Join the Global Flag Raising for West Papua. 1st December!

November 10, 2017

Calling on ALL supporters to join the Global Flag Raising for West Papua!

We are inviting you to join us to take part in what we hope to be the biggest Global day of action for West Papua so far. Each year we ask supporters to take photos of themselves holding the Morning Star flag in solidarity with West Papua and each year it gets bigger and bigger, evidence that the world is increasingly rising up and becoming aware to the situation in West Papua.

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 it is illegal to raise this flag in West Papua and people who do 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.

Watch a promo video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4xE4IUM-N3o

The world is increasingly rising up in support of the West Papuan people, but with international progress, Indonesia reacts with increased intimidation and brutality. Last year, between 5000 and 8000 West Papuan people were arrested for peaceful political actions, and many were tortured and even killed.

We need to show Indonesia that the world is watching.

You can do this by joining the largest global mass action for West Papua this December and by following these actions;

1) Raise the West Papuan flag! Raise the flag and help to raise awareness and solidarity for West Papua’s freedom! Try and raise it in an eye catching location! Why not get as many people to join the flag raising as possible?

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!

You can order West Papuan flags through our Free West Papua Campaign Australia branch here.

If you don’t have a flag, no problem! You can simply print out this image or make one. Get inspired by some of the examples below!

2) Send us a photo from wherever you are PLEASE join in and invite all of your friends and family locally, & around the world to do the same and then share the photos to facebook or twitter. We’d like to create map around the world of where the flag is being raised to build a truly global picture of the support for a Free West Papua. There’s a prize for the best!

Use these following hashtags:
#LetWestPapuaVote
#FreeWestPapua

3) Join our fundraising appeal! We are at a critical point in the campaign at the moment but are currently operating on a shoestring due to the heavy demands of increasing international support for West Papua. We are reaching new heights and the campaign simply cannot operate and be self-sustainable without the much needed and ever appreciated funds so generously donated by good willed people around the world.

Being a campaign, we unable to receive charitable status and few big donor organisations are willing to fund political campaigns. Therefore your support is vital for the campaign to continue to run its essential services.

Please join our 2017 fundraising appeal here and encourage others to do so too.

Please do keep spreading the message of the West Papuan people! We need as many people as possible to keep talking about West Papua now and throughout December. It is urgent that we shine a light on our brothers and sisters in West Papua.

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 worldwide.

Most of the photos we receive on the day are from individuals but if you would like to attend a larger event, here are some which are already planned:

Auckland: (Aotearoa New Zealand) http://bit.ly/2B6kcHj
Brisbane: (Australia) Details to come soon!
Christchurch: (Aotearoa New Zealand) http://bit.ly/2Bf6KC5
Darwin: (Australia) Details to come soon!
London: (UK) Details to come soon!
Nkando-Mulanje: (Malawi) http://bit.ly/2iHi3LI
Melbourne: (Australia) http://bit.ly/2zXJt9U
Oxford: (UK) Details to come soon!
Palmerston: (Aotearoa New Zealand)http://bit.ly/2iIkU6X
Perth: (Australia) Details to come soon!
Sydney: (Australia) http://bit.ly/2A1PO3z
The Hague: (Netherlands) Details to come soon!
Warrnambool: (Australia) http://bit.ly/2zsbsyR
Wellington: (Aotearoa New Zealand)http://bit.ly/2A3IOBj

We are also holding a competition for the best/most dramatic photo. 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 winner(s) will get a free, Free West Papua poster signed by Benny Wenda.

Please join us and let’s raise the Morning Star high and far and wide!

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