At the Asia Pacfic Festival in Wellington, Australian composer Martin Wesley-Smith's piece Papua Merdeka was dropped from the program after pressure from the Indonesian Embassy. Instead Martin's composition Weapons of Mass Distortion was played.

"The Asia Pacific Festival is supposedly devoted to the study of the music of Asia Pacific cultures - yet it kowtows to a situation where an Asia Pacific culture is being destroyed. What's more, apparently an official in a foreign embassy can dictate what New Zealanders are allowed to look at and listen to. To an outsider, it seems that New Zealand democracy ain't worth very much… " says Martin.

West Papua has been occupied by the Indonesian Military since 1962. Since 1962 human rights groups estimate that the Indonesian Military has killed 100,000 West Papuans. Papuans enjoy few civil rights. Currently there are two men in prison for 15 and 10 years for simply flying the West Papuan flag at a peaceful protest. Villages have been bombed and napalmed by the Indonesian military, and West Papua’s vast natural resources, such as copper, gold and natural gas, have been sold off to multinational corporations from the US, Britain and Australia, which have raped Papua’s environment and destroyed its communities.

Links: Martin Wesley-Smith | Massive Indonesian Military build up in Punjak Jaya, West Papua, fear for civilians | Peace Movement Aotearoa | Indonesia Human Rights Committee | Background: The West Papuan Tragedy