10 Jul 2010

Protestors in Indonesia's Papua camp outside provincial parliament

9:49 am on 10 July 2010

Protestors in Indonesia's Papua province have continued their demonstrations overnight.

Thousands of Papuans marched towards the provincial parliament in Jayapura yesterday, calling for a formal rejection of special autonomy status.

The protesters then camped outside the provincial parliament saying they will not leave until their demands are heard by the government in Jakarta.

The Papuans are calling for the upper house to endorse last month's decision by the lower house to reject the autonomy arrangement which they say has failed to ensure their basic rights.

The protestors also called on Jakarta to establish dialogue on the Papua issue with a neutral mediator and allow a referendum on self-determination.