“We need to stand up for our brothers and sisters in West Papua.”
Those were the words of local composer and well known artist Seru Serevi who launched a new song today called “Rise Morning Star” to show support to the people who are struggling in West Papua.
West Papua has been facing a lot of challenges in terms of human rights and about 10% of the indigenous population has been killed by Indonesian Security forces since 1963.
Serevi said that through one of his musician friends from PNG, he was able to compose the song.
Meanwhile Fiji Women’s Crisis Center Coordinator Shamima Ali was also present at the launch and said that they have been planning to start up something to support the people of West Papua.
Vanuatu Prime Minister, Moana Carcasses, has called for international action to look after the issue.
Carcasses told the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva that he fears indigenous Papuans will become a minority in their own land.
People of Papuan ethnicity made up 96% of the population of the former Dutch New Guinea but they are now roughly 50%, the other half being composed of non-Papuan migrants from other parts of Indonesia.
Story by: Rusiate Baleilevuka
