Act of Free Choice is the title of a 1969 referendum held in western Papua, the former Netherlands New Guinea; to determine if the people still desired independence or had decided their country should become part of Indonesia.

Both the conduct of, and the legitimacy of this referendum had been disputed by observers and partipulants, though Indonesian military officers who arranged and conducted the referendum as well as the UN observer stated the referendum resulted in a unanimous vote against independence.

People present at the referendum contend that it had been unjust both because the public had not been allowed to vote, and because those who had been selected to vote had been threaten by the military with retribution against their families and townships if they did not vote to become part of Indonesia. Though the Indonesian military denies such a process affected the results, recently released US government correspondence indicated foreknowledge of the intend of the referendum. (see Document Release Marks 35th Anniversary of Controversial Vote and Annexation)

Though the United Nations took note of the results; there has been continued calls for the United Nations to conduct its own referendum in accord with the orginal New York Agreement. Those calling for a vote, have also pointed to the 30 year license which Indonesia sold to the Freeport-McMoRan company for Papuan mining rights in 1967, and to the Indonesian military's response to the East Timor referendum, as support for discrediting the 1969 Act of Free Choice. Those in support of the refrendum results say the United Nations noting of the results validates the conduct and results.

The referendum and its conduct had been specified in the New York Agreement; Article 17 of which in part says:

"Indonesia will invite the Secretary-General to appoint a Representative who" .. "will carry out Secretary-General's responsibilities to advise, assist, and participate in arrangements which are the responsibility of Indonesia for the act of free choice. The Secretary-General will, at the proper time, appoint the United Nations Representative in order that he and his staff may assume their duties in the territory one year prior to the self-determination." .. "The United Nations Representative and his staff will have the same freedom of movement as provided for the personnel referred to in Article XVI".

The agreement continues with Article 18:

Article XVIII

Indonesia will make arrangements, with the assistance and participation of the United Nations Representative and his staff, to give the people of the territory, the opportunity to exercise freedom of choice. Such arrangements will include:

a. Consultation (musyawarah) with the representative councils on procedures and methods to be followed for ascertaining the freely expressed will of the population.

b. The determination of the actual date of the exercise of free choice within the period established by the present Agreement.

c. Formulations of the questions in such a way as to permit the inhabitants to decide (a) whether they wish to remain with Indonesia; or (b) whether they wish to sever ties with Indonesia.

d. The eligibility of all adults, male and female, not foreign nationals to participate in the act of self-determination to be carried out in accordance with international practice, who are resident at the time of the signing of the present Agreement, including those residents who departed after 1945 and who returned to the territory to resume residence after the termination of the Netherlands administration.