Dear friends,
Sincere thanks for your continued solidarity with the people of West Papua.
Sadly there is a tragedy unfolding which needs our urgent attention. A devastating earthquake recently hit Papua New Guinea, and we are asking you to once again show solidarity with the people of this region by urgently supporting our appeal to help.
We do have some good news: Yanto Awerkion is to be released by the end of this month! Thank you for all your support! We have also just held our first Rockin’ For West Papua fundraising event of 2018 which was a huge success. Whether you support us through sharing news, joining our actions, or donating to our appeals, you are helping the Free West Papua Campaign continue our critical work, so thank you.
The ULMWP has set up an urgent appeal to get funds and assistance directly to Papua New Guinea, following the terrible earthquake which has resulted in the deaths of at least 100 people and left hundreds of thousands of others needing immediate help, so please considering supporting this urgent appeal.
After 17 court cases and more than 9 months in jail, West Papuan political prisoner Yanto Awerkion was found guilty of incitement and sentenced to 10 months in prison. He is now due to be released by the end of this month. Yanto, the KNPB and The Free West Papua Campaign would like to thank everybody who joined the action and supported the campaign for his freedom.
On Sunday 4th March, the first Rockin’ for West Papua peace concert of 2018 was held at the Dublin Castle in Camden, London. The amazing artists Xylaroo, Useless Cities, Carpetface and Emma And The Fragments all came together for an awesome event to raise awareness and money for the Free West Papua Campaign.
Rockin’ For West Papua 2018 is in its third year and we are hoping that this October will see the biggest and loudest global peace concert for West Papua yet. Hundreds of artists from around the world are taking part in this growing movement, so if you are a musician or know anyone you think will add their voice to help Free West Papua then get involved now!