Large Demos Across West Papua Meet With Mixed Responses By Police

RNZ
Pacific reporters

Dozens of large demonstrations
by West Papuans to mark a key anniversary of their
homeland’s incorporation into Indonesia were met with mixed
and sometimes violent responses by police.

Saturday
was the anniversary of 1962’s infamous US-brokered New York
Agreement under which Papua’s former colonial power, the
Netherlands, agreed to transfer power over the territory to
Indonesia. The agreement lacked any genuine consultation
with West Papuans.

Peaceful demonstrations on Saturday
in Sentani and Jayapura in particular were met with forced
dispersal by police as well as alleged beatings, the use of
rubber bullets, tear gas and water cannons, leaving a number
of demonstrators injured.

The demonstrations were
organised by the West Papua National Committee (KNPB) and
took place in several cities across Indonesian ruled Papua
region as well as other parts of the republic including
Jakarta and Makassar.

Human rights defenders report
that while all of the demonstrations were closely monitored
by police forces, in most cases they went without
incident.

But they say forced dispersal and violence
reported in several locations are a serious concern because
they involve violation of the participants’ rights to
express their opinions peacefully.

Seven members of
the KNPB were reported to have sustained injuries as a
result of police actions to disrupt the demonstration in
Sentani.

In Jayapura, several students from
Cenderawasih University were injured as police forcibly
dispersed their demonstration.

In Makassar, a KNPB
member was reportedly struck by a wire arrow fired by a
member of an alleged community-based militia group.

In
several areas, demonstrations were reported to have
proceeded well, with no initial reports of forced dispersal,
including in main centres of Merauke, Yahukimo, Wamena,
Nabire, Sorong, Manokwari and
Timika.

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