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| Benny Wenda |
Global campaigner for the Freedom of the country and people of West Papua Benny Wenda wishes to thank the Government and Chiefs and people for allowing Vanuatu to be used as the beacon of hope in the Pacific for helping the people of West Papua to maintain their fifty-year old call for self-determination.
Wenda has made the above statement in his first press conference in the Chiefs Nakamal this week.
West Papua home of the birds of paradise, home of the tree kangaroos, home of the rivers. But today Wenda says, “West Papua is the home of the Indonesian military, home of the police and is almost a militarised zone and we don’t have any freedom and the media has been banned since Indonesia’s start of occupation in 1963.
“Indonesian has committed genocide on a Melanesian race. Indonesia looks at West Papuans as sub human. Indonesia looks at West Papuans as second class citizens and Indonesian soldiers are killing West Papuans based primarily on the colour of their skin. That is why Indonesians do not care for a Melanesian race in existence in West Papua. (I predict that) in 20-30 years’ time the Melanesian race will disappear from West Papua if the people of Vanuatu and others do not come to our aid now”.
Wenda says it is his hope that the people of Melanesia and especially the people of Vanuatu, will continue to raise the West Papua issue at all relevant regional and international forums in line with the “cry of the people of West Papua for freedom”.
