Radio New Zealand - Te Reo Irirangi o Aotearoa

Australian Government Senators baulk at condolence motion mention of West Papua

Posted at 04:00 on 14 September, 2012 UTC

The Australian Government has refused to support a condolence motion for a well known refugee activist killed in a car accident earlier this month in Darwin.

Vikki Riley was an artist who’d supported the people of East Timor and West Papua and had just organised a successful art exhibition for refugees.

She was knocked off her cycle by a car and killed, and members of the Australian Senate co-sponsored a condolence motion.

Part of the motion acknowledged Ms Riley work on behalf of the people of West Papua but the Labor Party members baulked at this and refused to support the motion.