Jayapura – The former chairman of the KNPB (National Committee of West Papua), Buchtar Tabuni, has been released after being interrogated by the police. It was reported earlier that he had been arrested by units of the police in Jayapura.

The general secretary of the KNPB, Ones Suhuniap, confirmed that Buchtar was released in the afternoon. He said, speaking via the phone, that there had been no clarification from the police about Buchter's arrest. Ones also said that his treatment during the interrogation had been harsh (he had been slapped and kicked, according to our editor).

He was arrested outside the campus of Cenderawasih University (Uncen) in Waena, Abepura. At the time of his arrest he was on a white motorbike going past the entrance of Uncen.

A police officer told Jubi that he had been questioned about a demonstration by students of the Faculty of Social and Political Sciences. They wanted to know whether his group was involved in the student demonstration. The police officer said that the demonstration had taken place without notifying the police. He went on to say that Buchtar was only held for a short while because there was no legal justification to hold him any longer.

[Abridged in translation by TAPOL.]