Dylan Amirio, Jakarta – Foreign Minister Retno LP Marsudi said the Jokowi government never restricted foreign visitors or journalists from visiting Papua, with 22 foreign applications granted in 20

Nic Maclellan, Honiara – Indonesian officials are lobbying for an upgrade to associate membership of the Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG), while a renewed membership application by a united West Pa

Jonas Cullwick – The United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP)'s Ambassador to the Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG) Secretariat, Amatus Douw, is in Port Vila with a petition containing the

Gaad Piranid Tabuni grew up in a village in the Papuan highlands of Indonesia too remote for any government – colonial Dutch or Indonesian – to maintain a presence.

A Solomon Islands MP has questioned the government's announcement about exploring greater representation of Indonesia in the Melanesian Spearhead Group.

About 200 people gathered at a rally in the Solomon Islands capital, Honiara, this afternoon calling on the government to support full membership for West Papua in the Melanesian Spearhead Group.

Contact: Patrick Griffith
pgriffith@freedom-now.org
+1 (202) 423-7925

Jayapura, Jubi – Exports from Papua nearly doubled in May, compared to the previous month, the head of the Central Statistics Agency (BPS) of Papua Province Didiek Koesbianto said.

The Solomon Islands Government says it will not back the United Liberation Movement for West Papua as a full member of the Melanesian Spearhead Group.

A Dutch journalist who has been travelling in Indonesia's Papua region says the depth of local support for a West Papuan application to join the Melanesian Spearhead Group is huge.

Robert Isidorus, Jayapura – A military court in Papua on Wednesday discharged two soldiers and ordered them imprisoned after they were found to have sold ammunition to a separatist militia.

Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama says Fiji will stand with Indonesia on the West Papua issue. "My stance on West Papua has never changed," he said.

Samoa says it will be looking into supporting a West Papua request for membership in the Pacific Islands Forum.

Michael Bachelard – Thanks to a brutal history, an Indonesian Government that restricts journalistic access, and a group of committed activists in Australia and New Zealand, most people only ever h

Roberth Isidorus, Jayapura – An evangelical church in Yambi, in Papua's Puncak Jaya district, was burned down by group of unknown attackers on Monday.

Nethy Dharma Somba, Jayapura – Around 100 volunteers and social workers have been deployed to distribute free condoms in 180 known areas for sex transactions such as hotels, dormitories, rental roo

There are further signs from Indonesia's government that it is willing to open up access to the Papua region.

The 3rd Congress of the Asia Pacific Greens Federation has adopted a resolution on the West Papuan self-determination struggle.

Indonesia says it's quietly hopeful the change of government in Vanuatu will signal the defeat of West Papua's bid to join the Melanesian Spearhead Group.

Nethy Dharma Somba, Jayapura – The military in Papua arrested a drunk soldier for injuring a civilian in Central Memberamo Thursday.

Indonesia is quietly hopeful a change of government in Vanuatu will contribute to the defeat of province West Papua's bid to join a special club of Melanesian states.

Erwida Maulia & Rangga Prakoso, Jakarta – As the government continues its negotiations with Freeport Indonesia, the local unit of US mining giant Freeport-McMoRan, and there are reports that th

Index: ASA 21/1851/2015

Raras Cahyafitri, Jakarta – Copper-mining giant PT Freeport Indonesia has, in principle, agreed to change the company's contract of work (CoW) into a special mining license (IUPK) as required by th

In defiance of a 1963 law forbidding foreign journalists entry to West Papua, Dutch journalist Rohan Radheya has over the past years travelled into the region several times, and is one of very few

Vanuatu's new foreign minister says the government will continue to fight for the rights of West Papuans in international fora.

From 30 April to 01 June, police have arrested protesters expressing support for ULMWP and West Papua campaign of the Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG), KNPB said in a statement to Jubi, Monday (8/6

Jayapura, Jubi – The arrest of about 200 West Papua National Committee activists in May is disconcerting and shows that authorities are increasingly resorting to heavy-handed tactics to discourage

Jayapura, Jubi – Leaflets calling on Papuans to support Indonesia were circulated in Merauke and Jayapura on 4 June 2015.

Katharina R.

The Pacific islands sub-regional organisation is considering a membership bid by West Papuans of Indonesia.

Ben Hillier – More than 500 activists have been arrested over the past month across West Papua as protests, demonstrations and meetings build in the lead up to the Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG)

Jakarta – An Indonesian minister has countered President Joko Widodo's declaration that the controversial transmigration program to Papua province will be stopped, saying instead that, if anything,

A number of rallies have been held in recent days in Indonesia's Papua region in support of the United Liberation Movement for West Papua's application to become a member of the Melanesian Spearhea

Indonesia's President Joko Widodo has signalled an end to the country's transmigration programme to Papua region.

Vanuatu's new foreign minister, Kalvau Moli, says one of his main focuses in government will be the issue of West Papua.

Civil Society Groups in Fiji say Frank Bainimarama's support for Indonesia's bid to become an associate member of the Melanesian Spearhead Group is a concern.

A Solomon Islands MP is calling on the Melanesian Spearhead Group to ignore Indonesia and accept the application to join the group by the United Liberation Movement for West Papua.

The Solomon Islands says it hasn't made a decision yet on the West Papua bid for membership of the Melanesian Spearhead Group.

Repeka Nasiko – Police Commissioner Ben Groenewald says funding has been received from the Indonesian Government for the development of the Melanesian Spearhead Group regional police academy.

A month ago today, on 29 April 2015, TAPOL organised a demonstration outside the Indonesian Embassy in London, where dozens of demonstrations gathered to demand open access to Papua for

Today, the 28 May the KNPB had called for peaceful rallies in all regions of West Papua.

Nethy Dharma Somba, Jayapura – The Jayapura Police took into custody 47 would-be protesters who were preparing for a rally in support of Papua's efforts to secure membership in the Melanesian Spear

Ryan Dagur, Jakarta – Police arrested at least 71 members of the pro-independence West Papua National Committee (KNPB) during two peaceful rallies on Thursday in Wamena of Jayawijaya district and J

Jakarta – Human Rights Watch (HRW) deputy Asia director Phelim Kine has said President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo should issue an explicit written directive spelling out Papua's new media freedoms and th

Elodie Largenton – A French journalist who was jailed in West Papua last year for not having the correct entry permit says he doubts Indonesia will follow through with its promise to lift the regio

Jakarta – The police in Papua have yet to identify those responsible for the shooting of a pro-independence leader in Nabire on Tuesday, but they detected a threat on migrants following the inciden

An armed group in Indonesia's Papua province has reportedly taken two soldiers along with a teacher hostage in Enarotali in Paniai District.

Jayapura, Jubi – An alleged statement by the Commander of West Papua National Liberation Army (TPNPB), Enden Wanimbo declaring an open war against Indonesian security forces provides ammunition for

Jayapura, Jubi – The Chairman of West Papua National Committee (KNPB), Victor Yeimo, said threats of an open war allegedly made by OPM leaders Enden Wanimbo and Puron Wenda were exaggerated.