Eight people were arrested by the Indonesian police for raising the Papuan flag during the opening ceremony of a Papuan Tribal Congress – a right theoretically granted to them by law.

Below are extracts from an article published by Indymedia Oceania:

Eight West Papuan men and women have been arrested at the conclusion of a four-day Papuan Tribal congress meeting in Jayapura. They have been taken to the police station where they are being interrogated. The reason the police gave for the arrest of the eight men and women is that the West Papuan national flag, the Morning Star was used in the opening ceremony of the conference. The flag was waved by a group of traditional dancers from Manokwari named "Sampari" which means Morning Star in the Biak language. This comes just as Human Right Watch has released another damning report on human rights violations in West Papua.

The newly elected head of the council, Forkorus Yoboisembut in a speech after his election, said his main job would be to fight for independence from Indonesia. "This is the voice of the kampong people and we should fight for it together," he said to the cheers of the some 500 congress participants.

"We do need better living standards, but (the ongoing) development or forced special autonomy that is underway should not stop West Papua's independence, since it is our right to determine our future and those who oppose this are violating our human rights." The congress was attended by participants from seven tribal regions in Papua and West Papua provinces.

Paula Makabory, Elsham representative in Australia said " These people have been arrested as part of a campaign to intimidate any group or organisation discussing self-determination which in a democratic country, like Indonesia claims to be, should be their right and it is a right guaranteed under the United Nations . These people were simply discussing the human rights situation and how to improve the lives of the people.

Joe Collins of the Australia West Papua Association said "a report released last week by the New York-based Human Rights Watch, details abuses by the Indonesian military in West Papua including the beating, rape and murder of people accused of belonging to the OPM, the Free Papua Movement. There is real fear about the safety of any West Papuan arrested or accused of being involved in so called separatist activity ".

Colonel Burhanuddin Siagian who is commander of the Jayapura sub-regional military command, Korem 172, is reported in the Cendrawasih Post, of the 7 July 2007, stating “that it is the duty of the TNI to crush any struggle or activity undertaken by any group in the community which tends towards separatism” and “'What is absolutely certain? is that anyone who tends towards separatism will be crushed by TNI”.

An open letter to President Yudhoyono from a number of human rights organisations calling for the removal of Colonel Siagian from West Papua can be found at http://tapol.gn.apc.org/news/files/let070628.htm

This report was released in the same week as the Australian Defense Minister, Brendan Neslon visited Jakarta to discuss ties with the same Indonesia military committing these abuses.

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There is also concern for the safety of students who held a protest in the Central Java city of Yogyakarta on Wednesday where they held a demonstration rejecting special autonomy. The students unfurled a large banner with the picture of the Morning Star with the words "Referendum Yes" written on it.

Names of men arrested in Jayapura: Forkoryus Yaboisembut, Leonard Imbiri, Thoha M Alhamit, Astriks Rumbonde, Yakop Kasimat, Willem Rumasep, Alfrida Faidiban, Asmirah. The following were Called to report to police on Monday the 9 July for questioning: Thom Beanal, Willi Mandowen, W. Bonay, Fadal Alhamid, plus 5 others.