Amanda Freund, Newcastle
Newcastle City Council will fly the West Papuan flag from City Hall on December 1 as a gesture of support for the West Papuan people's struggle for independence from Indonesian rule. Council general manager Janet Dore agreed to fly the flag after being approached by Michael Freund, coordinator of the Newscastle branch of the Australia West Papua Association.
West Papuan refugees and members of AWPA will gather in front of City Hall at noon on the day to witness the flying of the flag.
"We are truly grateful to council for agreeing to fly the West Papuan flag this year", said Michael Freund. "Flying the flag here in Newcastle and in other communities across Australia and around the world as part of a growing international campaign is a simple yet tangible way that we can build awareness of the West Papuan people's non-violent struggle for freedom and fundamental human rights."
Freund explained that "December 1 commemorates the first official raising of the West Papuan national flag (the 'Morning Star') in 1961. It flew alongside the Dutch national flag when the colonists renamed the territory 'West Papua' and prepared to hand the land back to the West Papuans.
"However, in the years that followed, Indonesia took over West Papua by military force, with significant political support from the US and Australia.
"Despite an estimated 100,000 West Papuan deaths being caused by Indonesian military forces since the 1960s, the vast majority of West Papuans continue peaceful ways of struggling for justice and human rights, such as flag-raising ceremonies.
"However, the Indonesian authorities are so intolerant that even this peaceful action in December last year landed the two organisers 15 years and 10 years in prison."
Freud added that in 1999, "the Australian government, under pressure from an outraged public, finally supported East Timor in its struggle for freedom from the brutality of the Indonesian military occupation. By flying the Morning Star flag we remind Australia that West Papuans continue to suffer massive injustices under the same military regime."
For more information visit <http://www.freewestpapua.com>
From Green Left Weekly, November 30, 2005.
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