After he was convicted of mobilizing the masses to set fire to police headquarters in 2002, Benny Wenda escaped from detention during trials. He then crossed over to Papua New Guinea until he was granted political asylum in the Great Britain in 2003.

Some believe the United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP) to be behind the riots in Papua. One of Benny’s circulars contained instructions for Papuans not to join August 17 I