Dili, Timor-Leste \u2013 a solidarity group for the independence of West Papua raised West Papuan flag during Pope Francis\u2019 visit to Timor-Leste. The Morning Star flag was displayed on the Human Rights Avenue, in Motael neighborhood, one of the road passed by Pope Francis from the Dili International Airport to the Nunciature where he will stay for his three day visit to the country.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A pro west Papua solidarity activisit managed to climb up to a roof top of a house along the Avenue, and displaed West Papuan Morning Star flag as Pope Francis drove by as an act of solidarity with the freedom of West Papua. Pope Francis, while blessing the crowds on the street who greeted and welcomed him, quickly looked at the flag before turning and blessing people on the side of the street opposite the West Papuan flag.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Pope Francis was greeted with the \u201cViva Il Papa\u201d shouts while \u201cViva Papua\u201d was also heard from within the crowd.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
While publishing this article Neon Metin journalist could not manage to interview the movement for safety reason.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This movement was actually anticipated early by the government authorities and security forces with relative heavy presence of security apparatus on the first day of the visit of Pope Francis. Yet, the solidarity group managed to stage the action with the security forces seemingly caught off-guard. Timor-Leste government had publicly and repeatedly expressed intolerance of any solidarity protest, issuing warnings about the pro-West Papua movement, even classifying it as a national security threat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The solidarity movement is categorized as a security threat rather than as an act of international solidarity, which ironically Timor-Leste enjoyed while the country was under foreign occupation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A week ago, Nelson Rold\u00e3o, a Timorese human rights activist supporting the pro-West Papua movement, was arrested at Timor-Leste the Prezidente Nicolau Lobato International Airport in Dili, Timor-Leste, while accompanying West Papuan activist who was traveling back to his home country. His arrest sparked protests but was released in the afternoon of the same day by the Timor-Leste National Police Investigation Unit after being investigated.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Dili, Timor-Leste \u2013 a solidarity group for the independence of West Papua raised West Papuan flag during Pope Francis\u2019 visit to Timor-Leste. The Morning Star flag was displayed on the Human Rights Avenue, in Motael neighborhood, one of the road passed by Pope Francis from the Dili International Airport to the Nunciature where he will […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":19213,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"amp_status":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-19212","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t