Pacific Conference of Churches Support West Papua 1 December 2023

Romans 8: 16-21

The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory. I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. For the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed. For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God.

On the first of December 1969, the Morning Star was raised in the land of Tannah Papua. A Year later, the Indonesian Army invaded the land and placed a stranglehold on Papuans and the land. Today, the Pacific Conference of Churches, Fiji Council of Churches, Fiji Council Of Social Services (FCOSS), PIANGO Pacific 2030, Pacific Network on Globalisation, National Youth Council of FIji, Social Empowerment and Education Program- SEEP and other Civil Society representatives raised the morning star flag once again to commemorate the ongoing struggle for self-determination and freedom for our brothers and sisters in Tannah Papua. 

Rev Siera Bird, shares a reflection on the plight of West Papuan women especially, sharing a letter from Rode Wanimbo of the GIDI in West Papua who speaks to the hope that Pacific solidarity for freedom in West Papua is a beacon of hope for those in Tanah Papua. The reading from Romans Chapter 8 speaks to the hope for liberation that we find in Christ. 

As we continue to observe the 16 Days of Activism, we remember the unique violence that women and children face in the ongoing military occupation of Papua. The Pacific must stand up and speak out against the atrocities that are a lived reality for Papuans and reiterate the urgency with which we must work to end Indonesian Occupation of West Papua. 

From all corners of the Pacific, we shout #Merdeka! #MerdekaPapua! #Merdeka! #WestPapua #tannahpapua #FreeWestPapua