- Title: Indonesia cleans up violence-hit Papuan town as thousands flee in panic
- Date: 4th October 2019
- Summary: WAMENA, PAPUA PROVINCE, INDONESIA (OCTOBER 4, 2019) (REUTERS) ***WARNING CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY*** INDONESIAN AUTHORITIES AND PEOPLE TOGETHER CLEANING UP DEBRIS FROM UNREST OVERTURNING BURNT CAR BURNT MOTORCYCLE BEING CARRIED AWAY DEBRIS BEING TAKEN TO TRUCK CARRYING BURNT MOTORCYCLE ONTO TRUCK TRUCK WITH DEBRIS LEAVING THE AREA (SOUNDBITE) (Bahasa Indonesia) JAYA WIJAYA REGENT, JHON RICHARD BANUA, SAYING: "All (clean up) activities within Jaya Wijaya Regent (are being carried out) to facilitate economic activities, we will build all the shops that burnt quickly, so that the economic activity can start immediately," JAYAPURA, PAPUA PROVINCE, INDONESIA (OCTOBER 4, 2019) (REUTERS) TRANS MIGRANTS FROM WAMENA ARRIVE AT JAYAPURA WALKING OUT FROM RAMP DOOR OF C-130 HERCULES PLANE TRANS MIGRANTS WALKING ON TARMAC TEMPORARY SHELTER FOR TRANS MIGRANTS THAT JUST ARRIVED IN JAYAPURA (SOUNDBITE) (Bahasa Indonesia) PAPUA POLICE CHIEF, PAULUS WATERPAUW, SAYING: "For those (trans-migrants) who are still left in Wamena, we hope that they do not leave as we guarantee their security. That is why we will increase our forces to make it as comfortable as possible for everyone in Wamena and surrounding areas. We, military and police, will assure their security." WATERPAUW VISITING THE TEMPORARY SHELTER (SOUNDBITE) (Bahasa Indonesia) PAPUA POLICE CHIEF, PAULUS WATERPAUW, SAYING: "Now we are conducting trauma healing for all mothers and children, our official is now working to give them peace. Hopefully, in the near future, they can forget the event in Wamena, and for all those who left their home town, we hope it will not take such a long time for them to return." WATERPAUW TALKING WITH REFUGEES PADANG, WEST SUMATRA PROVINCE, INDONESIA (OCTOBER 3, 2019) (REUTERS) RELATIVES WAITING AT ARRIVAL LOUNGE REFUGEES COMING HOLDING BANNER READING (Bahasa Indonesia) "WE ARE THE VICTIMS OF VIOLENT DISTURBANCE" AN ELDERLY MAN CRYING AND HUGGING HIS RELATIVE A PENSIVE MOTHER AND DAUGHTER A FAMILY WALKING PAST CAMERA WITH THEIR BELONGINGS MOTHER AND HER BABY BESIDE THEIR BELONGINGS BABY SLEEPING MOTHER REFUGEE, SYAHRIAL, PUSHING TROLLY (SOUNDBITE) (Bahasa Indonesia) WAMENA'S REFUGEE, SYAHRIAL, SAYING: "The event started between 8.30 a.m. and suddenly the protesters came because of the hoax statement which said that one of student was called a monkey, and what I saw mostly were not Wamena's people. Maybe (people) from the mountain area came down to attack us. They mostly had sharp objects, arrows and stones." REFUGEES PUSHING CART WITH THEIR BELONGING LEADER OF REFUGEES WELCOMED BY LOCAL OFFICIAL (SOUNDBITE) (Bahasa Indonesia) REPRESENTATIVE OF PADANG FAMILY GROUP IN WAMENA, ZULKIFLI, SAYING: "There are some of our friends who have been helped by Papuan in Wamena too as not all Papuans are evil and anarchist." LOCAL OFFICIALS WELCOMING WAMENA'S REFUGEES (SOUNDBITE) (Bahasa Indonesia) REPRESENTATIVE OF PADANG FAMILY GROUP IN WAMENA, ZULKIFLI, SAYING: "The group that attacked us, I think were people from surrounding areas, but we don't know their details as they came wearing school uniforms and after them those who came, we didn't know when and where they came from to attack." A MOTHER CARRYING HER DAUGHTER GETTING ONTO BUS PEOPLE GETTING ON THE BUS BUS LEAVING AIRPORT AREA
- Embargoed: 18th October 2019 10:19
- Keywords: Wamena Papua unrest refugees people fleeing instability security violence
- Location: WAMENA, JAYAPURA, PADANG, INDONESIA
- City: WAMENA, JAYAPURA, PADANG, INDONESIA
- Country: Indonesia
- Topics: Conflicts/War/Peace,Civil Unrest
- Reuters ID: LVA001AZOK1FR
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: EDITORS PLEASE NOTE: PART VIDEO QUALITY AS INCOMING
Indonesia authorities, military, police and residents joined hands together to clean up violence-hit Wamena on Friday (October 4) while refugee exodus from the town continued into capital Jayapura.
Indonesian authorities said on Thursday (October 3) more than 11,500 people have been evacuated from the town of Wamena in the easternmost province of Papua since dozens died during clashes last month in the area.
Located on the western half of the island of New Guinea and long racked by a simmering separatist insurgency, Papua encompasses Indonesia's two easternmost provinces and has a distinct ethnic Melanesian population.
There has been a spike in protests and unrest since late August after Papuan students in Surabaya, Indonesia's second city on the island of Java, were taunted and attacked by a mob chanting racial epithets over accusations they had desecrated a national flag.
In some of the worst bloodshed in decades in Papua, 33 people died and scores were hurt during clashes in Wamena on Sept. 23.
Government offices and homes were burned down, and 250 cars and motorcycles destroyed, as indigenous Papuans and security forces clashed.
Papua chief of police, Paulus Waterpauw during his visit to a temporary refugee shelter in Jayapura assured that the security forces would guarantee their security in Wamena with the deployment of additional personnel.
A former Dutch colony, Papua was formally incorporated into Indonesia in 1969, after a disputed vote of about 1,025 hand-picked tribal leaders. The result of the plebiscite was overseen and endorsed by the United Nations.
Indonesian President Joko Widodo has opened the door to holding talks with separatists in Papua, a departure from the stance of previous governments and some of his cabinet ministers.
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