The Papuan students are studying at schools and universities in several cities in Central JavaSemarang, C Java (ANTARA) - A senior police official has said that 107 of the 207 native Papuan students who left for Papua and West Papua Provinces following the Surabaya incident in August 2019 have returned to Central Java Province.
"The Papuan students are studying at schools and universities in several cities in Central Java," Central Java Police Chief Inspector General Rycko Amelza Dahniel told journalists in Semarang, the capital city of Central Java Province, Tuesday.
Several students who had returned to Central Java informed the authorities that they were keen to continue their studies. They felt they were lied to because, during their stay in their respective villages in Papua and West Papua, no one took care of them properly, he said.
The Central Java Police guaranteed the security of the Papuan students during their studies. "From Central Java, we express our love to Papua," Dahniel said.
Soon, the local police will pay attention to the anniversary of the West Papua National Committee and the Free Papua Organisation, he said.
The police would take precautionary and preventive measures for any attempts to trigger the disintegration of Indonesia, Inspector General Rycko Amelza Dahniel said.
Violence erupted in several parts of Papua and West Papua in the aftermath of the alleged racist slurs against the Papuan students in Surabaya, East Java, on August 16 that had triggered public ire among native Papuans.
On August 29, the indigenous Papuan residents of Jayapura staged a violent protest which ended with several buildings and vehicles being torched.
In the aftermath of the Surabaya incident, several hundred native Papuan students studying at various universities outside Papua and West Papua decided to return home despite the National Police's guarantee for their safety and security.
The central government had encouraged them to return to the cities or towns where they are studying.
The Indonesian military commander had even pledged to help the returnees get back to the provinces where they are studying by Hercules C-130 aircraft. (INE)
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Translator: Immanuel CS, Rahmad Nasution
Editor: Suharto
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