Four Australians are being deported from Indonesia after allegedly taking part in a pro-independence demonstration in the province of West Papua.

Key points: The four Australians were arrested at Sorong in the province of West Papua last Tuesday

The four Australians were arrested at Sorong in the province of West Papua last Tuesday Police claim all four used a yacht to enter Indonesia, passing through Sorong Port

Police claim all four used a yacht to enter Indonesia, passing through Sorong Port Sorong has been one of several sites of violent unrest in the past fortnight

Indonesian police claim Tom Baxter, Cheryl Davidson, Danielle Hellyer and Ruth Cobbold took part in the protest outside the Mayor's office in the city of Sorong on August 27.

The demonstration was one of a series of rolling protests across Indonesia over the past two weeks, which have seen at least three people killed, and numerous government buildings set ablaze.

It is claimed the Papuan flag of independence, known as the Morning Star, which is banned from being flown on Government property, was raised at the Sorong protest.

Police said three of the Australians were followed by members of the Indonesian military, police intelligence and immigration agents before they were taken to Sorong police station for questioning on August 27.

The next day, immigration and police intelligence officers arrested the fourth Australian onboard their yacht, named Valkyrie.

It is claimed all four used the yacht to enter Indonesia, passing through Sorong Port on August 10.

After further questioning by police and immigration, the four were ordered to be deported back to Australia.

Mr Baxter, Ms Hellyer and Ms Cobbold will fly from Bali to Sydney tonight, while Ms Davidson will fly out on Thursday.

A spokesperson for the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade said the department "provided consular assistance to four Australians in Sorong, Indonesia in accordance with the Consular Services Charter".

The spokesperson cited "privacy reasons" for being unable to provide further details.

The two weeks of unrest flared after a group of Papuan students were racially abused by a mob who called them "monkeys" and "dogs" in the city of Surabaya on Indonesia's Independence Day.

Video shared widely on social media appears to show members of the police or military taking part in the abuse, before the students were flushed out of their dorm with tear gas and arrested.

The students were accused of damaging a flagpole flying the Indonesian flag, an allegation which they denied.

Space to play or pause, M to mute, left and right arrows to seek, up and down arrows for volume. Watch Duration: 1 minute 9 seconds 1 m 9 s Officers stormed a university dormitory over reports of an Indonesian flag in a gutter.

Indonesia has sent thousands of additional security forces to Papua and West Papua to try to quell the ongoing unrest.

Yesterday, Indonesia's National Police Chief, Toto Karnavian, claimed "foreign factors" were involved in the unrest.

"We know these groups [of demonstrators] have relations with international networks," he said.

"We have to deal with [issues] inside and outside the country. We work together with the Foreign Affairs Minister and our intelligence network."

West Papua and Papua, often referred to collectively as West Papua, are the easternmost provinces of Indonesia.

Indonesia's acquisition of West Papua has been at the centre of controversy and regular violent convulsions for more than 50 years, following a United Nations-backed referendum which has since been heavily criticised.

According to the Indonesian Centre of Statistics and the World Bank, West Papua's regional GDP per capita is significantly higher than the national average, mainly due to mining.

However, it is also the most impoverished region in the country with the highest mortality rates in children and expectant mothers, as well as the poorest literacy rates.