West Papuan Independence leader to visit Vanuatu

 By. Glenda Shing 

Benny Wenda

West Papuan tribal leader and international lobbyist for the independence of West Papua from Indonesia, Benny Wenda, is scheduled to arrive in Port Vila tomorrow.

The Free West Papuan activist is expected to stay in Port Vila for a week, and according to the program drafted for the occasion, upon the arrival of Wenda tomorrow afternoon, Vanuatu Kastom Chiefs will be at the airport to welcome him. Later on, an official welcome ceremony organised by the Port Vila Town Council of Chiefs will be held at the Chief’s Nakamal.

On Monday, the West Papuan Independence leader is scheduled to meet with the Vanuatu Christian Council (VCC), and will be the special Guest in a Press Conference organised by Media Association of Vanuatu (MAV) in the afternoon.

On Tuesday morning, the Founder of the Free West Papuan Campaign will make an official visit to VANGO. Members of the Public will have the opportunity to voice their concerns over the West Papuan independence issues, and again, Wenda will be the special Guest, held at the Chief’s Nakamal 4pm, Tuesday.

Wenda will also have the opportunity to tour Port Vila organised and led by Vete Indigenous Historical Association (VIHA) on Wednesday morning.

In June 2010, Vanuatu’s Parliament voted to support West Papua’s indigenous peoples’ right to self-determination, seeking to have its independence noted and observer status granted at the Melanesian Spearhead Group and Pacific Island Forum leaders’ summit meeting.

Radio Australia reported that, Melbourne representative of the Free West Papua Movement, Ronny Kerani specifically named Vanuatu being one of the countries to have pushed the issue of Papuan independence to the United Nations, and labeled Vanuatu as one country that had gone “behind closed doors” with Indonesia.

A farewell gathering is to be hosted by VIHA on Wednesday evening and Wenda will depart from Vanuatu on Thursday morning.

A leading figure in the region’s independence movement, Benny Wenda served as a special representative to both the British Parliament and the United Nations. He was detained in 2002 by the Indonesian government on accusations of inciting violence and arson, but escaped during his trial and was granted political asylum in the United Kingdom. 

After arriving in the UK, Wenda founded the Free West Papua Campaign to spread awareness of the human rights situation in West Papua.

 Source News: http://www.dailypost.vu/news.html