Jayapura: Police in Indonesia broke up a planned independence rally on Monday, detaining at least 15 people.

Over 2,000 people began streaming into the protest in the Jayapura, capital of Papua, but police blocked roads preventing them from moving further.

The coordinator of the rally, Buchtar Tabuni, said he had sought police permission for the rally.

The area has been the centre of a strong separatist movement recently. Several rallies demanding Papuan independence have been held, and few bomb blasts have taken place.

Papua occupies the western half of New Guinea island and was taken over by Indonesia after Dutch colonialists were ousted.