Accusations of police abuse against ethnic Papuan students have turned violent in West Papua, Indonesia. Thousands of protesters took to the streets
The protesters burned local stores and the parliamentary building in Manokwari, West Papua. Indonesia’s national police spokesman Dedi Prasetyo told Al Jazeera that a building West Papua Provincial Governor Dominggus Mandacan previously occupied was also burned.
Prasetyo told the publication that their focus is currently on collecting the data on the casualties and the attempt to pacify the protesters. Hundreds of people were seen riding their motorbikes as they joined the protest.
On August 17, 2019, Indonesia celebrated its Independence Day. On the same day, Indonesian authorities raided Papua Kamasan III Student Dormitory in Surabaya, East Java, Indonesia arrested dozens of West Papuan students accused of throwing the Indonesian flag was into a sewer.
The authorities broke down the gates of the university dormitory, used teargas to clear the rooms, and took 43 students into custody. The students were brought in for questioning over the destruction and disposal of the Indonesian flag that had been hanging outside the dormitory.
According to witnesses, the person who damaged the flag had gone inside the dormitory, Surabaya city police chief Senior Commissioner Sandi Nugroho told the Indonesia new outlet Jubi. The incident angered Indonesians on social media and incited a crowd of residents to the building to protest.
There had been a series of alleged discriminatory acts by the authorities against Papuan students in Surabaya and Malang, East Java. East Java governor Khofifah Indar Parawansa has apologized to the students for the unfortunate events.
“I want to convey my apologies on behalf of the people of East Java,” CNN Indonesia quoted Parawansa as saying. “Once again, it does not represent the people of East Java.”
The demonstration in Manokwari has affected Sorong City, West Papua. The Domine Eduard Osok Airport in Sorong was among the public facilities damaged by the chaos.
Here are clips showing the protest:
CONAN Daily 