Free West Papua Campaign was founded in the UK in 2004 by West Papuan elder Benny Wenda in exile. Over these years we have grown out from a grassroots organisation of volunteers into an international campaign with offices in Oxford (UK), Den Haag (NL), Fort Moresby (PNG) and Perth (AUS). The strength of the organisation lies with its people, who dedicate themselves tirelessly for the cause of independence in West Papua.
Papuans in West Papua who speak up for independence are risking their lives. Peaceful demonstrations are being met with violence by the Indonesian government and demonstrators are regularly arrested, tortured and murdered. To support those Papuans who are still waiting and fighting for their independence till this day, they need help from outside of the country. Dutch authorities do nearly nothing to address the injustices happening in West Papua everyday, which is why the Free West Papua Campaign is applying pressure on local political level, in hopes of informing more and more people of the situation. The more people apply pressure, the bigger our outreach and impact can be. We inform people by organizing demonstration and setting up online campaigns.
More information about West Papua
Approximately 500,000 Papuans have died as a direct result of the Indonesian occupation of West Papua. This amount is only going up. The island is full of minerals and natural resources, which is being traded and exploited by the Indonesian government. National and international companies settle there for mining, the timber trade and drilling for oil. There are tens of thousands of Indonesian soldiers stationed there to capture or murder members of the indigenous population who are fighting for independence, raise their flag or organize demonstrations against the authorities. Long story short, the human rights of the indigenous people in West Papua (a former Dutch colony) are being violated to very far extends on a daily basis. Only for raising the flag for independence anyone can already face up to 15 years in prison.
