One killed in protests over Papua divsion<\/p>\n
Agencies, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Protesters clashed with supporters of a new province in
\nIndonesia's troubled Papua island on Sunday, leaving one person
\ndead, a news report said.<\/p>\n
The clash occurred when about 100 people attacked the office
\nof the newly created government of Central Irian Jaya, local
\npolice chief Lt. Col. Paulus Waterpaw told the private El Shinta
\nradio.<\/p>\n
He said one person died in the melee in Timika.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, AFP reported earlier that, hundreds of people
\nclashed on the street of Timika in the second brawl to take place
\nfollowing the inauguration of a new province there a day earlier.<\/p>\n
Some 400 people opposed to the new Central Irian Jaya province
\nas part of a move to split Papua into three, attacked more than
\n100 pro-province supporters guarding the new governor's office in
\nthe town of Timika, police said.<\/p>\n
\"The violence took some 156 minutes with both sides throwing
\nrocks at each other,\" said Second Sergeant Kenneth of the
\ndistrict police in Timika.<\/p>\n
He said that a few people were injured, including a local
\nparliamentarian, but he could not give any figure.<\/p>\n
But he said no one had been arrested following the incident.<\/p>\n
Yance, a doctor on duty at the Timika general hospital said
\nthree people were treated for injuries sustained from stone
\nthrowing and later discharged.<\/p>\n
The clash followed protests Saturday when some 500 supporters
\nof the new province were attacked by 200 opponents as they
\nparaded through Timika.<\/p>\n
It was the second day of protests against the creation of
\nCentral Papua -- the island's third province -- a move that Papua
\nGovernor Jaap Salosa and others have criticized as a ploy by the
\ncentral government to undercut the island's autonomy.<\/p>\n
On Saturday police fired warning shots to disperse more than
\n2,000 stone-throwing protesters who tried to attack the ceremony
\nestablishing Central Irian Jaya.<\/p>\n
Indonesia recently carved Papua, which borders independent
\nPapua New Guinea, into the provinces of West Irian Jaya, Central
\nIrian Jaya and Papua.<\/p>\n
In 2000, Indonesia passed legislation granting Papua greater
\nautonomy and a larger slice of revenues from its existing gas and
\noil fields to defuse separatist sentiments.<\/p>\n
New Orleans-based Freeport McMoRan Copper-and-Gold Inc.
\noperates a massive copper and gold mine in the mountains above
\nTimika.<\/p>\n
Indonesia took over Papua, formerly Irian Jaya, from the Dutch
\nin 1963. Its sovereignty over the region was formalized in 1969
\nthrough a U.N.-sponsored vote by traditional leaders. Rights
\ngroups and independence activists have claimed for years that the
\nballot was a sham.<\/p>\n
A small band of separatist rebels, known as Free Papua
\nOrganization has since waged a largely ineffective insurgency
\nagainst Jakarta's rule.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/one-killed-in-protests-over-papua-divsion-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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