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New Year message from Free West Papua Campaign |
Dear Friend of West Papua,
First of all may I wish you a happy new year.
2011 is my eighth year living in exile in the United Kingdom. My determination
to return home to a Free West Papua remains as strong as ever.
I am sure many of you will share my deep concerns at the recent comments made
by the Chief commander of Indonesia's TNI, Agus Suhartono, stating that the
torture of West Papuans is “not a serious human rights violationâ€. These
comments highlight the attitude of the Indonesian authorities towards
indigenous Papuans and show that the behaviour and mentality prevalent during
the brutal Suharto era remains. Under Indonesian law, torture carried out by
law enforcers is not considered a crime. A recent report by the Legal Aid
Foundation concluded that "beatings, intimidation, burnings and rape were so
commonplace that they were considered the norm".
UN peacekeepers are urgently needed in West Papua, and I repeat my calls for
foreign governments to support this in order to prevent further bloodshed and
suffering.
Please also contact your local member of Parliament and bring the Indonesian
commander's comments to their attention, encouraging them to sign up to the
West Papua declaration laid out by the International Parliamentarians for West
Papua (www.ipwp.org), which recognises the right of the West Papuan people to
self-determination.
If you know any legal professionals, please let them know about the work of the
International Lawyers for West Papua (www.ilwp.org), which is also actively
seeking new members.
This Saturday 8th January, we will be holding the first of our monthly vigils
outside the Indonesian Embassy at Grosvenor Square, London. If you are free,
please come and join us between 1pm – 3pm. We will be holding these vigils
every month. Full details are on the campaign website or Facebook group.
Finally let me once again wish you a peaceful and prosperous year ahead, and
thank you again for your continued support for our struggle for peace, justice,
democracy and freedom in West Papua. Your continued support is crucial to
helping create change.
Wa, wa wa.
Benny Wenda
West Papuan independence leader in the United Kingdom & Chair of the Koteka
Tribal Assembly
P.O Box.656, Oxford,OX3 3AP England UK
Mobile:+44(0)7766875009
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www.freewestpapua.org www.bennywenda.org
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