Ross Tapsell, guest contributor – Over the weekend Indonesia's President, Joko 'Jokowi' Widodo, promised to give foreign journalists full access to Papua – the home of a decades-long se

Church leaders, human rights organisations, academics and international observers have gathered in the capital of the European Union, Brussels, to discuss the human rights situation in Papua.

A New Zealand-based rights group has welcomed the Indonesian President's latest promise to open up West Papua to foreign media.

Ina Parlina, Merauke – In a bold move to fulfill his campaign pledge, President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo opened access for foreign journalists and international organizations to enter Papua and West Pa

Merauke, Papua – Foreign journalists must first obtain permits if they want to cover Papua, and there will be screening, according to Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs

Ina Parlina and Nethy Dharma Somba, Jayapura – In an effort to foster peace in restive Papua province, President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo granted clemency on Saturday to five political prisoners incarc

Jakarta – Cabinet Secretary Andi Widjajanto confirmed on Sunday that President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo had made an official press statement revoking the restrictions that prevented foreign journalists

The Indonesian president, Joko Widodo, told reporters on Saturday that the government would lift decades-old reporting restrictions for foreign journalists in West Papua and a group of political pr

Jakarta – Human Rights Watch (HRW) says redress for human right's abuses against people who peacefully express support for self-determination in Papua is often obstructed by a lack of transparency

Joe Collins of AWPA said, "although this first small step is encouraging, we should be cautious of Jokiei's motives.

Jakarta – President Joko Widodo has declared Indonesia's easternmost provinces of Papua and West Papua as open to foreign journalists, as part of what he calls a new paradigm in addressing longstan

Indonesian president Joko Widodo has ordered the release of a group of political prisoners in Papua in a rare conciliatory gesture to the restive eastern province.

The release of five prisoners raises hope that the many political prisoners still held would be freed, but they remain unlawfully behind bars.

Indonesian President Joko Widodo's visit to Papua New Guinea this week represents Jakarta's latest heavy-handed attempt to pressure members of the Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG) into

Jakarta – Amnesty International is calling on President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo to take immediate steps to end the Indonesian security forces' increasing attacks on freedom of expression in the countr

Amnesty International calls on President Joko Widodo to take immediate steps to end Indonesian security forces' increasing attacks on freedom of expression in the country's Papuan regio

Ryan Dagur, Jakarta – The security situation cited by police to justify violent action in Papua is little more than a guise, rights activists warned this week, after calling on Indonesia's governme

Jayapura, Jubi – President Joko Widodo should push for a resolution into the killings of four students in Paniai and other human rights abuse cases during his visit to Papua this weekend, a Papuan

We, Church leaders, human rights defenders, academics and international observers, gathered in Brussels for the International Consultation on Papua 2015 to discuss the situation of huma

Philip Jacobson – There's a saying in the Indonesian palm oil industry: Sumatra is yesterday, Kalimantan is today, and Papua is tomorrow. Tomorrow might well have arrived.

Jakarta – The Alliance of Independent Journalists (AJI) has urged the government to end restrictions on media access in Papua, as the world commemorates World Press Freedom Day on Sunday.

Jayapura, Jubi – Amidst intimidation, illegal arrests, disappearances, torture and killings in Tanah Papua resulting from tensions between the Indonesian authorities and the Papuan pro-liberation g

Jayapura, Jubi – The West Papua National Coalition for Liberation (WPNCL) said it strongly condemned the brutal and inhuman acts carried out by security forces against students and activists who su

Mass arrests are reported to have been carried out in West Papua on Friday, on the anniversary of Indonesia's annexation of the province.

London (TAPOL/Pacific Media Watch) – Dozens of demonstrators dressed in black gathered outside the Indonesian Embassy in London this week to lead the global protest against West Papua's 50-year lon

International Press Freedom Day is a golden opportunity for the Indonesian government to finally end its official chokehold on foreign media access to Papua.

Fifty-two years ago on 1 May in 1963, the United Nations Temporary Executive Authority (UNTEA) transferred administration of the Dutch colony of Netherlands New Guinea to Indonesia.

Ryan Dagur, Jakarta – Dozens of activists from different NGOs staged "a silent rally" in front of the Presidential Palace in Jakarta on Wednesday afternoon, urging President Joko Widodo to open Pap

Robertus Wardhy, Jayapura – Papua Police arrested three members of the outlawed Free Papua Movement organization in the country's easternmost province on Thursday, shooting a rebel commander in the

Mitchell Bland – Dozens of protesters gathered at Brisbane's King George Square last night as part of a global day of action against Indonesia's media blackout of West Papua.

A group of protestors gathered outside New Zealand's parliament today calling on Indonesia to give access for media and aid groups to West Papua.

Auckland (Pacific Media Watch) – The spokesperson for the main journalists union in New Zealand today criticised the Indonesian blocking of access for international journalists in the West Papua re

London (Tapol/Pacific Media Watch) – The London-based human rights organisation Tapol is today launching a global appeal to President Joko Widodo for "free and open access" for international journa

Protesters outside the Indonesian consulate in Darwin have called on the country to "stop murdering people".

An open letter to Indonesian President Joko Widodo

Mr Joko Widodo
President of the Republic of Indonesia
Jl. Veteran No. 16
Jakarta Pusat Indonesia

On Wednesday, April 29, an international group of protesters gathered at the Indonesian consulate near Central Park in New York to call for an end to restrictions on access to West Papu

London – Dozens of demonstrators dressed in black gathered outside the Indonesian Embassy today to lead the global protest against West Papua's 50-year long isolation.

Amy McQuire – A West Papuan independence activist, who has been in exile for 12 years after escaping the Indonesian-controlled province, has called on the Australian government to look on "in [and]

Jayapura, Jubi – Youth, Student and Papuan People Movement (GempaR) urged the Indonesian Government to open the democratic space and immediately open the access for foreign journalists in Papua.

The campaign to push West Papuan independence from Indonesia continues to spread in Africa with a Free West Papua protest being held in Nigeria.

Basten Gokkon, Jakarta – Regardless of apparently conflicting statements from the Vanuatu government about the opening of an embassy in Jakarta, Indonesia appreciates the Pacific nation's interest

Ryan Dagur, Jakarta – Rights monitors on Wednesday slammed police for last week's arrest of five indigenous Papuans who stand accused of treason, saying the arrests painted a bleak portrait of free

Vanuatu's prime minister has downplayed the suggestion made by the foreign minister that it was poised to open an embassy in Indonesia.

Bagus BT Saragih, Jakarta – Foreign Minister Retno LP Marsudi utilized the opening of the 60th Asian-African Conference Commemoration on Sunday to continue her diplomatic efforts toward Pacific nat

The general secretary of the United Liberation Movement for West Papua has been in Solomon Islands to lobby support for his organisation's bid to join the Melanesian Spearhead Group.

Siteri Sauvakacolo – Opposition leader Ro Teimumu Kepa has called on all Fijians to show their support towards their Melanesian brothers and sisters from West Papua who have been suffering for the

Bradford Theonomi – A West Papua independence leader was in the country for the past week rallying support for his home country to be part of the Melanesia Spearhead Group (MSG).

Civil Society Organisations are outraged at the escalation of brutal attacks and arbitrary killings of West Papuan people by the Indonesian security forces, as a result of the growing support for W

Nethy Dharma Somba, Jayapura – Papua Police detectives have named five people as treason suspects for their alleged involvement in activities aimed at separation from the Unitary State of the Repub

A delegation of West Papuan representatives has been arrested after claiming they were told by an Indonesian minister that it is time for negotiation about West Papua.