Indonesia charges 8 Papuan students with treason over 'independence' march

FILE PHOTO: A Papuan activist wearing a bandana shouts slogans as he takes part in a rally calling for their right to self-determination in the Indonesian controlled part of Papua, during commemorations on the anniversary of West Papua's declaration of independence from Dutch colonial rule, outside the National Monument complex in Jakarta, Indonesia, December 1, 2021. REUTERS/Willy Kurniawan

JAKARTA (Reuters) - Indonesian police have confirmed the charging of eight Papuan students with treason after a demonstration this week marking what many people in the remote region regard as their own day of independence.

Amnesty International on Friday called for the release of the students, who were detained on Dec. 1 after a rally marking the 1963 end of Dutch colonial occupation of the resource-rich and remote Papua region.