On 13th October,protests were held all over West Papua in support of the release of French journalists Thomas Dandois and Valentine Bourrat being detained by the Indonesian authorities in West Papua.

The Indonesian government still bans all foreign journalists from entering West Papua and Thomas and Valentine were arrested there on August 6th simply for reporting on the situation. They now face a potential 5 year jail sentence just for doing their duty as journalists. The Indonesian government is still systematically trying to cover up their atrocities in West Papua by banning all foreign media. They do not want the world to know the truth because they know that when it is exposed, the international community will help to support the West Papuan people and their struggle for self-determination.
By holding this protest, West Papuans pressurise the Indonesian government to stop hiding the truth in West Papua and to let journalists have access so that the world will finally know what is really happening there.