The leader of the United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP) has had a strained relationship with the West Papua National Liberation Army since 2017. The Spokesperson for the West Papua National Liberation Army, Sebby Sambom, rejected his organization’s objection to the declaration of Papuan Independence called for by the Chairman of the ULMWP, Benny Wenda. The misunderstanding began to be detected after three years of the West Papua National Liberation Army co-founding the ULMWP.

Sebby recalled that the West Papua National Liberation Army co-founded the ULMWP in 2014 in Vanuatu. But in 2016, the West Papua National Liberation Army smelled signs that Benny Wenda and his group were starting to intervene in the ULMWP. Even acting as the leader of the group.

Benny even formed a security organization that Sebby called a step to interfere with all movements of the West Papua National Liberation Army. According to Sebby, Benny gradually showed signs that were contrary to the Papuan liberation movement being built by the West Papua National Liberation Army and other organizations.

“In 2016-2017, the interests of the organization formed by Benny Wenda were called the West Papua Revolutionary Army. So they intervened that the ULMWP was Wenda’s organization. Finally, the West Papua National Liberation Army saw that the intention was not good,” said Sebby.

Sebby also acknowledged the difference in determination between his organization and Benny Wenda’s group. He even accused Benny Wenda of actually intending to destroy the struggle of the Papuan people who wanted independence. On that basis, the West Papua National Liberation Army resigned.

“Benny Wenda, they have intentions, they have that setting, we read that it is detrimental to the common interest so that the West Papua National Liberation Army does not want to bear the sins of Benny and his group,” he said.

Since 2017, representatives of the West Papua National Liberation Army have no longer attended the ULMWP session and have officially declared their withdrawal due to differences in principle. “We were forced to resign in 2017. And we did not attend the session in 2017. We announced it in the forum, announced it in the forum in 2017,” he continued.

Sebby continued, after officially opposing Benny, he then created a rival military organization to fight the West Papua National Liberation Army in Papua. The organization formed by Benny was named the West Papua Army which began operating in 2019. “Then in 2019 Benny and his group created a rival organization, the West Papua Army. So we consider Benny and his group to be the ones destroying our struggle,” concluded Sebby.

The differences between the two organizations emerged following the declaration of Papuan Independence by ULMWP Chairman Benny Wenda. Benny’s statement invited strong rejection from the West Papua National Liberation Army group.

Sebby explained that Benny was working for the interests of foreign capitalists from the European Union, America and Australia. This, according to him, is contrary to the West Papua National Liberation Army.

Observing the divisions that occurred in these groups, agreeing with what Sebby said, political observer from Cendrawasih University Marinus Yaung assessed that the internal conflict had been going on since 2017. He saw that the West Papua National Liberation Army organ chose to leave the ULMWP because of Benny Wenda’s attitude and actions.

“Since 2017, when Benny took power, that’s where the split occurred. So between the West Papua National Liberation Army and Sebby Sambon, they are at odds with the current ULMWP,” said Marinus.

“Sebby Sambon was part of supporting the ULMWP in 2014, maybe because he thought Benny Wenda had been a dictator in his government,” he added.

He also stated that Benny had actually violated the initial agreement of the groups when he founded the ULMWP in 2014. From what he saw, continued Marinus, the ULMWP was not formed with the aim of being a single institution but an organization that coordinates all groups in the West Papua separatist movement, both in Indonesia and abroad.

“Since 2017, Benny has always dominated power in the ULMWP. They are always rivals within themselves,” said Marinus.

Furthermore, Marinus explained that the divisions among the Papuan separatist groups themselves have actually been going on for a long time, even since the West Papua National Liberation Army was founded in 1965. “This is a classic problem since the 60s until now, even causing casualties,” he said.

Marinus further suspected that Benny’s steps in declaring Papuan independence were only part of a political camouflage to convince his donors so far, that the Papuan issue had not lost momentum on the international stage. In fact, Marinus himself viewed the Papuan separatist issue as having lost momentum on the international stage.

“Benny wants to cover up his and ULMWP’s failure in campaigning for the Papua issue,” said Marinus.

Benny Wenda’s Footsteps

On December 6, 2001, the Abepura Police in Jayapura City, Papua Province, was attacked by a separatist group. This attack was carried out by Benny Wenda and his brother Matias Wenda from the Jayapura-Papua New Guinea border area. The two of them mobilized around 500 Jayawijaya residents to the Jayapura-PNG border. This group also carried out a massacre of six migrant woodworkers on the border between Indonesia and Papua New Guinea in December 2001.

Benny was arrested by the Indonesian Police on suspicion of inciting the public and leading a number of secret meetings to attacked the Indonesian post and police in June 2002.

In addition to arresting Wenda, the police confiscated a number of pieces of evidence in the form of two Indonesian passports belonging to Wenda with the number H.59.3036, a Papua New Guinea (PNG) passport with the number 107107. The police found a number of West Papua National Liberation Army documents to create unrest among the community. In addition, the police also confiscated three 10 cm pipes to make homemade bombs, one bow and 11 arrows with wooden tips, and eight arrows with iron tips.

On October 29, 2002, Benny Wenda and another prisoner, Lasaeus Welila escaped from the detention cell by prying open the bathroom window. Benny fled to Papua New Guinea and then asked for asylum from the British Government shortly thereafter.