Benny Wenda meets with Australian Greens Senator Christine Milne and Jennifer Robinson of Worldwide Attorneys for West Papua, at Parliament Home in Australia, February 13, 2013.
Credit score: Flickr/Greens MPs
In December 2020, Benny Wenda informed TIME Journal, “I’m on a mission. I’ll end my mission after which I’ll relaxation.” Wenda, an activist for Papuan independence, was declared president of the Provisional Authorities of West Papua in a press release launched by the United Liberation Motion for West Papua (ULMWP) on December 1. Wenda was appointed president in exile by a secret congress, on the anniversary of West Papua’s declaration of independence in 1961.
Benny Wenda has been a fierce advocate for the West Papuan trigger. He was jailed in Indonesia on fees associated to his actions in pursuit of West Papuan independence, however fled jail in 2002. He was charged with inciting an assault on a police station – a cost he denies. He was granted political asylum in the UK in 2003. Interpol issued a crimson discover for his arrest on the request of the Indonesian authorities, however this was rescinded in 2012, on the grounds that it was politically motivated. In 2020, the widespread Black Lives Matter protests impressed the “Papuan Lives Matter” marketing campaign, which noticed Wenda communicate at protests within the U.Okay. Unquestionably, he’s a fierce and unrelenting advocate for his individuals.
Why is it, then, that the proclamation of his presidency has been met with marked skepticism inside West Papua?
The Free Papua Motion’s army faction, the TPNPB, and the West Papua Nationwide Committee (KNPB), the motion’s civilian marketing campaign, have rejected Wenda’s presidency and the government-in-waiting that has been proclaimed within the U.Okay. Sebby Sambon, spokesperson for the TPNPB, listed many the explanation why Wenda’s declare to the presidency was illegitimate. The truth that West Papuans had no say within the matter, that Wenda is exterior of the territory of the revolution, and that he’s not an Indonesian citizen have been amongst them. Sebby additionally stated that Wenda was working for capitalist pursuits, specifically the governments of Australia and america. Warpo Sampari Wetipo of the KNPB has echoed Sebby’s rejection, saying that the declaration might undermine the unity of Papuans.
This laundry checklist of causes given by each main factions on the bottom in West Papua spotlight the contempt with which they now view Wenda, as soon as their non secular chief, and the disconnect between factions that have been as soon as aligned.
The ULMWP had risen to prominence as the primary political actor within the area, and in 2014 the TPNPB and KNPB got here beneath the umbrella of the ULMWP. Nevertheless, as violence swept the area as soon as extra, each have been alienated by Wenda and the ULMWP. The membership of the TPNPB and KNPB tends to be youthful than that of the ULMWP. This generational disconnect is critical for various causes. Violence in West Papua has been on a big upward trajectory in latest months and years, with the United Nations human rights workplace making its concern identified.
A lot of that is pushed by the development of the Trans-Papua Freeway. This huge piece of infrastructure is ripping via the guts of West Papua, endangering important rainforests and bringing mining pursuits and agribusiness into the yard of indigenous West Papuans. The development of the freeway has been attended by an escalation in violence, which has seen Indonesia deploy troops and chemical weapons alongside what has been termed West Papua’s “freeway of blood.” In December 2018, at the very least 19 development staff have been killed by members of the TPNPB whereas engaged on the freeway. This freeway is a supply of huge strife for these in West Papua, and since Wenda has not been within the nation since lengthy earlier than its development started, it’s no marvel that individuals discover it troublesome to determine with him.
Wenda’s December 2020 announcement led to the TPNPN clarifying that they haven’t been working with Wenda since 2017, attributable to their distinction in ideas. Sebby Sambon criticized Wenda’s receipt of a 2019 award from the Oxford Metropolis Council for his work, saying it might be higher given to these preventing inside the nation.
Wenda has the credentials of an activist, however his time to steer his individuals appears to have handed. He’s seen as a determine who’s sowing discontent from afar, which might solely result in additional reprisals by the Indonesian Military. The declaration of a government-in-exile, with Wenda on the helm, dangers alienating Papuans on the bottom. Furthermore, the place Wenda does have affect, with different nations, it’s prone to being undermined. Wenda has spoken to governments around the globe. In November 2020, he addressed the Dutch International Affairs Committee, which led to the Netherlands calling for U.N. involvement in West Papua. The declaration of the presidency has led to such backlash inside West Papua, that different nations might not view him as a reliable spokesperson of his individuals. Wenda’s finest contributions to West Papuan independence might have been undermined by his need to steer his individuals.
Leon Langdon is a graduate of Legislation with Politics from College School Dublin. He’s an incoming Grasp’s pupil in Worldwide Relations at New York College, and he’s additionally a George Moore Scholar. His analysis pursuits embody Asian politics, battle decision, and environmental safety. His work has appeared within the Oxford Political Assessment and on TheLatest.com.
