Sydney – The Sydney-based Australia West Papua Association has issued a statement that thanks the Leichhardt and Marrickville councils for their support in raising the West Papuan Morning Star at their town halls again this year for West Papuan national Flag Day.

The support of local councils is very important in helping raise awareness of the human rights situation in West Papua in local communities, says association representative Joe Collins in the statement.

"It is of great concern that simply raising a flag can be classed as subversion. The outlawing of the raising of a flag is in direct contravention of Article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR).

"Article 19.2 states:

2. Everyone shall have the right to freedom of expression; this right shall include freedom to seek, receive and impart information and ideas of all kinds, regardless of frontiers, either orally, in writing or in print, in the form of art, or through any other media of his choice."

The flags were raised on Friday. Yesterday marked the 51st anniversary of the former Dutch colony's declaration of independence on December 1, 1961 before it was incorporated into Indonesia in 1969 as the result of a disputed United Nations-sponsored ballot.

In Wellington, a rally has been held outside New Zealand's parliament to mark the day. More than 40 people, including MP,s convened to raise the Morning Star Flag in solidarity with the indigenous people of Indonesia's Papua region.

The New Zealand Green Party MP, Catherine Delahunty, said the flag represented the long-neglected aspirations and hopes of West Papuans.

"If you raise the Morning Star flag, you can be arrested and jailed for 14 years," she said. "That's almost unimaginable to us... New Zealand should not collude with these people who will not allow citizens to raise a flag."