Benny Wenda Inappropriates to Receive the Oxford Freedom Of The City Award
By: Aloysius Abisai )*
The award to the Chairperson of the United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP), Benny Wenda in the form of the “Oxford Freedom of the City Award” from the Oxford City Council on July 17, 2019, was awkward and inappropriate. Although the award is not an official award from the Oxford City government or the British Government, the award from the City Council (a type of City Council) can be used as a beacon or campaign by Papuan armed separatist criminal groups (KKSB), especially by Benny Wenda who has lived since 2002 in Britain because he was granted asylum from the British Government in 2002. Of course with the award Benny Wenda will more loudly voice Papuan independence internationally.
The question is, under what criteria does the Oxford City Council award the award to Benny Wenda, a separatist who always uses violence and terror (killing, torturing, raping, burning houses and land, etc.) to achieve his goals. It should be noted that the actions of Benny Wenda have caused casualties among civil society, especially women and children. Therefore, Benny Wenda and his group did not get sympathy from the people of Indonesia, especially Papua. Benny eventually fled to England, while some of his group were killed, and some lived in the forest because of their existence rejected by peaceful people of Papua. In the jungles of Papua, with the command of Benny Wenda they often commit terror against the Papuan people.
Judging from the universal objective criteria, there is no supporting factor that Benny Wenda can get an award. He has a character that is far from the nature of the struggle of Nelson Mandela and Mahatma Gandhi, who are non-violent, close and supported by the majority of his people and dare to face and dialogue with state leaders , not running away from his area of living well in a foreign country, leaving his group who live miserably in the jungle belatara. There is absolutely no human nature as a character who should get an award.
Then a separatist who uses violence to measure International Law is not recognized as a hero. IRAs in Northern Ireland (now part of Great Britain) were crushed by the British Military, in Spain the Basque guerrillas who would separate the Catalan region (around Barcelona) from Spain were also crushed by the Spanish military. None of the leaders received awards, especially in Russia, China and Myanmar, separatists were crushed, citizens were expelled. It is unfortunate, the UN Human Rights Council actually stands by under the pretext of separatism as not “the right to self-determination” as contained in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights of the United Nations in 1945. Moreover, if the movement uses violence such as terror to achieve its goals, this movement will actually which is contrary to human rights,
Therefore, it is not appropriate if people who always use violence get an award. The award does not include what achievements or services have been made, be it for humanity, the state, science or peace. It is only natural that we Indonesians question the award criteria, without reducing freedom of giving awards. So if it turns out that the award is inappropriate, of course it can be evaluated in the future. For us, the Indonesian Nation, the award does not bring benefits for the advancement, prosperity and peace of the region, country and the world.
)* The author is a Social Media Activist in the Papua Region