Indonesian police arrest hundreds at Papua rally

摘要

Indonesian Security Forces on 19 October arrested about 300 people after forcefully dispersing a pro-independence congress in the eastern province of West Papua. On 19 October, the Third Papuan People's Congress, a gathering of about 5,000 local Papuans held between 17 and 19 October in the regional capital Jayapura, agreed to proclaim an independent West Papua state. The proclamation was followed by the raising of the pro-independence Morning Star flag, which was banned by the Jakarta government in 2007. In response, the Jayapura police and Indonesian National Armed Forces (Tentara Na-sional Indonesia: TNI) forcefully broke up the congress, firing warning shots and also using tear gas.