West Papua is Australia’s Palestine. It is a country under military occupation. For too long the Australian government has ignored the plight of the West Papua people. The Lombok treaty between Australia and Indonesia is a travesty where it ignores the rights of West Papua people.
West Papuans in exile around Australia, in Cairns, Brisbane Sydney and Melbourne will be celebrating the date in 1961 when the nation announced its independence from the Dutch empire and first raised the Morning Star flag. I remember the same flag being raised at a Eureka commemoration in Ballarat some years ago and one of the West Papuans spoke at the graveside of some of the miners killed at Eureka by the Red Coats. Both Australia and West Papua are struggling for the same thing, independence. In the case of West Papua it is freedom from transmigration and colonisation by Indonesia and in the case of Australia freedom from a British monarch and US imperialism.
Ian Curr
2 Dec 2022
West Papua Flag Raising Brisbane
Wednesday 1 December 2022 AT 5 PM
King George Square
December 1st is a very important day for the West Papuan Independence struggle, come along and show solidarity and support for our closest neighbours undergoing genocide and persecution.
There will be West Papuan refugee speakers, songs and a small period of open mic for anyone who wishes to share a relevant message.
We will meet in King George Square. Seeing as it may be raining, we will still go ahead but will likely be held under cover; on top of the balcony above the cafe on the Ann Street side of the square.
Papua Merdeka!
This what Franz Dowling had to say about the flag raising:
It was an honour to gather with these folks in Brisbane today for December 1st, an important day to stand in solidarity with our West Papuan friends in their struggle for freedom and basic human rights.
In Australia our Government supports the genocide of our closest neighbours through weapons sales to Indonesia, helping train the Indonesian military, and a promise of diplomatic silence when it comes to all horrors inflicted upon Papuan people.
Huge thanks to everyone that came and helped organise, a small crew on a rainy day but the spirit is strong!