Mon 19 August 2019:
Government buildings and commercial establishments burned as angry Papuans protest against arrest of students.
Large demonstrations in Indonesia’s West Papua region have turned violent as thousands of protesters, angered by alleged police abuse against ethnic Papuan students, burned public facilities and blocked roads.
In West Papua province’s capital of Manokwari, protesters burned the parliamentary building and local stores, according to police.
A building previously occupied by West Papua Provincial Governor Dominggus Mandacan was also burned, Indonesia’s national police spokesman said.
There were no immediate reports of casualties. The demonstrations are still ongoing.
Aksi solidaritas untuk mahasiswa Papua di Surabaya, Malang, Semarang sudah dimulai di depan Univerisitas Cendrawasih Abepura dan Waena. Terlihat aparat berjaga-jaga dengan senjata lengkap. Sila. pic.twitter.com/IyU1hvQxp9
— febriana firdaus (@febrofirdaus) August 19, 2019
“For now, we are still focusing on collecting the data on the casualties and trying to calm down the masses,” he said.
Images obtained by media showed the demonstrators, including many young students, waving the “Morning Star” flag, which is seen as a symbol of self-rule by Papuans.
“We are not white and red, we are morning star,” the protesters shouted, in reference to the Indonesian flag and the Papuan banner. Individuals carrying the banned flag could face arrest and imprisonment of up to 15 years.
There are also demonstrations reported in the city of Jayapura, the capital and largest city of Papua, the country’s easternmost province. Several people riding their motorbikes were seen joining the protest.
Indonesia’s West Papua region is divided into two provinces, West Papua and Papua.
Sementara itu, Manokwari mencekam. https://t.co/ZUCF0urf6Z pic.twitter.com/rFpbJXAjsl
— febriana firdaus (@febrofirdaus) August 19, 2019
The demonstration on Monday erupted following the recent arrest of ethnic Papuan students living in Surabaya and Malang in Java island.
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.
Responding to the report, the police locked down the dormitory of the Papuan students and fired tear gas to clear their rooms.
The Indonesia-based news website, Tirto, and other news agencies reported that the students were then subjected to racial abuse. They were reportedly called “monkeys” by bystanders, as they were rounded up by police.
The students were released from police detention on Sunday. But by then, tensions have already risen, with the West Papua National Committee (KNPB) calling on Papuans to join the protest against the government.
The region was a Dutch colony until the early 1960s when Indonesia took control, cementing its rule with a controversial referendum that followed.
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