December 20, 2013
Papua flag over Otara
Maori and Pasifika women artists are holding a performance at the Otara market tomorrow to raise awareness of the plight of indigenous people in West Papua.
The group staged an event in Auckland’s Queen St earlier this month where they raised the Morning Star flag of the Free West Papua movement, which has been outlawed by Indonesian authorities.
Indonesia invaded the western half of the island of New Guinea 50 years ago to prevent it becoming independent at the end of Dutch colonial rule, and it has since extracted billions of dollars worth of timber and minerals.
Group member Leilani Kake says the continuing struggle for independence is seldom reported.
"It's pretty gruesome. There's torture, rape, beatings and death. I'm part of this movement to tautoko our whanu over there because they are not able to practice their tino rangatiratanga," Ms Kake says.
Tomorrow’s performance, All We Want for Christmas is a Free West Papua, involves raising the Morning Star flag 15 times.
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