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Benny Wenda

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Benny Wenda
Speaking at the launch of IPWP in the Houses of Parliament, London, October 2008
Leader of the Koteka Tribal Assembly, DeMMak, Free West Papua Campaign
Personal details
Born1975
Baliem Valley, Papua
Alma materJayapura
Websitewww.bennywenda.org

Benny Wenda is a West Papuan tribal leader and an international lobbyist for the independence of Western New Guinea (West Papua) from Indonesia. He lives in exile in the United Kingdom. In 2002 he was granted political asylum by the British Government following his escape from custody while on trial in West Papua.

He is a leading figure on the international scene for the independence movement of West Papua and has been a special guest in the British Parliament, United Nations and European Parliament as a representative of the Papuan people.[1]

Early life

Benny was born in Pyramid Village in the Baliem Valley in the central highlands of West Papua. In 1977, when he was two years old, the Indonesian military undertook aerial bombing raids over the highlands and most of Benny's family were killed. He was subsequently raised by an uncle. Benny was appointed leader from the elders in his tribe.[2] He attended university, in Jayapura, studying Sociology & Geo-Politics.

Political leadership

After leaving university Benny became Secretary-General of Demmak (Dewan Musyawarah Masyarakat Koteka), the Koteka Tribal Assembly. Demmak was established by highland tribal elders with the goal of working towards recognition and protection of the customs, values and beliefs of the tribal people of West Papuan Highlands. It advocates independence from Indonesia, and rejects special autonomy or any other political compromise offered by the Indonesian government. As Secretary-General of Demmak, Benny represented the council of elders. The organisation supported PDP negotiations with Jakarta to the extent that they represented the aspiration of the Papuan people, which was independence from Indonesia[3].

Imprisonment

Benny was taken into custody by the Indonesian Police in 2002 for an alleged violent attack in Aberpura.[4] However, in a recent interview given to the film-maker Claudio von Planta, Benny Wenda claims he was arrested after raising the banned Morning Star flag. Under Indonesian law, it is illegal to raise the West Papuan flag as it is regarded as a separatist symbol.[5] In another video message, Benny Wenda says he was then threatened with a 25 year jail sentence and subjected to death threats by the Indonesian authorities[6].
However, in 2002 Indonesian Police stated that the reason for his arrest was that allegedly he led a procession of 50 Papuan people who attacked a police station in Abepura and torched two shops. According to a report in the Jakarta Post, a policeman was killed in the attack and a security guard was found dead near the shopping compound.[4][7][8][9][10] Benny escaped custody while on trial. Aided by West Papua independence activists he was smuggled across the border to neighbouring Papua New Guinea. He was later reunited with his wife Maria at a refugee camp. Several months after this he was helped by a European NGO group to the UK where he was granted political asylum[11][12][13].

Free West Papua Campaign

After arriving in the United Kingdom, Benny set up the Free West Papua Campaign. The campaign's stated aims are to spread awareness of the human rights situation in Western New Guinea and the independence aspirations of the Papuan people, through lobbying Governments and developing support throughout society. The Free West Papua Campaign movement in the UK has grown to include permanent student groups at British universities and regional groups. Speaking of his role in helping his people, Benny says "While my people continue to suffer and continue to die, nothing will stop my campaign"[3].

International Parliamentarians for West Papua

With British MP Andrew Smith and the peer Lord Harries, Benny Wenda is a founding member of the International Parliamentarians for West Papua. This cross-parliamentary group was launched at the Houses Of Parliament in London in October 2008, and was attended by British parliamentarians including Lembit Öpik and Baron Avebury, as well as politicians from Papua New Guinea, Australia and Vanuatu.[14]

The group is actively developing support from politicians around the world, and its overall aim is to assert enough pressure on the United Nations to implement a re-run of the contentious Act of Free Choice. It has attained the support of members of the European Parliament from Holland, UK, and Norway, as well as parliamentary members from the Czech Republic.[citation needed]

International Lawyers for West Papua

In April 2009, Benny Wenda launched the International Lawyers for West Papua. The launch saw a series of high level meetings held by international lawyers in Guyana, South America. The aim of this group is to develop a framework within the international legal community towards outlining the legal basis for West Papuan self-determination, and the illegality of the Indonesian occupation of West Papua[15]. The launch of International Lawyers for West Papua coincided with Guyana stating their support for West Papuan independence[16].

The Lani Singers

Benny and his wife Maria perform traditional West Papuan music as The Lani Singers. In 2008 they released their debut album. Entitled 'Ninalik Ndawi' (Freedom Song), it received reviews in national newspapers including the Guardian and Observer, and music magazines fRoots, Songlines and the Wire. They also did interviews and live sessions on 'World Routes' on BBC Radio 3 and 'A World In London' BBC Radio London.[17] They have also performed at Musicport Festival, Glastonbury Festival and the Thames Festival in London.

Family life

Benny and Maria met at university in Jayapura, West Papua, and have been married since 1999. Since being granted political asylum by the British Government they have lived in the English city of Oxford with their five children.

See also

References

  1. ^ "United Nations meeting". FPCN. 2009-01-05. Retrieved 2009-01-18.
  2. ^ "Biography on Lani Singers website". Lani Singers. 2009-01-05. Retrieved 2009-01-18.
  3. ^ a b "Inside Indonesia article". Inside Indonesia. 2009-06-01. Retrieved 2009-06-01.
  4. ^ a b The Jakarta Post
  5. ^ http://video.aol.com/video-detail/interview-with-benny-wenda-leader-of-the-west-papua-independence-movement/3671982884
  6. ^ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Glhq79gYl6A
  7. ^ http://www.rnzi.com/pages/news.php?op=read&id=2626
  8. ^ King, Peter, 2004. West Papua & Indonesia since Suharto: Independence, Autonomy or Chaos? Sydney: University of New South Wales Press. pg 64
  9. ^ http://www.indymedia.org/es/2002/06/103994.shtml
  10. ^ http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/hrrpt/2002/18245.htm
  11. ^ http://www.amnestycirencester.org.uk/ainews_files/index.htm
  12. ^ http://www.for.org.uk/node/441
  13. ^ http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2005/nov/29/worlddispatch.indonesia
  14. ^ "IPWP press release". IPWP. 2009-01-05. Retrieved 2009-01-18.
  15. ^ "ILWP supporting documents". ILWP. 2009-04-01. Retrieved 2009-04-04.
  16. ^ "BBC Caribbean news article". BBC. 2009-04-04. Retrieved 2009-04-04.
  17. ^ "BBC Radio 3 World Routes article". BBC Radio 3. 2009-01-05. Retrieved 2009-01-18.
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