A member of a West Papuan separatist group which declared independence last year says it will keep seeking a peaceful route to separation from Indonesia.
This comes amid continuing violence in Wamena where Indonesia's security forces have focussed their hunt for members of the National Committee of West Papua, or KNPB.
During the weekend in the Highlands town, a KNPB leader Hubertus Mabel was shot dead by a police who made several arrests of other members, triggering gunfire exchanges.
Yoab Syatfle a spokesman for the group which declared a Federated Republic of West Papua at last year's Papuan People's Congress, says such tensions are common across Papua.
He says the jailed leaders of the Federated Republic remains determined to forge a peaceful solution.
"West Papua don't have a gun to fight against Indonesia with guns. No, West Papua fights by peace. We fight and declare independence by peace not war. So Indonesia has to respect about human rights and democracy in West Papua."
West Papua has a right to independence.
Yoab Syatfle.
