The Australia West Papua Association congratulates the West Papuan people on the 54th anniversary of their National Day or National flag day. It is now fifty-four years since the Morning Star flag was flown officially for the first time on the 1st of December in 1961. We are all aware how much the West Papuan people have suffered under Indonesian rule.

However in the past year the West Papuan people have had many victories in their struggle for self-determination.

From the formation of the United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP) in Vanuatu in December 2014 to ULMWP's achievement of gaining observer status at the Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG). Another victory is West Papua is back on the agenda at the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) and hopefully Jakarta will accept a request from the PIF leaders for a fact finding mission to West Papua.

West Papua has been raised at the UN by various Pacific leaders and awareness throughout the Pacific has increased dramatically through the lobbying of governments in the region by West Papuan representatives, civil society organisations and church groups. In fact, civil society organisations in the Pacific have committed to enthusiastically take up the fight for the people of West Papua. The issue is also being raised around the world by solidarity groups and individuals too numerous to mention.

Papua Merdeka

Joe Collins
AWPA (Sydney)

Source: http://awpasydneynews.blogspot.it/2015/11/1st-decemberwest-papuan-national-flag.html