On Tuesday 18th April there will be an opportunity to listen to members of the West Papuan Liberation Movement to learn about the anti-colonial struggle in West Papua, and their vision for an ecological future. The free online event is supported by the Land Workers Alliance (LWA) and will feature Benny Wenda and Raki Ap from the Free West Papua campaign.
Many of you will no doubt have heard of Benny Wenda. In 1977 the Indonesian military, who have been in continual and ongoing occupation of West Papua since the early 1960s, began to attack the villages of the indigenous Lani people, including the village where Benny lived as a child. Members of his family were raped, mutilated and murdered as the West Papuan people were forced into subjugation by the brutal Indonesian regime. Later that year, 15,000 Lani people rebelled, but Lani villages (including Benny’s) were bombed by the Indonesian military aircraft in retaliation (Britain would suspend the sale of BAE Systems Hawk Jets to Indonesia when they later bombed villages in East Timor, but, until very recently, British Hawk Jets continued to be the backbone of the Indonesian military’s air power). It is estimated that between 100,000 and 500,000 people have been killed in the West Papuan conflict since 1962. Benny became a freedom fighter for the West Papuan Liberation Movement and was himself imprisoned and tortured before he managed to escape to the UK where he still lives in exile.
In 2004, Benny founded the Free West Papua campaign. Raki Ap, international spokesperson for the campaign, will join Benny for the online event. Raki works tirelessly to highlight the fact that the liberation and self-determination of West Papua has the potential to save the world’s third largest rainforest. West Papua covers the two western peninsulas of New Guinea, the world’s second largest island and a major hotspot for biodiversity. Indonesia is the world’s largest producer of everyone’s favourite ecological disaster… palm oil. West Papua has one of the highest levels of plant diversity in the world, it is also home to an incredible diversity of fauna and human cultures. Imagine what the palm oil industry will do to that.
Diversity, of course, is an anathema to neoliberalism. And Indonesia’s current foreign economic policy (FEP) is straight out of the neoliberal playbook. Indonesia seeks economic self-sufficiency and its constitution and political focus would seem to run contrary to neoliberal ideals. But as long as it continues its colonial activities in places like West Papua, it is living a lie. A decolonial stance would benefit the vast majority of Indonesians as well as the indigenous people of West Papua. The only genuine way to fight problems like ecological collapse, climate change, oppression and poverty is to dismantle colonialism, capitalism and the hackneyed myth of economic growth (and palm oil plantations for that matter!). Benny and Raki will lead a discussion about the situation in West Papua and the hope offered by indigenous-led futures to combat ecological devastation and climate change.
To book your free place visit: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/fighting-colonialism-and-ecocide-west-papua-and-the-green-state-vision-tickets-601450082387
Murib was arrested on Wednesday (April 5) for his alleged involvement in a series of violence in the region, Head of Operation Damai Cartenz Senior Commissioner Faizal Rahmadani stated here on Friday.
The suspect is currently detained at the Puncak District Police precinct, Rahmadani revealed.
"Yamison Murib is a subordinate of the armed group leadership in Puncak, Numbuk Telenggen, and Pilanus Walker, who were involved in several actions that resulted in the deaths of civilians and military and police personnel," Rahmadani, concurrently the Director of Crimes for the Papua Regional Police, stated.
Murib was involved in the shooting of a motorcycle taxi driver Udin on April 14, 2021, in Eromaga Village, Omukia District; the burning of a base transceiver station (BTS) tower on January 3, 2021; and the torching of the UP MI815 helicopter belonging to PT. Ersa at the Aminggaru Airport on April 11, 2021.
He was also involved in the shooting of members of Operation Nemangkawi, a joint police-military territorial operation, in Olenki Village on April 27, 2021, Rahmadani remarked.
Yamison Murib is a member of the Papuan armed group that often committed violent acts in Ilaga, Puncak District. The authority has put him on the list of wanted persons.
Related news: Separatist group attacks marine post in Papua, one soldier dead
Related news: Safety of hostage pilot priority: Indonesian President
By Jerome Wirawan & George Wright
BBC News in Jakarta and London
Separatists in Indonesia's Papua region who took a New Zealand pilot hostage in February have told authorities to stop searching for him, and to start negotiating.
Philip Mehrtens was kidnapped after landing his plane in Papua's remote mountainous province of Nduga. He is being held by West Papua National Liberation Army (TPNPB) fighters.
"The pilot is still with us," TPNPB spokesperson Sebby Sambom told BBC Indonesian in a message.
"The Indonesian government has to be bold and sit with us on a negotiation table and not [deploy] military and police to search the pilot," he added.
He denied reports that the group was prepared to drop a demand for the Indonesian government to recognise Papuan independence before they could consider freeing him.
The Reuters news agency reported on Thursday that Mr Sambom indicated this could be the case.
"The demand for Papua's independence has already conveyed from a long time ago. That demand will not be perished, that's the main demand of Papua nation," Mr Sambom said.
Previously a Dutch colony, Papua declared independence in 1961, but Indonesia took control two years later.
The resource-rich region has been caught in a battle for independence ever since it was brought under Jakarta's formal control in a UN-supervised vote in 1969.
Mr Mehrtens was kidnapped after his small passenger plane, which belongs to Indonesia's Susi Air, landed in Nduga in early February.
His plane had departed from the Mozes Kilangin airport in Central Papua, and was meant to return a few hours later after dropping off five passengers.
But shortly after landing, rebels stormed the single-engine plane and seized the Christchurch native.
The TPNPB later told BBC Indonesian that Mr Mehrtens had been moved to a stronghold district for the group in a remote area, and he would be used as "leverage" in political negotiations.
The group said the pilot was being held because New Zealand co-operates militarily with Indonesia.
The other passengers, who were indigenous Papuans, were released.
Around a week later the separatists released video footage of Mr Mehrtens reading a prepared statement in which he repeated the rebels' demands.
Papuan rebels seeking independence from Indonesia have previously issued threats and even attacked aircraft they believe to be carrying personnel and supplies for Jakarta.
Conflicts between indigenous Papuans and the Indonesian authorities are common, with pro-independence fighters mounting more frequent attacks since 2018.
The region is divided into two provinces, Papua and West Papua. It is separate from Papua New Guinea, which was given independence by Australia in 1975.
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