The first of December marks the 61st anniversary of the first raising of the Morning Star Flag, a symbol of West Papuan independence that arose in the 1960s when the Indonesian government forcibly annexed West Papua, a former Dutch colony.
West Papua is the western half of Papua New Guinea, a Pacific island in Melanesia.
West Papua has long been fighting against the grips of colonisation but the local people stay hopeful as they continue to strive for liberation, freedom and the right to self-determination.
The Free West Papua campaign calls for a global flag-raising on the first of December for West Papuans and supporters worldwide to stand in solidarity with those still struggling for freedom.
The people of West Papua are seeking an independence referendum, to one day gain liberation from Indonesian occupation.
Raki Ap, spokesperson for the Free West Papua Campaign says, “the Morning Star has guided seafarers to West Papua’s shores for thousands of years, and so too it will also guide us to freedom. The Morning Star symbolises our home and represents our dream to live independently and in peace. This is why we will keep calling on our friends around the world to participate in raising the Morning Star flag alongside us, and continue asking them to show Indonesia they affirm our path to freedom and right to self-determination.”
Places around the world are holding events in support of West Papua, with the main flag-raising event at the Oxford Town Hall in England, hosted by Benny Wenda, the interim president of the United Liberation Movement for West Papua, a provisional government created with the goal of independence.
