West Papua demonstrators face police crackdown during anniversary protests

Large-scale demonstrations organized by the West Papua National Committee (KNPB) took place across several Indonesian cities, including Jayapura, Sentani, Jakarta, and Makassar. The protests marked the anniversary of the 1962 New York Agreement, which transferred control of the territory from the Netherlands to Indonesia without local consultation.

While many demonstrations proceeded without incident, police responded to protests in Sentani and Jayapura with forced dispersals involving rubber bullets, tear gas, and water cannons. Human rights defenders reported injuries among KNPB members and students from Cenderawasih University. In Makassar, a protester was reportedly struck by a wire arrow from an alleged community-based militia.