Press Release – Peace Movement Aotearoa

Photographs of the solidarity gathering at parliament, organised by Peace Movement Aotearoa each year to mark West Papua Independence Day and to raise the banned West Papuan ‘Morning Star’ flag, are available at http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.449476561766385.98653.116517195062325&type=1 …Photos: West Papua Flag Raising at parliament

Peace Movement Aotearoa

29 November 2012

Photographs of the solidarity gathering at parliament, organised by Peace Movement Aotearoa each year to mark West Papua Independence Day and to raise the banned West Papuan ‘Morning Star’ flag, are available at
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.449476561766385.98653.116517195062325&type=1 Higher resolution photos are available on request.

West Papua Independence Day is on 1 December, the anniversary of the Declaration of Independence from Dutch colonial rule in 1961. West Papua has been occupied by the Indonesian military since it was handed over, against the will of the indigenous population, to Indonesia in 1963. For the past forty-nine years, the people of West Papua have been subjected to gross human rights violations including rape, torture, cultural genocide, murder and massacre – more than 100,000 West Papuans have been killed. In Papua, people mark Independence Day in a variety of ways, including raising the Morning Star – despite the threat of arrest and murder.

The solidarity gathering at parliament was held on 29 November this year, the closest sitting day to West Papua Independence Day; and was attended by representatives of a wider range of non-governmental organisations than in previous years, a reflection of growing public concern about the escalating level of violence against West Papuans and the denial of their basic human rights.

Each year, MPs of all political parties are invited to come to the ‘Morning Star’ raising to show their support for the people of West Papua – this year, six MPs attended: Maryan Street, Labour Party; Green Party Co-Leader Russell Norman, and Green Party MPs Jan Logie, Catherine Delahunty, Gareth Hughes and Stefan Browning.

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Photo credit: Peace Movement Aotearoa

ENDS

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