Indonesia detains Papuans over Independence-Day claim

Indonesian police have arrested 13Papuans after they conducted a rallyalong with dozens others, celebrating the anniversary of what theyclaimed as the 48th Papuan Independence Day, a local police spokesmansaid on Tuesday.

The police spokesman Agus Rianto said that the rally was held without apermit from police.

"They have violated the country's law by holding a rally with out apermit, now we are questioning 13 of them," he told Xinhua from Papuaover phone.

The spokesman said that earlier the police had tried to order the mass,but they rejected.

"This small group of people claimed that they are celebrating theanniversary of Papuan independence, which is actually the claim was nottrue," he said.

Papua's rebel celebrates Dec. 1 as their independence day.

The Free Papua Movement has long engaged in rebellious activities inIndonesia. They have used both guerrilla and diplomatic ways to achievetheir goal.

On guerrilla way, the group seems targeting a subsidiary of U.S. giantmining firm of Freeport in Papua which may attract internationalattention.

The firm has been suffered by a series of series of shootings sinceJuly that have killed three people, including a 29 year-old Australianworker, a policeman and a firm guard, at the firm complex, and woundedmore than 20 others.