Papuan teenagers staged an improvised ceremony where they planted an Indonesian flag on the ground and saluted it.

Footage shows locals knocking on the door of a hut in Puncak, a region within the Indonesian-controlled side of New Guinea.

The boys emerged carrying the red-and-white flag, placed it upright on the soil, then stood at attention beside it.

They were joined by two men, and the four stood in formation saluting the emblem.

Desius Termas, who recorded the scene, said: ‘The sincerity of native Papuan schoolchildren in raising the red and white flag during the 80th Independence Day celebration in Puncak Regency, Central Papua, was truly heartwarming.'

The western part of New Guinea was formerly controlled by the Dutch before being transferred to Indonesia with support from the United Nations.

Today, this region forms the Indonesian half of the island, while the eastern side is the independent nation of Papua New Guinea.

The integration remains controversial, with some local communities rejecting the process and calling it unfair. Calls for independence and greater autonomy continue in parts of the Indonesian-administered region.