Yesterday [10 November 2005], on the 4th anniversary of the murder of West Papuan independence leader Theys Hiyo Eluay by Kopassus [Indonesian Special Forces], the West Papua Street Parliament led a protest involving over 300 hundred Papuan students.

The meeting started at Theys' house in Sentani. From there the protesters, carrying banners, moved on to Cendrawasih University where many more Papuan students joined the protest. During the whole time, the Police and the TNI [Indonesian military] were following them.

The protested made speeches in which they held the Netherlands responsible for allowing Indonesia to occupy the Land of Papua through the 1969 Pepera [Act of Free Choice] and urged the Netherlands government to respond to the Drooglever Report [to be launched on 15 November in the Hague]and open diplomatic negotiations with Indonesia to respond to this report.

The protesters' banners read: "We need dialogue"; "We know the USA, Netherlands, Indonesia and the UN are morally responsible for Act of No Choice."; and "Release all Papuan Political Prisoners."

At this point, the Police came and arrested Jefrison Pagawa, leader of the Street Parliament. The Police also seized every banner from the students.

They would not allow any banner which mentioned the name of Theys Eluay or other human rights abuses committed by Indonesia in West Papua.

The Police came and took a big red banner away from the students because they had written on it about human rights violations by the TNI.

The Police blocked every road so no one could escape. So all the students had to surrender. After that, the situation nearly became violent between the students and the Police, but fortunately the Police released Jefrison Pagawa so nothing more happened. This was therefore a very good protest.

All over West Papua and in Indonesia, Papuan students are planning to mobilize big protests on 15 November, the day the Drooglever Report into the Act of No Choice is published in the Netherlands.