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More mass arrests in Indonesia at West Papua demos
Radio New Zealand International - December 5, 2016
Over two hundred people were arrested in Jakarta last week at a rally to mark the anniversary of the first raising of the banned Papuan nationalist symbol, the Morning Star flag.
A public interest lawyer who was present, Veronica Koman, says police subsequently released those arrested, without charge, a few hours later.
But she told Johnny Blades that police didn't cite any particular alleged breach of the law in making the arrests.
Transcript
Veronica Koman: So for Jakarta the police didn't mention any particular laws. It's just a pattern of violating their right to freedom of expression. I think the state is just being paranoid of the Morning Star symbol.
Johnny Blades: But this is against the rules, you say, because you have the freedom of expression?
VK: It's just basic freedom of expression. As long as Papua is still a part of Indonesia it means they still have the right to freedom of expression, and it's being violated systematically by the state. And also, I would like to say that today is an historic moment for the West Papua movement. Because this year it's the first time ever that Indonesians have taken to the streets together with the West Papuans in celebrating 1st of December and demanding the right to self-determination for West Papua. And we in Jakarta are really campaigning, letting Indonesians know what's actually happening in West Papua, and also the history of manipulation by state. So people are opening their eyes, and it's growing, the solidarity is definitely growing.
JB: There's a lot of young people, urban young people (taking the action), often students, I suppose?
VK: Yeah. And human rights activists and civil society organisations. Although mostly organisations cannot declare themselves supporting (Papuans) really openly, but I know most of them actually agreed that West Papuans deserve the right to self-determination.
JB: How do the police regard these events? They must know about the rule of freedom of expression?
VK: So I've been the lawyer for West Papuans during demonstrations for the last two years. And always... each time that West Papuans do any protest, the police will always find ways to forbid the demonstration. They keep creating excuse to silence the West Papuans. This year alone, since April, April 2016 until now, there have been at least 4,800 arrests.
Veronica Koman says that as well as being blasted by water cannons, the demonstrators in Jakarta were roughed up by undercover security forces, and ten of those arrested sustained injuries.
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