The Jakarta Post
In response to calls for a self-determination referendum on top of ongoing unrest in Papua and West Papua, the government is blaming “foreign parties” for being behind the protests and rioting in the country’s easternmost provinces. The government has particularly laid blame on Papuan separatist figure Benny Wenda. Wenda, the chairman of the United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP), has lived in exile in the United Kingdom since 2003 after he was charged with masterminding an attack on a police station in Abepura. “I think it’s true that Benny Wenda is part of the conspiracy regarding [Papua],” Coordinating Political, Legal and Security Affairs Minister Wiranto said at a media conference on Monday. “Benny Wenda has been very active for a long time, giving out false information. [Making it seem], as if we neglect Papua, as if w...