By Herman Wainggai
This morning Frans, Gail and I decided to join Amnesty International for a protest in front of the Indonesian Embassy demanding for the release of our fellow West Papuan political prisoner Filep Karma. We chanted and yelled for Filep’s freedom and made quite a noisy, disruptive protest in front of the embassy. This event helped me to realize how important and necessary it is to continue with our international campaign to release other political prisoners that are also imprisoned in West Papua at this moment. We know we made an impact because lurking on the roof of the embassy, an Indonesian man quietly watched and contemplated what it means now, and will continue to mean in the future, to have a West Papua/U.S. team working for the rights of our political prisoners and the rights of all West Papuans. We will continue our protests in Washington D.C. at the Indonesian embassy, with more participants, higher energy, and a greater impact.
They will know that our team is here to stay, and we will not let them forget that releasing Filep is the only way to quiet our voices. Of course our voices will only be quiet for a moment, and then we will continue with our campaign for the release of other political prisoners and for our human rights in West Papua.
I would like to thank our friends at Amnesty International for their support, and their continued support in the future.
Attached are photos of our successful protest today, June 16, 2011, at the Indonesian Embassy in Washington, D.C. The free West Papua campaign to release political prisoners continues.
MERDEKA!! MERDEKA!! FREE WEST PAPUA!!
This morning Frans, Gail and I decided to join Amnesty International for a protest in front of the Indonesian Embassy demanding for the release of our fellow West Papuan political prisoner Filep Karma. We chanted and yelled for Filep’s freedom and made quite a noisy, disruptive protest in front of the embassy. This event helped me to realize how important and necessary it is to continue with our international campaign to release other political prisoners that are also imprisoned in West Papua at this moment. We know we made an impact because lurking on the roof of the embassy, an Indonesian man quietly watched and contemplated what it means now, and will continue to mean in the future, to have a West Papua/U.S. team working for the rights of our political prisoners and the rights of all West Papuans. We will continue our protests in Washington D.C. at the Indonesian embassy, with more participants, higher energy, and a greater impact.
They will know that our team is here to stay, and we will not let them forget that releasing Filep is the only way to quiet our voices. Of course our voices will only be quiet for a moment, and then we will continue with our campaign for the release of other political prisoners and for our human rights in West Papua.
I would like to thank our friends at Amnesty International for their support, and their continued support in the future.
Attached are photos of our successful protest today, June 16, 2011, at the Indonesian Embassy in Washington, D.C. The free West Papua campaign to release political prisoners continues.
MERDEKA!! MERDEKA!! FREE WEST PAPUA!!