Fresh unrest in Indonesia’s Papua ------------------------------------ Sorong Fakfak Tangguh natural gas field Manokwari Wamena PACIFIC OCEAN Jayapura PAPUA NEW GUINEA INDONESIA PAPUA Jakarta Grasberg gold and copper mine Arafura Sea AUSTRALIA Protests Aug / Sep 2019 400km 250 miles ------------------------------------ The Indonesian province of Papua has again erupted in violence, just days after authorities managed to restore control following weeks of violent protests against alleged racism in the region ------------------------------------ Papua separatist flag ------------------------------------ 1945: Indonesia declares independence from Netherlands ------------------------------------ 1949: Indonesia recognised as sovereign state, but Papua not incorporated into new country ------------------------------------ 1963: UN hands administration of Papua to Indonesia ------------------------------------ 1969: UN-backed independence referendum sees 1,025 hand-picked Papuans voting to join Indonesia. Result disputed by many Papuans (who are ethnic Melanesians, distinct from most Indonesians), sparking low-level separatist conflict ------------------------------------ Grievances inflamed by accounts of human rights abuses by security forces and concerns that Papua’s mineral wealth has largely benefited Indonesians from outside region ------------------------------------ Despite rich natural resources, Papua has poverty rate of over 20% compared with national rate of 9.4% ------------------------------------ 2014: Independence groups form United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP) ------------------------------------ Jan 2019: ULMWP presents UN with petition signed by nearly two million people calling for Papuan independence referendum ------------------------------------ RECENT PROTESTS Late Aug: Riots rock region amid allegations of racist abuse of Papuan students on Indonesia’s Java island. Sep 23: Security forces clash with protesters in Wamena and Jayapura after hundreds of students take to streets over allegations of racism ------------------------------------ Source: ABC Australia, AFP / Twitter, AP, Flags of the World, Reuters © GRAPHIC NEWS Timika