By Leonie Tanggahma
Being Melanesian brothers and sisters is not the only thing that the people of West Papua and the people of Kanaky have in common. It appears December 1st is a symbolic date for both peoples.
Indeed, the Papuan Morning Star Flag (Sampari) was raised for the first time on 1 December 1961 and the name of “Papua Barat” was chosen for that territory.
Twenty-three years later, it was the turn of our Kanak brothers and sisters to name their beloved country "Kanaky" and to see their flag flying.
In 1961, our flag flew alongside that of the Dutch, our former colonizer. Today that same flag is barely tolerated by the new colonizer, after having been banned for decades. Even today, Papuans risk going to prison, as well as being tortured or killed if they dare to fly that flag.
If the people continue to walk with this flag, even though they know they can be killed or tortured, it means that this flag represents something for the people. We cannot ban it or replace it just like that, under the mere pretext that we need to keep things together or that we should not separate (They call us separatists! Well, who was it that cut the island of New Guinea into two?)
A flag may seem to be just an outward symbol, but it represents our identity, our spirit, our history, our will to decide our future ourselves and manage ourselves.
Tell me, would France one day be willing to sacrifice its beautiful Tricolore (the French Red white and Blue flag) and replace with a flag that would also represent the African and Maghrebian minorities that live today alongside the French natives? A flag of unity?
Fly, flag of Kanaky, you have the right to fly.
People of Kanaky, you have the right to exist on your homeland.
You have the right.
Kanaky Merdeka !
Papua Merdeka !
Magalie TINGAL
Suva - Fiji
Nov, 2012
Being Melanesian brothers and sisters is not the only thing that the people of West Papua and the people of Kanaky have in common. It appears December 1st is a symbolic date for both peoples.
Indeed, the Papuan Morning Star Flag (Sampari) was raised for the first time on 1 December 1961 and the name of “Papua Barat” was chosen for that territory.
Twenty-three years later, it was the turn of our Kanak brothers and sisters to name their beloved country "Kanaky" and to see their flag flying.
In 1961, our flag flew alongside that of the Dutch, our former colonizer. Today that same flag is barely tolerated by the new colonizer, after having been banned for decades. Even today, Papuans risk going to prison, as well as being tortured or killed if they dare to fly that flag.
If the people continue to walk with this flag, even though they know they can be killed or tortured, it means that this flag represents something for the people. We cannot ban it or replace it just like that, under the mere pretext that we need to keep things together or that we should not separate (They call us separatists! Well, who was it that cut the island of New Guinea into two?)
A flag may seem to be just an outward symbol, but it represents our identity, our spirit, our history, our will to decide our future ourselves and manage ourselves.
Tell me, would France one day be willing to sacrifice its beautiful Tricolore (the French Red white and Blue flag) and replace with a flag that would also represent the African and Maghrebian minorities that live today alongside the French natives? A flag of unity?
Fly, flag of Kanaky, you have the right to fly.
People of Kanaky, you have the right to exist on your homeland.
You have the right.
Kanaky Merdeka !
Papua Merdeka !
Magalie TINGAL
Suva - Fiji
Nov, 2012
