Nineteen civilians and one soldier have been killed in riots in two towns in Papua, Indonesian authorities said on Monday, in a violent escalation of ongoing unrest over ethnic discrimination.
According to police, fighting broke out between students from different schools in the town of Wamena, resulting in 16 deaths and the burning of “government and public facilities as well as private properties.” Scores of people were injured in the clashes.
In Jayapura, the capital of Papua province, a soldier escorting students from a demonstration was stabbed to death and three other people were killed.
The latest violence reportedly broke out in response to an alleged incident in which a teacher hurled racist slurs at students in Wamena on Saturday. Police say they investigated the claim and found it was not true.
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