Indonesian police detain hundreds during Papuan People's Congress

[News_Editor]

Indonesian police detain hundreds during Papuan People's Congress

2011-10-21 04:58:34 GMT+7 (ICT)

JAKARTA (BNO NEWS) -- Hundreds of people were arrested in Indonesia's eastern province of West Papua on Wednesday for allegedly planning a coup during the Papuan People III Congress, the Jakarta Post reported on Thursday.

The violence erupted when hundreds of paramilitary police and army troops entered the congress venue in Abepura, Jayapura on Wednesday afternoon by force, arresting about 300 people. Among the detainees were an activist from the Secretariat of Justice and Peace of Catholic Church, Neles, Papua Tribal Council Head Forkorus Yeboisembut and prominent Papuan figure Edison Waromi.

"We will interrogate them, if we find evidence that they were involved in planning a coup we will continue to detain them, if not they will be released," Papua Police spokesman Wachyono told the newspaper.

The congress ended after a political declaration regarding the self-determination of the indigenous Papuan population was read out. According to reports received by the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC), security forces fired warning shots, used tear gas, and beat up numerous participants while dispersing the crowd.

AHRC reported that one of the Congress participants was found dead behind a local military office. Other reports said at least two bodies had been found, but local authorities have not confirmed the number of casualties.

In the past, many people have been arrested for expressing political views that support independence from Indonesia. Soon after the Second Papuan People's Congress in 2000, the elected political representative of the indigenous Papuan community was abducted and killed by the Indonesian military, the AHCR reported.

Foreign journalists are not given access to the Papuan provinces by Indonesia and several international groups including the Red Cross have been banned from operating in Papua.

-- © BNO News All rights reserved 2011-10-21