Calling on all supporters around the world to join the Global Flag Raising for West Papua

November 17, 2015

Join the Global Flag Raising for West Papua!

We are calling on ALL our supporters to take part in the biggest global day of action for West Papua.

This year on 1st December the Free West Papua Campaign is calling on people all around the world to take pictures of themselves holding or raising the West Papuan Morning Star flag in solidarity with the people of West Papua. Please take part and share the photos on social media to build a truly global picture of the support for a Free West Papua. You can buy flags to raise on the day or you can simply print out this image of the flag.

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West Papuan children proudly saluting in front of their national flag and a Garamut drum in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea

We also hope people will hold this sign alongside the West Papuan flag, supporting an Internationally Supervised Vote for the people of West Papua to freely vote for Independence.

Watch a promo video here:

Be imaginative and have fun by thinking of an eye catching or significant location or why not try to get as many people as possible all holding images of the flag in one photo. The campaign team will also send a Free West Papua poster signed by Benny Wenda to the person or group who we think has taken the best/most dramatic photo. Last year there were 3 winners, Jennifer Miran in Cairns, Australia; the West Papua solidarity group at the University of Hawaii at Manoa; and Rikin Kaloran in Port Vila, Vanuatu!

A number of town halls around the world have also been symbolically raising the Morning Star flag on 1st December over the last few years. Please ask your town hall if they are willing to join in. We are also encouraging people to ask any celebrities or other famous people they know to get involved and show support for West Papua too!

The West Papuan flag being raised on top of and outside Oxford Town Hall

The 1st December marks West Papua’s original independence day when the Morning Star flag was first raised in 1961 before being invaded by Indonesia. The flag is recognised as the national flag of West Papua and continues to be the defining symbol for a Free West Papua. Today, Papuan’s who raise the flag face arrest, torture and long jail sentences.

Former West Papuan political prisoner Filep Karma served 15 years in prison just for raising the flag on 1st December 2004. Flag raising ceremonies have been attacked by Indonesian police and military, shots fired into crowds and violently dispersed. Despite this level of repression the Morning Star flag will again be raised by West Papuans this year on 1st December and we want all supporters around the world to join them in a huge show of solidarity and awareness raising.

Flags flown in large numbers at a Free West Papua rally in Melbourne

We encourage as many groups and individuals to take part on this day by themselves if they would like to but there are also a number of events which are being officially already organised by solidarity groups. You can find out how to contact your local Free West Papua solidarity group here.

Join us to make this 1st December the biggest day of global action for West Papua. Raise the Morning Star and stand shoulder to shoulder with the people of West Papua. Share your pictures via social media to show your friends, family and the world that you support Freedom for West Papua.

Please share all photos with us via our facebook or twitter (use #FreeWestPapua and #LetWestPapuaVote) accounts or email them to office@freewestpapua.org.

For inspiration please watch and share the following promotional video and see some of the previous flag raising photos below:

Christian Welponer, a world famous mountaineer, flies the Morning Star flag on the peak of the highest mountain in West Papua in defiance of the Indonesian authorities.