7 Oct 2014

W Papua's Wenda up for Nobel Peace Prize

7:05 am on 7 October 2014

The founder of the Free West Papua Campaign, Benny Wenda, has been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize for the second year in a row.

The annual award is given to the world's most prominent and well-known peace campaigners.

Mr Wenda was nominated by foreign dignitaries including Vanuatu's former Prime Minister, Moana Carcasses Kalosil, current Vanuatu MP, Ralph Regenvanu, New Zealand MP Catherine Delahunty and the Bishop of Oxford in the United Kingdom, Reverend John Pritchard.

West Papua has been the scene of a low-level independence war with Indonesia for close to 50 years.

The winner of the prize will be announced next Friday.