(West Papua Review)
It is very interesting how the benefits of conflict may also take on different forms as follow:
- Economic profits
- Political power
- Psychological pleasure
A trustful sources from Oxford shared a shocking information about how Benny Wenda took a lot of benefits from false story about conflict in West Papua.
- Economic profits can be exploited by Benny Wenda by sucking British Taxpayer Money through his claim as an asylum seeker. Living in UK is very difficult, so there is no other way than maintaining conflict in West Papua. Furthermore, after several years enjoying free lunch from British Taxpayer money, Benny Wenda can not afford to loose the opportunity of raising his children in UK. Through the illicit fund raising by telling lies to British citizen, Benny Wenda successfully transform his mask from an asylum seeker pretender to a self exile leader of Papuan people in UK. He also equivocates to British Parliamentarians about the latest situation in West Papua, so he can control British Parliamentarians as his supporters.
- Political power. The self claim Papuan Leader Benny Wenda is a great pretender by playing innocent handsome cunning face. By doing so, British people feel pity and favour him as a victim of the most demonic government of Indonesia. Benny Wenda cleverly creates a justification for help because of Indonesian political repression.
- Psychological pleasure. The world can read clearly the intention and ambition of Benny Wenda as the future President of West Papua. It is more to conflict’s most perverse benefits, which can translate into a feeling of superiority and a messianic certitude regarding one’s actions.
Here is the innocent face of liar who proclaim himself as the only Papuan leader who care about the future of West Papua.
The more democratic Indonesia, the more Benny Wenda affraid of loosing his grip in UK. That is why he is not patient enough to see the dynamic of democratization in Indonesia and West Papua. By seeing more and more Papuan involve in the local autonomy government, he is panic so he pushes the creation of International Parliamentarians for West Papua and soon the International Lawyers for West Papua in order the increase the tension in West Papua. It seems that Benny Wenda achieves a success, so he can save his ass temporarily. No matter how cunning Benny Wenda is, someday British citizens especially those who live in Oxford, Essex, Exeter and London will realize that Benny Wenda is true liar.
Free West Papua 
Just like Benny Wenda’s inclination to present the facts in a way that supports his position on West Papua, the argument presented on this page are also full of innuendo, half truths and bare faced lies. When both Papuans and the rest of the Indonesian population actually start talking about Papuan disadvantage instead of these silly propaganda games (on both sides) just maybe a way forward could be possible.
[…] THE BENEFIT OF CONFLICT IN WEST PAPUA FOR BENNY WENDA […]
It is true that Benny thinks he is a great leader, and has convinced some in Britain that this is true. Perhaps he was a great leader in the OPM with his brother?
However, his asylum claims succeeded because of faults in the Papua justice system. Who can claim that he was not at risk of terrible treatment by police and in prison? Once these things are gone then Britain, Australia, and the United States (all of who support Indonesia) will have no reason to allow asylum seekers from Papua.
ILWP is the work of a small group from Oxford. After the failure of IPWP, it is no surprise that they are trying something new. They are promising things to people in Papua that they cannot deliver, and will only cause pain.
Hi Reader,
What is worrying about Benny Wenda is best explained by this blog
http://thegreatwenda.wordpress.com/
This maybe a fan website or it maybe a website organised by his “disciples”. If it is the latter it is extremely worrying as it indicates messianic pretentions and sociopathic neo-fascist tendencies. We are all aware of Papuan millenarianism heavily influenced by New Testament eschatology but this website is somewhat extreme calling all Papuans to be obedient to Benny, who is the instrument of God. Is it a coincidence that is not written in English so Benny’s rather small group of English supporters and politicians don’t notice it?
I couldn’t agree with you more! nice provoking article.
We will kill you once we find out who you are !!! God bless Benny Wenda !
Dear Reader and Padric
Having looked at the IPWP site I’m not sure how one can call it a failure. The group is only 6 months old and has already over 80 international politicans signed up. In my book that is success!
http://ipwp.org/pages/signatories.html
Have either of you ever visited Papua? I visited Papua with my husband and everyone we spoke with said that they wanted freedom from colonial rule. You could feel the oppression the Papuans live under. They are treated so badly by the Indonesians.
Indonesia’s claims of historical soverignity over Papua are flawed, otherwise they would surely also rule Papua New Guinea, as Papua and Papua New Guinea were once one country.
Senseless propaganda and promoting hatred of individuals will not bring peace. It just bites away at the soul of the perpetrator. Only through the peaceful intervention of the United Nations will a solution to Papua’s problems be found, and for that reason we must do all we can to make IPWP a success.
Yes…we all know who Benny Wenda, but brother please do not open the secret of Mr. Benny because we need him for our independence from Indonesia. I think Benny is the most promising leader for us all. God will forgive our leader Benny Wenda for every sin he make because he did it for the people. God will bless people in the world for their support.
Hi Janine,
I visit Papua regularly (not that means much because our ideology often clouds our judgement). Yes you are right papuans do want to free from colonialism, they also want to be free from poverty, illiteracy, economic exclusion. But does this have to mean Independence? Why is every answer to every problem independence? I get a little bit annoyed with the overly ideological and polarised nature of the Papuan debate.
What happened in the 40s, 50s and 60s is an indication of how everyone excluded the Papuans from determining their future. This includes the Dutch deliberately contructing a Dutch neo-colonial Papuan Nationalism that was vehemently anti-Indonesian and then selling out to the Americans. This left the Papuans to the Indonesian military’s brutal repression of that Dutch neo-colonial Nationalism to implement a American neo-colonial Indonesian Nationalism. Basically the Americans stole the resources from the Dutch who stole it from the Papuans.
You have to ask yourself would Independence really bring about freedom or just more neo-colonialism like in PNG. Would Independece mean Merdeka or civil war and tribalism eventually resulting in just another neo-colonial state just as repressive as Suharto’s Indonesia or the Dutch East Indies. (BTW PNG was never apart of Dutch colony of the East Indies it was never going to be apart of Indonesia)
To be really honest with you I get sick and tired of naive westerners getting indignant about Indonesia when in their own imperialist past their societies have grown wealthy at the expense of the Indonesian poor.
I also get annoyed with Indonesians who fail to acknowledge their own neo-colonial attitudes towards Papua and their over-blown nationalism that has led to so many Papuan deaths and ignoring real injustices. Perhaps non-Papuan Indonesians need to realise that by suppressing freedom of speech and failing to support self-determining policies that allow Papuan Indonesians to develop Papuans will continue to be second class citizens. Also many Papuan Indonesians really need to go back to the drawing board and develop a truly liberative theory of Merdeka that does not rely on 19th Century liberalism or conservative ethno-nationalism that is first totally unachievable, and second irresponsible because it creates conflict with forces in Indonesia that leads to further suffering of the ordinary Papuan people.
Too many people frame the debate as if it is Autonomy vs Independence/Freedom when in reality Freedom may be achieved in many different ways that do not have to involve conflict with the Indonesian state.
Hi Padric
Thank you for responding to my points. Yes, freedom does not necessarily need to involve independence, but whilst the Papuans are denied the right to freedom of speech and freedom of expression, then independence aspirations will always run high. If people are denied the right to expression, then it is only logical that they will feel that they must be free of that oppression so that they can express themselves.
No one can justify putting people in prison for 15 years as has befallen some Papuans for simply raising their national flag. Likewise, putting people on trial for taking part in a demonstration support the launch of IPWP in the UK, is only going to create more problems for Indonesia.
And expelling the Red Cross will also make members of the international community ask – ‘What is Indonesia trying to hide?’
Only by abiding by the 2001 Special Autonomy process will long term peace in the region come about. The tragic thing is that the Indonesian regime do not realise that the more they suppress acts of expression by the Papuans like flag raising and demos calling for freedom, then this will just add fire to their aspirations for freedom.
Padric, you may get sick and tired of so called ‘naive Westerners getting indignant about Indonesia when in their own imperialist past their societies have grown wealthy at the expense of the Indonesian poor”. However, it is important to note that many of these people come from countries where the lessons of imperialism have been learnt. These are countries where freedom of speech is held up as a beacon of society. Can you imagine for a minute the English government imprisoning people in Scotland or Wales for raising a flag?? It is ridiculous.
If Indonesia truly values freedom of speech and democracy, then they should afford Papuans that same right. The problem for Indonesia is that they have made many mistakes in recent history and do not seem to have learnt from East Timor. I have no doubt that international communities will intervene as they did 10 years ago if the current situtation continues.
Hi Janine,
I am now confused. Why do you support the IPWP again?
Hi Padric
Don’t be confused. Freedom is a beautiful thing.
Freedom of expression. Freedom to demonstrate without intimidation. Freedom to speak out without fear of being imprisoned. Freedom to raise a flag without being put in prison for 15 years.
All these freedoms and more are denied to Papuans.
Even Papuans who claim to be happy under Indonesian rule do not know the true meaning of freedom. They live under the same shackles as those that speak out and live in fear of their lives.
I want to use the freedom that I have to help Papuans have the same freedom so they can choose their own future. Lets re-run the ‘Act of Free Choice’. Surely we owe the Papuans that right. This is about humanity. Humanity counts more than Indonesia’s economic or imperial interests.
I hope you understand now why I support the IPWP
Hi Janine,
Freedom is an open hand willing to be open to the possibilities, while the IPWP is a closed fist trying to determine the outcome. The IPWP only has one manifesto and that is Independence and yet you seem to think that this is a good thing, considering it is totally unachievable and hence irresponsible because it is selling pipe dreams and can only demoralise the Papuan people not to mention the paranoia it will whip up in Indonesia allowing the TNI a free hand in Papua. Where is your economic support? No country outside some extemely tiny states in the Pacific and South America support you.
Everyone knows the AFC was a farce but it was a face saving device for the Dutch, so they could leave Papua without too much conflict. Why aren’t you idignant about the Dutch supressing the Pro- Indonesian Papuan movement in the 40s and 50s. Why don’t you get upset about your British government’s involvement in the 1965 coup that brought about a military dictatorship in Indonesia and kept the Indonesian people poor (including the Papuans)not to mention the wholescale massacres of Indonesian progressives to keep Indonesia selling cheap goods to the West. While we are on the subject what about the 1958 Outer Island rebellion or the manipulation of konfrontasi by Britain to keep Borneo from going entirely over to Indonesia. (See “The Genesis of Konfrontasi” by Poulgrain and “Subversion as Foreign Policy” by Kahin and Kahin).
Indonesia has survived a history of Western manipulation and you want them to listen to more Westerners once again telling them to break up their Nation? I’m not saying your intentions are are not geniune but seriously don’t you think they have the right to be suspicious?
If the Indonesian President announced tomorrow that he was going to put Papua on the Decolonisation list he would not be the Indonesian President the next day, look what happened to Wahid.
If you want to improve the situation in Papua stop talking Independence and start talking human rights and development, you never know the Indonesian government might even start listening to you.
I forgot to add, why does Benny Wenda continue to misrepresent the truth? For example he was arrested for allegedly leading a violent attack on Aperbura
see http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2002/10/31/papuan-separatist-leader-breaks-out-jail.html
But yet is interviewed in Europe saying he was arrested for raising the flag.
see
http://video.aol.com/video-detail/interview-with-benny-wenda-leader-of-the-west-papua-independence-movement/3671982884
I’m not saying he is guilty of the alleged crime as he never stood trial but why misrepresent the facts?
Padric
I think you have just shown the great misconception of IPWP, and I am grateful that you have done so that you can be corrected.
IPWP does not have a manifesto that is independence. It has a manifesto that seeks to give Papuans the chance to decide their own future. Maybe they would decide to remain part of Indonesia. Or maybe they would decide to be free.
Many people in Indonesia (yourself included) think IPWP is a closed hand trying to determine the outcome. The great thing about IPWP is that no one outside Papua can determine the outcome. Only the Papuan people can determine the outcome. IPWP aims to give Papuans the chance to have a re-run of the AFC by forcing the UN to re-run the AFC.
You admit yourself that the AFC was a farce. Do you not think that the Papuans deserve the chance to have a right and proper vote? Doing this would mean that that every man, woman, and child in Papua would determine their own future. Not Andrew Smith, Benny Wenda, or Lord Harries.
This is not about western manipulation. If we want to talk about manipulation and exploitation we could talk all day about Indonesia’s actions in Papua.
This is about humanity. I hope now that I have corrected your view on IPWP that you will understand why it is so important that it acheives success.
Regarding your final point “if you want to improve the situation in Papua stop talking Independence and start talking human rights and development”. I think we both know that Indonesia does not want to talk human rights in West Papua. If they did then they would not expel the Red Cross or put people in prison for raising a flag or making peaceful demonstration
Hi Janine,
You are not answering my questions. You say that the IPWP wants to re-run the AFC but how? The UN, USA, Holland, Britain, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, China, and Indonesia will not allow it, So how are you going to achieve it? Stop selling pipe dreams.
Padric
I am answering your questions. You asked me why I support IPWP and I answered that.
IPWP will achieve success by developing international support.
You say that Britian does not support, but they give exile to Papuan leaders and many politicans sign up for IPWP. I am sure many more will. Maybe you think it has no chance of success, but judging by the actions of Indonesia they obviously feel threatened by it and believe it does have a chance of success! Why else would they be putting people on trial for supporting it??
I dont believe IPWP sells ‘pipe dreams’ and neither does it make promises or declarations of independence. Look on their website. Where does it make any promises of independence??? It says clearly that its only aim is to give people in West Papua the right to self-determination. The right to choose their own future. Surely that is something every human being is entitled too.
Why are you so against giving the people of West Papua that choice?? I thought you said you had been to West Papua and spent time with the people, but with the attitude that you portray I am starting to doubt your credentials.
You are basically saying you would rather they suffered in silence rather than having a voice on the international stage? Despite acknowledging that the Papuans were the victims of AFC, you don’t think they are worthy of being given a proper vote once and for all. That is a shameful stance
Hi Janine,
You seem to like taking a high moral stance. Well let me also take one. I want you to remember what I have said in ten years time when you have had absolutely no success and all you have managed to do is create more conflict, had more Papuans killed, increased the millitary presence in Papua. You will have enabled the hardliners in Indonesia to argue their propaganda against giving Papuans more control over New Guinea and preventing a free International Press in Papua. While you create suspicion and discord some of will work for peace and the protection of Papuans and their ways of life. You will be still waving your flags when Papuans have become a tiny minority in a colonial state, the same as what your British Empire did to the Australian Aborigines. In the words of Reinhold Niebuhr
God grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change;
courage to change the things I can;
and wisdom to know the difference.
Oh and on another matter of high morality why does Benny Wenda continue to misrepresent the truth about the nature of his arrest?
He was arrested in 2002 allegedly for leading an attack on a police station where two people were killed.
see http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2002/10/31/papuan-separatist-leader-breaks-out-jail.html
Yet now that he is in Europe he claims he was arrested for peaceful protesting.
http://video.aol.com/video-detail/interview-with-benny-wenda-leader-of-the-west-papua-independence-movement/3671982884
I am not saying he was guilty of the charge as he never went to trial because he escaped prison. But why tell people in Europe otherwise. Is this a way a role model should be acting?
Padric, listen to yourself. Your arguments are quite frankly ridiculous.
You are now trying to blame the deaths of the people of West Papua on those who make peaceful demonstration thousands of miles away.
You claim that IPWP has a mandate for independence, when it makes no such claim.
You claim that to improve the situation in West Papua we should talk about human rights not independence, but you fail to say why Indonesia has no regard for human rights.
You moan on about the British colonial past, but forget the lessons that have been learnt from that era which have now made Britain a leading democracy. Yes, in Britain people in Scotland and Northern Ireland can raise their own flag without fear of being put in prison for 15 years.
Indonesia is not a democracy. You are fooling yourself if you believe for a minute that it is.
Your arguments sound like Indonesian propaganda to me. Blame everything on those outside of Indonesia so that the finger does not point at those committing the killing inside.
You don’t happen to also be ‘westpapuafree’ do you??
In your view we should just let Papuans suffer so that we dont upset the hardliners in Indonesia. That is a pathetic stance to take and a deeply shameful one
I’m a lawyer. Nice article, I can see that there is always a bad apple among freedom fighters. Benny is one of them, using the issue for personal benefit. Thanks
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I see you have two identic/similar blogs, but then I realise that one already inactive. Nice blog.
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Oh come on Janine tell that to the families of innocent Iraqi men women and children that your enlightened British military have killed over the last seven years. And btw maybe you should check out the Scottish highlands (were are all the people?…oh thats right they all live elsewhere … thats if they weren’t killed or sold into slavery). The Scottish highlands are no longer a problem because you practiced cultural and actual genocide. You won’t find many that complain about being good little Englishmen and women because you banished all the dissenters. Scotland now conforms to the economic system that England imposed on her, perhaps you would be less tolerant (like you were to the Irish until very recently) if they hadn’t.
Benny Wenda, a convicted murderer should never be released. Murdering a person is one of the worst crime that can be committed. It undermines the value of life and the punishment for this should be of comparable caliber. Should the minimum punishment be life in prison, or should the person have a chance to be released.
kepinggin lihat video pak benny wanda si pembunuh.
constantly i used to read smaller articles or
reviews which also clear their motive, and that is also
happening with this piece of writing which I
am reading now.