Indonesia's Papua plunged into chaos again Thursday as angry protesters torched buildings in its capital after nearly two weeks of riots and demonstrations in the easternmost province of the archipelago.

More than a thousand demonstrators marched around Jayapura hurling stones and setting fire to shops and an assembly building following a deadly clash in another part of the jungle-clad province, which shares the island with independent Papua New Guinea.

Carrying placards bearing the image of a banned flag, many called for independence from Indonesian rule and an end to racism against the minority group.

Papuans are ethnic Melanesians and have few cultural ties with the rest of Indonesia.

State power company PLN said the violence forced it to cut electricity in parts of Jayapura, a city of about 300,000 people.

"Several public facilities and buildings were damaged by the rioters," said National Police spokesman Dedi Prasetyo.

"Security forces are still trying to control the situation," he added.

The protest comes a day after violence flared in remote Deiyai, where a clash between protesters and Indonesian security forces left at least one soldier and two demonstrators dead, according to officials.

The confrontation sparked reports that Indonesia's military -- long accused of committing rights abuses against Papuans during a decades-old separatist insurgency -- had gunned down six protesters.

Authorities denied that claim and said they were attacked by hundreds of Papuans armed with machetes and traditional bows-and-arrows.

Some 300 extra personnel had been sent to Deiyai to restore order, officials said Thursday, after Jakarta deployed more than 1,200 police and military members to Papua last week.

'Smouldering anger'

The accounts of what happened in Deiyai could not be independently verified.

Conflicting reports are common in Papua, where independence supporters and the military frequently blame each other for violence.

The government in Jakarta also an ordered Internet blackout since last week, making confirming and sharing information difficult.

Riots and demonstrations have broken out in Papua since mid-August with buildings torched and street battles between police and protesters.

The unrest appears to have been triggered by the arrest this month of dozens of Papuan students in Java, who were also racially abused.

Police in riot gear stormed a dormitory in the city of Surabaya to force out students accused of destroying an Indonesian flag, as a group of protesters shouted racial slurs at them, calling them "monkeys" and "dogs".

One person suspected of organising the protest against the Papuan students in Surabaya had been named a criminal suspect, while a half dozen police officers have also been temporarily suspended pending an investigation.

Jakarta took control of Papua, a former Dutch colony, in the 1960s after an independence referendum widely viewed as a sham.

Despite a push to develop its infrastructure, many Papuans say they're treated like second-class citizens and have not received a fair share of vast mineral wealth in a region home to the world's biggest gold mine.

"This is the culmination of years of assuming that roads and money were the keys to addressing Papuan grievances," said Sidney Jones, director of Jakarta-based Institute for Policy Analysis of Conflict (IPAC).

"The accusations of racism came on top of what was already smouldering anger," she added.

Indonesia's Papua plunged into chaos again Thursday as angry protesters torched buildings in its capital after nearly two weeks of riots and demonstrations in the easternmost province of the archipelago.

Indonesia's Papua plunged into chaos again Thursday as angry protesters torched buildings in its capital after nearly two weeks of riots and demonstrations in the easternmost province of the archipelago. More than a thousand demonstrators marched around Jayapura hurling stones and setting fire to shops and an assembly building following a deadly clash in another part of the jungle-clad province, which shares the island with independent Papua New Guinea. Carrying placards bearing the image of a banned flag, many called for independence from Indonesian rule and an end to racism against the minority group. Papuans are ethnic Melanesians and have few cultural ties with the rest of Indonesia. State power company PLN said the violence forced it to cut electricity in parts of Jayapura, a city of about 300,000 people. "Several public facilities and buildings were damaged by the rioters," said National Police spokesman Dedi Prasetyo. "Security forces are still trying to control the situation," he added. The protest comes a day after violence flared in remote Deiyai, where a clash between protesters and Indonesian security forces left at least one soldier and two demonstrators dead, according to officials. The confrontation sparked reports that Indonesia's military -- long accused of committing rights abuses against Papuans during a decades-old separatist insurgency -- had gunned down six protesters. Authorities denied that claim and said they were attacked by hundreds of Papuans armed with machetes and traditional bows-and-arrows. Some 300 extra personnel had been sent to Deiyai to restore order, officials said Thursday, after Jakarta deployed more than 1,200 police and military members to Papua last week. 'Smouldering anger' The accounts of what happened in Deiyai could not be independently verified. Conflicting reports are common in Papua, where independence supporters and the military frequently blame each other for violence. The government in Jakarta also an ordered Internet blackout since last week, making confirming and sharing information difficult. Riots and demonstrations have broken out in Papua since mid-August with buildings torched and street battles between police and protesters. The unrest appears to have been triggered by the arrest this month of dozens of Papuan students in Java, who were also racially abused. Police in riot gear stormed a dormitory in the city of Surabaya to force out students accused of destroying an Indonesian flag, as a group of protesters shouted racial slurs at them, calling them "monkeys" and "dogs". One person suspected of organising the protest against the Papuan students in Surabaya had been named a criminal suspect, while a half dozen police officers have also been temporarily suspended pending an investigation. Jakarta took control of Papua, a former Dutch colony, in the 1960s after an independence referendum widely viewed as a sham. Despite a push to develop its infrastructure, many Papuans say they're treated like second-class citizens and have not received a fair share of vast mineral wealth in a region home to the world's biggest gold mine. "This is the culmination of years of assuming that roads and money were the keys to addressing Papuan grievances," said Sidney Jones, director of Jakarta-based Institute for Policy Analysis of Conflict (IPAC). "The accusations of racism came on top of what was already smouldering anger," she added.

Rioters torch buildings as chaos erupts again in Indonesia's Papua

&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/kremlin-says-it-is-winning-arms-race-against-us-despite-rocket-accident-242822">Indonesia&nbsp;has cut off&nbsp;internet&nbsp;access in eastern&nbsp;Papua&nbsp;</a>to prevent provocative posts online from fuelling violence after protesters torched buildings, a market and a prison over the mistreatment of students and perceived ethnic discrimination.

Police have flown in 1,200 additional officers to&nbsp;Papua&nbsp;to quell sometimes&nbsp;violent&nbsp;protests&nbsp;since Monday in several towns, including Timika - which stands near the giant Grasberg copper mine operated by Freeport McMoran's&nbsp;Indonesian unit - as well as Manokwari, Sorong, and Fakfak.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/indonesia-president-urges-calm-after-violent-protests-in-papua-cities-244160">Indonesia's chief security ministe</a>r, police chief, and military commander visited Sorong on Thursday to inspect where the&nbsp;protests&nbsp;erupted, but there no reports of fresh demonstrations there.

While a separatist movement has simmered for decades in&nbsp;Papua, with frequent complaints of rights abuses levelled against&nbsp;Indonesian security forces, the recent anger appears to be linked to racist slurs against&nbsp;Papuan students who were detained last week.

The students were arrested from their dormitory in the city of Surabaya in East Java after being accused of disrespecting the&nbsp;Indonesian flag during a celebration of&nbsp;Indonesia's Independence Day.

Indonesia's communication ministry has blocked access to telecommunication data and the internet&nbsp;to prevent&nbsp;Papuans from accessing social media since Wednesday night, though calls and text messages will still work, Ferdinandus Setu, the ministry spokesman said.

"This is an effort to&nbsp;curb&nbsp;hoax and most importantly stop people from sharing provocative messages that can incite racial hatred," he said, adding that the&nbsp;curb&nbsp;may be lifted "if the situation has calmed".

Police have arrested 20 people in Timika, where thousands of protesters threw rocks at a parliament building, houses, shops, and a hotel on Wednesday, Dedi Prasetyo, a national police spokesman said by telephone from Sorong.

No arrests have been made in other&nbsp;Papuan towns, Prasetyo said. 
Papua&nbsp;and West&nbsp;Papua&nbsp;provinces, the resource-rich western part of the island of New Guinea, were a Dutch colony that was incorporated into&nbsp;Indonesia&nbsp;after a widely criticised UN-backed referendum in 1969.

President Joko Widodo has been informed that the situation in&nbsp;Papua&nbsp;was under control, his Cabinet Secretariat said in a statement late on Wednesday.

Widodo has sought to ease tensions and improve welfare by building infrastructure in the provinces.

&nbsp;He has visited the restive region more frequently than any of his predecessors, and plans to go to Jayapura, the capital of&nbsp;Papua&nbsp;province, next month, to open a new bridge, the secretariat said.

Indonesia has cut off internet access in eastern Papua to prevent provocative posts online from fuelling violence after protesters torched buildings, a market and a prison over the mistreatment of students and perceived ethnic discrimination.

Indonesia has cut off internet access in eastern Papua to prevent provocative posts online from fuelling violence after protesters torched buildings, a market and a prison over the mistreatment of students and perceived ethnic discrimination. Police have flown in 1,200 additional officers to Papua to quell sometimes violent protests since Monday in several towns, including Timika - which stands near the giant Grasberg copper mine operated by Freeport McMoran's Indonesian unit - as well as Manokwari, Sorong, and Fakfak. Indonesia's chief security minister, police chief, and military commander visited Sorong on Thursday to inspect where the protests erupted, but there no reports of fresh demonstrations there. While a separatist movement has simmered for decades in Papua, with frequent complaints of rights abuses levelled against Indonesian security forces, the recent anger appears to be linked to racist slurs against Papuan students who were detained last week. The students were arrested from their dormitory in the city of Surabaya in East Java after being accused of disrespecting the Indonesian flag during a celebration of Indonesia's Independence Day. Indonesia's communication ministry has blocked access to telecommunication data and the internet to prevent Papuans from accessing social media since Wednesday night, though calls and text messages will still work, Ferdinandus Setu, the ministry spokesman said. "This is an effort to curb hoax and most importantly stop people from sharing provocative messages that can incite racial hatred," he said, adding that the curb may be lifted "if the situation has calmed". Police have arrested 20 people in Timika, where thousands of protesters threw rocks at a parliament building, houses, shops, and a hotel on Wednesday, Dedi Prasetyo, a national police spokesman said by telephone from Sorong. No arrests have been made in other Papuan towns, Prasetyo said. Papua and West Papua provinces, the resource-rich western part of the island of New Guinea, were a Dutch colony that was incorporated into Indonesia after a widely criticised UN-backed referendum in 1969. President Joko Widodo has been informed that the situation in Papua was under control, his Cabinet Secretariat said in a statement late on Wednesday. Widodo has sought to ease tensions and improve welfare by building infrastructure in the provinces. He has visited the restive region more frequently than any of his predecessors, and plans to go to Jayapura, the capital of Papua province, next month, to open a new bridge, the secretariat said.

Indonesia blocks internet in Papua to help curb violent protests

A Papua New Guinea court has granted an injunction barring university students from protesting on campus after dozens of people were wounded during clashes between student protesters and police in the capital, Port Moresby. 
 
&nbsp;Political unrest has surged in the country in the recent weeks, just to Australia&#39;s north, amid calls for Prime Minister Peter O&#39;Neill to resign over corruption allegations. 
 
The government said that&nbsp;initial reports, that put&nbsp;the death toll to four&nbsp;in the Wednesday&nbsp;clashes,&nbsp;were incorrect. An official at the Port Moresby General Hospital said 38 casualties had been treated there, including four with bullet wounds, but no deaths were reported. 
 
Students and officials said police fired on the public and used tear gas to disperse crowds during a protest at the University of PNG&#39;s Waigani campus in Port Moresby. Protests were later reported in the PNG highland cities of Goroka and Mt. Hagen, and in Lae on the north coast. 
 
Papua New Guinea Higher Education Minister Malakai Tabar welcomed the court order blocking students from resuming protests. 
 
&quot;The overwhelming majority of students simply want to go to class, sit their exams and proceed to the next semester,&quot; Tabar said.&nbsp; 
 
Thousands of students across PNG have been protesting and boycotting classes for weeks. They want O&#39;Neill, who came to power in 2011, to face allegations for&nbsp;authorizing&nbsp;millions of dollars in fraudulent payments to a leading law firm.&nbsp; 
 
Student protest leader Noel Anjon said today that&nbsp;the protesters had no intention of giving up. 
 
&quot;The students are not going to give up until and unless the prime minister resigns or surrenders himself to police and is arrested and charged,&quot; he said.&nbsp;&quot;This fight will continue.&quot; 
 
O&#39;Neill is facing multiple corruption investigations and has used the power of his office to avoid facing charges, said Paul Barker, director of the Institute of National Affairs think tank in Papua New Guinea. 
 
&quot;He has a strong vested interest in not stepping down because obviously if he steps down, his position to protect himself and deal with the public officers who are involved in investigations and prosecutions is substantially weakened,&quot; Barker said.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;There no doubt will be pressure from various parties, but it&#39;s hard to see him readily responding to those pressures,&quot; he added.&nbsp;

Four students had died after police fired into a crowd of student protesters at the University of Papua New Guinea on Wednesday

A Papua New Guinea court has granted an injunction barring university students from protesting on campus after dozens of people were wounded during clashes between student protesters and police in the capital, Port Moresby. Political unrest has surged in the country in the recent weeks, just to Australia's north, amid calls for Prime Minister Peter O'Neill to resign over corruption allegations. The government said that initial reports, that put the death toll to four in the Wednesday clashes, were incorrect. An official at the Port Moresby General Hospital said 38 casualties had been treated there, including four with bullet wounds, but no deaths were reported. Students and officials said police fired on the public and used tear gas to disperse crowds during a protest at the University of PNG's Waigani campus in Port Moresby. Protests were later reported in the PNG highland cities of Goroka and Mt. Hagen, and in Lae on the north coast. Papua New Guinea Higher Education Minister Malakai Tabar welcomed the court order blocking students from resuming protests. "The overwhelming majority of students simply want to go to class, sit their exams and proceed to the next semester," Tabar said. Thousands of students across PNG have been protesting and boycotting classes for weeks. They want O'Neill, who came to power in 2011, to face allegations for authorizing millions of dollars in fraudulent payments to a leading law firm. Student protest leader Noel Anjon said today that the protesters had no intention of giving up. "The students are not going to give up until and unless the prime minister resigns or surrenders himself to police and is arrested and charged," he said. "This fight will continue." O'Neill is facing multiple corruption investigations and has used the power of his office to avoid facing charges, said Paul Barker, director of the Institute of National Affairs think tank in Papua New Guinea. "He has a strong vested interest in not stepping down because obviously if he steps down, his position to protect himself and deal with the public officers who are involved in investigations and prosecutions is substantially weakened," Barker said. "There no doubt will be pressure from various parties, but it's hard to see him readily responding to those pressures," he added.

Papua New Guinea court bars university protests after violence

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Rioters torch buildings as chaos erupts again in Indonesia's Papua

Indonesia blocks internet in Papua to help curb violent protests

Papua New Guinea court bars university protests after violence

Papua New Guinea court bars university protests after violence