Violent protests in Indonesia’s West Papua region

Tuesday, August 20, 2019

Angry Papuans are protesting against the arrest of students and government building and commercial establishments have been burnt.

Thousands of protestors angered by alleged police abuse against ethnic Papuan students burnt public facilities and blocked roads.

Indonesia’s West Papua region saw large demonstrations that turned violent.

According to a police and images in the West Papua province’s capital of Manokwari, protesters burnt the parliamentary building and local stores.

Demonstrations are still going on and there were no immediate reports of casualties.They are now focused on collecting the data on the casualties and trying to calm down the masses.

There were young students waving the ‘Morning Star’ flag, a symbol of self-rule by Papuans.

The protestors shouted – We are not white and red, we are morning star and this was considering the Indonesian flag and the Papuan banned. Those individual who carried the banned flag might face arrest and imprisonment of up to 15 years.

In the city of Jayapura, the capital and largest city of Papua which is the country’s easternmost province demonstrations were reported. The protests were joined by hundreds of people riding in their motorbikes.

Outside the office of Papua Provincial Governor  Lukas Enembe the protestors took down the Indonesian flag.

West Papau and Papau are the two provinces of the West Papua region.

After the arrest last week of the ethnic Papuan students living in Surabya and Malang in Java island.

There were accusations on students of throwing the Indonesian flag into a sewer but the allegations were denied in an interview.

The Papuan students’ dormitory was locked down and police fired tear gas to clear their rooms.

The students were accused of throwing the Indonesian flag into a sewer – allegations that they have denied in an interview with the local media, Suara Papua.

On Sunday the students were released from police detention but tensions have already risen. The West Papua National Committee (KNPB) asked all Papuans to join the protest against the government.

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