ROCKIN’ FOR WEST PAPUA: Global Peace Concerts Announced

Rockin’ For West Papua is a worldwide music, arts and cultural festival of events raising awareness of the genocide and human rights abuses on the indigenous people of West Papua, presented by Rize Of The Morning Star.

Rockin for West Papua

“We stand for the arts,

we stand for first nations people

and we stand for West Papua.”

#musicisaweapon

Rockin’ For West Papua gigs are being organised around Australia in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Darwin, Hobart, Perth, Byron Bay, Gold Coast, Lismore, Newcastle and Arnhem Land with more shows to be announced in all corners of the globe.

CONFIRMED DATES:

Friday 30 September – Sydney AUS: Waywards @ Bank Hotel, Newtown featuring Blackbreaks, The MisMade, The Black Turtles, MC Thorn

Saturday 1 October – Newcastle AUS: The Vault featuring Once Remained, Skinpin, Steinbrenner, The Grounds

Saturday 1 October – Edinburgh UK: Henry’s Cellar Bar featuring Rise Kagona, Samba Sene & Diwan Seneglese, Nawakyipo, Mariam El Sadr & more

Friday 7 October – Lismore AUS: Lismore City Hall Studio featuring Blakboi, The Humans Of Lismore, Atomic Monkey Chunks & Punks For West Papua doco screening

Saturday 8 October – Gold Coast AUS: Currumbin Creek Tavern featuring The Poor, Wartooth, Paging Jimi

Saturday 8 October – Brisbane AUS: Chardons Corner Hotel featuring Kold Creature, Monster Fodder, System Trashed, Kaosphere, Alice Lost Her Way, Locus Give It All

Saturday 8 October – Darwin AUS: The Chippo, 2 stages featuring Clever Monkey, Dave Garnham, Gored Matador, Acid City, Pole Top Rescue, Lungbuster, Ben Evolent, Brother Phoenix, Joy Greer

Saturday 8 October – Gauteng SOUTH AFRICA: Wunderbar @ German Club featuring Slash Dogs, Made For Broadway, Slippery When Wet, Chilean cuisine, Film Screenings

Sunday 9 October – Melbourne AUS: Bendigo Hotel featuring Liquor Snatch, Indigo Rising, DevilsMonkey, Mystic Trio, DJ LAPKAT, Long Holiday, Native Rain, New Age, Elf Tranzporter, MC Izzy Brown, West Papuan String Band and dancers

Saturday 29 October – Perth AUS: Railway Hotel, Fremantle featuring Yob Mob, The U-Nites reggae band plus DJ General Justice & Jah Wisdom Sound System, Potato Stars, Mental Pretzel, Fuzion

Facebook Event Page

MORE GLOBAL CONCERTS TO BE ANNOUNCED SOON

Following the noise made and the funds raised by the ‘Punks For West Papua’ movement and documentary, more rockin’ artists are coming together for several weeks from September 30 to show the strength of music and help raise funds to assist the plight of the West Papuans, presented by global music & cultural movement Rize Of The Morning Star.

Leader of the ULMWP Benny Wenda said “Indonesia have tanks and guns. West Papuans only have guitars. Music is the only weapon we need for freedom.”

Whilst West Papuan music is outlawed by the Indonesian Military, Rockin’ For West Papua & Rize Of The Morning Star are inviting musicians, artists and anybody who wants to make a stand, to show their colours in the month of October by organising gigs, exhibitions, festivals or any social gathering or display of support to let Indonesia, USA, Australian and UK governments know that we are standing for West Papua.

Filmmaker Anthony ‘Ash’ Brennan who created the award winning documentary “Punks For West Papua” is coordinating the Rockin’ For West Papua shows. Returning from a stint in Rio behind the camera at the Olympic Aquatic Centre, he said “I have been very fortunate in my career in TV to have travelled to the four corners of the globe. I have seen the good and bad in every country. From Indian Slums, to Soweto in South Africa, and more recently the Rio favela’s. I have learnt that people who have the least, give the most. They open their hearts with music and art. And I have walked away richer for the experience. A very humbling experience, coming from such a privileged country. Music brings people together, empowers us, and gives us strength to overcome any adversity.”

The people of West Papua have been suffering under Indonesian occupation since 1963. Over 500,000 civilians have been killed, and thousands more have been raped, tortured and imprisoned. Foreign media and human rights groups are banned from operating in West Papua, so people rarely hear about the situation there. The Free West Papua Campaign is bringing the story of West Papua to the world and campaigning for freedom and justice in West Papua, to end the violence of the last 50 years.

Despite the growing global support of the United Liberation Movement For West Papua, in recent months over 800 West Papuan people were arrested and many tortured by Indonesian authorities simply for peacefully calling for full membership of the Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG). There has been a surge of human rights abuses as thousands of people joined mass rallies with hundreds arrested at passive demonstrations in West Papua and Indonesia. Even with the media ban, harrowing video evidence has emerged of the brutality that peaceful protesters were met with including children and students.

All funds raised go to Free West Papua.

#musicisaweapon

www.facebook.com/R4WP16

www.facebook.com/R4WP16/events

Additional info & Articles:

http://www.rizeofthemorningstar.com/

www.freewestpapua.org/2016/08/26/global-concert-for-west-papua/

https://wpan.wordpress.com/2016/07/22/herman-wainggai-long-journey-to-freedom/

http://edinburgh.carpediem.cd/events/783769-rockin-for-west-papua-musicisaweapon-at-henrys-cellar-bar/

Earlier this year:

TeenRock.com, UK – “10 Things We Learned From ‘Punks 4 West Papua’”

http://teamrock.com/feature/2016-03-10/how-the-aussie-punk-scene-fought-a-forgotten-war