Ben Didiomea displays the West Papuan flag as Indonesian staff try to usher him away. Photo: Facebook/ Ben Didiomea
Solomon Islands police have defended removing a West Papuan flag from outside the Indonesian stall at the Melanesian Arts Festival in Honiara.
Last Saturday, a local man, Ben Didiomea , was questioned by police after holding the West Papuan Morning Star Flag as a protest outside Indonesia's festival stall.
Mr Didiomea said he was standing in solidarity with fellow Melanesian people of Indonesia's Papua region, where the Morning Star is banned.
A police spokesman, Solomon Sisimia, said police advised Mr Didiomea and his fellow demonstrators that the flag was being removed because the festival was not a political event.
"In fact before that incident, police had confronted a group of young people the other day who had come in and threatened to burn down the same stall, and said that they were from the West Papuan freedom movement."
