Violent clashes in Indonesia as hundreds of protesters demand military withdrawal

Clashes erupted in Indonesia's Papua region on Monday as hundreds of residents protested, demanding the withdrawal of military personnel.

The demonstration saw students and civilians confront law enforcement in the insurgency-hit province.

The protest follows a military operation conducted in the region earlier this month, which allegedly resulted in the deaths of 15 people, including women and children.

This operation was carried out against armed separatists who have sought independence for the resource-rich Papua region since 1969, when a vote overseen by the United Nations brought it under Indonesian control following more than six decades of Dutch colonial rule.

The country's human rights watchdog last week confirmed these fatalities and urged the government to review its operations in the region, though the military has yet to acknowledge the casualties.

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On Monday, around 800 protesters rallied in three locations in Jayapura, the capital of Papua province, before gathering in the city centre, according to Cahyo Sukarnito, the spokesperson for the Papua provincial police.

Demonstrators called on the government to withdraw the military from all six of Papua's provinces and ensure that decades of violence were brought to an end. Sukarnito told Reuters that the deaths during recent military operations had "sparked local anger."

Tear gas and a water cannon were deployed to disperse protesters in one location after they threw rocks at police, Cahyo said.

He added that five police personnel were injured, though no injuries were reported among the protesters. Footage from local media Tribun Papua showed police personnel in protective gear carrying batons as they approached the protesters.

Once the clashes abated, the demonstrations continued peacefully, with several regional lawmakers arriving on site to meet protesters and listen to their demands.

Papua is home to the Grasberg mine, the world's second-largest gold and copper mine, which is owned jointly by the Indonesian government and US mining giant Freeport.