Transcript
Young Pasifika from across the country gathered at Parliament on Monday, a convergence promoted by Dunedin-based advocates Plights of the Pacific.
Their spokesperson, Otessa Tuisila, says the journey to Wellington was part of the protest.
"We call it a hikoi, we've called it Merdeka Hikoi, the freedom pilgrimage, just because we want freedom West Papua, and we are just trying to keep the conversation alive and be really creative about how we do that. So yesterday we made 57 coffins, and we brought them to Parliament and we lay them down here. We just wanted to bring it to Parliament just because of the silence like silence, from a country like New Zealand and Australia also, it's costing lives, you know like, we've had it, we've had enough, we want action and we want our MPs to listen to us."
Advocate Edwina Hughes, from Peace Movement Aotearoa, says while the ruling Labour and New Zealand First parties issued apologies for their non-attendance, both should be worried about what's happening in Indonesian-ruled West Papua.
"This is something that must be of concern to all New Zealand governments. West Papua is like the forgotten Pacific country. There's gross human rights violations occurring on a daily basis, under Indonesian military occupation, and it's really time that New Zealand stepped up and said something about it."
Only one MP stepped up to join those flying the Morning Star flag, the Green party's Golriz Ghahraman.
"It is really important for New Zealand to remain a loud and independent voice on human rights atrocities especially in the Pacific, like what's happening to indigenous West Papuans. We can raise our voice in a number of forums, at the United Nations and the Pacific forum. We can do it directly with our trading partner Indonesia. If your friends are committing atrocities against their indigenous people you do you do have a responsibility to speak up, especially if you are trading with that nation state."
A lecturer in Pacific Studies from Victoria University, Emalani Case, was also at the rally.
She says it's no surprise that Pacific people are standing up for West Papua.
"We're all linked as Pacifica people and so when we stand here for self determination, really fighting for sovereignty and independence in West Papua is to fight for sovereignty and independence for all of us as Pacifica people to just be treated fairly to be treated like human beings. I'm from Hawaii, we are currently fighting for our own sovereignty and so I feel like I can't stand for independence at home and not also stand for independence for my Pacifica brothers and sisters and so I think the brown faces here are a reflection of people really acknowledging their shared Whakapapa to the region and acting upon that Whakapapa."
Emalani Case says the fight for West Papuan independence should be considered a part of all decolonisation movements across the Pacific.