A

coalition of rights groups demanded on Tuesday that the National Police and the Indonesian Military (TNI) remain calm over the simultaneous rallies planned in seven cities across Papua on Wednesday.

The West Papua National Committee (KNPB) will stage a rally today in Jayapura, Fakfak, Manokwari, Yahukimo, Sorong, Timika and Merauke, aimed at showing its support for the United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP) to be granted full membership of the Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG), in which Indonesia holds an observer status.

The coalition includes the Jakarta Legal Aid Institute (LBH Jakarta), the Press Legal Aid Institute (LBH Pers) and the Institute for Policy Research and Advocacy (ELSAM).

“Our demand is based on the fact that police and military officers had failed to uphold peace in the latest event conducted by KNPB last week,” LBH Jakarta director Alghiffari Aqsa told a press conference in his office in Central Jakarta.

Alghiffari said on April 5, TNI troops and police officers raided a prayer event hosted by KNPB in front of the Indonesian Evangelical Christian Church (GKII) Golgota in Timika, Papua. “Police officers then arrested 15 of KNPB members after committing violence against them,” he said, adding that Police had since freed 13 of them, each of whom were now obliged to report to the police for “an unspecified time”.

He added that Timika branch KNPB leader, Steven Itlay, was currently “being isolated” at a Mobile Brigade (Brimob) detention center located far from the Timika Police Office.