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A crucible for bottom - up Regionalism? The digital renaissance: West Papuan media suppression and social media in the Pacific

Titifanue, Jason and Kant, Romitesh and Finau, Glen (2020) A crucible for bottom - up Regionalism? The digital renaissance: West Papuan media suppression and social media in the Pacific. Pacific Journalism Review, 26 (1). pp. 140-147. ISSN 1023-9499

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Abstract

West Papua has one of the most repressive media landscapes in the world. Consequently, West Papuans have increasingly harnessed social media platforms to broadcast human rights violations committed in West Papua. Through this, Pacific Islanders around the region are increasingly leveraging social media as a political tool for showing solidarity and support for West Papuans. As a result, in recent years there has been a regional groundswell in support for West Papuan demands for self-determination, with prominent political figures such as former Prime Minister Peter O’Neill of Papua New Guinea, and Gordon Darcy Lilo alluding to the awareness on West Papuan issues that have been raised through social media. This commentary explores how the rise of West Papua solidarity is resulting in a heightened Pacific regional consciousness at the community level.

Item Type: Journal Article
Subjects: H Social Sciences > H Social Sciences (General)
J Political Science > JA Political science (General)
Divisions: Faculty of Business and Economics (FBE) > School of Government, Development and International Affairs
Depositing User: Jason Titifanue
Date Deposited: 04 Jan 2021 00:26
Last Modified: 04 Jan 2021 00:26
URI: https://repository.usp.ac.fj/id/eprint/12473

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