Indonesia cracks down on West Papuan indepedence protests
West Papuan cities have been rocked by large protests in recent days with independence groups calling for a boycott of the upcoming Indonesian elections. Four demonstrators were shot by the Indonesian military early this morning but many more took to the streets this afternoon. They’re also calling for a new referendum on West Papuan independence and they say that the last referendum, in 1969, was rigged to guarantee Indonesian control of the province. They’re hoping that the protests will galvanize international support behind the independence movement but Indonesia’s ban on foreign journalists is making this difficult. Protesters are also hoping that Australia moves away from its unwavering support for Indonesian sovereignty over the province.