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VIEWPOINT-Activist speaks out on Papua violence

by Benny Wenda, Free West Papua campaign | Thomson Reuters Foundation
Friday, 15 June 2012 11:05 GMT

* Any views expressed in this opinion piece are those of the author and not of Thomson Reuters Foundation.

This post is written by Benny Wenda, Chair, Koteka tribal assembly, Free West Papua campaign. The views expressed here those of the author and not of the Thomson Reuters Foundation.

I grew up in the remote, beautiful highlands of West Papua surrounded by lush jungle and clean, flowing rivers. Growing up, stories were an important part of our culture and we often listened to the elders tell stories of our ancestor spirits who lived in the mountains and forests that surrounded us. This was sacred land that we learned to respect and protect, and my people have done so for thousands of years. Yet today, a very different story is coming out of West Papua - horrific stories of murder, rape, torture, false imprisonment and environmental destruction.

West Papua was a Dutch colony until the 1950s when an agreement was made with the British that Papua New Guinea and West Papua would join to form a new nation to be called Melanesia. Sadly, within days of the Dutch leaving, the Indonesian military entered West Papua and claimed the land as their own offering the people no choice. In 1969 a referendum was held – however, just over 1,000 men were forced to vote in favour of rule by Indonesia in a vote which has since been widely acknowledged to have been flawed and illegal under international law. Ever since, my people have been peacefully calling for the right to self-determination so we can have a true choice over our future.

West Papuan people are now considered second-class citizens in their own country. As leader of the Koteka tribal assembly I witnessed this when I was detained with no charges and held and tortured in solitary confinement for several months. Fortunately I managed to escape and am now living in exile in the UK. Many of my friends are not so fortunate. As I child I witnessed my own Aunties being raped in front of me by Indonesian soldiers. Today, one close friend is currently serving 15 years in prison simply for raising the West Papuan morning star flag.

In recent days violence has flared once more in my beautiful land. On June 6, a small child was run over and killed by two members of the Indonesian military. The child’s parents retaliated and one of the soldiers was killed in the ensuing fight. In response, the military has carried out a sustained attack on nearby villages with at least one person having been killed, many more tortured and imprisoned and whole communities fleeing their homes. Due to a ban on all foreign journalists in West Papua it is hard to get independently verified information, but we have credible reports that many more people have been killed, including my friend Mako Tabuni, the leader of the West Papua National Committee who was shot dead by Indonesian police when they raided student homes in the Abepura district of Jayapura. We also know that a number of independence activists have been imprisoned and we are very concerned for their safety.  The recent bloodshed in West Papua has been compared to that of an emergency zone, where villagers are too scared to leave their homes for fear of violence or persecution.

Today I have children of my own. Sadly, the stories they hear of our native land are very different to those I heard as a child. One day peace will return to our land but we need international support to ensure it does. A growing number of parliamentarians and lawyers around the world are recognizing the right of West Papuans to having a real say in our own future. All my people want is to be able to live their life with a smile, instead of eyes filled with bitter tears.


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