Jayapura, Papua – The Morning Star flag of Free Papua Movement (OPM) was raised illegally at Kwamki Baru region in Mimika district town of Timika to commemorate independence by OPM separatists opposed to the region being part of Indonesia.

Some 20 people gathered in Kwamki Baru at 6 a.m. local time on Saturday for the raising of the flag and then danced around a pole on which top the Morning Star flag was tied, Papua provincial police spokesman Andi Lolo has said.

He added that the illegal flag had been flying in the air for about 20 minutes before security officials arrived at the scene to have it lowered and then arrested the people who raised it.

"The people who raised the illegal flag have been herded to Mimika police office at Kuala Kencana for further questioning," Andi Lolo said.

Asked if similar activity occurred in the other part of Papua, the local police spokesman said there was no other report about the case of the Morning Star flag raising in the other areas of the province.

The Morning Star flag represented the territory of West New Guinea from 1st December 1961 until 1st October 1962 when the territory came under administration of the United Nations Temporary Executive Authority (UNTEA).

The flag is commonly used by the West Papuan population including OPM supporters to rally Self-determination human rights support and is popularly flown on 1st December each year in defiance of Indonesian domestic laws.

The flag consists of a red vertical band along the hoist side, with a white five-pointed star in the center. The flag was first raised on 1 December 1961 and used until the United Nations became the territory's administrator on 1 October 1962.