Radio New Zealand - Te Reo Irirangi o Aotearoa

Indonesian police query Papuans for flying banned flag

Posted at 01:58 on 09 July, 2007 UTC

Leading Papuan tribal figures are today being questioned by Indonesian police in Jayapura over a flag-raising incident.

This follows the arrest of eight Papuans at the end of the four-day Papuan Tribal congress meeting in Jayapura last week.

Police made the arrests after the West Papuan independence flag, the Morning Star, was used in the opening ceremony of the congress by a group of traditional dancers from Manokwari.

A spokesperson for the international human rights group ELSHAM, Paula Makabori, says the arrests are part of a campaign to intimidate anyone discussing self-determination.

She says the first eight arrested have been now released.

“But this morning, they said police suspect other members: Willem Bonay, the new selected executive board leader, and Herman Awom, the moderator of the Presidium Council; and there are another five participants of delegations from the congress for the interrogation.”

Paula Makabori