Irianese students meet in Manado

JAYAPURA, Irian Jaya: Hundreds of Irianese students from all over Indonesia will hold a congress for four days beginning on April 3 in Manado, North Sulawesi.

The event will take place prior to a planned Papuan Congress in July, to be attended by Papuans, officially Irianese, from both inside and outside the country. The first congress was held in February.

Martinus Werimon, head of the Irian Jaya delegation for the students' congress told The Jakarta Post on Friday that the event was being held as a contribution by students seeking solutions to demands of "West Papua independence."

Martinus said the congress results would be submitted to the Papuan Presidium Council, which was set up by the first Papuan Congress in February. (08)