Speaking Engagement
My name is Herman Wainggai, I’m from West Papua living here in the USA as an exiled former political prisoner. I’ve devoted most of my life trying to bring the issues of West Papua to the world through peaceful nonviolent means taught to me by my late uncle Dr. Thom Wainggai who championed ‘nonviolent struggle’ in West Papua against occupying power, Indonesia. He was arrested and charged with “subversion” and later died in jail
under highly suspicious circumstances. I knew he was murdered by the Indonesian military. I decided to pickup where he left.
Indonesia saw me as a serious threat as I left behind a promising future as a university student to help the struggle of my people through peaceful protests and public awareness against the brutal regime of Indonesia. I founded organizations that Indonesia saw as extremely dangerous to their public and political image. I was arrested, like my uncle, and charged with ‘subversion’. My lawyers fought vehemently in court on my behalf and managed to sliced a significant portion of the twenty years I was facing, and I was sent to jail for two and a half years. In jail, I was subjected to physical and psychological torture but they failed to break me! I served my time to the end.
After serving two and a half years in jail, I was released only to continue my work as a leader in our struggle for ‘Self-Determination’ and an outspoken critic of the Indonesian government – a military regime. Indonesia had occupied our lands for more than five decades based on a fraudulent ‘Act of Free Choice’ vote – an election where only a fraction of a fraction of my people were rounded up and forced to vote to let Indonesia in to our lands. I’ve witnessed many of my people – especially those I knew personally – died standing in the hands of the Indonesian military which who have occupied our lands for many years.
Me in front of the US Congress building.
In 2006, knowing that Indonesian military was coming after me, I took 42 of loyal activists, and my wife and two young children with me, and escaped an outrigger canoe to Australia. The almost perish at sea but thank God we survived. We spent four nights and three days before we made it to Australia. We were almost starved to death but we were safe. In Australia we were held in detention center, but later the Australian government decided to grant us our freedom much to the annoyance of Indonesia who reacted by recalling its ambassador to Australia as a formal protest against the Australian government’s decision.
I traveled around the region in 1999 to raise awareness of Indonesian atrocity and brutality in West Papua and our fight to self-determination, and in also traveled to Australia in 2001, but this time, my journey takes me far and wide. Escaping danger was a blessing in disguise because it is the beginning of my journey as an exiled leader to continue my work in bringing West Papuan issues to the world. Though I’m far, I will never ceased fighting for our rights to govern ourselves.
Today, I’m one of the West Papuan leaders living in exile still carrying out the struggle for freedom of our people. I’m now residing in Washington, D.C and continuing my work as an advocate of ‘nonviolent struggle’ against oppressors at one of the great institutions in the US, George Mason University (GMU).
As an exiled former prisoner, I’m just glad to be able to live in this great country where speaking out our about the struggle of my people and raising my ‘Morning Star’ flag would not land me in jail.
You can read my full story on the “front-page” or on my wikipage but I will be available in person to tell you what I went through.
If you want Mr. Wainggai to speak at an event, please go to “contact page” and fill in the form and submit. You’ll get a notification as soon as your request is submitted.
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