Protesters being grouped at the square in Brigade Mobile Headquarters – Jubi
Jayapura, Jubi – Journalists have been banned from covering the arrest of protesters who support the West Papua Liberation (United Liberation Movement for West Papua) in the square of the Mobile Brigade Command Headquarters in Kotaraja, Papua on Monday (2/5/2016).
Reporters saw hundreds of protesters being grouped at the square, asked to remove their clothes and footwear and stand in the sun at noon.
Police officers who guarded the headquarters gate, about 100 meters height, prevented media crews including a Tabloidjubi.com reporter to enter the square.
About 20 officers stood guard outside of gate holding wood batons and telling people to stop.
They also prohibited journalists from taking photos of the arrested protestors.
One of the officers said they were acting on a direct order from Mobile Brigade Unit Chief of Papua Police, Senior Police Commissionaire Mathius Fakhiri.
“The point is the Chief Fakhiri ordered us to ban people particularly journalists from covering this,” said Mobile Brigade Officer Romansyah when asked by Jubi at the checkpoint on Monday (2/5/2016).
The protesters were detained in several locations, including Expo, Perumnas 3 Waena and Lingkaran Abe before taken by the police truck to the square of Mobile Brigade Command Headquarters. (Yuliana Lantipo/rom)
