There is now a change of government in Australia as conservative leader Tony Abbott swept into office last night.
Abbott claimed victory in front of elated supporters in Sydney, four hours after polls closed aroundthe country.
Our journalist Rachna Nath , from Fiji Television, who has been coveringthe Australian elections, hasthe story.
The primary aim is to gain support for West Papua to be included inthe Melanesian Spearhead Group.
The launch ofthe petition was staged atthe University Papua New Guineatoday.
Previous attempts by West Papua to gain membership inthe sub-regional forum, Melanesian Spearhead Group have always been unsuccessful. This yearthey trlied again.
Recognizingthe continuous struggle by West Papuans, andtheir very close historical, cultural and ethnic likeness with ther Melanesian nations, Papua New Guineas have decided it’s time to helptheir nearest neighbor, throughthe “Sorong to Samarai” Campaign Petition, supporting West Papua’s membership inthe MSG.
They believethey are morally obliged to reciprocatethe goodwill; West Papuans have given tPNG’s national developmentoby lobbying aggressively for the long-overdue membership of West Papua inthe MSG.
Formal membership inthe MSG for West Papua will enable West Papuans to freely participate in expressingtheir identity and existence as a Melanesian people.
This activity will run throughoutthe course ofthe month of September. The signed petitions will be presented to government officials oPNG and MSG officials, and ther notable members ofthe Diplomatic Co in PNG
It’s hopedthe West Papuan issue will be addressed duringthe special MSG meeting in October.
https://youtube.com/watch?v=UR3wbYv2YvE%3Ffeature%3Doembed%26wmode%3Dopaque%26showinfo%3D0%26showsearch%3D0%26rel%3D0
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