UMMAT DAILY ■ Benny Wenda, leader of the United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP), which declared West Papua independence and claimed to be the interim president of Papua has a bad record in Indonesia.
Apart from the statement that Papuan independence was deemed invalid and had no effect, the Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs Mahfud MD stated that Benny Wenda was a prisoner who had a case in Indonesia.
Mahfud MD did not specify the legal case that caught Benny Wenda and he escaped from Indonesia.
"Benny Wenda is a convict or someone who has been sentenced to 15 years for a criminal act but ran away," Mahfud said at a press conference at the Kemenko Polhukam office, Jakarta, Thursday (3/12).
The former Chief Justice of the Constitutional Court (MK) said that currently Benny Wenda is no longer an Indonesian citizen (WNI). This is because the Indonesian government has revoked its citizenship.
“He is now stateless. In England he is a guest, in Indonesia his citizenship has been revoked, ”he said.
Therefore, Mahfud questioned someone who did not have a citizen of the country why suddenly was able to create a new government in West Papua. Even though Papua Province is Indonesian territory.
"Then how does he lead his country. That's what I said, the illusory state he is building, "he said.
As is known, the ULMWP led by Benny Wenda announced the provisional government of West Papua. Benny Wenda has also declared himself the interim president of West Papua starting December 1, 2020, while rejecting all rules and policies from the Indonesian Government.
