Being allowed to enter and speak in some of the big Parliaments of the world including United Nation does not mean that West Papuan freedom fighter, Benny Wenda would have the same opportunity in New Zealand Parliament when he will arrive this week.
Benny Wenda, one of the leading fighters for West Papua’s Independence from the Indonesian atrocities for 50 years now is visiting New Zealand as part of his official overseas Freedom Tour.
Recently Benny slammed a book written by the MacArthur Fellowship award, Diamond Jared believing that the content hugely disparage the West Papuan.
He told the Survival.com that, “What he (Jared Diamond) has written about my people is misleading…he is not writing about what the Indonesian military are doing …I saw my people being murdered by Indonesian soldiers and my own Auntie was raped in front of my eyes,” Benny said and he called upon Jared to apologize.
In May 2012 Benny, who is currently living in exile in the UK, wrote an article titled “Everyone Profits From West Papua Except for Papuans” and was published by the Huffington Post.
In 2002 he escaped prison in an imprisonment that media reports stated that Wenda was facing a 25 year jail sentence if found guilty and was also allegedly subjected to death threats.
The new Speaker David Carter refusal to have a function in the Parliament of New Zealand for Benny, in the west foyer at the request of Green, Mana and Labour Parties is believed by the Greens to be economically motivated as Indonesia is one of New Zealand’s big trader partners.
3 News said that it was simply told the function didn’t meet the guidelines.
A welcoming reception for Benny will take place at Vermont St, Ponsonby, Auckland tomorrow evening at 7:00pm.
