Melbourne to Manus Freedom Flotilla
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Project Update: Get Pog back in the water to Sail 4 Justice
Don’t turn ur back on the old country, our land and sea are calling us…
The people and the land are suffering.
These colonial governments have no jurisdiction, they got no right to be locking people up, torturing and killing them, our mob, our brothers and sisters in West Papua or the mobs fleeing war, coming here just looking for safety. It’s our land we should be allowed to welcome them and look after country, protect it from mining companies logging and waste dumps.
I’m talking toall you mob here and across the Pacific
Don’t turn ur back on the land and people. Time for this next generation to stand up, come together and sail 4 justice’’ Uncle Kevin Buzzacott Arabunna Elder
Yay! Big thanks, you mob rock! We made past the 5k mark! We super proud to have such a concious and generous crew around us!
We will work hard to make this happen with as much swet and caleses as it takes to #sail4justice
You can follow our boat fixing progress on:
https://www.facebook.com/sail4justice/
And mission updates on https://freedomflotillawestpapua.org/
Patches coming soon!
Please feel free to contact me if you want to get involved in the next chapter or invite other people that might be up for contributing- be it fixing, donating or sailing. We are heading back up to Darwin. Get in touch if you feel like a DIY BYO everything tropical working holiday. Private message me on izzybrown@live.com
Action plan under way, stay tuned, its gonna be epic thanks to you!
xx Much love and adventures xx
Freedom Now
West Papua-
Donate to get Pog back in the water to Sail 4 Justice
Pog Mo Hon is the notorious flag ship from the Freedom Flotilla to West Papua, earlier this year she was pirated into the mangroves in dead boat bay where she was found in quite a state of dis repair. She has since been rescued and is up on the dry in Darwin.
We are currently working hard to get her back in the water and ready for her next adventure for social and environmental justice in the Pacific!
But..
We need to put in a new engine, replace timber and rigging, re do electrics and fibre glassing. Its big job and we are making progress but with out your support we are struggling to afford the repairs and parts she needs.
Be part of this mission, donate what u can, nothing is too small xx big love and fine adventures
Wa Canoe Travelling with a Message
Wa Canoe Travelling with a Message : The 1st of May 2018 the Aboriginal Tent Embassy Supporters and Free West Papua supporters came in solidarity with Wa Canoe and did a full lap around the Parliament House to remind the Australian government of the Papuan bloods on their hands through their foreign policies in early 60s that have continued to terrorised the livelihood and suppressed the aspirations of the Papuan’s right to self-determination.
Sail 4 West Papua
West Papua Global Flag Day Melbourne 2017
Global Flag Raising Day Melbourne 2016
All day flag raising events in solidarity with West Papua independence movement.
Event location: Trades Hall Victoria 6pm
The Morning Star was also be raised on flag poles in Ballarat Castlemaine and Kyneton!
West Papuan LIVE MUSIC, DANCING, FOOD and…We so are excited to announce the LAUNCH screening of the latest music video on the West Papuan culture and struggle: Sorong Samarai experience – from the tip of West Papua to the tip of PNG – One People, One soul, One destiny at December 1 flag raising at Trades Hall Melbourne!!
December 1st 1961 was to be West Papua’s Independence Day according to the Dutch decolonisation plan, but international actors such as Indonesia, the USA and the United Nations intervened and stopped this from taking place through signing the New York Agreement without the consultation or involvement of the West Papuan people. It was on this day however that the West Papuan Morning Star flag was raised and it therefore continues to be an important day for West Papuans all over the world in their continuing struggle for independence.
Each year West Papuans and their supporters raise flags in solidarity to show that they are still fighting and remember what could have been 55 years ago. Instead West Papuans continue to be shot and killed for raising the Morning Star as it is seen by the Indonesian government as an act of treason.
The Morning Star flag is a symbol of freedom and flying it is an act of acknowledgement and recognition of the hardship of the West Papuan people who have endured 55 years of human rights abuses and environmental destruction under Indonesian occupation.
Paddle for West Papua
ABOUT THE DAY
On the 17/01/2016 the community celebrated the cultural diversity of West Papua with a family friendly paddle on the beautiful Yarra River at Warrandyte.
The aims of the ‘Paddle For West Papua’ is to:
1) raise awareness on waterway health and the benefits of recreational paddling
2) celebrate the 10 year anniversary of the ‘Airo Dewohi’ arriving on Cape York on 17 January 2006.
Ten years ago to the day, (17.01.2006) 43 West Papuans (including seven children) landed safely on Cape York after paddling from West Papua in a traditional dugout canoe.
The reason for their paddle was to escape persecution from their West Papuan home lands, where the Indonesian military have been in control since 1962. During his time, as many as 500,000 West Papuans have been killed in a silent genocide that receives little media coverage from the outside world.
Lober’s Story
My name is Lober Wainggai
I’m from Serui Island West Papua
I came to Australia with 43 people in this traditional canoe
We came to tell people about the situation in West Papua
This boat is used for hunting and fishing and transportation
The journey was scary we could only travel in the night time We met our secret contacts to collect the petrol and food and had to keep moving so that we would not be caught by the Indonesian Military
I got on the boat in Sorong I am boat driver. It took 2 weeks to get to Merauke
Most people got on the boat there it was January 2006
We got lost for 4 days in ocean because the engine broke we had no food only a few banana for 43 people
The sea was rough little bit of rain and wind no sleeping we just sit holding on
17th January in the evening we arrived in Cape York , We put the boat in crocodile river and we slept on the beach.
The next afternoon journalist came by helicopter and immigration by car and took us to Weipa. Then we were taken to Christmas Island for 3months at the detention centre. We got refugee status TPV and were sent to Melbourne
Now I am living in Melbourne
The boat was confiscated by the Australian Navy
West Papua Honai Embassy Vigil – Melbourne
West Papuan and non-Papuan activists and supporters for a Free West Papua in Melbourne prepare to set up a vigil overnight across the Indonesian Consulate. As part of the global flag raising day, it is tragic to hear about the arrests of hundreds of Papuan Student of Alliance (AMP) in Jogjakarta and shootings in Yapen that left four people died.
Spokesperson at the West Papua Honai Embassy – Melbourne, Ronny Kareni, condemned the inhumane treatment of Papuans who peacefully celebrate this historic day. “We are saddened by the lost of our Papuan activists by Indonesian security forces crackdown on peaceful activists and condemned the barbaric act from the state,” said Mr Kareni. ”It clearly shows Indonesia has no place in West Papua.”
The sad news have strengthen the supporters at the West Papua Honai Embassy conviction to continue their vigil overnight at the Indonesian Consulate – Melbourne. Izzy Brown, who helped in organising the event today said “We stand in solidarity with West Papuans who were arrested today Jogjakarta and West Papua.”
The supporters at the Honai Embassy call out for Melbournians to come and join them in solidarity at the camp opposite the Indonesian consulate on this global day in support for the ongoing cry and hopes of the indigenous people of West Papua. Meg, Jaadwa woman and member of Warriors of the Aboriginal Resistance, said that she came in solidarity with our West Papuan brothers and sisters in our shared struggles. “We condemn the Australian government’s involvement in training and funding Indonesian paramilitary forces that protect the interests of Australian and multinational mining corporations,” Meg said. She drew parallels between the forced closures of Aboriginal homeland communities and re-iterated that we as indigenous people are united.
The people also raised a traditional West Papuan Honai embassy to symbolise indigenous people’s struggles as they are displaced from their homelands, their culture, language and freedom. The flag was raised in solidarity with activists across West Papua repressed by Indonesian forces as they attempted to raise the flag this morning.
Since the Morning Star flag was first raised 54 years ago, the Melanesian peoples of West Papua have continued to suffer under Indonesian occupation with an estimated 500,000 people missing or murdered since the Indonesian invasion in 1963. The Australian government is complicit in this slow genocide through its’ military and diplomatic support of the Indonesian government. Multinational mining corporations wreak environmental devastation for huge profit while local people are displaced from their homelands.
West Papuans and their supporters from all over the world call on their governments to support West Papua’s claim of their homeland and freedom for their people.
DARWIN – PROTEST at Indonesian Consulate Independence day opposing the Indonesian Government’s statement of August 15, 2015..
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“The United Liberation Movement of West Papua claims of rampant human rights abuses in West Papua are unfounded and unsubstantiated”
https://twitter.com/Portal_Kemlu_…/status/632752656813981696
On Indonesia’s Independence day in Darwin a rally was held at the
Indonesian Consulate to remind all guests that rampant human rights
abusesin West Papua CONTINUE under the flag of Indonesia and that
the flag of West Papua is not the Indonesian flag, but the Independence Morning Star flag #PapuaMerdekahttps://www.facebook.com/events/1629581630637023/
The Indonesian consul in Darwin had retweeted and applauded the deceitful Indonesian Government statement. The new Consul in Darwin uses local and social media to try and portray a perfect image of his relations with West Papua – attempts to cover up the continued rampant human rights abuse using renowned Indonesian Government lies and deceit. The Indonesian Consul in Darwin calls West Papuan people his ‘little cousins’ to try and hide the rape, murder, torture and well documented ongoing genocide in West Papua.
The Indonesian Consulate Darwin Protocol and Consular Affairs secretary
came to meet us on our arrival and stated “Today is a special day of the
whole year – we have very important guests here – you didn’t let us come
to your Forum in July so you cant protest here today – please not today”
We replied that we would not negotiate as the Indonesian Government forces continue to arrest and have murdered West Papuan people who raise their Morning Star Merdeka flag and although we respect the people of Indonesia, until West Papua has it’s freedom, your flag will be covered in blood.
The protest continued loudly. Later a male guest or Consulate staff member was forced by Northern territory Police to return a mobile phone he stole from
a protesters hand by reaching over the fence, pulling her arm and stealing her phone from her hand – which was recording at the time.
The Indonesian Consul has laid a complaint with the Northern Territory Police Commissioner in an attempt to charge us with ‘disturbing the peace”
freedom flotilla 