David Cameron becomes hero of Papuan tribes

David Cameron becomes hero of Papuan tribes

Telegraph News, David Cameron’s elevation to Prime Minister is being celebrated by tribespeople in West Papua who have pinned their hopes on him helping their campaign for independence from Indonesia.

Posters of the Conservative leader have been held aloft in villages across the province following news of his arrival in Downing Street in the wake of the coalition agreement.

Mr Cameron has been feted by many of the one million indigenous inhabitants of West Papua after a meeting last year with their exiled leader Benny Wenda, who was granted asylum by Britain in 2003.

The province covers the western part of the island of New Guinea, with the eastern half being Papua New Guinea.

Following independence from Dutch colonial rule in the 1950s, it was handed over to the UN but was formally annexed by Indonesia following a 1969 referendum whose legitimacy was subsequently marred by allegations of coercion.

The Free Papua Movement, whose campaign for self-determination is supported by most of the indigenous population, is outlawed in Indonesia.

Mr Wenda fled to Britain after escaping jail in Indonesia where he was being held, accused of raising the Free Papua flag, which is banned, and of causing of civil unrest.

In an interview with the Daily Telegraph earlier this year, Mr Cameron described the plight of the tribespeople as “a terrible situation”.

Dominic Brown, an independent filmmaker whose documentary about West Papua, The Forgotten Bird of Paradise, has been seen by Mr Cameron, said pictures of tribespeople holding messages of support were taken at the weekend by activists spreading the word about Britain’s new Prime Minister.

He said: “They are all very happy. It gives them great hope that their voice may finally be heard at international level.”

“Last year the International Committee of the Red Cross was thrown out by the Indonesian Government and hasn’t been able to return since.

"Cameron is the only western leader to have expressed any real interest in their campaign and they have really pinned their hopes on him being able to do something about the situation."

Among those pictured are political prisoners Buchtar Tabuni and Victor Yiemo who were jailed by the government after taking part in a demonstration.

Mr Wenda, 35, and his wife Maria perform traditional West Papuan music as The Lani Singers.