Tuesday, June 11, 2002 12:17:56 PM

Press Statement

State-Terrorism in West Papua still Continues:

The Arrest of Benny Wenda, S.Sos, Secretary-General of Koteka Tribal Assembly is Illegal, Baseless and an Act of Terror, before the Assassination of the Late Ondofolo Dortheys Hiyo Eluay has not yet been completely revealed and the killers brought to justice

Benny Wenda, the Secretary General and or Chair of Koteka Tribal Assembly (Dewan Musyawarah Adat Masyarakat Koteka - Demmak) was arrested on 08 June 2001, 01:00PM Papua Time (+9GMT) with three charges: (1) He was behind the attack of Abepura Police Post on 06 December 2000, which resulted in the "Bloody Abepura"; (2) He was accused as the organiser of various meetings to attack military posts in West Papua, and (3) He was charged for having to passports with two nationalities (Papua New Guinea and Indonesia).

He was taken by force, dragged with force, and tied without showing any Letter of Order or telling him why. He was treated fiercely and now he is detained at the local Police Station. 

Yesterday, 80 Demmak members visited the Police Commander for Papua (Kapolda) and asked him to release Benny as soon as possible but failed. Today, about 500 are peacefully gathering and occupying the Papua Parliament Office (DPRD) and demanding the Indonesian police to release the illegal and inhuman arrest.

While the assassination of the Late Papuan Leader and Tribal Elder (Ondofolo) Dortheys Hiyo Eluay has been denied by the Indonesian Government. Today the President is visiting Vatican Holy Seat, John Pope II to deny her sins over human beings in West Papua.

We urge the world leaders and human beings in this planet earth to act proactively and preventively before the next East Timor, Moluccas, Sambas, Posso and Acheh Bloodbaths begin in West Papua soil. Since 4 June 2000, Papuan people, in our congress have declared the independence movement in West Papua be peaceful (non-violent), based on justifiable legal, moral and democratic bases.

• Please phone the Papua Police and Army Commanders of Indonesia in West Papua.
• Please urge the Office of the UN High Commission on Human Rights to act right now to send and supervise human rights situation in West Papua.
• Please urge NGOs and individuals as well as media to come to West Papua to witness the bloodbaths beginning soon. 

Yours sincerely,


Sem Karoba (PDP EuroPress Desk)
Spokesperson of Demmak for International Community

Background Information

The arrest of Benny Wenda is inseparable to events in 1963-1969 (during decolonisation and recolonisation period). West Papua was at first place assassinated by the UN, the USA, the Netherlands and Indonesia by passing the UN GA Resolution 2504 (XXIV) of 19 November 1969.

During Suharto's rule, estimated 300,000 Papuans have been killed, disappeared and many more were raped, tortured, and killed in various ways such as poisoning of foods, water, etc.

Experience of the forceful arrests, tortures, disappearances, and assassinations Papuan leaders are not new here. In 1960s, many Papuan leaders were killed, and some escaped and now they reside permanently abroad (mostly in the Netherlands). In 1980s, Obeth Tabuni, Laurens Dloga, Arnold AP (in April 1954) and Mecky Salossa were murdered by the Indonesian army.

In 1996, Dr. Thomas W. Wainggai died after his food was poisoned in Cipinang Prison, Jakarta in early 1996.

Last year, exactly two months after terrorist attack on America, Tribal Elder (Ondofolo) and Papuan Political Leader, Dortheys Hiyo Eluay was kidnapped and assassinated by the Indonesian Special Forces (Kopassus) on 11 November 2001. The investigation into this mysterious and sadistic murder has not yet been revealed transparently. E.U. Parliament passed a motion asking the UN Secretary-General, UN High Commission on Human Rights and the Indonesian Government to take effective measures to bring the conflicts to an end and to reveal the mystery. Papuan leaders visited the Chair of House of Parliament (DPR), Akbar Tandjung and the President, Megawati Taufik Kiemas but they are not yet able to reveal the names and identities of the killers and the motif of the killing as well as "who" gave the order to kill Theys.

One day before the arrest of Benny Wenda, Theys' grave was burned down (vandalized) and the perpetrators are not yet taken to be accountable. (http://www.westpapua.net/news/02/06/06/080602-theys.htm) 

Rumours and gossips of the Indonesian military operations at all levels all over West Papua territory terrify villagers here. Our rights to live as human beings are already taken away. We are dead bodies speaking to you, with a hope if you have humane ears and hearts to listen to and to act for us.

Today, 10 June 2002, Megawati Taufik Kiemaas is meeting John Pop II, in Rome to deny her sins to human beings in West Papua, but on the same day, another Papuan leader is arrested by the state-apparatus.

Expected Impacts of the Arrest

1. We are patient in enduring sufferings under the hands of Indonesian military and or state-terrorism in West Papua. However, since the murder of the late Ondofolo Dortheys Hiyo Eluay, the situation here is changing.
   People can react angrily and Indonesia state-apparatus will respond fiercely as they normally do here, and this will cause more bloodbaths here in West Papua;
2. People in Timika and its vicinity will occupy PT Freeport MacMoRan Gold and Copper Operation Sites and demand the company to be responsible for gross violations of human rights in West Papua since April 1967. We believe, Freeport supports the military operations in West Papua.
3. Koteka People all over West Papua will occupy peacefully the Local Parliament Buildings in their territory until Benny is released. This will cause more brutal actions by the Indonesian army and police (the state-terrorist apparatus).
4. Indonesia will drop more troops into West Papua, in addition to more than 5 battalions already in West Papua, plus Jihad Troops, plus the Red-and-White militia group.
5. Terrorist groups in Indonesia will have more rooms to maneuver their games and claim their activities as the power against separatist movement, even though actually they are fighting a Jihad War.

To read more: http://www.westpapua.net/news/02/06/080602-bwenda1.htm,  http://www.westpapua.net/news/02/06/080602-bwenda.htm