By: Sabby Kosay )*
Benny Wenda is in the spotlight for suddenly declaring the state of West Papua and claiming himself as president. Benny’s statement automatically made many people laugh because he did not receive recognition from anywhere, including the Free Papua Movement (OPM).
December is a crucial month on Earth of Paradise, because there is the anniversary of the Free Papua Organization (OPM). This group of separatists celebrated by raising the Morning Star flag. They wanted to separate from Indonesia for decades.
The ideals of an independent Papua are not only carried out by separatists in Indonesia, but also abroad. Benny Wenda declared the independence of the state of West Papua. Not only that, he called himself its president. Suddenly, many people were shocked as well as amused, because how can a president be elected without a general election?
In addition, Benny’s declaration was legally flawed. First, he declared independence while in England, not in Indonesia. Second, the state of West Papua is not recognized by international law, due to the fact that it is still a legitimate part of Indonesia. After the second world war, Indonesian territory that was legally recognized was a former Dutch colony, including Papua.
The Indonesian people were surprised by Benny’s declaration. Did he express it in a conscious state? Or is there sudden amnesia regarding the law of declaration of a country and the appointment of a president? If it was true that he wanted to be a leader, he should have learned constitutional law first, not humiliating himself like this.
Apparently Benny’s declaration not only shocked the Indonesian people, but also the OPM itself. Jefrey Bomanak from the West Papua Liberation Army (his OPM gang) strongly rejects Benny Wenda’s statement. Because he did it in England, not in Indonesia. This declaration was also carried out unilaterally and without prior coordination with the OPM.
Jeffrey added that the OPM did not recognize Benny’s declaration because he did not involve any of the leaders of an independent Papuan organization. Nor do they first consult with the people in the 7 customary areas in Bumi Cendrawasih. So Benny was considered to be just a wind and instead humiliated the OPM.
Disputes between OPM members make the Indonesian people stare, because this separatist group actually shows disharmony between the officials. Is this just a joke or drama that occurred as a result of miscommunication between OPM members? When someone insisted on becoming president, his group didn’t even acknowledge him. People didn’t feel sorry, but laughed.
OPM’s rejection of Benny’s statement shows their inability to regulate a country. How can they ask for independence if they are incapable of managing just one committee? If you really want to create your own country, you have to look in the mirror and practice in order to put the management in order, not create a new ridiculous drama.
The quarrels between Benny and other OPM administrators also showed what was in his brain. If there is only a desire to liberate Papua, but it is not accompanied by intelligence and strategy, can we manage West Papua? Do not feed on blind ambition but cannot measure yourself.
Don’t forget the fact that Papua has a large territory. Although part of Indonesia does not reach all of them, because there is a Papua New Guinea state, it also takes time, effort and money to maintain it. If coordination between members fails, how can we control so many civilians in Papua? It is certain that they will be overwhelmed and run out of funds.
Benny Wenda’s declaration of West Papuan independence shocked the Indonesian people, because he fled to England but was able to make statements like that. Plus there was drama between OPM and Benny, which made the audience laugh. Because they are proven to be not cohesive and have no capability to govern a country.
)* The author is a Papuan student living in Yogyakarta