Jayapura – The relocation of 13 inmates – convicted of involvement in the 2000 riot in Papua, in which at least 26 people were killed – from their prison in Wamena town, to a prison in East Java has been delayed due to security reasons.

Papua justice and human rights office head Aronggear confirmed on Monday that the prisoners would not be moved until after Christmas. Should the 13 prisoners be relocated, the local people could protest, risking the destabilization of Papua, he added. "We will also give them a chance to celebrate Christmas with their families," Aronggear said.

He said several lawyers from the Jayapura Legal Aid Institute, the El-Sham human rights group and the Papua Presidium Council (PDP) had met with him earlier to question why the planned relocation was necessary.

Protests also came from the families of the prisoners and local Church leader Socrates Sofyan Yoman, who feared for the prisoner's safety if they were imprisoned outside Papua.

The 13 inmates were sentenced to between one and four years in prison for their roles in the October 6, 2000 incident that erupted following the forcible removal of the Kejora (morning star) flag by police and soldiers in Wamena, Jayawijaya regency. The riot turned into an ethnic conflict, in which indigenous Papuans attacked and killed migrants and destroyed their belongings.