“FWPC separatist movement actively
campaigns and builds international support for independence of West
Papua. They do this by discrediting Indonesian government”, Dewa Made
Juniarta Sastrawan said this when speaking to a seminar in Sungaliat,
this Wednesday. The seminar entitled: Development efforts to improve
Indonesian diplomacy in handling the increase of West Papua issues
abroad.
Made explained that for the last three years the dynamic of West Papua
problem in the United Kingdom has become more and more dangerous. The
negative campaign which is driven by the Free West Papua Campaign
(FWPC) is not only dangerous in the United Kingdom but has already
spread to other Western European countries such as the Netherlands.
“Central theme of the FWPC which is led by Richard Samuelson and Benny
Wenda is the problem of releasing/freeing Yusak Pakage and Filep Karma
who were jailed for raising Morning Star flag, the separatist flag”, he
added.
Free West Papua Campaign routinely campaigns through singing West
Papuan songs using West Papuan music and TIFA. Their songs have been
broadcasted by BBC London and at various other places particularly in
Oxfordshire region. The goal of the Free West Papua Campaign is to gain
political support from the country where they base in and then move on
to gain international communities and the United Nations support to
achieve West Papua self-determination which is separation from the
Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia.
Additional issues that FWPC raises are the human rights situation and
socio-economic issues of the people of West Papua. One issue that they
always raise is the shooting of Opinus Tabuni in Wamena on the 9th of
August 2008. Other issues that they also speak out are the torture of
Ferdinand Pakage at Abepura prison on the 24th September 2008 and the
arrest of Buchtar Tabuni on the 3rd of December 2008.
They always relate the socio-economic problems with the failure of the
special autonomy policy. Cholera disease, HIV/AIDS, education and
environmental destruction are considered as injustice that the
Indonesian citizens who live in Papua are facing.
Richard Samuelson is very actively sending e-mails to members of UK
parliament, UK ministers and community leaders and all letters that he
sent copied to Indonesian embassy officials in London. According to
Made, Richard Samuelson’s campaign has not received sympathy as he
expected but we must be alert.
Free West Papua Campaign (FWPC) also uses All Party Parliamentary Group
on West Papua (APPG-WP), a formal institution within the UK parliament,
to gather UK parliamentarians and the House Lords who may be interested
to know and to discuss issues related to West Papua. Made advised
Indonesian citizens and government to be alert of Free West Papua
Campaign on any development issues in West Papua. ant/kp
Original sources:
http://republika.co.id/berita/19435.html and http://www.hupelita.com/baca.php?id=60711
Free West Papua Campaign (FWPC) in the UK threatens the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia
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