It began in a time when there were a huge numbers of arrests in the streets of Jayapura, the capital of West Papua.
"They were arrested in their hundreds," said petitioner Maire Leadbeater.
"At one point there were over 2,000 arrested in a very short space of time and this went on throughout 2016... arresting people just out in the streets, just peacefully demonstrating."
A large peaceful demonstration in Jayapura in support of the United Liberation Movement for West Papua. Photo: Tabloid Jubi
As many as 1,700 people were arrested in demonstrations across all of the main Papuan cities in May of 2016.
They were demonstrating support for the United Liberation Movement for West Papua's bid to be a full member of the Melanesian Spearhead Group - a group which formed with the focus of promoting economic growth among Melanesian countries.
"The numbers that were arrested in this relatively small country in 2016, I think you get very close to 4,000, perhaps more, so that's a shocking level of arrests for nothing more than peacefully expressing their views."
Maire Leadbeater presents her petition urging the government to address the ongoing human rights situation in West Papua. Photo: RNZ / Daniela Maoate - Cox
West Papua sits north of Australia and occupies the western half of New Guinea - it's a land rich in natural resources that was formally absorbed into Indonesia in the 1960s.
But West Papuans were largely excluded from that decision and for the past 50 years have raised concerns about the infringement of their basic human rights in modern Indonesia.
Indonesia's Papua region: the provinces of West Papua and Papua Photo: RNZ
Their call has been echoed internationally including by Pacific countries that voiced their concerns at the United Nations, in public protests, and more recently, in Maire Leadbeater's petition to Parliament.
"What we're really asking for is one particular special rappateur to be able to go and for New Zealand to recommend that and to support the Pacific Island Forum and to take this issue of the absolute abuse of the freedom of expression deadly seriously."
Maire Leadbeater said there are seven Pacific nations who have taken steps on behalf of people in West Papua.
"As far as I'm concerned New Zealand should jolly well be supporting its Pacific neighbours," she said.
"Nothing trumps genocide, not even territorial integrity," said petitioner Maire Leadbeater borrowing the words of academic Dr Jim Elmslie.
"So that would be my position, we can't just cling to 'we have to support territorial integrity' while genocide is happening."
'Our people don't die nine to five'
Deputy chief coroner Brandt Shortland talks to the Maori Affairs Committee about delays to the release of tūpāpaku (deceased) to whanau. Photo: RNZ / Phil Smith
Dealing with the death of a family member or loved one is a difficult time for most people but that difficulty can be increased if the release of the body is delayed.
"If you die say on the Saturday and people die before you on the Friday you may be held over till the next day and then you won't get home till Wednesday, at worst Thursday," said deputy chief coroner Brandt Shortland.
"I'm not trying to dramatise that. That is the reality that a lot of whanau have to deal with and so the tangi can't really start till they get back."
If a death is unexpected or its cause is not obvious then it’s frequently referred to a coroner.
That investigation will delay the release of the body - sometimes for a few hours, sometimes for days causing issues for Maori whose tikanga requires tupapaku (deceased) are prepared for tangi immediately following death.
Chair of the Maori Affairs Committee Tutehounuku (Nuk) Korako listens to a coroner about practices surrounding whanau access to tupapaku (deceased). Photo: RNZ / Phil Smith
Brandt Shortland is one of the few Maori coroners and said he fields many calls from all over New Zealand.
"All hours of the night 'cos our people don't die nine to five," he said adding that a lack of resources has a huge impact.
To address this issue the Maori Affairs Committee has been holding an inquiry into whanau access to, and the management of tupapaku, for the past year.
The purpose of the inquiry is to find whether legislative or regulatory changes could ease family’s access - or quicken the release of tupapaku for tangi.
