Indonesia’s West Papuan protesters face police crackdown over independence calls

Indigenous West Papuans have taken to the streets across Indonesia’s resource-rich West Papua region to mark the 64th anniversary of the signing of the New York Agreement. In Jayapura and other towns, demonstrators were met with tear gas and water cannon fired by Indonesian police. The 1962 agreement transferred control of the former Dutch colony to the United Nations and later to Indonesia, ending hopes of independence for many Indigenous West Papuans. Civil society groups, including the West Papua National Committee, say the denial of self-determination remains a root cause of the decades-long conflict. Military operations in the region have forced tens of thousands of people from their homes, while Jakarta has deployed large numbers of troops. The Indonesian government maintains that West Papua is part of its sovereign territory and continues to reject independence efforts. Al Jazeera’s Joel Evans reports. Subscribe to our channel: bit.ly
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