Members of the West Papua National Committee (KNPB) held rallies in several cities to commemorate the 62nd anniversary of the New York Accords on Thursday, August 15, which is seen as paving the way for the annexation of Papua by Indonesia, many Papuans denounce this agreement concluded without their consent, paving the way for the illegitimate annexation of their homeland by Indonesia.
The rally in Nabire was peaceful, tensions escalated when non-Papuan residents identifying themselves as “Warga Nusantara” (Citizens of the Archipelago), armed with iron bars, machetes and wooden stakes, clashed with the protesters. The police then fired tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse the crowds. The anti-colonial demonstrators responded by throwing stones, smashing shop windows and setting fire to nearby motorcycles. One protester was injured by a rubber bullet and 95 people were arrested.
Similar protests and rallies were reported in the towns of Manokwari, Sorong, Raya, Wamena and Yahukimo. In Manokwari, many police forces present used trucks and vehicles to control and repress the protesters, preventing them from reaching key areas of the city.
From: Secours Rouge