{"id":1886,"date":"2020-12-01T18:50:02","date_gmt":"2020-12-01T18:50:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.infopapua.org\/?p=1886"},"modified":"2023-12-15T20:27:36","modified_gmt":"2023-12-15T20:27:36","slug":"west-papua-independence-leaders-declare-government-in-waiting","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.infopapua.org\/?p=1886","title":{"rendered":"West Papua independence leaders declare &#8216;government-in-waiting&#8217;"},"content":{"rendered":"<h1 class=\"dcr-1nlcpoh\">West Papua independence<\/h1>\n<p>Source:https:\/<a href=\"http:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/2020\/dec\/01\/west-papua-independence-leaders-declare-government-in-waiting\">\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/2020\/dec\/01\/west-papua-independence-leaders-declare-government-in-waiting<\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"dcr-1yi1cnj\" data-gu-name=\"standfirst\">\n<div class=\" dcr-95in8m\">\n<p>Province\u2019s breakaway movement nominates exiled leader as interim president as conflict-ridden Indonesian region marks independence da<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<aside class=\"dcr-1rbr3jc\" data-gu-name=\"meta\">\n<div class=\"dcr-14emo0l\">\n<div class=\" dcr-c7ke56\">\n<div class=\"dcr-rnfrqq\">\n<div class=\"dcr-zqt0pj\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"dcr-5l2n46\">\n<div>\n<address aria-label=\"Contributor info\" data-component=\"meta-byline\" data-link-name=\"byline\">\n<div class=\" dcr-1cffpa1\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/profile\/ben-doherty\" rel=\"author\" data-link-name=\"auto tag link\">Ben Doherty<\/a>\u00a0Pacific Editor<\/div>\n<div class=\"dcr-1j7v3r2\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.twitter.com\/bendohertycorro\" aria-label=\"@bendohertycorro on Twitter\">@bendohertycorro<\/a><\/div>\n<\/address>\n<details class=\"dcr-18bzkx3\">\n<summary class=\"dcr-1ybxn6r\"><span class=\"dcr-u0h1qy\">Tue 1 Dec 2020 00.33 GMT<\/span><\/summary>\n<\/details>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<div class=\"dcr-ch7w1w\" data-gu-name=\"body\">\n<div class=\"dcr-a3jqao\">\n<div id=\"maincontent\" class=\"dcr-ty818o\">\n<div class=\"article-body-commercial-selector article-body-viewer-selector dcr-1n99hlx\">\n<p class=\"dcr-1kas69x\">West Papuan leaders have declared a provisional \u201cgovernment-in-waiting\u201d of the contested Indonesian province, as the United Nations said it was \u201cdisturbed by escalating violence\u201d there, including the killing of a child allegedly by security forces.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1kas69x\">The province marks independence day on 1 December, the anniversary of West Papua\u2019s declaration of independence from Dutch colonial rule in 1961 and the raising of its now-banned Morning Star flag.<\/p>\n<div id=\"sign-in-gate\"><\/div>\n<figure id=\"9d7dff41-a574-402b-b012-7ca5d135abc3\" class=\" dcr-1your1i\" data-spacefinder-role=\"richLink\" data-spacefinder-type=\"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.RichLinkBlockElement\">\n<div class=\"dcr-1kyw41h\" data-print-layout=\"hide\" data-link-name=\"rich-link-2 | 2\" data-component=\"rich-link\" data-name=\"\">\n<div class=\"dcr-3emcda\" data-format-theme=\"0\" data-format-design=\"0\" data-format-display=\"0\">\n<div><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"dcr-1e3yjba\" src=\"https:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/img\/media\/e0abd1570e7e892f29cfa2cf69f8ab3b7ad02f32\/0_114_1024_614\/master\/1024.jpg?width=460&amp;quality=85&amp;auto=format&amp;fit=max&amp;s=0b133b4a0f3f77dbfb6dd60cf3778e5c\" alt=\"West Papuan pro-independence protests in Nabire Regency, opposing the extension of Indonesia\u2019s special autonomy law.\" width=\"1024\" height=\"614\" \/><\/div>\n<div class=\"dcr-ut4tvs\">\n<div class=\"dcr-1h5b6rb\">\n<div class=\"dcr-168nahj\">Protests flare in Papua as students demand independence referendum<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"dcr-eurq8n\">\n<div class=\"dcr-2ag6dv\">Read more<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p class=\"dcr-1kas69x\">The Indonesian military took control of the province in 1962, and it has been subject to a fierce separatist struggle ever since.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1kas69x\">The independence movement, the United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP), has laid out a new constitution and nominated exiled leader Benny Wenda as its interim president.<\/p>\n<div class=\"ad-slot-container \">\n<div id=\"dfp-ad--inline1\" class=\"js-ad-slot ad-slot ad-slot--inline ad-slot--inline1 ad-slot--rendered\" data-link-name=\"ad slot inline1\" data-name=\"inline1\" aria-hidden=\"true\" data-google-query-id=\"CLmF7OuMkoMDFYSRUAYdA58EQw\" data-label-show=\"true\">\n<div id=\"google_ads_iframe_\/59666047\/theguardian.com\/world\/article\/ng_0__container__\" class=\"ad-slot__content\"><\/div>\n<div id=\"dfp-ad--inline1--passback\" class=\"ad-slot js-ad-slot\" aria-hidden=\"true\" data-google-query-id=\"CPr0y-yMkoMDFUGPUAYdEIIHtg\">\n<div id=\"google_ads_iframe_\/59666047\/theguardian.com\/world\/article\/ng_9__container__\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"dcr-1kas69x\">\u201cToday, we honour and recognise all our forefathers who fought and died for us by finally establishing a united government-in-waiting,\u201d said Wenda, who is based in the UK.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1kas69x\">\u201cEmbodying the spirit of the people of West Papua, we are ready to run our country.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1kas69x\">\u201cAs laid out in our provisional constitution, a future Republic of West Papua will be the world\u2019s first green state, and a beacon of human rights \u2013 the opposite of decades of bloody Indonesian colonisation. Today, we take another step towards our dream of a free, independent and liberated West Papua.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1kas69x\">Ahead of 1 December, often a date of significant unrest and violence, the spokeswoman for the\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/bangkok.ohchr.org\/papua-statement\/\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">UN human rights office, Ravina Shamdasani,\u00a0<\/a>said: \u201cWe are disturbed by escalating violence over the past weeks and months in the Indonesian provinces of Papua and West Papua and the increased risk of\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/2019\/sep\/28\/i-feel-like-im-dying-west-papua-witnesses-unrest-indonesia-police\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">renewed tension and violence<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1kas69x\">Shamdasani said in one incident on 22 November, a 17-year-old was shot dead and another teenager injured in an alleged police shootout. The boy\u2019s body was found at the Limbaga mountain in Gome district of West Papua.<\/p>\n<div class=\"ad-slot-container ad-slot-container-2 offset-right ad-slot--offset-right ad-slot-container--offset-right\">\n<div id=\"dfp-ad--inline2\" class=\"js-ad-slot ad-slot ad-slot--inline ad-slot--inline2 ad-slot--rendered\" data-link-name=\"ad slot inline2\" data-name=\"inline2\" aria-hidden=\"true\" data-label-show=\"true\" data-google-query-id=\"CJ7nr4GNkoMDFVXV7QodPccKRg\">\n<div id=\"google_ads_iframe_\/59666047\/theguardian.com\/world\/article\/ng_7__container__\" class=\"ad-slot__content\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"dcr-1kas69x\">She also cited the killing of church pastor Yeremia Zanambani, whose body was found near his Hitadipa district home riddled with bullets and stab wounds. Zanambani \u201cmay have been killed by members of the security forces\u201d, Shamdasani said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1kas69x\">\u201cEarlier, in September and October 2020 there was a disturbing series of killings of at least six individuals, including activists and church workers, as well as non-indigenous residents. At least two members of the security forces were also killed in clashes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1kas69x\">Thirty-six demonstrators were arrested in Manokwari and Sorong in pro-independence protests at the weekend.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1kas69x\">Indonesian-controlled Papua and West Papua form the western half of the island of New Guinea.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1kas69x\">The people indigenous to the provinces are Melanesian, ethnically distinct from the rest of Indonesia and\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/2019\/dec\/01\/refugees-on-their-own-land-the-west-papuans-in-limbo-in-papua-new-guinea\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">more closely linked\u00a0<\/a>to the people of Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/vanuatu\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">Vanuatu<\/a>, Fiji and New Caledonia.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1kas69x\">The Dutch colony of Papua until 1961, the region was militarily annexed by Indonesia in 1962, and formally incorporated into the Indonesian republic following a UN-backed 1969 referendum called the Act of Free Choice. But the vote was widely condemned as fraudulent, with just over 1,000 selected Papuans forced, some threatened with violence, to vote in support of Indonesian rule.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1kas69x\">Indonesia regards Papua and West Papua as integral and indivisible parts of the Indonesian state, and has consistently said it is working to develop the region.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"28872da1-09b8-4d80-8e06-7d9e95548244\" class=\" dcr-1your1i\" data-spacefinder-role=\"richLink\" data-spacefinder-type=\"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.RichLinkBlockElement\">\n<div class=\"dcr-1kyw41h\" data-print-layout=\"hide\" data-link-name=\"rich-link-17 | 17\" data-component=\"rich-link\" data-name=\"\">\n<div class=\"dcr-3emcda\" data-format-theme=\"0\" data-format-design=\"0\" data-format-display=\"0\">\n<div class=\"dcr-1lhuo3r\"><\/div>\n<div><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"dcr-1e3yjba\" src=\"https:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/img\/media\/5389d5c9e43ae8067a85d34232c952d875d40b0e\/0_204_2784_1670\/master\/2784.jpg?width=460&amp;quality=85&amp;auto=format&amp;fit=max&amp;s=812b883ca1fdfa16ad45ec4084b5e4db\" alt=\"Papuan students hold a protest in Jakarta on 15 June demanding the government free seven Papuan activists who took part in anti-racism rallies.\" width=\"2784\" height=\"1670\" \/><\/div>\n<div class=\"dcr-ut4tvs\">\n<div class=\"dcr-1h5b6rb\">\n<div class=\"dcr-168nahj\">Seven Papuan activists convicted of treason after anti-racism protests<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"dcr-eurq8n\">\n<div class=\"dcr-2ag6dv\">Read more<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p class=\"dcr-1kas69x\">Papua and West Papua are rich in natural resources \u2013 Papua\u2019s Grasberg is one of the world\u2019s largest gold mines \u2013 but are among the least developed provinces in Indonesia, with endemic poverty and high levels of childhood malnutrition.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1kas69x\">Jakarta is currently trying to extend the \u201cspecial autonomy\u201d provisions that were first introduced to West Papua in 2001, ostensibly to give Papuans a greater share of revenue from their rich natural resources and greater political autonomy. Those provisions are set to expire at the end of the year.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1kas69x\">Pro-independence protesters say the special autonomy law is being used to repress Papua\u2019s independence movement, and are demanding a referendum on secession from Indonesia.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h1 class=\"dcr-1nlcpoh\">leaders declare &#8216;government-in-waiting&#8217;<\/h1>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>West Papua independence Source:https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/2020\/dec\/01\/west-papua-independence-leaders-declare-government-in-waiting Province\u2019s breakaway movement nominates exiled leader as interim president as conflict-ridden Indonesian region marks independence da Ben Doherty\u00a0Pacific Editor @bendohertycorro Tue 1 Dec 2020 00.33 GMT West Papuan leaders have declared a provisional \u201cgovernment-in-waiting\u201d of the contested Indonesian province, as the United Nations said it was \u201cdisturbed by escalating violence\u201d there, [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":866,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[89,67],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1886","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-headline-news","category-independence-leader-benny-wenda"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.infopapua.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1886","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.infopapua.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.infopapua.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.infopapua.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.infopapua.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1886"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.infopapua.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1886\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1901,"href":"https:\/\/www.infopapua.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1886\/revisions\/1901"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.infopapua.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/866"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.infopapua.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1886"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.infopapua.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1886"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.infopapua.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1886"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}