Jakarta – Police have named 51 people, mostly protesters, as suspects after a series of protests and riots in Papua, West Papua and Jakarta in the last two weeks.
National Police spokesperson Brig. Gen. Dedi Prasetyo confirmed that 30 people had been named suspects in last Thursday's riot in Jayapura, Papua.
"Seventeen people were arrested for vandalism, seven people for violent theft, one person for arson, three people for hate speech and provocation and the other two for possession of sharp weapons," Dedi said in Thousand Islands regency on Saturday as reported by kompas.com.
Meanwhile, 10 people were also named suspects in Wednesday's riot in Timika, Papua.
"Out of 34 people who were arrested during the riot, 10 were named suspects," National Police spokesman Sr. Comr. Asep Adi Saputra said on Friday.
He explained that nine of the 10 allegedly committed vandalism in four different locations, namely the Papua Legislative Council's office (DPRD), the regional branch of the National Narcotics Agency (BNN), Grand Mozza Hotel and Subur Jaya kiosk, while the remaining suspect was charged with possession of sharp weapons.
The West Papua Police have named three people as suspects for arson and looting in the Aug. 19 riot in Manokwari.
"The three suspects, MA, DA and MI, were arrested because they committed crimes during the riot, not because they were protesting," West Papua police chief Herry Rudolf Nahak said in a press conference on Friday as quoted by kompas.com.
MA and DA, Herry said, allegedly robbed an ATM machine in front of the West Papua People's Assembly (MRP) building and MI was arrested for allegedly burning an Indonesian flag during the riot.
Meanwhile, seven Papuan students and one from Jakarta were also named suspect after their arrest in Greater Jakarta for raising the Morning Star flag, a symbol of the Papuan independence movement, in a rally in front of Merdeka Palace, Central Jakarta, on Wednesday. Jakarta Police spokesperson Sr. Comr. Argo Yuwono said the suspects had been charged with treason.
"Their actions have disrupted state security. They broke articles 106 and 110 of the Criminal Code. We are still investigating and examining the suspects," Argo said in Jakarta.
Jakarta Legal Aid Society (LBH Jakarta) lawyer Nelson Simamora, who is representing those detained, identified the seven students to The Jakarta Post as Carles Kossay, Dano Tabuni, Ambrosius Mulait, Isay Wenda, Naliana Wasiangge, Wenebita Wasiangge and Norince Kogoya.
Indonesian People's Front for West Papua (FRI-West Papua) spokesperson Surya Anta Ginting was also one of the eight suspects the Jakarta Police arrested for treason.
So far, the police claimed that nine people had been killed in riots; five in Deiyai and four in Jayapura. Meanwhile, the Deiyai deputy regent said eight people had been killed in Deiyai regency.