9 Jul 2018

Indonesia police say raid on Papuan students due to planned film screening

5:15 pm on 9 July 2018

Police in Indonesia say they raided a student dormitory in the East Java capital of Surabaya on Saturday because Papuan students were allegedly planning to screen the film Bloody Biak.

A police officer in Indonesia (file)

Photo: 123RF

The Suara news website reported that police prevented a planned screening of the film about the 1998 massacre of around 200 Papuans by Indonesian security forces in Biak.

It was replaced by a screening of the football World Cup.

The raid was conducted by about 100 police and military personel and followed police action last week at Malang's Brawijaya University in East Java.

On 1 July, police reportedly stopped Papuan students marking the 47th anniversary of the 1971 proclamation of independence by the Free West Papua Movement.