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| Tuan Benny Wenda dan Tuan Filep Karma |
We are very happy to report that two prominent West
Papuan
independence leaders have been nominated for the 2013 Nobel Peace Prize.
Both the founder of the Free West Papua
Campaign Benny Wenda and West
Papuan political prisoner Filep Karma have been successfully nominated
for the world renowned award for their lifetime’s work in struggling for
peace, freedom and justice for their nation of West Papua.
The award
The Nobel Peace Prize award is one of
the most renowned awards in the
world and is awarded by the Nobel Committee to those who have “done
the most or the best work for fraternity between nations, for the
abolition or reduction of standing armies and for the holding and
promotion of peace congresses”.
Past Nobel Peace Laureates include
Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Jose
Ramos Horta, Nelson Mandela and Aung San Suu Kyi
The winner of the Nobel Peace Prize will
be revealed this Friday 11th
October so please keep both Filep and Benny in your hearts and prayers
and help to spread the word about their nominations as we can really
publicise West Papua in the light of the run up to this historical
nomination.
We would like to take this opportunity
to thank all supporters of
Benny and Filep and all West Papuan people who with your help will
finally be able to live in freedom in their own independent country.
—-
Please take time to read the official
nominations of the two West
Papuan independence leaders for the Nobel Peace Prize here:
Name of candidates:
Benny Wenda and Filep Karma (for joint
or individual consideration)
Explanation of nomination:
Benny Wenda and Filep Karma have both
devoted their lives to a just
and peaceful solution to the conflict in West Papua, the western part of
the island of New Guinea. West Papua, a province of Indonesia,
continues to experience a slow genocide that has killed an estimated
half a million Papuans since 1961. The struggle for peace and
self-determination in West Papua has remained largely unreported, since
Indonesia restricts the entry of foreign journalists and humanitarian
organisations: in the face of this silence the efforts of Benny Wenda
and Filep Karma are all the more courageous and vital.
Benny Wenda
Benny Wenda grew up in the Highlands of
West Papua. As a child, he
watched close members of his family raped and killed at the hands of the
Indonesian army. His leg was injured by an Indonesian aircraft attack
on his village which left him with pain and difficulty walking for the
rest of his life. Later, he became leader of the ‘Koteka Assembly’ and
assumed a central role as leader of the peaceful campaign for Papuan
independence. In 2002 he was unlawfully arrested and detained in
solitary confinement by Indonesian police. During his time detention he
was tortured and threated with death. He managed to escape and sought
asylum in the UK, where he now lives with his wife and six children. In
2004 Benny Wenda founded the Free West Papua Campaign. Despite all that
he has been through Benny still advocates a peaceful route to
self-determination for his people. Through his initiative and
leadership, the campaign has expanded from a small core of volunteers
into a thriving network of impassioned activists, lawyers, and
parliamentarians. Benny Wenda launched the International
Parliamentarians for West Papua (IPWP) at Westminster Abbey in 2008, and
has since followed with events in the European Parliament, the Scottish
Parliament, the United States, Australia, New Zealand, Papua New
Guinea, and in South America. IPWP is supported by 100 MPs and MEPs who
are committed to supporting Benny Wenda’s peaceful advocacy for
self-determination and peace in West Papua. He has spoken at some of the
world’s leading universities and has travelled around the world to
publicise the plight of his people.
More information on Benny Wenda,
including a full biography, can be
found here
Filep Karma
Filep Karma is a prominent Papuan
political activist and former
Indonesian civil servant who is serving a 15-year prison sentence for
raising a banned flag at a 2004 political rally. He was arrested on
December 1, 2004, for organizing and participating in a ceremony at
Trikora Field in Abepura, Papua, at which several hundred Papuans
gathered to raise the Papuan Morning Star flag and celebrate the
anniversary of the 1961 Papuan declaration of independence from Dutch
rule. He was sentenced to 15 years in prison. His wrongful arrest,
detention, and trial violate Indonesian law and Indonesian obligations
under international law. He is currently detained in a prison in Abepura
in Papua and has suffered from ill health. He was denied necessary
medical attention and was denied needed prostate surgery for nearly a
year. Numerous organizations have cited Mr. Karma’s wrongful detention,
including Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International, which has
designated Mr. Karma a prisoner of conscience. In addition, numerous
members of the U.S. Congress have called for his release, and the U.S.
State Department has cited Mr. Karma’s status as a political prisoner.
Information taken from Freedom Now
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