5 Sep 2019

Church group claims Fiji police tried to seize West Papua flag

3:41 pm on 5 September 2019

The Pacific Conference of Churches claims Fiji police tried to seize a West Papuan independence flag.

The Morning Star flag a symbol of the West Papuan Independence movement. It was first raised on 1 December 1961 prior to the territory coming under administration of the United Nations Temporary Executive Authority.

The Morning Star flag a symbol of the West Papuan Independence movement. Photo: RNZ PAcific/ Koroi Hawkins

The Christian church group raised the Morning Star flag on Tuesday to protest the killing of Papuan demonstrators during unrest in Indonesia.

It said three police officers then visited its secretariat in Suva and warned the flag breached Fiji's Public Order Act.

Police seized a Morning Star flag from the same property in 2014 and never returned it or laid charges, the group said.

Fiji police did not respond to requests for comment.