The West Papua National Committee, or KNPB, has claimed that more than 1,000 of its members were detained by police during a demonstration last Wednesday.
A large peaceful demonstration in Jayapura in support of the United Liberation Movement for West Papua. Photo: Tabloid Jubi
This comes as Indonesian police claim they made no arrests in the latest of a series of large demonstrations by Papuans in support of the United Liberation Movement for West Papua.
Last Wednesday's demo in Jayapura by the KNPB was also voicing opposition to the Human Rights Investigation Team set up by the Ministry of Political, Legal and Security Affairs.
The KNPB, which is part of the Liberation Movement, has concerns about the veracity of the Investigation team although Jakarta says it is making concrete efforts to address rights abuses in Papua.
One KNPB leader, Alan Halitopo, told the Tabloid Jubi newspaper 1,004 activists were taken in briefly for police questioning.
He said the police arrested them because they did not have a permit for the rally.
A Jayapura police spokesperson Imam Rubianto said they questioned 600 people and released them shortly afterwards.
This follows media claims by the Papua police commander Paulus Waterpauw denying that anyone was arrested during last week's demonstration.
On one day in Papua last month, police arrested around 2,000 demonstrators in Jayapura alone.