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Thousands of Papua natives rallied across the Indonesian provinces of Papua and West Papua Tuesday, calling for a referendum and independence from Indonesia.
The protests, which coincide with an international conference in Britain to discuss Papuan independence, follow days of political violence.
Militiamen killed one person in a prerally event, the West Papua Action network reported.
On Tuesday, heavily armed Indonesian soldiers blockaded roads in an attempt to prevent demonstrations. Militiamen from two pro-Indonesia groups were also deployed, according to the report.
An Indonesia soldier was wounded Tuesday in a sniper attack and another gunman shot at police, the Jakarta Globe reported.
On Monday, an ambush by suspected separatists left four dead. Over the weekend, 17 died in clashes between supporters of different local politicians, according to the report.The West Papua National Committee, which organized the rally, said they want to hold a referendum with the support of the United Nations in order to peacefully resolve the ongoing political conflicts. Indonesia took over the two provinces from Holland in 1969.
