Polda Metro Returns 89 Chaotic Papuan Demonstrators, One Person Still Under Investigation For Beating Indigenous People Of Central Jakarta Police

JAKARTA - Polda Metro Jaya repatriated 89 people who had been arrested during a demonstration that turned violent in front of the office of the Ministry of Home Affairs (Kemendagri), Jakarta.

"89 have been repatriated, but one has not been sent home because of the beating of the Central Jakarta Metro Police Head of Intel," said Head of Public Relations of the Polda Metro Jaya Kombes Endra Zulpan, quoted by Antara, Friday, March 11.

Meanwhile, Central Jakarta Metro Police Chief Kombes Hengki Haryadi said the demonstration did not have a permit from the police.

"They took action without notification and without a recommendation from the police," said Hengki.

He said there were several violations committed by protesters that caused chaos. One of them, the crowd tried to approach the Merdeka Palace and ignored the officers' warnings not to approach vital objects.

The action was carried out to reject the suggestion of the Minister of Home Affairs Tito Karnavian regarding regional expansion in Papua.

The Minister of Home Affairs proposed that Papua and West Papua be split into six autonomous regions: West Papua, South West Papua, Central Papua, Central Mountains, South Papua, and Papua Tabi Saireri.