Dear friends, I just got a telephone call from West Papua saying that Jonah Pengu Wenda was arrested by the Indonesian Police at 9.30 am Papua time yesterday morning, Thursday 30 June 2005 in Abepura (Trikora football field) with two other students. They are all now in Jayapura Police station (Polres Jayapura).
The reason why they were arrested yesterday was because they were preparing for the 1st July anniversary. On 1st July 1971, the Free Papua Movement (OPM) raised the Morning Star West Papuan independence flag and declared that the Papuan people would resist their incorporation into Indonesia by the fraudulent 1969 Act of "Free" Choice.
It was Jonah Pengu Wenda who mobilised all students and the wider West Papuan community to come together at the Trikora field to express their views and hopes by praying, singing and dancing. While they were praying the Police came straight away without warning, not asking anything. They just took Jonah and the other students to the Police station.
They were just praying, singing and dancing in Trikora field to express their views peacefully. They did not use any violence. It was in the same field last December that Filep Karma and Yusak Pakage were arrested by the Indonesian Police for raising the Morning Star flag.
I need all West Papua's friends around the world please to ring the Police in Papua to encourage them to release Jonah Pengu Wenda and the two other students who were arrested by the Indonesian Police in Jayapura, West Papua.
You can phone Indonesia from UK for 15p per minute by first dialing 0905 306 0197, then the international number. West Papua is 9 hours ahead of GMT. However the phone will often be answered 24 hours so just ring when you can.
The most important thing is just to say the prisoners' names a lot, even if they don't understand English, and make it clear you are phoning from abroad.
Some Indonesian phrases you can use (pronunciation guide in brackets):
Saya telepon tentang … (Sy-ar telepon tentang..) - I am telephoning about ...
Hati hati (Harti harti) - Be careful
Kami jaga lihat anda sekarang. (Karmee jargar leehat anda seykarang) - We are watching you now
Saya dari Inggris. (Sy-yar dary Ingrees) - I am from England
Kamu pratikan baik kesehatan mereka, minum, makan dan keselamatan mereka. (Karmu prateekan bike kay-say-hartan meraykar, minum, makan dan kay-selamtan meraykar) - Treat them well, give food, water and look after them
Kami tahu apa yang lakukan di lembaga. (Karmee tarhoo apa yang larkookan dee lembarga) - We know what you do in the prison
Kami adalah teman mereka. (Karmee ard-ar-lar tayman meraykar) - We are their friends
Papua Merdeka! - Free Papua!
You can phone Jayapura Police station on: 00 62 967 531717
00 62 967 533763 (fax)
Prison Cells: 00 62 967 531830 (fax)
Police Intelligence: 00 62 967 531829.
Police Commisioner: 00 62 967 531014 or 00 62 967 533396
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Benny Wenda
Chair of DeMMaK (The Koteka Tribal Assembly)
International Lobbyist in the UK for a Free West Papua
PO Box 1409 Oxford OX4 1UN England UK
Mobile: +44 (0) 7791629782
Email: bwenda@infopapua.org
Web: http://www.infopapua.org
Web: http://www.westpapuanews.com