Join us on Thursday,
29 November 2012 at 1pm, Parliament grounds,
Wellington to fly the Morning Star flag in solidarity
with the people of West Papua
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. Many live in exile because it is not safe for
them to go home.
Multi-national corporations in cahoots
with the Indonesian authorities have exploited West Papua's
natural resources to an extraordinary degree. This has
caused massive social dislocation, devastation of rain
forests, pollution of streams and rivers on which the local
people depend for their survival, and serious human rights
violations in areas where multinationals operate.
1
December is West Papua Independence Day, the anniversary of
the Declaration of Independence from Dutch colonial rule. In
Papua, people mark Independence Day in a variety of ways,
including raising the Morning Star (the West Papuan flag) -
despite the threat of arrest and murder.
This year we are
marking West Papua Independence Day in Wellington at
parliament at 1pm on 29 November, the closest sitting day of
parliament to 1 December. During the solidarity gathering
there will be an opportunity to write a personal message in
support of justice, peace and self-determination for West
Papua.
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