Timorese students support West Papua. Three arrested in Dili.
A friend in Dili tells ETAN that police recently broke up a demonstration in support of West Papua. As we get more information, we will post updates on ETAN’s blog here.
The morning of August 17, more than 30 Timorese students called for the right of West Papuan to self-determination and condemned human right violation by the Indonesian military and police against Papuans. The demonstration took place in front of Indonesia Embassy in Farol, Dili, on the 66th anniversary of Indonesia’s independence proclamation.
Timor-Leste Police (PNTL) arrested three of the protesters — Juventina Correia Ximenes, Domingos de Andrade and Letornino da Silva. All are currently studying at Timor-Lorosae National University, UNTL.
One of demonstrator, Nolasco Mendes, said that the PNTL treated the activists brutally. Police reportedly arrested the activist after the Indonesia Embassy asked the PNTL to stop the demonstration.
According to a T imornewsline report the pro-Papua protesters were members of the Students Solidarity Council (Dewan Solidaritas Mahasiswa Timor-Leste) which previously fought for Timor-Leste’s independence.
Timor-Leste has a strict law on demonstrations which among other things requires four days notice and bans them within 100 yards of a government or diplomatic building.
Related articles
- AWPA: Time to rethink ties with Kopassus. (westpapuamedia.info)
West Papua Media Alerts 
TEMORESE ARE mELANESIANS. iT IS NOT SURPRISING THAT THE TIMORESE STUDENTS HAVE DEMONSTRATED SUPPORT FOR wEST pAPUA’S STRUGGLE FOR iNDEPENDENCE. hAVING SAID THIS REMARK, i DO NOT MEAN TO UNDEERMINE THE ACTION TAKEN.
aND i WOULD LIKE ON BEHALF OF wEST pAPUANS LIVING IN pAPUA nEW gUINEA, THAT THIS OPPORTUNITY HIGHLY COMMEND THE COURAGE oUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS OF mELANESIA IN tIMOR HAVE SHOWN TO SUPPORT THE STRUGGLE FOR iNDEPENDENCE BY wEST pAPUANS
oUR HEARTFELT THANKS GOES TO YOU
iGNATIUS mUJIJAUW