By: Sabby Kosay) *
The Papuan separatist group led by Benny Wenda is considered the mastermind of a bloody incident in Papua. The group viciously instructed to attack immigrants and create riots in the city.
The riots in Wamena have captured the public’s attention. Not a case of one or two lives, thousands of lives are threatened by provocations that have caused chaos and anarchism in the community.
Countless public facilities have been damaged, victims both civilian and civil society have died, and displaced people are not lonely. In various military posts, there were certain refugees who were reluctant to go home, because they were afraid of the incident that followed the riot.
The riots were allegedly triggered by a Papuan separatist leader led by Benny Wenda who became a retainer of the OPM (Free Papua Organization). It is now thought to be the mastermind (again) of the bloody incident in Wamena. His keen practice of voicing the disintegration of Papua from the Republic of Indonesia seems never to recede.
Previously, protests broke out when rioters acted and infiltrated amidst the demonstrators who were mostly students. The rioters were also thought to be from the KNPB (West Papua National Committee). They look like students, wearing high school uniforms. Then it started burning and damaging a number of buildings including the office of the regent of Wamena city. There were many testimonies from residents stating that if this group was intentionally willing to riot, they were suspected of attacking at night. Some even had a shootout with the KKB (Armed Criminal Group). It is said that it was Benny Wenda who coordinated the KKB movement.
Even though the conditions in the Wamena area were considered to be controllable, residents including migrants chose to remain in refugee camps at the police and military offices, out of fear. A wave of refugees ensued as a result of this incident, there were thousands of citizens assisted by the authorities to get out of Wamena to other areas as a means of security.
Meanwhile, President Jokowi spoke up related to the riots on the Earth of Paradise. He stated that this incident should not be used as a conflict between ethnic groups. He explained to the people of Papua if this was the work of the KKB who went down the mountain and carried out acts of anarchism as well as separatism. Jokowi also conveyed his deep sorrow related to the victims in this incident. He also stated, although not yet finished, the authorities had worked hard to catch the arson suspect as well as the murder in Wamena. And will continue to aggressively hunt down the suspects.
On the other hand, the actions of Benny Wenda, a separatist figure suspected of being the mastermind behind the riots in Papua and West Papua, was reportedly present at the UN general assembly in New York, USA. Benny is suspected of trying to lobby so that UN human rights commissioners can visit and see firsthand the current conditions in his native land, Papua. Indications of the escalation of the situation in Papua and West Papua were also considered to be Benny’s doing.
Benny is alleged to have spread provocative content and hoax news on social media, telephone connections, as well as the WhatsApp messaging application regarding Papua. In fact, this content is distributed to a number of high-ranking officials in the Pacific region. Benny, who was born in Papua on August 17, 1974, is said to have made decades for West Papua to join Indonesia. And obsessed with making it Free Papua. Not an ordinary civil society, he also occupies the position of secretary general of the Koteka Community Consultative Council (DMMK). Also reported, in 2002, Benny got asylum. He used this opportunity to escape to England after being chased by the government on charges of various acts of violence.
His movements did not stop there, he intensified various efforts to realize his obsession with Free Papua, and he even reportedly escaped from prison by prying a prison window. Benny is suspected to be the sibling of the leader of the Free Papua Movement (OPM) of the Central Mountains region, Namely Matias Wenda. Countless how many acts of anarchism and assessed treason has been done. Many people admit that their gait and network is quite extensive in the international world. Considering he met with the UN High Commission on Human Rights on January 25, 2019.
Brigjen (Pol) Dedi Prasetyo, as the Head of the Public Information Bureau of the Public Relations Division, said that it was difficult to process the law because Benny’s citizenship and the scene of the crime were in the city of London, England. So that the Indonesian legal realm is prevented from getting there.
From the explanation above, Benny Wenda’s existence threatens security. Not only one or two lives will be threatened, even thousands, including Wamena. Hopefully the government and a number of security elements can immediately process the provocateurs so that the entire Papua region will soon be conducive and safe again.
) * The writer is a Papuan student living in Yogyakarta
