Achmad Faisal (Master’s Degree Student/Former Journalist)
The figure of Benny Wenda, as the leader of the United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP), is commonly known to the public as a figure who often raises the issue of Papua abroad. Several parties even considered that Benny Wenda. But it turns out, a number of digital evidence and traces show that Benny Wenda is only taking advantage of the issue of Papua land. In fact, he was a loser who kept trying to deceive the Papuans and the international community. He who claims to be the leader of the Papuan people in his political safari sells the Papuan issue for his personal gain.
In fact, is there any benefit to Benny Wenda? The interests that Benny Wenda got from the conflict in Papua were economic gain, political power, and psychological enjoyment. In terms of economic benefits, Benny claims to be an asylum seeker. From that position, Benny enjoyed British taxpayer money.
As is known, Benny is a fugitive from the police. He broke into the bars of the Abepura Penitentiary on October 27, 2002 and fled to England after being assisted by a European NGO group. During his life in England, he continued to maintain conflict in West Papua. He is known to have lied to British citizens through illicit fundraising.
International affairs observer, Toni Sudibyo, said the figure of Benny Wenda is a misleading figure and lies a lot. This was done to get economic and political benefits for Wenda himself.
Toni asked the people of Papua and West Papua not to believe Benny. Because he is an imposter. Toni gives an example of Benny’s lies regarding his limp leg. It was Benny who claimed his lame leg was due to fighting with the Indonesian security forces, but in fact Benny was crippled when he jumped from the prison fence in Abepura. Benny escapes one day before the trial of his treason begins.
Toni said that the international community and groups that do not understand history must have been tricked by Benny, who had fabricated and hidden the true incident.
Another lie by Benny was the manipulative issue of genocide in Papua. In December 2018, the military wing of the Free Papua Organization (OPM) led by Egianus Kogoya savagely massacred civilians in Yigi District, Nduga Regency.
Four of the 25 workers of PT Istaka Karya who were brutally massacred on the slopes of Puncak Kabo, managed to escape. They were then evacuated by the TNI-Polri apparatus. Meanwhile 17 workers were found dead. The other four people have yet to be found.
Benny and politicians who support Papuan independence manipulate this incident. They called the workers working on the national strategic project on the Trans Papua road as members of the TNI. This accusation was denied by the media that covered and interacted with the families of the victims.
In addition, Benny carried out a manipulative campaign related to the condition of Nduga Regency after the massacre of civilians by TPN-OPM led by Egianus Kogoya. He slandered the Indonesian government for launching a military operation and accused the TNI-Polri apparatus of using phosphorus bombs, a banned chemical weapon.
However, Benny’s manipulation was revealed by the Head of Information at the Cenderawasih XVII Military Command Colonel Inf Muhammad Aidi. Aidi strongly denied the accusation. Indonesia does not have chemical weapons and the photos circulating on social media as phosphorus bombs are the shells of smoke grenades.
The claims made by human rights groups and separatist groups are trying to build an opinion as if the TNI-Polri apparatus acted blindly in Nduga. In fact, the TNI-Polri apparatus carried out the evacuation of the bodies of civilians who were brutally slaughtered by the Separatist Group. The community has been repeatedly attacked by the Criminal Group.
There are many more lies by Benny and his separatist groups. The lies and violence on display only hinder the progress of the Papuan people. Because the Indonesian government itself always strives to prosper and advance the Papuan people through a number of development programs including the granting of Special Autonomy. ()
