Benny Wenda
Benny Wenda | |
|---|---|
Speaking at the launch of IPWP in the Houses of Parliament, London, October 2008 | |
| Interim President of the ULMWP Provisional Government (In Exile) | |
| In office December 2020 – September 2023 | |
| President of ULMWP | |
| Assumed office November 2023 disputed with Menase Tabuni | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1975 (age 49–50) Baliem Valley, Irian Jaya, Indonesia |
| Children | Septinus Wenda |
| Residence(s) | Oxford, Oxfordshire, England, United Kingdom |
Benny Wenda (born 1975) is a West Papuan independence leader and Chairman of the United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP). He is an international lobbyist for the independence of West Papua from Indonesia. He lives in exile in the United Kingdom. In 2003 he was granted political asylum by the British government following his escape from custody while on trial.
He has acted as special representative of the Papuan people in the British Parliament, United Nations and European Parliament. In 2017 he was appointed as the chairman for the United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP), a new organisation uniting the three main political organisations struggling for the independence of West Papua.
In 2020, the ULMWP announced a new constitution and government-in-waiting for the Republic of West Papua, with Wenda serving as interim president. His presidency was disputed by some elements of the West Papua National Liberation Army (Indonesian: Tentara Pembebasan Nasional Papua Barat), claiming his stay in the United Kingdom making his presidency illegitimate.
He was succeeded by Menase Tabuni in September 2023. In November 2023, he was reinstated as President of ULMWP after a congress in Jayapura, starting a leadership dispute with Menase Tabuni.
The Free Papua movement is accused of a number of attacks against local civilians, but this has not been independently confirmed. The group is known for kidnapping and murdering foreigners who enter the area.