Talks & Shows
Free West Papua Campaign Photo News: United Nations Association, Newbury, England
By FREE WEST PAPUA CAMPAIGN (UK)
Jun 20, 2008, 16:13

Free West Papua Campaign Photo News:
United Nations Association, Newbury, England


On 3 June 2008, the United Nations Association branch in Newbury, Berkshire, invited Benny Wenda & Richard Samuelson to give a talk about the situation in West Papua from the start of the Indonesian Occupation in 1963 until today.

Benny Wenda said this to the people of Newbury UN Association:

"Today is a very historic day for me and my people in West Papua. This is the first opportunity to bring the message from my People to members of the United Nations Association here in the UK."

"On behalf of my People I want to say a big thank you! Today you will hear directly from me, my Brother Richard Samuelson and from the video 'West Papua: the Secret War' their cry for freedom and justice."

"We will tell you the truth of how Indonesia and the international community have denied us our right to self-determination. When you hear what actually happened during the 1969 "'Act of NO Choice' I know you will be shocked. I know this is the truth. My own father, Kulog Wenda, was one of the 1,022 Papuan elders forced at gun-point by the Indonesian military to vote to join Indonesia."

"Now you here in Newbury have heard directly from West Papua. We need you to be our Voice. Please get involved and support our right to self-determination. We need a new referendum on independence, but this time it must be one person-one vote. The UN will need to play an important role to make sure my People can vote free from intimidation and violence from the Indonesian military and police."

"We West Papuans need you to become a channel and spread the word from West Papua to everybody!"

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Richard Samuelson
Free West Papua Campaign, Oxford, UK.
www.freewestpapua.org






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