NZ parliament ban on activist draws attention to West Papua
question
Posted at 07:18 on 18
February, 2013 UTC
visit to New Zealand
by a leading West Papuan activist has drawn attention to the festering issue of
self-determination for the indigenous people of Indonesia’s Papua region.
Benny Wenda is touring
an international campaign for West Papuans’ right to self-determination which
he says has been denied to his people ever since the 1960s.
It’s unlikely that his
visit to New Zealand would have gained as much media coverage as it did, had it
not been for the decision by the Speaker of Parliament to ban Benny Wenda from
speaking at parliament.
Johnny Blades reports:
Benny Wenda has been
living in the UK since escaping from Indonesia in 2003 after being arrested for
promoting West Papuan independence.
In 2011, Interpol issued
a red alert on him at the request of Indonesia but, after an investigation, it
was removed last year.
