Vedeo CapitolNews : West Papua looks to the West – Guyana

Guyana, CapitolNews,-- He looks very earnest in his quest, he sees himself as the Tribal Leader in exile of Island State West Papau that Indonesia says belongs to Indonesia. 

The exile Tribal Leader Benny Wenda is adamant that his country West Papua is being occupied by Indonesia and he wants that occupation to stop. Wenda has been in Guyana meeting the President and law makers, lobbying their support.

For the Tribal chief, it may not be that difficult to pull in support. He is ably assisted by a UK attorney of Guyanese Heritage, Ms. Melinda Janki, who has made the West Papua struggle an issue in international law. But it is Wenda, who is out front really championing the cause of his people. He proudly displays the West Papua Flag and knows that Guyana has been supportive for over 40 years.

The genesis of the West Papua independence struggle is rooted in the anti-colonial struggle in the Dutch East Indies. West Papua is on the island with New Guinea and Papuans have never seen themselves as part of Indonesia, so to speak. Indonesia depends on the mineral resources of the island. 

The tribal leader Wenda has had to live in the UK, travelling on a British passport while championing the cause of Independence, which the West Papuans declared since 1961. Surprisingly the US has not really supported West Papua as a country’s position, but Israel, like Guyana, has been in their corner for years.

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Statement From Benny Wenda 1 Desember In Guyana

Benny Wenda West Papua Independence Leader

(Photo FWC)

1st December 2012 is a very significant day for West Papua. It is 51 years since the Kingdom of the Netherlands recognised our Parliament the Neguna Raad Council, our national anthem and our national flag the Morning Star on 1st December 1961.

In 1963 Indonesia occupied West Papua and banned our flag, our anthem and our parliament.

My people have been crying for freedom for the last 51 years. No one heard their cries for freedom because Indonesia silenced us in our own country. We are under illegal occupation.

Today I am again asking all peoples across the world to help us. In Africa, in South America, Australia, the Caribbean, and everywhere across the world, you have freedom to raise your voice and to raise the Morning Star flag in solidarity with the people of West Papua. Let the Morning Star fly freely in your homes and your cities because we are banned by Indonesia from raising our own flag.

Let us remember today Fillip Karma in jail for 15 years for raising the Morning Star Flag, Yusak Pakage, Buchtar Tabuni, Forkorus Yaboisembut, and all the other courageous West Papuans who are now political prisoners in their own country.

The churches and civil society organisations estimate that 500,000 Papuans have died since Indonesia invaded. On this 51st Anniversary of our brief freedom, I am asking all people who believe in freedom and justice to help us before it is too late.

Please ask your governments to stop supplying Indonesia with arms. We defend ourselves with bows and arrows against bombs.

Please ask Indonesia to release all political prisoners. We are human beings like you. Do we not have the same right to freedom of expression?

Please send journalists to West Papua to see for yourself what is happening to us. I write this message with my heart crying because my people are not free.

Thank you for all the support

Benny Wenda
West Papua Independence Leader. (This Statement )

 

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Tribal, independent political West Papua leader meets President

Georgetown, GINA, November 28, 2012

Gina,-- Inspired by Guyana’s history of colonialism, struggle for independence and advocacy for the poor and oppressed, Benny Wenda a tribal native and independent political leader of West Papua has returned to Guyana in his “cry for freedom for his people”.

Carrying the flag of West Papua, an emblem that can land him 25 years in prison if seen by the Indonesian military in West Papua, Wenda was filled with gratitude for the warm welcome he received on his second visit.

Wenda, who is for the first time meeting a country’s Head of State, accompanied by his legal adviser Malinda will be meeting with indigenous people in this part of the world and parliamentarians during his visit to Guyana.

West Papua, located 500 kilometers from Australia has been subject to Indonesian invasion since 1961, shortly after it gaining independence was declared on December 1 that year. Intervention by the international community on the matter was subverted by western governments appeasing the Indonesian occupation.

A Free West Papua campaign claimed that that Indonesian occupation announced that the Papuans were too backward to cope with democracy and coerced 1026 representative Papuans at gunpoint to vote to join Indonesia.

Wenda shared his experiences in a Free West Papua pamphlet of being arrested, imprisoned and tortured by Indonesian soldiers and as a child, seeing his village bombed by the Indonesian military and family killed.

In 2004 a Free West Papua Campaign based in Oxford United Kingdom was set up to support the call for democratic and non violent campaigns for independence. It lobbies politicians and governments, organise public meetings and events, even engaging in fund raising activities to gain support.

The territory is bordered to the east by Papua New Guinea which gained independence from the British in Australia. West Papua has a population of 250 tribes each with their own language and culture.

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