry. As described on our web site (http://nixonlibrary.gov/aboutus/laws/index.php), the great majority of records held by the Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum are administered under the Presidential Recordings and Materials Preservation Act (PRMPA) of 1974, and are not subject to FOIA. Further, as outlined on the National Archives and Records Administration's Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) Reference Guide (http://www.archives.gov/foia/foia-guide.html), "Fee waivers are not granted for archival records, except for those records that are a part of the John F. Kennedy Assassination Records Collection." Our archival materials are available for research in person at the Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, or can be copied by Nixon Library staff at the folder level for $0.75 per page.

With that said, I have checked several places in our files without finding anything substantive on your topic. In the National Security Council Institutional Files are working papers related to the creation of National Security Study Memorandums (NSSMs) 61, Review of U.S. Policy Toward Indonesia (June 23, 1969) (http://www.nixonlibrary.gov/virtuallibrary/documents/nssm/nssm_061.pdf), in which I found a single mention of West Irian, and 205, U.S. Policy Toward Indonesia (July 20, 1974) (http://www.nixonlibrary.gov/virtuallibrary/documents/nssm/nssm_205.pdf), in which I did not find any mention. These total perhaps two hundred pages, but again did not appear substantive. I also checked in the White House Central Files: Subject Files: subject category CO (Countries) for Indonesia. These materials are organized chronologically. We are not staffed to do substantive research, but I quickly looked through the folders (only a few hundred pages total) and did not see a large amount of material on your topic of interest.

If you would like copies of the Indonesia documents I can give you a precise page count. Otherwise, please let us know if we can assist you further.

Sincerely,

Jason Schultz
Archivist
Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum

Files

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