special autonomy

Thousands rally in West Papua: Reject special autonomy, demand referendum on independence

International news agencies have reported on the mass rally in Jayapura, capital of Indonesia's Papua province on July 8th. Thousands of people joined a long march, walking 17 km from the MRP (Majelis Rakyat Papua – Papua People's Assembly) to the DPRP (Dewan Perwakilan Rakyat Papua – Papuan Provincial Legislature), rejecting the Special Autonomy granted by Indonesia in 2001 and demanding a referendum on West Papuan independence and an internationally-mediated dialogue with Jakarta.