2 Dec 2009

Indonesian police arrest thirteen protestors following commeration rally

12:38 pm on 2 December 2009

The Jayapura Police have detained 13 protesters for resisting Indonesian police efforts to disperse a rally to commemorate the 48th anniversary of Papua's claim to independence.

The head of the Papua Police Office confirmed the arrests and the reasons behind them.

He says those arrested violated Articles 216 and 218 of the Criminal Code by resisting the officers.

He says they did not detain them because they had staged the rally in a different place from the one they had informed them of.

The protesters had sent a request to the police saying they would hold a rally in front of the post office but later changed location and carried it out in front of a car showroom in Palimak, Jayapura.

The police confiscated banners and microphones from protesters as they broke up the rally.