Jakarta – Police released 14 people they arrested after a ceremony to mark the anniversary of West Papua's declaration of independence from Indonesia, a report said Sunday.

Another six people detained as the group raised its outlawed "Morning Star" separatist flag on Saturday remained in police custody, the Detikcom online news portal reported.

Head of the Papua police, Max Donald, said three of those still in custody were activists from the Free Papua Organisation (OPM) and they were arrested for raising the flag. The other three were detained for carrying weapons, Donald told Detikcom.

The flag-raising ceremony was held at Kwamki Baru village in Mimika district.

Every December 1, Papuan activists try to raise the flag to commemorate the independence of Papua. Indonesia won sovereignty over Papua, formerly a Dutch colony, in 1969 after a referendum widely seen as a sham.

Papuans have long accused Indonesia's military of violating human rights in the province and complain that the bulk of earnings from its rich natural resources flow to Jakarta.

Also on Saturday, about 500 Papuan students held a rally in Indonesia's second largest city of Surabaya in East Java in support of Papuan independence.