This statement has been released by West Papuan Independence Leader Benny Wenda after unconfirmed reports that 14 West Papuan refugees were arrested in Papua New Guinea yesterday. This is a developing story and more information is expected soon.

I am full of sadness to learn the terrible news that 14 West Papuan refugees have reportedly been  arrested in Papua New Guinea, near Vanimo on the West Papua border.

I got a phone call from Vanimo today and was told that last night 14 West Papuan refugees were arrested by the PNG Defence Force and are now in police custody.

I am so sad to hear of this news; as you know we West Papuans always regard Papua New Guineans as our twin Melanesian brothers and sisters and this land we all share is our home and the home of our ancestors before us.

Why were 14 civilian refugees arrested last night?  Of course we West Papuans are not a threat to Papua New Guinea, it is Indonesia which is a threat to Papua New Guinea, all of Melanesia and the wider Pacific. Over 500,000 innocent Melanesians have been killed by the Indonesian authorities ever since they invaded West Papua in 1963.

Over 10,000 West Papuan refugees have fled to Papua New Guinea to escape the horrors of the genocide and illegal Indonesian occupation of West Papua. Before I was a political prisoner in West Papua, I myself spent time as a refugee in Papua New Guinea and experienced first-hand how difficult life is for us refugees to survive in such poverty but we always felt that our Melanesian family would protect us.

When I was forced into exile, I left with my refugee people in the hands of the people of PNG and the PNG Government to look after them. After all, these people have fled brutality to seek refuge back in the safety of our Papua New Guinea family.

 

 

We West Papuans were all so happy when we heard the incredible remarks by the Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea. Hon. Peter O’Neill when he told us all that we were family.

He said “Sometimes we forget our own families, our own brothers, especially those in West Papua. I think, as a country, time has come for us to speak about the oppression of our people there.”

He went onto say “Pictures of brutality of our people appear daily on the social media, and yet we take no notice. We have the moral obligation to speak for those who are not allowed to talk. We must be the eyes for those who are blindfolded.”
We West Papuans were all so happy when we heard the incredible remarks by the Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea. Hon. Peter O’Neill when he told us all that we were family.

He said “Sometimes we forget our own families, our own brothers, especially those in West Papua. I think, as a country, time has come for us to speak about the oppression of our people there.”
These were incredible and historic words by Prime Minister Hon. Peter O’Neill and we West Papuans were also filled with hope when the PNG government last year said it would grant PNG citizenship to all West Papuan refugees living in Papua New Guinea.

But why then we these 14 West Papuan refugees arrested by the PNG Defence Force and treated like criminals?

On behalf of our people, I am sincerely calling upon Prime Minister Hon. Peter O’Neill and all the relevant PNG authorities to please release these 14 refugee people who were reportedly arrested near by the PNG Defence Force Vanimo last night.

Only today, Prime Minister Hon. Peter O’Neill was in a PNG Defence Force barracks and said
“I give you my commitment today that your government will restore the pride of the PNG Defence Force.”

As well all know, such pride could be greatly enhanced if the PNG Defence Force continues to protect everyone in PNG, including West Papuan refugees.

I am sure that the Prime Minister and the authorities will all have the compassion and true Melanesian solidarity to release their West Papuan family members from custody as it is not them who are any threat to our people whatsoever. The real threat comes from the more than 40,000 Indonesian soldiers stationed just across this human made border in illegally occupied West Papua. These Indonesian soldiers are the ones who regularly make illegal incursions into Papua New Guinea, and not to seek refuge but to terrorise our people.

That is why West Papuans are becoming refugees in Papua New Guinea. They are being brutalised and terrorized by the Indonesian military and police, often just for calling for our Independence and fundamental right to self-determination. Over the years more than 10,000 West Papuans have been forced to seek refuge in Papua New Guinea, but we hope and we sincerely believe that unlike the brutality of the Indonesian authorities, our Papua New Guinea family will treat us as wantoks and as Melanesian family members naturally do to one another.

Please let us all continue to stand together as one family and not to persecute but to help each and every one of our Melanesian family members, especially against the Indonesian military brutality in occupied West Papua.

Thank you very much

Benny Wenda
West Papuan Independence Leader
Spokesperson for the United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP)