2019 Papua protests

2019 Papua protests
Part of the Papua conflict
Protesters marching in Sarmi Regency
Date19 August 2019 – 23 September 2019
(1 month and 4 days)
Location
Various cities and towns across Papua and West Papua provinces, smaller rallies across other Indonesian cities
Caused by
GoalsPapuan Independence
StatusProtest Suppressed
  • Internet in Papua shut down by Indonesian authorities
  • Indonesian government rejects calls for independence referendum
  • Protests suppressed by Indonesian Indonesian police and military
Parties
Free Papua Movement
Pro-independence Papuans
Lead figures
Casualties and losses
2 dead[a]
31–33 dead[b]
hundreds injured

The 2019 Papua protests were a series of protests by Papuans in Indonesia that began on 19 August 2019 and mainly took place across Indonesian Papua region in response to the arrests of 43 Papuan students in Surabaya, East Java for alleged disrespect of the Indonesian flag. Many of the protests involved thousands of participants, and some grew from local protests in Surabaya to demanding an independence referendum for the whole region. In several locations, the protests turned into general riots, resulting in the destruction of government buildings in Wamena, Sorong and Jayapura. Clashes between protesters and police resulted in injuries, with over 30 people killed from both the clashes and the rioting.

In response to the rioting, the government of Indonesia implemented an internet blackout in the region. A Reuters reporter from the Jakarta bureau described the unrest as "Papua's most serious in years".[8]

  1. ^ "HARDtalk - Chairman, United Liberation Movement for West Papua - Benny Wenda - BBC Sounds". www.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 24 October 2020.
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference abcid was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference aj23sep was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
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  6. ^ "Violent Protests in Papua Leave at Least 20 Dead". The New York Times. 23 September 2019. Archived from the original on 23 September 2019. Retrieved 23 September 2019.
  7. ^ Retaduari, Elza Astari (24 September 2019). "Korban Tewas Rusuh Wamena Jadi 23 Orang, Luka-luka 63". detiknews (in Indonesian). Retrieved 24 September 2019.
  8. ^ Cite error: The named reference reu30a was invoked but never defined (see the help page).


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