The Free Papua Movement (OPM) anniversary ceremony held in Timika today ended predictably with police forcibly disbanding the those attending the event and confiscating the OPM flag as evidence.
Demonstrating their low tolerance for any signs of Papuan aspirations for independence, police stormed the ceremony following the raising and parading of the OPM flag.
One police officer from the Mobile Police Brigade (Brimob) was injured after being hit by rocks thrown at him during the closure.
Papua Police deputy chief Brig. Gen. Paulus Waterpauw regretted the violent end to the ceremony, saying that participants had been provocative.
“We agreed earlier that the ceremony should end with prayers and not with some OPM flag-hoisting,” Paulus said Thursday as quoted by Antara state news wire.