Nether Dharma Somba – Rights activists in Papua have slammed the arrest of 1,888 students and activists who were carrying out a peaceful rally on Monday to support the United Liberation Movement fo

Len Garae – "This report is an act of solidarity, I make it clear that this struggle is the struggle of the people of Papua.

Nearly 2000 people were arrested on Monday, 2 May 2016, in mass unarmed civilian-based uprisings across West Papua, reports We Are Moving Stories.

Steve Cannane – UK Opposition Leader Jeremy Corbyn has spoken out about the plight of the West Papuan people and supported a push for democratic reform in the Indonesian province.

Around 1,700 Papuan political activists were arrested by police forces both in Papua region and other Indonesian provinces in the country, simple for exercising their rights to freedom of peaceful

London (Free West Papua Campaign/Pacific Media Watch) – An historic step on the road to freedom for West Papua was taken in London today.

The Jakarta Legal Aid Institute (LBH Jakarta) has urged President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo to punish the National Police chief over the arrest of 1,724 activists in Papua for holding rallies in support

Ryan Dagur, Jakarta – Church officials in Indonesia welcomed a report by an Australian archdiocese that criticizes the country for persistent human rights abuses in West Papua, and the church for n

Activists have accused Indonesian police of being heavy handed as they arrested pro-independence protesters in the eastern province of Papua.

Latest reports from Indonesia indicate police arrested almost 1700 West Papuans yesterday for taking part in a series of demonstrations across Papua region.

The report of the Catholic Justice and Peace Commission on its "shadow" human rights fact-finding mission to West Papua this year has found no improvement in human rights.

West Papua Action Canterbury and West Papua Action Auckland call on the Minister of Foreign Affairs to take action over the latest mass arrests of peaceful demonstrators in West Papua.

The New Zealand government has blocked a motion moved without notice by an opposition Green Party MP Catherine Delahunty on West Papua.

Helen Davidson – The United Nations must pass a resolution for an internationally supervised vote for independence in West Papua, global parliamentarians and independence advocates have said.

Jayapura, Jubi – Journalists have been banned from covering the arrest of protesters who support the West Papua Liberation (United Liberation Movement for West Papua) in the square of the Mobile Br

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has learned from national and local sources that on May 2, police officers arrested in total 1,724 indigenous Papuans who took part in a peaceful protest in

Jayapura, Jubi – Monday, (02/05/2016), Papua Police arrested protesters including West Papua National Committee (KNPB) members, student activists and Papuan pro-independence supporters.

Indonesian police have made widespread arrests in Papua region as West Papuans prepare to hold demonstrations.

A public march in Vanuatu's capital delivered a petition to the Melanesian Spearhead Group secretariat calling for full membership for West Papua.

Nethy Dharma Somba – Less than three months after his presidential inauguration, Joko "Jokowi" Widodo arrived in the Papua capital of Jayapura in December 2014 to a rock-star welcome.

The Australia West Papua Association is calling on the Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop to condemn the arrests of peaceful demonstrators in West Papua.

Jakarta – Police have arrested 500 demonstrators during a rally in support for the United Liberation Movement for West Papua, or ULM, and its effort to reach full member status of the regional Mela

Arrests by Indonesian security forces of West Papuan demonstrators have just begun minutes ago in Jayapura, as West Papuan people begin planned mass mobilisations to demand self-determination and r

The Australia West Papua Association condemns the arrest of 41 KNPB activists in Jayapura on Friday 29 April.

The Australia West Papua Association today condemned the arrest of 41 KNPB (National Committee of West Papua) activists in Jayapura yesterday.

Several Pacific leaders are headed for London to participate in the International Parliamentarians for West Papua meeting at Westminster.

Jane Joshua and Len Garae, Port Vila – The Melanesian Spearhead Group Special Leaders Summit scheduled to be held in the Vanuatu capital of Port Vila next week has been postponed to a date yet to b

Jayapura, Jubi/BenarNews – Papuans reacted coolly to the central government's plans to resolve alleged human rights violations in Papua, saying that they doubted that the victims would be involved.

Mitra Tarigan, Antara, Jakarta – Chairman of the National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) Imdadun Rahmat has urged the government to immediately bring two gross human rights violations in P

Jayapura, Jubi – Coordinating Minister of Political, Legal and Security Affairs Luhut Pandjaitan on Monday (25/4/2016) led a coordination meeting on alleged human rights violations in Papua and Pap

Edo Karensa & Robert Isidorus, Jakarta/Tolikara – A clash over village fund disbursement has left two dead and at least 96 homes damaged in the Tolikara district, Papua, this month.

An American Samoan has demonstrated her support for West Papuan independence during the territory's Flag Day ceremony at Veterans Memorial Stadium in Pago Pago

Jane Joshua – The incumbent Government led by Prime Minister Charlot Salwai wants to see the United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP) become a full fledged member of the Melanesian Spearhe

The British prime minister David Cameron has been urged to challenge Indonesian President Joko Widodo over his country's human rights record, including West Papua.

Margaret Wise, NADi, Fiji (The Fiji Times/Pacific Media Watch) – Giving voice to the voiceless and championing the rights of all people is essentially about telling the truth.

Len Garae – Thousands of members of civil society organisations and the public in Port Vila and rural communities around Efate, are expected to take part in a peaceful march from Fatumaru Bay to th

Whilst abroad for a study exchange year in Melbourne, Connor Woodman discovered that Indonesia's effort to thwart the independence movement of its troubled Papuan provinces spreads all

Arnold Belau, Jayapura – The Jakarta Legal Aid Foundation (LBH Jakarta) reports that 63 people have been arrested over the last nine days in West Papua.

The head of Indonesia's leading human rights organisation has described how the nation is in a type of denial about festering rights issues in Papua region.

Yesterday's demonstrations in West Papua have been described as a sign of widespread support for integration with the wider Melanesian community.

Arnold Belau, Jayapura – The West Papua National Committee (KNPB) reports that on April 12 district police arrested 15 KNPB activists and vandalised the KNPB secretariat in Kaimana district, West P

Demonstrations in support of the United Liberation Movement for West Papua have been taking place in cities across Indonesia's Papua region today.

Nethy Dharma Somba – A number of liquor businesspeople in Jayapura, Papua, are protesting Papuan Governor Lukas Enembe's policy to ban the distribution of alcoholic beverages in the province.

A coalition of rights groups demanded on Tuesday that the National Police and the Indonesian Military (TNI) remain calm over the simultaneous rallies planned in seven cities across Papua on Wednesd

Edo Karensa, Jayapura – Eleven activists were arrested when a peaceful rally in support of full membership for the Papua independence movement in the Melanesian Spearhead Group was interrupted by p

Benny Mawel, Jayapura, Indonesia – Peaceful demonstrations supporting Papuan independence were held in several parts on the predominantly Christian Indonesian provinces of Papua and West Papua Apri

No. 792/SK-RILIS/IV/2016

A delegation from the Catholic Bishops Conference of Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands has made a trip to West Papua, visiting the Catholic faithful in Jayapura.

Indonesia's government has been increasing efforts to strengthen diplomatic ties with Pacific Island countries as it seeks to become a full member of the Melanesian Spearhead Group.

A Catholic Women's group in West Papua has called for regional support for their people's plight, after a visit to the Indonesian territory by Catholic Bishops from other parts of Melanesia.