Brimob, Military Out in Force for Last Day of Papuan Congress

Participants of the Papuan Congress in the provincial capital of Jayapura were shocked at being greeted at the venue by five armored vehicles and hundreds of heavily armed police and military officers, an attendee of the congress said on Wednesday.

“Three tanks belong to the Mobile Brigade (Brimob) of the Papua Police and the others are the military’s,” a participant named Oktovianus told the Jakarta Globe.

The meeting, held annually to push for the rights of indigenous Papuans among the many disparate tribes there, has been ongoing since Monday. More than 5,000 participants from 234 tribes in Papua have been in attendance.

The event was scheduled to enter its last day on Wednesday at 9 a.m., but as participants arrived at the field in Padang Bulan Abepura where the congress has been held, they were greeted by the show of force from the police and military, Oktovianus said.
Read more>>Brimob, Military Out in Force for Last Day of Papuan Congress | The Jakarta Globe