President Wenda: West Papua Independence Day Speech, December 1st 2025

December 2, 2025

Below is the full version of the speech that ULMWP Interim President Benny Wenda gave at Oxford Town Hall on December 1, 2025.

Wa wa wa wa wa. In the name of Yahweh, in the name of our West Papuan ancestors, and in the name of the bones of our suffering, I open this December 1st—our day of celebration and reflection—by remembering all the West Papuans who have been killed over the past year.

Today we gather in Oxford Town Hall, far from our homeland but united in spirit. I wish to express my deep gratitude to Elise Benjamin, Craig Simmons, former Lord Mayor of Oxford, FWPC Board Members, local Council Representatives, Rev Skye Denno, our Church Congregation, and all our friends around the world who raise the Morning Star flag — from West Papua to South Africa, across Melanesia and the Pacific. My thanks also go to the cross-party support of the Oxford City Council, who have welcomed me, supported our community, and allowed us to raise our flag every December 1st.

Receiving the Freedom of the City of Oxford was one of the proudest moments of my life — a recognition not just for me, not just for my family, but for all West Papuans who are fighting for Independence.

I Thank and Embrace all West Papuans today: our ULMWP Legislative and Executive councils, our West Papua military wings defending their land with bows and arrows, and our brave young Man and woman member of GR-PWP, AMP students, KNPB, Indonesia solidarity groups, Religious Leaders and Elders who risk their lives daily for our rightful struggle.

December 1st – The Political Manifestation of West Papua

December 1st marks the Day of West Papua’s political manifestation—a symbol of our identity, our history, and our unbroken commitment to justice and self-determination.As we stand together, we honor those who have sacrificed so much, and we renew our commitment to freedom. Every action we take, every voice raised, every Morning Star flag flown across the world is a testament to our unity and dignity as a people.

This day is both a remembrance and a call to action. Our celebration is a reminder that our struggle continues, fuelled by courage, resilience, and the hope for a free West Papua.

On this day in 1961, the New Guinea Council raised the Morning Star flag and sang the national anthem in an independence ceremony witnessed by five countries: the UK, the Netherlands, France, Australia, and Papua New Guinea. Our flag raising in 1961 was witnessed by the UK; today, we reaffirm that recognition by raising our flag here in the UK. West Papua was to become the first independent Melanesian state. But one year later, our sovereign state was stolen from us when Indonesia invaded—from one colonial power to another.

This was an illegal invasion of a nation preparing for independence. Every West Papuan knows that our fight is about justice, about right and wrong, and about international law. We are fighting to restore our stolen sovereignty.

Because West Papua is a nation-in-waiting, the ULMWP must be a government-in-waiting. That is why we have formed our Constitution, Cabinet, governing structure, and Green State Vision. We have seven regional executives representing our seven customary regions. This year, we took our greatest step towards self-governance yet: the inauguration of more than 2,300 official ULMWP representatives across our country—from the President and Prime Minister down to the village and clan level. Our governing structure is now complete.

Today, I am proud to announce that we are extending our sovereignty by creating West Papuan ID cards for our future citizens. These cards will be a symbol of Merdeka— freedom—for all who carry them. They declare: “I am not an Indonesian. I am a proud West Papuan.” Our aim is to build our strength and capacity so that the world must hear our cry. We are asking peacefully—not with bullets, not with bombs, not with bloodshed—but through international mechanisms.

West Papuans are ready to govern our own affairs. The world should have no doubt: the ULMWP is ready to fulfil all conditions of the Montevideo Convention, including a government on the ground and the capacity to engage with other states. On behalf of the ULMWP, I give thanks to the brave men and women risking everything to build our movement on the ground. You keep the spirit of freedom alive, as generations of West Papuans have done throughout history. Our ancestors are with us in this fight.

Remembering Those Lost to Occupation

Every year on December 1st, we remember those lost to the occupation. This year is particularly painful because we remember a massacre committed in October by Indonesian military forces in Soanggama Village, Intan Jaya. In the early morning, while villagers slept, soldiers went house to house, shooting and torturing. Fifteen people were killed, including an elderly woman who was raped and drowned. Soanggama is only the latest in a long line of mass killings in West Papua. We have never received justice for:

• Bloody Paniai (2014)

• Bloody Abepura (2000)

• Biak Massacre (1998)

• Wasior Massacre (2001)

• Wamena Massacre (2003)

• The killing of 12,000 in Paniai (1984)

• The genocide of thousands in Baliem Valley (1977), including many of my own family members

• The murder of 3,000 Papuans in Manokwari (1967)

I mention these incidents, so they are not forgotten. We may not know all their names, but we will never forget that it was Indonesia who killed them.

Intan Jaya has become a warzone in 2025. In May, another massacre was committed, killing up to fifteen residents, including a 75-year-old elder and two schoolchildren. Two months earlier, Indonesia destroyed many villages in a massive bombing campaign.

Why Intan Jaya? Because Indonesia wants our land, not our people. Between Paniai and the border, there is gold in every mountain. Together with foreign corporations, Indonesia is building the Wabu Block Gold Mine, a massive project the size of Jakarta, protected by thousands of soldiers. When the local people resist forest destruction, they are killed.

This is happening across the highlands. In Oksibil, near the PNG border, Indonesia continues large-scale bombing campaigns. In West Papua, there are two crimes: ecocide and genocide. They are connected at every level. Indonesia claims to be a climate leader, but they are deceiving the world. President Prabowo Subianto has imposed martial law. West Papua is run by the military: commanders are given plantations or mines for personal profit. Martial law is also why Indonesia has created five new provinces—to divide our unity and control our country.

Within twenty years, the West Papuan forest will be destroyed. Independent experts and NGOs confirm this. Across West Papua, Indonesia is building mines and plantations for gold, silver, nickel, timber, copper, rice, and other resources.It is not just Wabu Block. In Merauke, Indonesia is destroying an area of forest the size of Wales—the largest deforestation project in human history. Indonesia cannot claim to offer climate solutions while destroying the lungs of the world—the third-largest rainforest on Earth. Only the ULMWP offers a true solution through our Green State Vision.

From the beginning of 2018 until 2025, approximately 80,000 West Papuans were internally displaced in Osibil, Intan Jaya, Puncak Jaya, and Maybrat. Today, that number has risen to over 100,000, forced from their homes by massacres and relentless bombing.

In the Star Mountains, Indonesia killed TPNPB Commander Lamek Taplo and his men during an October bombing. Commander Taplo had recently testified to the world about the suffering of his people, bravely giving voice to their pain.

This is not an equal fight. It is David versus Goliath. The TPNPB guard their ancestral lands with bows and arrows. The Indonesian military uses drones, missiles, helicopters, sniper rifles, and fighter jets. They are fighting an ancient people, an ancient culture, trying to protect their forests and rivers.

Calling the World to Witness

While Indonesia destroys West Papua, they also hide their crimes. This is why the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights has been denied access, despite demands from more than 110 UN Member States. It has been nearly seven years since Indonesia promised a UN fact-finding mission.

The recent joint statement by Nauru, Micronesia, Samoa, Vanuatu, and the Marshall Islands is just one of many since 2018. Yet Indonesia continues to disrespect the Pacific and the world.

That is why we need you—our solidarity groups and friends worldwide—to continue advocating for our cause. What Indonesia hides in darkness, you must bring to light.

Thanks to Our Allies

On behalf of the West Papuan people, I thank the International Lawyers for West Papua, the International Parliamentarians for West Papua and All party Parliamentarian group in the uk, our diplomatic allies, the Pacific Council of Churches, the people of Vanuatu and their Government for your consistent support, Pacific and Melanesian leaders who supported us this year and reaffirmed the UN visit to West Papua, solidarity groups in New Zealand, Australia, Solomon Islands, PNG, Vanuatu, Fiji, Kanaky, Micronesia, Polynesia, Africa, UK, Europe, and the US. Thank you all.

A Call to Unity

To all West Papuans—whether living in cities, the highlands, costal region in the islands, in prison, in exile, in Indonesia, or as Military wings in the bush—I ask you to unite behind the ULMWP. Unity is what Indonesia fears most. It is our strongest weapon. We are one people, with one soul, one destiny. Over the next year, we will continue building our strength through unity. We look forward to rejoining our Melanesian family as full members of the MSG. We will advance our peaceful struggle on all fronts, in all international forums. We must stay strong and determined. Independence is coming.

One day soon, the Morning Star will fly free in villages across West Papua. Our people will hunt in their forests and tend their gardens in peace. We will reclaim our sovereignty and celebrate true freedom. God bless West Papua.

Benny Wenda
President
ULMWP