Free West Papua Campaign (FWPC) in the UK threatens the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia

“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