Port Vila
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| Benny Wenda, the leader of the ULMWP directs armed separatist group in West Papua |
Justice may finally catch-up with Vanuatu Prime Minister Charlot Salwai and Foreign Minister Ralph Regenvanu.
After eluding the courts for the alleged multi-million dollar Ambae humanitarian aid corruption, Salwai and Regenvanu are now implicated in much more serious allegations: complicity in murders and kidnappings.
Since many years before becoming PM and a cabinet member in February 2016, Salwai and Regenvanu have been on the public record as giving political, financial and other support to the United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP).
Specifically, the pair has given significant assets and financial support directly to Benny Wenda the leader of the ULMWP, Oktovianus Mote and other executives of the ULMWP.
The most recent support was the granting of a plot of land and building in Port Vila for the exclusive use of the ULMWP in early December 2017.
At the handing over ceremony, FM Regenvanu stated:
"The Council of Ministers has agreed to assist the ULMWP by providing a lease title on which is a newly-renovated office building which will become the Office of the ULMWP in Vanuatu."
Other support given by Salwai and Regenvanu to the ULMWP leaders included diplomatic support to access and participate in United Nations conferences, advocacy by Vanuatu diplomats in many international forums, travel allowances, business class air tickets, hotel accommodation and cash transfers.
However, sources reveal that part of those cash transfers and other support by Salwai and Regenvanu, are being used by Benny Wenda and Oktovianus Mote to finance and arm the separatist groups in West Papua.
The Vanuatu Daily Post reported on 10 February 2018 of a statement by Jacob (Yakob) Prai, the founder of the Free West Papua Movement or Organisasi Papua Merdeka (OPM), the armed wing of the separatist group:
“I as the founder of the Free West Papua Movement or Organisasi Papua Merdeka (OPM) want to acknowledge and support the United Liberation Movement of West Papua that it is a political organisation that carries the spirit of OPM that will continue the struggle and fulfill its final mission, which is establishing the full independence and sovereign Republic of West Papua."It was further revealed that Benny Wenda met with Mr Prai in Sweden on 28 December 2017. Sources reveal that Mr Prai reported a number of "military operation" conducted by the OPM on the direct orders of Benny Wenda.
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| Jacob Prai, founder of the armed separatist group in West Papua revealed that he receives orders from Benny Wenda |
The latest victim of the armed separatist group was Private First Class Sandi Novian. Novian was killed by the group on 13 February 2018 while doing his weekly groceries in Sinak Market, a local West Papua market.
A number of murders committed by the West Papua separatist group includes the following:
- 2 researchers killed during the Mapenduma hostage crisis, 1996;
- 26 people abducted at Mapenduma, including researchers from Britain, Netherlands and Indonesia;
- 6 civilians and police officers killed in Wasior, June 2001;
- 3 police officers killed in Lanny Jaya, November 2012;
- 1 health worker killed in Puncak Jaya, July 2013;
- 2 police officers killed in Lanny Jaya, July 2014;
- 1 priest killed in Namuniweja Village, November 2015;
- 4 road workers killed in Sinak & Mulia, March 2016;
- 2 teacher and road worker killed in Puncak Jaya, August-September 2016
- 1 police officer killed during the Banti and Kimbely Villages hostage crisis
- 1,300 villagers from Banti and Kimbely Villages taken hostages
Emboldened by the strong political and financial support from Vanuatu PM Salwai and FM Regenvanu, sources reveal that Benny Wenda ordered his armed-wing in West Papua to inflict damage through more murders and kidnappings.
On 21 February 2018, Radio New Zealand online reported that "West Papua Liberation Army in Fresh Campaign Against Indonesia".
The allegation of complicity of PM Charlot Salwai and FM Ralph Regenvanu in past murders and kidnappings and active support for the separatist group future criminal acts is a serious one.
Failure for Salwai and Regenvanu to answer those serious charges amounts to them having blood on their hands.
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| Member of the armed separatist group pose with an automatic weapon (Photo: Facebook) |
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| The Mapenduma hostages, Papua, 1996 |
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| Benny Wenda (left) and Kelly Kwalik (right) |
The ULMWP is led by Benny Wenda, a fugitive wanted in connection to the murder of West Papuans Petrus Epaa and Markus Padama in Papua in December 2000.
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| Sources reveal that Benny Wenda and the ULMWP command armed separatist group in West Papua |
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| Five shops were set ablaze only about 100 meters from a Police dormitory in West Papua (photo courtesy of Papua Police) |
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| The Purom Okinam Wenda Group (top left). The remains of Police officer Rolfi Takubessy (above right), police station burnt by the Group (above left) and the remains of West Papuan police officer (top right) |
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| A West Papuan separatist group during a force and weapons parade |
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| Armed group linked to West Papua separatist group the United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP) |
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