The Indonesian police opened fire on a peaceful gathering of Papuans who were fundraising money for humanitarian aid for the victims of Cyclone Pam according to Benny Wenda, a West Papua Activist based in the United Kingdom.
“This fundraising was coordinated across West Papua by church groups in West Papua and the umbrella organisation, the United Liberation Movement for West Papua.”
“The entire gathering was forcibly dispersed by armed Indonesian police who can be seen on a photo from the day, opening fire upon my people.”
Wenda’s press release was posted on the Free West Papua website on 21 March.
On 24 March, Wenda was detained by immigration officials when he arrived in Port Moresby.
He had flown from the United Kingdom and had planned to visit PNG before heading to Vanuatu for a meeting of the Melanesian Spearhead Group.
The office of Papua New Guinea’s prime minister Peter O’Neill said Mr Wenda had arrived in the country without a visa.
A spokesman for Mr O’Neill said the West Papuan independence leader was not being deported, but he was “not permitted to enter the country”.
“It’s not a political issue, it’s a visa issue,” he said.
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