Independence leader and spokesman of the United Liberation Movement for West Papua, Benny Wenda, was interviewed by Radio Australia on West Papua joining the Melanesian Spearhead Group and Indonesia’s attempts to do the same
http://www.radioaustralia.net.au/…/west-papuan-inde…/1446830
Benny Wenda: “The prime minister has a right to welcome Indonesia, but my point of view is that West Papua is Melanesia. Indonesia has no right to stand in the way of what must be a decIsion made my Melanesia, because West Papua is for Melanesia and only Melanesia and West Papua is Melanesia – culturally, identically, geographically is Melanesia. So my point of view is that West Papua is a Melanesian issue and the Melanesian leaders already promised that West Papua was welcome. And based on that, that West Papua needed to be united for MSG and we already filled our obligations. We are now united and only Indonesia can divide it.
But we’re all Melanesian Papuans and West Papuans have already become a united voice. And we are ready to come and become a member, a full member and we are entitled to become a full member and Indonesia can by right work bilaterally with Papua New Guinea in trade and business investment. But the issue of West Papua is a Melanesian issue and pacific issue so that
I’m really confident as the Melanesian leaders have already promised”
ABC’s Richard Ewart: “Lets look Benny then at best case scenario which is that the United Liberation movement for West Papua is admitted to the Melanesian Spearhead group but at the same time, at some stage in the future that Indonesia is admitted as an associate member. Is it better from your point of view in campaigning for the liberation of West Papua to have the enemy within than without? in other words have Indonesia within the room so that you can perhaps meet them face to face?”
Benny Wenda: “Yes i think that’s a good way, we come to the table as equal partners to talk and what’s really happened. In terms of the human rights issues, in terms of the West Papua campaign for rights and self determination. So that is one way, we can sit down and Indonesia is an observer and they can by right witness but we are West Papuans and we are Melanesians. we are entitled to be a full member because the principles of Melanesia. Why is Melanesia standing for Melanesia because this talking about the Melanesian issues of Melanesians. So that’s why I’m more welcome to Indonesia if they want to be an observer, they are already an observer. But from the United Liberation movement,
we already applied for full membership and we already fulfilled our obligation to apply, already.So now we just discuss among our people, because Melanesia is across the Pacific and also the majority are supportive for West Papua to become a full member. And I hope all the leaders will support.
ABC’s Richard Ewart: That Benny would be a positive spin on Indonesia being admItted at some stage as an associate member. As you siad they’ve had observer status but an associate member would give then a different ranking within the Melanesian spearhead group. The question is what do they do with that because we saw the President say only 48 hours or so ago that journalists. foreign journalists would be admitted to West Papua. 24 hours later we’re told yes, they will be admitted to West Papua but there’ll be a whole string of criteria they’ll have to fulfil first in order to get a visa, one of which is not to be critical of the Indonesian Government. So we’re no further forward are we? Isn’t that the issue, you can’t really trust what you’re being told?”
Benny Wenda: “I heard that Indonesia already promised. They need to prove their promise to the world that we allow. The other hand is that one of the Indonesian generals saying the other day that under circumstances all the journalists can visit West Papua but just in the major cities like Jayapura and cover what are the good things about Indonesia like development. But why the other places like Wamena and Timika or Putat Jaya or Same or Biak Island. Why is that? That is a little bit, from my point of view a little bit doubt. But we have been campaigning for a very long time for access, for 52 years is too long so i think this is first time so I hope they fulfil their promise to the world and also the president, himself already, regarding the Paniai killing the facts that they were killed and there is a problem. But he didn’t talk about it in his tour of West Papua and in Papua New Guinea. And ignoring of the continued killing in West Papua that is a little bit of a concern”
Interview transcript by Australians for a Free West Papua
