The
Morning Star, the flag of the West Papuan liberation movement, will fly over Christchurch City on December the 1st
“To
have Council join us on such an important day is very encouraging” said WPA~C
convenor Brian Turner, “the tradition of raising the Morning Star on the first
of December has until recent times been the preserve of a handful of human
right activists. Now as knowledge of the Pacific’s shameful genocide grows the
outrage has entered the mainstream”.
The
Morning Star was first flown on December the first 1961 and has, since the
Indonesian invasion and brutal occupation in 1963, been a symbol of resistance.
To
mark the occasion a short ceremony will be held at 12.30pm on December 1st
at the Commons. The key note speaker
will be Poto Williams Christchurch East MP.
Earlier in the year eleven parliamentarians
from four parties signed the Westminster Declaration which calls for West Papua’s
right to self-determination to be legally recognised through an internationally
supervised vote.
Council passed its resolution of support in September.
Council passed its resolution of support in September.
“The current
situation in West Papua is alarming” added Turner “gross state-sponsored human rights violations are a daily occurrence - to do nothing is to be
complicit – to actively engage with such repressive regimes is to participate”
"We
are confident that with this cross party and now local body support, the
incoming government will cancel the recently concluded defence relations with Indonesia and will instead champion the cause of West Papuan independence in
international forums".
Raising
The Moring Star
Friday
December 1st
12.30pm
The Commons
cnr Kilmore & Durham Streets
Speaker Poto
Williams Christchurch East MP
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