In support of freedom and an end to the suffering in West Papua, there will be 2 candlelit vigils in Australia on 5th June later this week.
Sydney
5th June, 17:30 to 19:30
Sydney Town Hall
Melbourne
5th June, 17:30 to 19:30
Melbourne City Square
Sydney
In Sydney, a vigil will be held outside Sydney Town Hall from 17:30 to 19:30 and organisers have said that it will include several performances and speakers. Speakers will include: Greens Senator Lee Rhiannon, Paul Madden Leader of the newly formed Free West Papua Political Party, Mal Fruean the Chair of the NSW Council for Pacific Communities, Janina Ruta (West Papua activist), Nick Chesterfield a human rights journalist and Rebecca Dunn from the Free West Papua Campaign-Sydney.
Performers will include Pacific Island spoken word artist Sea Rakaisau and suppoters Lu-yie, Robert and Olivia.
Everybody is welcome to come and if you would like to also sing a song or perform a poem for West Papua then please do. Please note: At this vigil in Sydney only electric candles will be used as the Sydney City Council does not allow real candles to be used.
Further details about this vigil can be found on this Facebook Event.
Melbourne
In Melbourne, a Free West Papua vigil will also be held from 17:30 to 19:30 at the Melbourne city hall. The ceremony is one of a suite of efforts by communities around the world to encourage the prime ministers of Papua New Guinea and Fiji to accept West Papua’s application to join the Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG).
This is being organised by the Women’s Office of the Federated Republic of West Papua (FRWP).
Everybody is welcome and further details about this vigil can be found on the FRWP website. Contact number:(+61–03) 9049 9590; (61 – 03) 9049 9591
A message of thanks from the Free West Papua Campaign
We would like to thank everyone who is involved in setting up, supporting and attending these events which are set to raise important awareness and support for West Papua from the Australian people.
We hope that as many people as possible will attend these candlelit vigils and stand in solidarity with the West Papuan people who are suffering oppression and the illegal occupation of their country by the Indonesian government.
