News Stories
Category: Human Rights
Benny Wenda: Prabowo or Jokowi, a referendum is still the only solution
October 21, 2024
As Prabowo Subianto takes office as Indonesian President, the ULMWP restates its basic demand for an internationally-mediated referendum on independence. The continued violation of our self-determination is the root cause of the West Papua conflict. Only a referendum can resolve our issue. This is a frightening time for my people. Prabowo is complicit in genocide in West Papua and […]
Benny Wenda: Tackling climate change means fighting for West Papuan freedom
October 16, 2024
Two gigantic ecocidal developments have been launched in West Papua, showing again that Indonesia’s occupation of West Papua is a threat to the entire world. In Merauke, Indonesia have broken ground on the biggest deforestation project on earth, covering an area bigger than Switzerland, the Netherlands, or Israel and Palestine put together. Five million hectares of […]
President Wenda: ULMWP welcomes Phillip Mehrtens’ release
September 22, 2024
On behalf of the ULMWP, I wholeheartedly welcome the release of Phillip Mehrtens after one and a half years in captivity. The most important thing is that Mr Mehrtens is safely reunited with his family. His safe return has been a top priority and I have been working towards this aim since the beginning, facilitating negotiations, opening new lines […]
West Papua APPG held in UK Parliament
September 10, 2024
The inaugural West Papua All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) of the new Parliament was held in the House of Commons today (10/09/2024). Chaired by Alex Sobel MP (Labour), the APPG was attended by MPs Luke Akehurst (Labour), Alex Ballinger (Labour), Jeremy Corbyn (Independent), Tan Dhesi (Labour), Alex Barros-Curtis (Labour), Lord Richard Harries, and addressed by ULMWP […]
Benny Wenda: Welcome new Pacific Islands Forum call for a UN visit
August 30, 2024
As President of the ULMWP and on behalf of the people of West Papua, I welcome the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) Communique reaffirming the 2019 call for a UN High Commissioner for Human Rights visit to West Papua: Leaders recalled their decision from 2019 and 2023 and noted the update from the Special Envoys. The 2019 […]
A Historic Choice: ULMWP President Benny Wenda Pacific on the 2024 Pacific Islands Forum
August 26, 2024
The 2024 Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) Leaders’ Meeting is a critical moment for Pacific leaders to show courage and leadership on one of the biggest issues facing our region: West Papua. It is time for PIF to reaffirm their 2019 call for a UN High Commissioner for Human Rights visit to West Papua. It has now been […]
President Wenda: Pacific leaders should not trust war criminal Prabowo
August 23, 2024
As President of the ULMWP, I condemn the meeting between incoming Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto and Papua New Guinea Prime Minister James Marape. Melanesian leaders cannot trust this dangerous war criminal. Prabowo may speak softly, but he is complicit in genocide. Tens of thousands of West Papuans and East Timorese were killed under his jurisdiction while he […]
President Wenda: Indonesia is lying about the death of New Zealand pilot
August 16, 2024
As President of the ULMWP and on behalf of the people of West Papua, I am calling on the world to pay attention to the firm denial by the West Papua National Liberation Army (TPNPB) that they killed the New Zealand pilot Glen Malcolm Conning. I again mourn his tragic death and all for the Indonesian military in order […]
Benny Wenda: Indonesia put New Zealand pilot in danger, ULMWP mourns his death
August 6, 2024
The ULMWP is aware of reports that the West Papua National Liberation Army (TPNPB) has recently killed a New Zealand helicopter pilot named Glen Malcolm Conning in Alama, Mimika Regency. If true, I condemn this killing in the strongest possible terms. We mourn Conning’s death and do not want any more blood shed on West Papuan land. […]
Benny Wenda: Massacre in Puncak Jaya shows West Papua is a time bomb
July 24, 2024
The brutal killing of three Papuan civilians in Puncak Jaya shows that occupied West Papua is a ticking time bomb, and under Indonesian President-elect Prabowo Subianto could become another East Timor. The names of the victims were Tonda Wanimbo, Dominus Enumbi, and Murib Government. Their murders were followed by riots in Puncak Jaya, as enraged indigenous residents protested in […]