The Jakarta Post
Violent unrest with gunshots has been reported from Sorong in West Papua, while protests over racism also occurred in other cities of the province and in the neighboring province of Papua on Tuesday. The Jakarta Post received reports that residents in Sorong, South Sorong, Merauke, FakFak and Biak rallied to protest racial abuse and violence against Papuan students in several cities of Java over the Independence Day weekend. The protesters demanded that the government and other Indonesian citizens outside the region put an end to racial abuse against Papuans. A religious figure living in Sorong, West Papua, Lukas Sasior, told The Jakarta Post that thousands of residents had staged a rally in front of the City Hall on Tuesday. “Today’s rally is bigger than yesterday’s. Gunshots are everywhere,” he said. “I’m now at home, so I cannot confirm whe...