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84-600: 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

168-489: A Silver Notice was first proposed at the 84th INTERPOL General Assembly in Kigali, Rwanda . Similar to the notice is another request for cooperation or alert mechanism known as a "diffusion". This is less formal than a notice, but also is used to request the arrest or location of an individual or additional information in relation to a police investigation. A diffusion is circulated directly by a member state or international entity to

252-660: A few days later on the basis of illegality. On 11 February, he was released after Thai prosecutors dropped the case, arriving in Australia the following day. He was granted Australian citizenship one month later, on 12 March 2019. There has been growing concern about refugees being targeted by red notices illegally. Recent examples before al-Araibi's case include the detention of Russian activist Petr Silaev in Spain and Algerian human rights lawyer Rachid Mesli in Italy. In al-Araibi's case, despite

336-516: A peaceful political activist". In an interview with UK national The Daily Telegraph newspaper, Mr Wenda stated that he hoped attention would now "shift to the plight of my people in West Papua, who continue to suffer under an Indonesian regime that denies them almost every basic right that people in the West take for granted." After arriving in the United Kingdom, Benny became the leading spokesperson for

420-473: A political orientation when choosing a name for the western half of the island of New Guinea . The official name of the region is "Papua" according to the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). Independence activists refer to the region as " West Papua ", while Indonesian officials have also used " West Papua " to name the western province of the region since 2007. Historically,

504-431: A second province was created from the western part of Papua Province; this was called West Papua , with its administrative capital as Manokwari . Both provinces were granted special autonomous status by Indonesian legislation . In November 2022 three additional provinces were created from parts of Papua Province – Central Papua , Highland Papua , and South Papua – while another additional province, Southwest Papua ,

588-547: A steady supply of rain from the tropical atmosphere. The tree line is around 4,000 m (13,100 ft) and the tallest peaks feature small glaciers and are snowbound year-round. Both north and west of the central ranges, the land remains mountainous – mostly 1,000 to 2,000 metres (3,300 to 6,600 feet) high with a warm humid climate year-round. The highland areas feature alpine grasslands, jagged bare peaks, montane forests , rainforests, fast-flowing rivers, and gorges. Swamps and low-lying alluvial plains with fertile soil dominate

672-422: Is Indonesian , with Papuan Malay the most used lingua franca . Estimates of the number of local languages in the region range from 200 to over 700, with the most widely spoken including Dani , Yali , Ekari and Biak . The predominant official religion is Christianity , followed by Islam . The main industries include agriculture , fishing , oil production , and mining . Speakers align themselves with

756-621: Is a founding member of the International Parliamentarians for West Papua . This cross-parliamentary group was launched at the Houses of Parliament in London in October 2008, and was attended by British parliamentarians including Lembit Öpik and Baron Avebury , as well as politicians from Papua New Guinea, Australia and Vanuatu. The group is actively developing support from politicians around

840-626: Is accused of a number of attacks against local civilians, but this has not been independantly confirmed. The group is known for kidnapping and murdering foreigners who enter the area. Wenda was born in the Baliem Valley , in the central highlands of Irian Jaya , Indonesia . His date of birth is not exactly known; in his website, he only wrote that he was born in 1970s. In 1977 there was a rebellion of 15,000 Lani people in response to Indonesian military violence towards Papuans. The Indonesian military retaliated, with aircraft bombing Lani villages in

924-519: Is also a substantial practice of animism among the major religions, but this is not recorded by the census. There are 6 main Y-chromosome haplogroups in Western New Guinea; Y-chromosome haplogroup M , Y-chromosome haplogroup O , and Y-chromosome haplogroup S across the mountain highlands; meanwhile, D, C2 and C4 are of negligible numbers. Papuans have significant cultural affinities with

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1008-482: Is the red notice which is the "closest instrument to an international arrest warrant in use today". An eighth special notice is issued at the request of the United Nations Security Council . Notices published by Interpol are made either on the organisation's own initiative or are based on requests from national central bureaus (NCBs) of member states or authorised international entities such as

1092-521: Is to develop a framework within the international legal community towards outlining the legal basis for West Papuan self-determination, and the "illegality" of the Indonesian "occupation of West Papua". The launch of International Lawyers for West Papua coincided with Guyana stating their support for West Papuan independence. Benny Wenda has been nominated twice for the Nobel Peace Prize . In 2019 he

1176-634: The Amung - Damal , Bauzi , Biak (or Byak), Korowai , Lani , Mee , Mek , Sawi , and Yali . Estimates of the number of distinct languages spoken in the region range from 200 to 700. A number of these languages are permanently disappearing. As in Papua New Guinea and some surrounding east Indonesian provinces, a large majority of the population is Christian. In the 2010 census, 65.48% identified themselves as Protestant, 17.67% as Catholic, 15.89% as Muslim, and less than 1% as either Hindu or Buddhist. There

1260-600: The Asmat people . Lying in the Asia-Australian transition zone near Wallacea , the region's flora and fauna include Asiatic, Australian, and endemic species. The region is 75% forest and has a high degree of biodiversity. The island has an estimated 16,000 species of plants, 124 genera of which are endemic. The mountainous areas and the north are covered with dense rainforest. Highland vegetation also includes alpine grasslands, heath, pine forests, bush and scrub. The vegetation of

1344-515: The Bird's Head Peninsula and surrounding islands to its west. In 2011, Indonesia submitted an application for membership to the Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG) for the two Papua provinces (as well as 3 other melanesian dominated provinces) and was granted observer status. The West Papua National Council for Liberation independence movement made an unsuccessful application for membership to

1428-586: The Bird's Head Peninsula , each of which had over 100,000 inhabitants in 2022. The region is home to around 312 different tribes, including some uncontacted peoples . The Dani (or Hubula) , from the Baliem Valley , are one of the most populous tribes of the region. The Arfak in Arfak Mountains , and the Marind from Merauke. The semi-nomadic Asmat inhabit the mangrove and tidal river areas near Agats and are renowned for their woodcarving. Other tribes include

1512-708: The Greens , Labour and Mana said the decision went "against the spirit of Parliament". In April 2013, Wenda was joined by Mohammed Abassi, the Lord Mayor of Oxford and local MP Andrew Smith for the opening of a new headquarters for the Free West Papua Campaign. The opening provoked an angry response from the Indonesian Government, with the British Ambassador to Indonesia being summoned to explain why

1596-523: The Morning Star flag raised on 1 December, with independence planned in exactly nine years' time. Sukarno made the takeover of Western New Guinea a focus of his continuing struggle against Dutch imperialism and part of a broader Third World conflict with the West. Although Indonesian seaborne and paratroop incursions into the territory met with little success, the Dutch knew that a military campaign to retain

1680-523: The Netherlands recognised Indonesian sovereignty over the Dutch East Indies with the exception of Dutch New Guinea , the issue of which was to be discussed within a year. The Dutch successfully argued that Western New Guinea was "geographically very different" from Indonesia and the people were also very ethnically different. In an attempt to prevent Indonesia taking control of the region and to prepare

1764-614: The Teluk Cenderawasih National Park . Western New Guinea is currently administered as six Indonesian provinces: Papuan habitation of the region is estimated to have begun between 42,000 and 48,000 years ago. Research indicates that the highlands were an early and independent center of agriculture, and show that agriculture developed gradually over several thousands of years; the banana has been cultivated in this region for at least 7,000 years. Austronesian peoples migrating through Maritime Southeast Asia settled in

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1848-530: The United Nations and the International Criminal Court . All notices are published on Interpol's secure website. Extracts of notices may also be published on Interpol's public website if the requesting entity agrees. Interpol may only publish a notice that adheres to all the proper legal conditions. For example, a notice will not be published if it violates Interpol's constitution, which forbids

1932-431: The assassination of Qasem Soleimani and asked Interpol to issue a red notice. It was shown in 2013 that Interpol red notices were sometimes inaccurate and could be politically motivated. NGOs such as Fair Trials International have pointed to its limited internal controls to tackle political abuses. Many of its members have poor human rights records and corrupt, undemocratic governments and have been accused of abusing

2016-780: The CEO of Hermitage Capital Management , describes how the Russian government repeatedly requested that Interpol issue a red notice for his arrest. Interpol refused to do so on the basis that it deemed the request was "predominantly political in nature and therefore contrary to INTERPOL's rules and regulations". Unable to secure his extradition, Browder was subsequently tried and convicted by a Moscow court for tax evasion in absentia . In January 2017, United Kingdom-based NGO Fair Trials called on Interpol to introduce more rigorous checks. Fair Trial chief executive Jago Russell stated, "Interpol has been allowing itself to be used by oppressive regimes across

2100-593: The Free West Papua Campaign, which was founded in 2004 by a group of pro-Papuan activists in Oxford. The campaign's stated aims are to spread awareness of the human rights situation and independence aspirations of the people of West Papua, through lobbying governments and developing support throughout civil society . The Free West Papua Campaign movement in the UK has grown to include permanent student groups at British universities and regional groups, as well as permanent offices in Oxford,

2184-517: The Hague and Port Moresby. In February 2013 Wenda undertook a 'Freedom Tour' to the US, New Zealand, Australia, Papua New Guinea and Vanuatu, with the aim of raising awareness of the self-determination issue. He was blocked from holding a speech at New Zealand national parliament. Opposition parties accused the government of not wanting to upset the Indonesian Government, an important trading partner. Politicians of

2268-553: The Interpol General Assembly voted to amend Interpol's constitution to integrate the CCF into its internal legal structure, thereby guaranteeing its independence. The CCF's most notable function, however, is to consider legal petitions submitted by individuals requesting the revocation of red notices. Such petitions, as a rule, only succeed when a red notice is deemed to infringe on Interpol's Constitution either because it offends

2352-553: The MSG in 2013 after which the United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP) was established in December 2014 to unite the three main political independence movements under a single umbrella organisation. In June 2015, the ULMWP was granted MSG observer status as representative of West Papuans outside the country while Indonesia was upgraded to associate member. In 2016, at the 71st Session of

2436-630: 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

2520-679: The Philippines. Papuan men and resources were used to support the Allied war effort in the Pacific. After the war's end, the Dutch regained possession of the region. Since the early twentieth century, Indonesian nationalists had sought an independent Indonesia based on all Dutch colonial possessions in the Indies, including western New Guinea. Some even founded local-based political parties, such as Indonesian Irian Independence Party (PKII) in 1946. In December 1949,

2604-675: The Thames Festival in London. Benny and Maria met while studying in West Papua, and have been married since 1999. Since being granted political asylum by the British Government they have lived in Oxford with their children. A feature length documentary about Benny Wenda, The Road to Home , was released in 2015. It was awarded the 'Best Documentary' award at the 2016 Amsterdam Film Festival. A feature length documentary called "Please Pray for West Papua" featuring an interview with Benny Wenda

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2688-622: The UK had allowed the office to open. In May 2013, Wenda spoke at the Sydney Opera House as part of the TEDx series, getting a standing ovation in front of the audience of 2,500 people. His appearance again provoked an angry response from the Indonesian authorities, with them launching an official complaint with the Australian government within hours of him taking the stage. With British MP Andrew Smith and Lords peer Richard Harries , Benny Wenda

2772-635: The UN General Assembly , leaders of several Pacific Island countries called for UN action on alleged human rights abuses committed against Papua's indigenous Melanesians, with some leaders calling for self-determination for West Papua. Indonesia accused the countries of interfering with Indonesia's national sovereignty. In 2017, at the 72nd Session , the leaders called again for an investigation into killings and various alleged human rights abuses by Indonesian security forces. The 2019 Papua protests began on 19 August 2019, and mainly took place across

2856-500: The area at least 3,000 years ago, and populated especially in Cenderawasih Bay . Diverse cultures and languages have developed in situ; there are over 300 languages and two hundred additional dialects in the region ( see Papuan languages , Austronesian languages , Central–Eastern Malayo-Polynesian languages ). The 14th-century Majapahit poem Nagarakretagama mentioned Wwanin or Onin and Sran as recognized territories in

2940-400: The area's rich oil reserves in the 1930s. In 1942, the northern coast of West New Guinea and the nearby islands were occupied by Japan . In 1944, Allied forces gained control of the region through a four-phase campaign from neighbouring Papua New Guinea. The United States constructed a headquarters for MacArthur at Hollandia (Jayapura), intended as a staging point for operations to retake

3024-425: The border to neighbouring Papua New Guinea and was later reunited with his wife Maria at a refugee camp. Several months after this he was helped by a European NGO to travel to the UK where he was granted political asylum. In 2011, the Indonesian Government issued an Interpol red notice seeking Mr Wenda's arrest and extradition. However, after a campaign led by Fair Trials International , in 2012 Interpol removed

3108-933: The border with Papua New Guinea follows the 141st meridian east until it reaches the Fly River . The island of New Guinea was once part of the Australian landmass and lay on the continent of Sahul . The collision between the Indo-Australian Plate and the Pacific Plate resulted in the formation of the Maoke Mountains , which run through the centre of the region and are 600 km (373 mi) long and 100 km (62 mi) across. The range includes about ten peaks over 4,000 metres (13,000 feet), including Puncak Jaya (4,884 m or 16,024 ft), Puncak Mandala (4,760 m or 15,620 ft) and Puncak Trikora (4,750 m or 15,580 ft). This range ensures

3192-524: The charges against him were politically motivated, coming at a time when authorities were clamping down on leaders of the independence movement. This clampdown had led to the assassination a few months earlier of the leading pro-independence figure Theys Eluay . Media reports state that Wenda was facing a 25-year jail sentence if found guilty. He was also allegedly subjected to death threats whilst being held in custody. Wenda escaped prison while on trial. Helped by West Papua independence activists he fled across

3276-503: The countries of their choice, or to the entire Interpol membership and is simultaneously recorded in Interpol's databases. The International notice system was created in 1946 as Interpol re-established itself after World War II in the Parisian suburb of Saint-Cloud . It initially consisted of six colour-coded notices; Red, Blue, Green, Yellow, Black, and Purple. In 2004, the seventh colour

3360-522: The country from which the refugee initially fled. In November 2018, Bahrain issued a red notice for footballer and dissident Hakeem al-Araibi , who had fled Bahrain in 2014 and been granted refugee status in Australia some years later. He was arrested on arrival in Thailand with his wife for a honeymoon in November 2018 by Thai police on the basis of the red notice, despite the red notice being withdrawn

3444-424: The democratic culture of the Papuan people themselves at the time, there was a system known as noken , within a community in the central highlands of Papua, in which the vote is represented by the tribal chief. Soon after, as of United Nations Resolution 2504 (XXIV) the region became the 26th province of Indonesia. The 1969 Act of Free Choice is considered contentious, with even United Nations observers recognizing

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3528-537: The east, today identified as Onin peninsula in Fakfak Regency in the western part of the larger Bomberai Peninsula south of the Bird's Head region of Western New Guinea. Wwanin or Onin was probably the oldest name in recorded history to refer to the western part of the island of New Guinea. Meanwhile Sran refer to an ancient local kingdom of Sran Eman Muun , located in the southern part of Bomberai Peninsula called Koiwai (modern day Kaimana Regency ), which

3612-509: The elders were placed under duress and forced to vote yes. The Free Papua Movement (OPM) has engaged in a pro-independence conflict with the Indonesian military since the 1960s. This has been in response to the initial take over of the region and multiple killings and other human rights violations by Indonesian troops, causing many West Papuans and international organisations to describe the situation in West Papua as "genocide". Rebellions occurred in remote mountainous areas in 1969, 1977, and

3696-580: The end of the sixteenth century, the Sultanate of Ternate under Sultan Baabullah (1570–1583) had influence over parts of Papua. In 1660, the Dutch recognised the Sultan of Tidore 's sovereignty over New Guinea . New Guinea thus became notionally Dutch as the Dutch held power over Tidore. In 1793, Britain established a settlement near Manokwari . However, it failed. By 1824 Britain and the Netherlands agreed that

3780-467: The equatorial glacier fields remain largely unexplored. In February 2005, a team of scientists exploring the Foja Mountains discovered numerous new species of birds, butterflies, amphibians, and plants, including a species of rhododendron that may have the largest bloom of the genus. Environmental issues include deforestation, the spread of the introduced crab-eating macaque , which now threatens

3864-600: The existence of native species, and discarded copper and gold tailings from the Grasberg mine . The Bird's Head Peninsula , also known as the Doberai Peninsula, is covered by the Vogelkop montanerainforests ecoregion . It includes more than 22,000 km of montane forests at elevations of 1,000 m (3,300 ft) and higher. Over 50% of these forests are located within protected areas. There are over 300 bird species on

3948-449: The extent that they represented the aspiration of the Papuan peoples , which they claimed was independence from Indonesia. Wenda was placed on trial in 2002 for allegedly leading a procession of people in an independence rally. The demonstration turned violent, with Indonesian authorities alleging that those present torched two shops and murdered a policeman. Wenda maintains that his arrest and

4032-536: The highlands, the koteka (penis gourd) is worn by males in ceremonies. The use of the holim (Dani's koteka) as everyday dress by Dani males in Western New Guinea is uncommon. As of 2019, it is estimated that only 10% highland population (in Central Papua and Highland Papua ) regularly uses koteka, and it is only used during cultural festival or as a souvenir. A culture of inter-tribal warfare and animosity between neighboring tribes has long been present in

4116-485: The highlands. The Indonesian government is very strict in giving foreign journalists permission to enter Western New Guinea, considering that this region is very vulnerable to separatist movements. As formerly in East Timor, Indonesia's former territory, the Indonesian administration takes great efforts to filter the information that gets out of Western New Guinea. However, there is no prohibition for journalists to go to

4200-645: The highlands. Those killed included many of Wenda's family. During the bombing raids, one of Wenda's legs was severely injured leading to impaired growth. Between 1977 and 1983 Benny and his family, along with thousands of other highlanders, lived in hiding in the jungle. He was appointed leader by the elders in his tribe, and later after the Lani people surrendered to the Indonesian military he attended Cenderawasih University in Jayapura , studying Sociology. Wenda became Secretary-General of Koteka Tribal Assembly (DeMMAK). DeMMAK

4284-538: The inhabitants of Papua New Guinea. As in Papua New Guinea, the peoples of the highlands have traditions and languages distinct from the peoples of the coast. Example being sago as the staple food of the coastal Papuans, a tradition shared with many people in the Eastern Indonesia , while in the highlands where sago do not grow, tubers ( sweet potato , yam , and taro ) are the staple foods. In some parts of

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4368-607: The mid-1980s, occasionally spilling over into Papua New Guinea . In 1980, the Trans Irian Jaya Highway, currently Trans-Papua Highway , began construction. The highway would link unconnected cities and regions across the region, which were previously only accessible by sea or, for inland areas, by air. However, some experts suggested prioritizing development of local indigenous people over infrastructure development in order to be parallel with non-Papuan migrants, who were progressively inhabiting Western New Guinea's cities at

4452-438: The organisation from undertaking activities of a political, military, religious, or racial character. Interpol may refuse to publish a notice that it considers inadvisable or a potential risk. Notices may be issued in any of the four official languages of Interpol: English , French , Spanish , and Arabic . In 2015 Interpol announced a new "Silver" notice devoted to tracing and recovering criminal assets. The idea of creating

4536-463: The peninsula, of which at least 20 are unique to the ecoregion, and some live only in very restricted areas. These include the grey-banded munia , Vogelkop bowerbird , and the king bird-of-paradise . Road construction , illegal logging , commercial agricultural expansion , and ranching potentially threaten the integrity of the ecoregion. The southeastern coast of the Bird's Head Peninsula forms part of

4620-671: The population live in or near coastal areas. The largest city is Jayapura . In the late 1940s, territories of the Dutch East Indies became the independent country of Indonesia , except Western New Guinea. The Dutch retained sovereignty over Western New Guinea ( Dutch New Guinea ) until the New York Agreement on 15 August 1962, which granted the region to Indonesia. The region became the province of Irian Barat (West Irian) before being renamed Irian Jaya (literally "Glorious Irian") in 1973 and Papua in 2002. The following year,

4704-420: The red notice after an investigation concluded that the allegations against Mr Wenda were "politically motivated and an abuse of the system" by the Indonesian Government. Speaking after Interpol had announced it had removed the red notice from its database, Jago Russell, Fair Trials International's chief executive stated "Interpol should be used to fight serious crime but Indonesia has been misusing it to threaten

4788-477: The red notice being withdrawn only a few days after being issued, Bahrain nonetheless issued an extradition order, and Thailand complied, leading to a trial in which al-Araibi had to defend his opposition to the extradition. The Commission for the Control of Interpol's Files (CCF) is an independent monitoring body. It operates in line with a number of official rules and documents and has three main functions: In 2008,

4872-432: The red notice networks for political purposes. Some red notices are controversial and have been used to persecute opponents of regimes, for example the former president of Ukraine, Viktor Yanukovych , whose red notice was removed because it was shown to be a political request. Interpol issued a new refugee policy in 2015, stipulating that a red notice should not be issued against a refugee when it has been requested by

4956-588: The region Ilhas dos Papuas (Islands of Papuans). In 1545 the Spaniard Yñigo Ortiz de Retez sailed along the north coast as far as the Mamberamo River near which he landed, naming the island Nueva Guinea . In 1606 Portuguese navigator Luís Vaz de Torres sailed in the name of Spain along the southwestern part of the island in present-day Papua , and also claimed the territory for the King of Spain. Near

5040-420: The region for independence, the Dutch significantly raised development spending from its low base, began investing in Papuan education, and encouraged Papuan nationalism. A small western elite developed with a growing political awareness attuned to the idea of Papuan independence, with close links to neighbouring eastern New Guinea, which was administered by Australia. A national parliament was elected in 1961 and

5124-640: The region has had the official names of Netherlands New Guinea (1895–1962), West New Guinea or West Irian (1962–1973), Irian Jaya (1973–2002), and Papua (2002–present). The expected Indonesian translation of "Western New Guinea", Nugini Barat , is currently only used in historical contexts such as kampanye Nugini Barat " Western New Guinea campaign ". The region is 1,200 kilometres (750 miles) from east to west and 736 kilometres (457 miles) from north to south. It has an area of 412,214.61 square kilometres (159,157 square miles ), which equates to approximately 22% of Indonesia's land area. The northern part of

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5208-511: The region in response to the arrests of 43 Papuan students in Surabaya for allegedly disrespecting the Indonesian flag . In July 2022 three additional provinces were created from parts of the existing Papua Province. The new provinces were Central Papua , Highland Papua and South Papua . In November 2022, Southwest Papua was created from the western part of West Papua Province. Thus, including

5292-645: The region is also called West Papua ( Indonesian : Papua Barat ). Lying to the west of Papua New Guinea and geographically a part of the Australian continent , the territory is almost entirely in the Southern Hemisphere and includes the Biak and Raja Ampat archipelagoes. The region is predominantly covered with rainforest where traditional peoples live, including the Dani of the Baliem Valley . A large proportion of

5376-468: The region would require protracted jungle warfare, and, unwilling to see a repeat of their futile efforts in the armed struggle for Indonesian independence in the 1940s, agreed to American mediation. The United States President John F. Kennedy wrote to the then Dutch Prime Minister Jan de Quay , encouraging the Netherlands to relinquish control of Western New Guinea to Indonesia and warning of Indonesia's potential alliance with communist powers if Sukarno

5460-451: The region. In 2012, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs received 11 applications for permission to cover Papua from a number of foreign media. Of 11 requests, five were approved while the other six were rejected. Meanwhile, in 2013, requests for permission to cover Papua by foreign media soared to 28. At that time, the ministry approved 21 letters of application and rejected the other seven. The process of admitting foreign press and NGOs, which

5544-419: The residual West Papua Province and Papua Province, there were then six provinces covering Western New Guinea. The population of the region was estimated to be 5,601,888 in mid 2022. The interior is predominantly populated by ethnic Papuans while coastal towns are inhabited by descendants of intermarriages between Papuans, Melanesians, and Austronesians, including other Indonesian ethnic groups. Migrants from

5628-406: The rest of Indonesia also tend to inhabit the coastal regions. The largest cities in the territory are Jayapura in the region's northeast, and Sorong in the northwest of the Bird's Head Peninsula . By 2022 Jayapura had a population of over 400,000 and Sorong nearly 300,000; other major towns are Timika and Nabire in Central Papua, Merauke in South Papua, and Manokwari in the northeast of

5712-536: The south coast includes mangroves and sago palms and in the drier southeastern section, eucalypts, paperbarks, and acacias. Marsupial species dominate the region; there are an estimated 70 marsupial species (including possums , wallabies , tree-kangaroos , and cuscus ), and 180 other mammal species (including the endangered long-beaked echidna ). The region is the only part of Indonesia to have kangaroos, marsupial mice, bandicoots, and ring-tailed possums. The approximately 700 bird species include cassowaries (along

5796-482: The southeastern section around the town of Merauke . Swamps also extend 300 kilometres (190 miles) around the Asmat region. The Mamberamo River is the region's largest and runs through the length of Papua Province. The result is a large area of lakes and rivers known as the Lakes Plains region. The southern lowlands, habitats of which included mangrove, tidal and freshwater swamp forest, and lowland rainforest, are home to populations of fishermen and gatherers such as

5880-587: The southern coastal areas), bowerbirds , kingfishers , crowned pigeons , parrots, and cockatoos . Approximately 450 of these species are endemic. Birds-of-paradise can be found in Kepala Burung and Yapen . The region is also home to around 800 species of spiders, 200 frogs, 30,000 beetles, and 70 bats, as well as one of the world's longest lizards (the Papuan monitor ) and some of the world's largest butterflies. The waterways and wetlands of Papua provide habitat for salt and freshwater crocodiles , tree monitors, flying foxes , ospreys , and other animals, while

5964-473: The terms of the New York Agreement , all Western New Guinean men and women were to be given a plebiscite; this was to be called the Act of Free Choice . However, when the act was due to take place under the new president Suharto , the Indonesian government used a musyawarah or traditional consensus to decide the region's status. The 1,026 elders were hand-picked by the Indonesian government and many were coerced into voting for union with Indonesia. However, in

6048-444: The time. In the post-Suharto era , the national government began a process of decentralisation of the provinces, including, in December 2001, a special autonomy status for Papua province and a reinvestment into the region of 80% of the taxation receipts generated by the region, in addition of special autonomy fund. In 2003, a new province of West Papua was created from the western regencies of Papua (province) , comprising lands in

6132-433: The western half of the island would become part of the Dutch East Indies . In 1828 the Dutch established the settlement of Fort Du Bus at Lobo (near Kaimana ), which also failed. Great Britain and Germany had recognised the Dutch claims on western New Guinea in treaties of 1885 and 1895. Dutch activity in the region remained minimal in the first half of the twentieth century. Dutch, US, and Japanese mining companies explored

6216-672: The world to export the persecution of human rights defenders, journalists and political opponents". There have been concerns about conflict of interest as well as in March 2017, the UAE donated $ 54 million to Interpol, which roughly equalled the contributions by all other member states. Interpol's secretary-general, Jurgen Stock, stated that Interpol had introduced a task force to review requests "even more intensively". In June 2020, Iran issued an arrest warrant for U.S. President Donald Trump and 35 other U.S. political and military officials for their role in

6300-821: The world, and its overall aim is to assert enough political pressure on the United Nations to implement a re-run of the Act of Free Choice . As well as the UK launch, IPWP has also had launch events in the European Parliament , Scottish Parliament and also Papua New Guinea . In April 2009, Benny Wenda launched the International Lawyers for West Papua. The launch saw a series of high level meetings held by international lawyers in Guyana in South America. The aim of this group

6384-949: Was added, Orange. In 2005, the Interpol-United Nations Security Council special notice was created at the request of the UN Security Council through Resolution 1617 to provide better tools to help the Security Council carry out its mandate regarding the freezing of assets, travel bans, and arms embargoes aimed at individuals and entities associated with Al-Qaeda and the Taliban and was adopted by Interpol at its 74th General Assembly in Berlin in September 2005. In his book Red Notice: A True Story of High Finance, Murder, and One Man's Fight for Justice , Bill Browder ,

6468-805: Was awarded the Freedom of Oxford by Oxford City Council in the UK. Lord Mayor of Oxford Craig Simmons said the accolade was "well-deserved" and Mr Wenda was "contributing so much both locally and on the international stage". Benny and his wife Maria perform traditional West Papuan music as The Lani Singers . In 2008 they released their debut album. Entitled Ninalik Ndawi (Freedom Song), it received reviews in national newspapers including The Guardian and The Observer , and music magazines fRoots , Songlines and The Wire . The group undertook interviews and live sessions on World Routes on BBC Radio 3 and A World in London on BBC Radio London . They have also performed at Musicport Festival, Glastonbury Festival and

6552-432: Was created from part of West Papua Province; these received the same special autonomous status as (the residual) West Papua and Papua Provinces, the latter now reduced to northern Papua and the groups of islands in Cenderawasih Bay . In 2020, West Papua and Papua provinces had a census population of 5,437,775, the majority of whom are indigenous ; the official estimate as of mid-2022 was 5,601,888. The official language

6636-504: 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

6720-545: Was established by highland tribal elders with the goal of working towards recognition and protection of the customs, values and beliefs of the tribal people of the West Papuan highlands. It advocates independence from Indonesia, and rejects special autonomy or any other political compromise offered by the Indonesian government. As Secretary-General of Demmak, Wenda represented the council of elders. The organisation supported Papua Presidium Council (PDP) negotiations with Jakarta to

6804-485: Was not appeased. The negotiations resulted in the UN-ratified New York Agreement of September 1962, which transferred administration to a United Nations Temporary Executive Authority (UNTEA) and proposed that the administration could be assumed by Indonesia until such time as a plebiscite could be organized to allow Papuans to determine whether they wanted independence or union with Indonesia. Under

6888-716: Was previously complicated, began to be facilitated in 2015. Kompas.com explained that Jokowi officially revoked the ban on foreign journalists from entering Papua. According to him, Papua is the same as other regions of Indonesia. However, as of today foreign journalists are still required to apply for permission to enter Papua through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. 4°00′S 136°00′E  /  4.000°S 136.000°E  / -4.000; 136.000 Interpol red notice There are eight types of notices, seven of which are colour-coded by their function: red, blue, green, yellow, black, orange, and purple. The best-known notice

6972-524: Was released in 2020 and was official selection at the Lift Off Global Network film festivals in Toronto 2021 and Manchester 2022. West Papua (region) Western New Guinea , also known as Papua , Indonesian New Guinea , and Indonesian Papua , is the western half of the island of New Guinea , formerly Dutch and granted to Indonesia in 1962. Given the island is alternatively named Papua,

7056-536: Was the predecessor of local Papuan kingdoms in the area. In 1526–27, the Portuguese explorer Jorge de Menezes accidentally came upon the principal island in the Biak archipelago and is credited with naming it Papua , from a Malay word pepuah , for the frizzled quality of Melanesian hair. Heading east, he eventually reported the northern coast of the Bird's Head Peninsula and the Waigeo Island , and named

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