Papuans protesters reject integration

About 300 protesters demonstrated outside the Jayapura provincial council buildings on Monday against the United Nations' decision to give Indonesia control of the province in 1963.

The group, calling itself the Papua People's Civil Rights Coalition, protested the United Nations Temporary Executive Authority's (UNTEA) decision to hand over the control of Papua to Indonesia in 1963, after Indonesia invaded the former Dutch colony a year earlier.

The province officially became part of Indonesia in 1969 under the controversial Act of Free Choice (Perpera).

"We, the Papuan people, challenge the handing over of the control of West Papua to the Unitary Republic of Indonesia on May 1, 1963, because the process did not involve the Papuans and UNTEA did not do its job according to the New York Agreement on Aug. 15, 1962.

"And there were many ploys used by Indonesia, especially the military, to ensure Papua's (later) integration," the coalition said in a statement.

The Papuan people, the coalition said, requested the international world reevaluate the Act of Free Choice and pushed for an international dialog on the matter. The coalition rejected any special autonomy status for the province before the matter was settled.

A day before the protest, about 100 students and residents gathered at Abepura Trikora field to commemorate May 1, which they said was a day of "human rights violations", and declared their rejection of the act. (JP/Nethy Dharma Somba)