JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — Indonesian police have detained dozens of people ahead of a West Papua independence protest on Monday.

At least 200 people were arrested in several cities in Papua and Java, said Veronica Koman, a lawyer for Papuan independence activist Filep Karma.

Monday is the 55th anniversary of the official declaration of an Indonesian military campaign to take control of Papua from the Dutch.

Koman said several people were arrested last week when they applied for demonstration permits.

She said the headquarters of the pro-independence National Committee for West Papua in Jayapura, the capital of Papua province, was vandalized during a police raid on Monday.

The Dutch colonizers of the Indonesian archipelago held onto West Papua when Indonesia became independent after World War II. It became part of Indonesia following a U.N.-supervised referendum in 1969 criticized as undemocratic. </s> Jakarta-based based human rights watchdog Institute for Policy Research and Advocacy (Elsam) and its local partner in Papua, Elsham Papua, have condemned intimidation and violence by police officers against activist Whens Tebay during mass arrests in West Papua this week, reports the Jakarta Post.

The two groups said Whens went to monitor the rally, which was held to promote West Papuan independence, before the police forcibly dispersed it.

More than 500 people were arrested during the self-determination protests on the 55th anniversary of Indonesia’s military takeover of the region on Monday.

Thousands marched across the region to support West Papuan freedom and to condemn decades of brutal treatment of indigenous Melanesians by Indonesia, reports TeleSur.

A total of 528 people, including several children were arrested in the peaceful rallies across Indonesia’s most eastern province of Papua. A number had already been detained the night before the planned protests and activists reported that a number of people were beaten and badly injured before being arrested.

Activists also said that several who were detained were interrogated without a lawyer and at least one protester was tortured by Indonesian police.

Journalists were banned from several areas and the headquarters of the West Papua National Committee in Jayapura was vandalised.

15 locations

Demonstrations took place in at least 15 locations and several people were arrested after applying for demonstration permits with authorities, according to civil rights lawyer Veronica Koman, who is representing independence activist Filep Karma.

Karma has been detained since 2004 for peacefully protesting for his people’s independence.

“This year alone over 4800 people have been unlawfully arrested and many others killed and tortured by the Indonesian military and police,” said exiled West Papua independence leader Benny Wenda in a statement.

Monday’s protests coincided with the anniversary of “Operation TRIKORA,” which was carried out when the Indonesian government invaded West Papua on December 19, 1961, after Melanesian West Papuans first raised their Morning Star flag on December 1.

The region was then annexed by Indonesia in 1969 in a controversial referendum after winning independence from Dutch colonialism in 1963. Independence supporters say that the 1969 annexation is illegal and that Indonesian control has amounted to genocide.

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Throughout Indonesia’s hard rule of the mineral-rich area, around half a million Melanesian West Papuans are thought to have been killed by Indonesian authorities and pro-independence supporters face restrictions of movement and assembly, media blackouts, and many also have been held as political prisoners.

Protesters were also throwing their support behind the full membership of the United Liberation Movement for West Papua, ULMWP, to the Melanesian Spearhead Group, MSG. The group includes other Melanesian nations, Vanuatu, Fiji, Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands.

A meeting is due to be held this month in Vanuatu to discuss membership, which would give West Papua an international platform to push for independence.

A number of nations from the MSG have already publicly backed West Papua’s struggle for self-determination and condemned Indonesian human rights abuses in the area. </s> Two West Papuans have been charged with treason after being arrested by Indonesian police for staging a demonstration in Jayapura on Monday.

Photo: Supplied

The Jayapura demonstration was one of more than 14 rallies in Indonesian cities, calling for West Papuan rights to self-determination to be respected.

More than 500 people were reported to have been arrested for participating in the rallies.

While the vast majority were released later in the day, two arrested in the Papua provincial capital have been charged.

Photo: Supplied

Hosea Yemo and Ismael Alua are reportedly members of the West Papua National Committee, (KNPB), the pro-independence representative group which organised some of the rallies.

Papua provincial police said the two were arrested after allegedly inciting sedition or treason against the state, and provoking other participants of the rally to commit treason.

A treason charge could lead to a jail term of up to 15 years in Indonesia.

Photo: Supplied

Police said that from the Jayapura demo, they also found 1kg of hashish at the KNPB's premises, and confiscated a number of weapons from the crowd.

Law and order has been maintained in the cities and the situation was back to normal, according to police who said they avoided using excessive force in handling the demonstrations.

However, Jakarta-based human rights monitoring groups have condemned intimidation and violence by police officers in the Jayapura rally.

Photo: Tabloid Jubi

The Institute for Policy Research and Advocacy, and its local partner in Papua, Elsham Papua, said it condemned intimidation and violence by police officers against photographic journalist Whens Tebay during the rally.

Mr Tebay said police arrested, interrogated and hit him, later confiscated his camera and forced him to erase all photos taken during the rally. </s> On Monday, Indonesian authorities arrested more than five hundred protesters in West Papua. Most were released the same day, but now there’s news that two activists have been charged with treason, which is punishable by up to fifteen years in prison. We have more from Neal Conan in today’s Pacific News Minute.

On December 19th, 1961, Indonesia’s President Sukarno sent troops to annex the western half of New Guinea, amid the collapse of the Dutch colonial empire. 55 years later, an independence movement in what’s now known as West Papua, charges that Indonesia seized the territory illegally and demands a UN plebiscite. Monday’s demonstrations in 14 cities were just the latest in a long series. By one count, more than five thousand people have been arrested at peaceful demonstrations this year alone. Indonesia regards calls for self-determination as treasonous separatism, and lawyer Gustaf Gawer told the Jakarta Post that his clients, Hosea Yemo and Ismael Alua now face allegations of treason and provoking others to commit treason. The two are members of the West Papua National Committee, which helped organize the protests.

The issue of West Papua has paralyzed the Melanesian Spearhead Group, Vanuatu, Solomon Islands and the Kanak Liberation Front of New Caledonia want full membership for West Papua’s United Liberation Movement, while Fiji and Papua New Guinea back Indonesia. This week, MSG foreign Ministers are meeting in Port Vila after a summit meeting to decide the issue was postponed yet again. Vanuatu’s Prime Minister, Charlot Salwai told West Papuan activists that Vanuatu cannot be completely free of its colonial bondage, until all of Melanesia is free. </s> TIMIKA, Indonesia (Reuters) - Indonesia has arrested 34 people and cut internet access in its easternmost region of Papua to rein in violence after protesters torched buildings, a market and a prison over mistreatment of students and perceived ethnic discrimination.

Police have flown in 1,200 more officers to quell sometimes violent protests since Monday in towns such as Manokwari, Sorong, Fakfak and Timika, near the giant Grasberg copper mine operated by Freeport McMoran’s Indonesian unit.

The communication ministry has blocked the internet and telecoms data to prevent Papuans from accessing social media since Wednesday, although telephone calls and text messages are unaffected, said ministry spokesman Ferdinandus Setu.

“This is an effort to curb hoaxes and, most importantly, stop people from sharing provocative messages that can incite racial hatred,” he added.

Smaller demonstrations and rallies in support of Papua flared nationwide on Thursday, while the chief security minister, police chief and military commander visited Sorong to inspect the sites of the most violent protests.

Official said two rallies in the Nabire and Yahukimo areas of Papua were peaceful, the Kompas news site said.

In Jakarta, the capital, more than a hundred Papuan students marched from army headquarters to the gates of the presidential palace, shouting pro-independence slogans demanding “Referendum for Papua” or “Freedom for Papua”.

Some held posters demanding the right to self-determination and an end to racism and colonialism in West Papua.

Papuan students also held a smaller protest in the nearby city of Bogor.

A separatist movement has simmered in Papua for decades, with frequent complaints of rights abuses by security forces, but the recent anger appears to be linked to racist slurs against Papuan students who were detained last week.

The students were arrested and teargassed in a dormitory in the city of Surabaya in East Java after being accused of disrespecting the Indonesian flag during an Independence Day celebration.

President Joko Widodo has urged the army and police chiefs to act against officers who behaved in a “racist manner” towards students, his chief of staff told news channel CNN Indonesia.

Police have arrested 34 people in Timika, where thousands of protesters threw rocks at a parliament building, houses, shops and a hotel on Wednesday, police said. They accuse 13 of being members of a pro-Papua independence separatist group.

Papua and West Papua provinces, the resource-rich western part of the island of New Guinea, were a Dutch colony that was incorporated into Indonesia after a widely criticized U.N.-backed referendum in 1969.

Widodo has sought to ease tension and improve welfare by building infrastructure in the provinces.

He has visited the restive region more often than any of his predecessors, and plans to open a new bridge next month in Jayapura, the capital of Papua province, his secretariat said. </s> Jakarta (AsiaNews) – Mass arrests marked the 55th anniversary of the military campaign that led to the annexation of Papua to Indonesia.

On Monday, police detained hundreds of people across the country on charges of "separatism” for participating in protests against the government.

Veronica Koman, who represents Papua pro-independence movement known as Filep Karma, said that most arrests were made in Jakarta, on Sulawesi and in Papua.

Police raided the offices of the Papua pro-independence movement in the provincial capital of Jayapura in Papua. Some 50 activists who were demonstrating peacefully were arrested in Jakarta.

For a long time, Papua (the western part of New Guinea) was the only province that remained under Dutch control.

In 1969, through the so-called ‘Act of free choice’, the population opted for annexation to Indonesia, followed by an Indonesian military campaign. However, many believe that the "referendum" was orchestrated by Jakarta.

Existing separatist movements have called for Papua’s independence. These groups argue that the province is the scene of a "slow-motion genocide" against ethnic minorities and Christians.

Locals complains about bad governance in one of Indonesia’s least developed province in terms of communications and transportation. Local villages speak different dialects and remain isolated from the rest of the province.

Separatist activists are calling for a new referendum to allow Papua’s indigenous population to vote. Jakarta has always rejected this demand, claiming that it is the result of pressures from foreign powers interested in Papua’s immense underground wealth (oil, gas, gold, etc.).

Last October, Indonesian President Joko Widodo decided to introduce price controls for petrol in Papua where, for logistical reasons, costs are 14 times higher than the rest of the country.

The decision has angered Pertamina, Indonesia’s state oil and gas company, but was greeted with joy by locals. </s> SURABAYA, Indonesia (AP) - About 300 West Papuans have faced off with counterprotesters in Indonesia's second largest city in a rally calling for the restive region's independence.

The rally was organized by the Papua Students Alliance. The demonstrators chanted "Freedom Papua" in Surabaya city to mark Dec. 1, which many West Papuans consider as the anniversary of what should have been their independence.

The crowd, many of whom wearing headbands of a separatist flag, was blocked from marching to the city center by scores of counterprotesters from several youth organizations. They confronted the pro-independence protesters with sharpened bamboos.

Several hundred members of anti-riot police prevented the two rival groups from clashing.

The protest ended after about two hours.

A Papuan activist with his forehead painted with banned separatist flag the "Morning Star" marches with others during a rally commemorating the 57th anniversary of the failed efforts by Papuan tribal chiefs to declare independence from Dutch colonial rule, in Surabaya, East Java, Indonesia, Saturday, Dec. 1, 2018. Indonesia took over West Papua from Dutch colonial rule in 1963 and formalized its sovereignty over the region in 1969 through a vote by about 1,000 community leaders, which critics dismissed as a sham. A separatist group called the "Free Papua Movement" has battled Indonesian rule ever since. (AP Photo/Trisnadi)

Papuan activists with face painted with banned separatist flag the "Morning Star" shout slogans during a rally commemorating the 57th anniversary of the failed efforts by Papuan tribal chiefs to declare independence from Dutch colonial rule, in Surabaya, East Java, Indonesia, Saturday, Dec. 1, 2018. Indonesia took over West Papua from Dutch colonial rule in 1963 and formalized its sovereignty over the region in 1969 through a vote by about 1,000 community leaders, which critics dismissed as a sham. A separatist group called the "Free Papua Movement" has battled Indonesian rule ever since. (AP Photo/Trisnadi) </s> Indonesia has cut off internet access in eastern Papua to prevent provocative posts online from fuelling violence, after protesters torched buildings, a market and a prison over mistreatment of students and perceived ethnic discrimination.

Police have flown in 1,200 additional officers to Papua to quell sometimes violent protests since Monday in several towns, including Timika - which stands near the giant Grasberg copper mine operated by Freeport McMoran's Indonesian unit - as well as Manokwari, Sorong, and Fakfak.

Smaller demonstrations and rallies in favor of Papua flared up throughout Indonesia on Thursday, while Indonesia's chief security minister, police chief and military commander visited Sorong on Thursday to inspect where the most violent protests had occurred.

Two new rallies, described as peaceful by officials, unfolded in the Nabire and Yahukimo parts of Papua, according to Indonesian news site Kompas.

A separate and more tense protest erupted on Thursday in Jakarta where more than a hundred Papuan students demonstrated in the heart of the Indonesian capital.

As they marched from the Indonesian army headquarters to the gates of the presidential palace, demonstrators shouted pro-independence slogans demanding "referendum for Papua" or "freedom for Papua".

Some held posters demanding the right to self-determination and "to end racism and colonialism in West Papua".

Another smaller Papuan student protest also started on Thursday in the nearby city of Bogor.

While a separatist movement has simmered for decades in Papua, with frequent complaints of rights abuses levelled against Indonesian security forces, the recent anger appears to be linked to racist slurs against Papuan students who were detained last week.

The students were arrested from their dormitory in the city of Surabaya in East Java after being accused of disrespecting the Indonesian flag during a celebration of Indonesia's Independence Day.

Indonesia's communication ministry has blocked access to telecommunication data and internet to prevent Papuans from accessing social media since Wednesday night, though calls and text messages will still work, Ferdinandus Setu, ministry spokesman said.

"This is an effort to curb hoax and most importantly stop people from sharing provocative messages that can incite racial hatred," he said, adding that the curb may be lifted "if the situation has calmed".

Police have arrested 34 people in Timika, where thousands of protesters threw rocks at a parliament building, houses, shops and a hotel on Wednesday, officials told local media. They accuse 13 of being members of a pro-Papua independence separatist group.

Papua and West Papua provinces, the resource-rich western part of the island of New Guinea, were a Dutch colony that was incorporated into Indonesia after a widely criticised U.N.-backed referendum in 1969.

President Joko Widodo has been informed that the situation in Papua was under control, his Cabinet Secretariat said in a statement late on Wednesday.

Widodo has sought to ease tensions and improve welfare by building infrastructure in the provinces. He has visited the restive region more frequently than any of his predecessors, and plans to go to Jayapura, the capital of Papua province, next month, to open a new bridge, the secretariat said. (Reporting By Jessica Damiana, Agustinus Beo Da Costa and Tabita Diela Writing by Gayatri Suroyo and Fanny Potkin; Editing by Simon Cameron-Moore and Michael Perry) </s> SURABAYA, Indonesia (AP) - About 300 West Papuan demonstrators calling for independence for the restive Indonesian region faced off with counterprotesters Saturday in the country's second-largest city.

The demonstrators in Surabaya chanted "Freedom Papua" and held banners demanding a referendum for independence to mark Dec. 1, which many West Papuans consider the anniversary of what they say should have been their independence.

"We are demanding the truth of our history," a speaker shouted at the crowd at the rally, which was organized by the Papua Students Alliance. "Referendum for independence is the right solution for the people of Papua."

The crowd, including many wearing headbands with the morning star flag as a separatist group symbol, was blocked from marching to the city center by scores of counterprotesters from several youth organizations in Surabaya, the capital of East Java province. Some confronted the pro-independence protesters with sharpened bamboos.

"You may rally to voice your aspiration, but don't bring the separatist issue," said a speaker from the rival group. "Papua is a part of Indonesia forever, and we are willing to die to defend the unitary state of Indonesia."

Members of the two camps pushed each other, but several hundred anti-riot police prevented the two groups from clashing, said East Java police spokesman Frans Barung Mangera.

A Papuan activist with his forehead painted with banned separatist flag the "Morning Star" marches with others during a rally commemorating the 57th anniversary of the failed efforts by Papuan tribal chiefs to declare independence from Dutch colonial rule, in Surabaya, East Java, Indonesia, Saturday, Dec. 1, 2018. Indonesia took over West Papua from Dutch colonial rule in 1963 and formalized its sovereignty over the region in 1969 through a vote by about 1,000 community leaders, which critics dismissed as a sham. A separatist group called the "Free Papua Movement" has battled Indonesian rule ever since. (AP Photo/Trisnadi)

The protest ended after about two hours. No one was detained by police, Mangera said.

The Free Papua Movement, a separatist group in Indonesia's restive Papua province, declared independence from Dutch rule on Dec. 1, 1961. That was rejected by the Dutch and later by Indonesia.

Papua, a former Dutch colony in the western part of New Guinea, was incorporated into Indonesia in 1969 after a U.N.-sponsored ballot that was seen as a sham by many. A small, poorly armed separatist group has been battling for independence since then.

For years, a low-level insurgency has plagued the mineral-rich region, which is ethnically and culturally distinct from much of Indonesia.

Indonesia's government, which for decades had a policy of sending Javanese and other Indonesians to settle in Papua, is now also trying to spur economic development to dampen the separatist movement.

Papuan activists with face painted with banned separatist flag the "Morning Star" shout slogans during a rally commemorating the 57th anniversary of the failed efforts by Papuan tribal chiefs to declare independence from Dutch colonial rule, in Surabaya, East Java, Indonesia, Saturday, Dec. 1, 2018. Indonesia took over West Papua from Dutch colonial rule in 1963 and formalized its sovereignty over the region in 1969 through a vote by about 1,000 community leaders, which critics dismissed as a sham. A separatist group called the "Free Papua Movement" has battled Indonesian rule ever since. (AP Photo/Trisnadi)
Two activists are arrested in Indonesia for advocating West Papuan independence.