Jayapura – Hundreds of Papuans, including students, launched a peaceful rally at the provincial legislative building on Friday to reject the establishment of West Irian Jaya province.

The demonstrators took turns delivering speeches calling for the central government not to divide Papua province. They also waved banners and posters, some of which read, "Mr Home Minister, please do not destroy us Papuans!", "Mr Minister, there is only one Papua province, not three!", and "Please free the people of Papua from violence!"

Three people were killed in August in Timika, central Papua, when supporters and opponents of the government's move to divide Papua into three new provinces clashed for three days. A legislature on the division of Papua into West Irian, Central Irian and Papua provinces was passed in 1999, but its implementation was postponed after violent opposition to the perceived "divide and rule" tactic of the government to exploit the province's natural resources.

Indonesia "integrated" Papua, formerly known as Irian Jaya, into the republic in 1963 after a war with the Dutch over its sovereignty.