Free Papua Organization, or TPNPB – OPM, has condemned Benny Wenda claim that an interim government was being formed in the Republic of West Papua.
Benny Wenda Harming Papuans
Comnas TPBNPB – OPM Chief of General Staff Major General Terryanus Satto called it a failure of the group that the interim government was declared and Benny Wenda was appointed interim head.
“Benny Wenda’s claim as interim president of the Republic of West Papua is a failure of the ULMWP and Benny Wenda himself. We do not recognize that claim,” said Terryanus Satto.
Benny Wenda’s declaration was not recognized by TPNPB – OPM because they made it in an English-speaking country. Therefore, the statement of Benny Wenda and the ULMWP does not have the legitimacy of most of the Papuan people. Additionally, it takes place beyond the purview of the national revolution for West Papua’s freedom.
“We also do not recognize Benny Wenda’s claim as interim president. Because, Benny Wenda is a British citizen. According to international law, foreign nationals cannot become president of the Republic of West Papua,” he said.
Satto said that the declaration of the formation of the Republic of West Papua government in the UK is not logical. Likewise, Benny Wenda, who claims to be the interim president of the Republic of West Papua but has an office in the UK, “is not acceptable to common sense.”
Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs Mahfud MD called Benny Wenda ‘Created an Illusionary State
Referring to the 1933 Montevideo Treaty, Mahfud MD explained that the conditions for the establishment of a state were the existence of the people, the territory, and the government.
“Who are the people? He is rebelling, he is an outsider. The territory is Papua. We are the real ones in control. The government, who recognizes him as the government? The Papuans themselves do not recognize it,” said Mahfud, MD.
He claimed that following the 1969 vote, the UN Assembly declared West Papua an Indonesian territory.
“It is impossible for the UN to make a decision twice on the same matter,” he said.
He also asked the public not to be influenced by the declaration, which he said was “only done on Twitter.”
The government, continued Mahfud, said that the government would focus on a welfare approach to Papua. One of them is by planning to amend Law 21/2001 on special autonomy by increasing the budget for remarkable independence from 2% to 2.25%.
Previously, the armed organization TPNPB-OPM, which supports Papuan independence, likewise viewed Benny Wenda’s announcement of the interim government of West Papua as “lacking legitimacy.”
However, both groups oppose the second special autonomy, which the Indonesian government claims will accelerate Papua’s development.
The OPM’s military wing, the West Papua National Liberation Army-Free Papua Movement (TNPBP-OPM), has regularly engaged the Indonesian military in armed conflict. They do not recognize the claim of the chairman of the United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP), Benny Wenda as interim president of West Papua.
The decision made by Benny Wenda was seen to be detrimental to the Papuan people’s goal of achieving complete independence from Indonesia.
Indonesia’s Government’s Attitude Towards His Action?
A spokesman for the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Teuku Faizasyah, denied Wenda’s legitimacy and the ULMWP’s move to form an interim government.
Laus Deo Calvin Rumayom, Expert Staff of the Presidential Staff Office of Deputy V for Politics, Law and Defense, Security, and Human Rights, emphasized special autonomy (Otsus) as a “middle way” to resolve the Papuan conflict.
“We at KSP focus on the problem of stagnant development,” said Laus.
“In Papua, the main issue is that of development . Also how we can speed it up so as to get out of the lag that many of our people have complained. They complain about in relation to the development priorities in Otsus. Those include education, health, welfare, economy, infrastructure and others,” Laus explained later.
