Police Chief Operations Officer Acting Assistant Commissioner of Police Livai Driu has apologized for the miscommunication that led to the incident before the Reclaim The Night march last night.
A/ACP Driu says they were following the conditions of the permit issued.
However, he says this was sorted, and officers were directed to allow the march procession to continue and provide necessary security measures for those in attendance.
Minister for Home Affairs, Pio Tikoduadua has also apologised for what transpired last night during the Reclaim The Night March and stated that it should never have happened.
Again, I apologize for the mix up. It should never have happened.
— Pio Tikoduadua (@piotikoduaduafj) March 8, 2023
Your Human Rights are paramount and I've been making that clear. We are working together with Police to undo the mentality that has been the norm over the past 16 years-- it's slow but it will happen! https://t.co/zsttk3ko7p
Police at the scene had told the people that there should be no messages about West Papua or other international matters.
Tikoduadua tweeted overnight that he apologised for the mix-up, and says that human rights are paramount, and he has been making that clear.
The Minister says they are working together with the Police to undo the mentality that has been the norm over the past 16 years.
He adds that it's slow, but it will happen.
