Herman Wainggai is a West Papuan leader living in Exile in the United States of West Papua and banned for life from his beloved home, Jayapura, the capital city of West Papua
The month of May (2016) a really month for me. I traveled from Washington, D.C to New York City where I attended the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (UNPFII) then to Los Angeles. These meetings gave me hope that the freedom of West Papua is just around the corner.
UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues – NYC
I was invited to attend the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (UNPFII) at the UN Head Quarter, New York City, on the first week of May to the second and third week of May. This year’s UNPFII focused on three things – 1. Conflict 2. Peace 3. Resolution. Indigenous organizations around the world came to this event to express their concerns on issues affecting them. My group – the West Papuan National Authority (WPNA) – was one of the few organizations representing our indigenous people of West Papua. Together we spoke out against Indonesian military build up, human rights violations, atrocity against innocent civilians and the ongoing illegal occupation of West Papua. Other indigenous organizations spoke out about issues that are quite similar to ours.
The most powerful statement, in my opinion, came from the Justice Minister of Canada who spoke passionately about the need to protect the rights of indigenous people. She made it clear that indigenous people’s rights must be recognized, respected, and protected. I had the opportunity after her speech to talk to her and she told me that her government is aware of what’s going on in West Papua, especially the human rights violation by the military.
On my second trip to the UNPFII, I was able to express my viewpoint about the issues we are facing in West Papua.
Like those who spoke before me, I expressed my frustration and profound concern for the military build up in my home West Papua. This incredible deployment of soldiers throughout West Papua only brings problems to our people. West Papua is perhaps the world’s highly militarized zone, and to make things worse for our people, West Papua is being isolated from the world because of Indonesia. I also touched on the ongoing ban on our cultural symbols and our right to protest peacefully.
In 2007, the UN passed and adopted a Resolution calling for the recognition and protection of Indigenous cultures and heritage and their rights to express them. However, shortly after that declaration, Indonesia passed Regulation No. 77, which essentially outlawed all cultural symbols, including our most important symbol – our national flag. To have a member of the UN passed a law that targeted indigenous people within its control violated this UN Resolution and the UN’s most important document – the UN Charter. Among the UNPFII attendants was the representative of Indonesia who saw and heard the opinions of various groups pushing for the rights of West Papuans. I wondered what went through his mind as people expressed their support for our indigenous people.
After this meeting, I felt that soon West Papua will be free from the clutches of foreign colonialism and evil dictatorship.
George Mason University
Upon my return to Washington, D.C, from my second trip to NYC, I was invited to give a lecture on West Papua at the George Mason University (GMU), Fairfax Campus, alongside Professor Lester Kurtz. He is one of the professors I been working with over the years. He gave me an hour of his three-hour lecture, to talk about the issue of West Papua as part of his presentation on indigenous government and politics. It was a good opportunity to speak with very young American students. These young American students paid very close attention to what I was saying and some of them asked me very important, profound questions. One of the questions was – what can we do here in Washington, D.C. to support West Papuan? In response, I urged them to contact their congress leaders and talk to them about West Papua. Congress people do influence US foreign policy and it would be great to actually reach out to them.
University of the District of Columbia – David A Clarke School of Law
After GMU, I was asked to speak at their Annual Human Rights on the Hill program held at the UDC – David Clarke School of Law. One of the Keynote speakers at the UNPFII was the lecturer and moderator of the event, and he recognized my presence at the UNPFII. He’d asked me to speak at this event for about twenty minutes on the issues raised at the UNPFII. Apparently, the meeting explored the agenda of the UNPFII – discussing the suggestions, resolutions, and ideas we’d discussed during the three-week event at the UN. I spoke about my presentation at the UN; expressing my views about West Papua, especially the Indonesian occupation of our land.
These are very smart young men and women who knew little or nothing about West Papua but were curious about the subject. So I took this opportunity to share with them what I think about our situations and the rights of West Papuans to live in a free society. For some attendees, they found out through their own research things that are happening in West Papua today. They found out torture, intimidation, killing, military build-up in West Papua that are at the heart of our struggle for freedom.
It was a wonderful opportunity to interact with people who will be the leaders of this country tomorrow.
Los Angeles – Garifuna Indigenous International Film Festival
Shortly after I gave my short talk at the UDC, I flew to Los Angeles – the climax of my busy May. I flew there to attend the Garifuna Indigenous International Film Festival (GIIFF). Earlier this year, we submitted my two Films – “West Papua – A Journey To Freedom” and “Hidden Genocide” to the GIIFF and were accepted by the organizers to be shown at the Festival. The maker of ‘Hidden Genocide’ – Sam Gollob – joined me in LA for the viewing of the film. In Los Angeles, I see the enthusiasm of our supporters there and those who made the long trip to LA to attend the festival. Prior to the showing of my documentaries, the organizers asked the director of “Hidden Genocide” to speak and to explain why he made the films. He explained to the audience that he’d heard the story of West Papua and my journey to America and decided to make a short film about it in a hope that the story would reach young people like him and build future support for West Papua. This is his way of reaching out to the young Americans who never heard of West Papua.
After he spoke, they asked me to give a little speech about my experience which is the focus of the documentary. I stood up and talked about my experiences, and I began with – “From Prison to Holly Wood”. I explained the fact that I never in my life imagined coming to Holly Wood and attend such a great event or have a documentary about me shown there. It was a moving event for me as a political activist. mi I was thrilled to have the opportunity to show my story and to speak to the audience.
Also attending this GIIFF was the Pacific Conference of Churches from Suva, Fiji. They too showed their video entitled – “Wansolwara” (One Ocean). The theme of their video is – Rebirth: Call of our Mother to Renewal. Their well made film also highlighted the West Papuan struggle for independence.
I also attended a ‘social justice’ meeting entitled Giants of Justice – Twenty Years in the Struggle. During that meeting, I met many leaders, including the famous African-American civil rights leader, Rev. James Lawson. It wasn’t the first time I meet this great man. I first met him in Boston on my first ever trip to America and after many years, I was happy he still remembers me and the issues we face every day in our own homeland.
I was also honored to attend the celebration of the African Liberation Day at the African American Cultural Center. Here, I was asked to speak about West Papuan issues for about 30 minutes, but then they urged me to continue. After my remarks, Prof Maulana Karenga stood up and read the statement I gave at the UNPFII and really stirred up the audience who appalled my statement. He then urged those who attended the celebration to stand and support West Papuan struggle. I was extremely grateful for the opportunity and recognition from these renowned leaders.
I spend the final days with the Pacific Islands community at There, I had the opportunity to meet with the delegation from Fiji, which represented the ‘Pacific Council of Churches’ (PCC). This is a group of dedicated leaders of the Pacific whose goal for 2015 and 2018 is to bring awareness to the world about the human rights abuses in West Papua and to push the West Papuan agenda before the UN Decolonization Committee at the UN. I thought their effort is quite remarkable because I’d met the leader of the World Council of Churches and he also informed me of the goal of the organization as the same as that of the PCC – to push West Papuan issues before the decolonization committee.
We gathered at the Redondo Beach veteran Park and Memorial; it is a beautiful place and such a wonderful place to end such a busy month. I took the opportunity to walk on the sand and eventually jumped into the water and spent about an hour and a half just enjoying the beautiful clear waters of the Pacific Ocean. It was nice.
As Pacific Islanders, we are connected by one Ocean – we are all brothers and sisters.
Home sweet home
On June 1 (Wednesday), I left Los Angeles and flew back to Washington, D.C. May was gone, but the fight continues.