Michael Bachelard's – On a sunlit afternoon in the tiny village of Lolat, I ask a local school teacher, Natani Kobak, what subject he teaches.

Michael Bachelard – Few work harder to advocate for the Papuan people than Victor Mambor.

The Melanesian Spearhead Group has knocked back West Papua's bid to become a full member of the group, while elevating Indonesia's status.

Sydney, Australia – Indonesia has been admitted to a Melanesian intergovernment group, Papua New Guinea Prime Minister Peter O'Neill announced Thursday, welcoming the move as an important way to st

Jakarta – Indonesia has been bumped up to an associate member of the Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG), while a pro-independence coalition from West Papua has been granted observer status.

Nic Maclellan, Honiara – In a vibrant cultural display, Solomon Islands dancers, pan pipers and customary presentations welcomed Melanesian Spearhead Group delegations at the official opening of th

Margareth S.

The United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP) today at the invitation of the Chair of the MSG Foreign Ministers meeting, Hon.

Seven Papuan political activists have been detained as a result of their peaceful political activities.

Michael Bachelard – 'In June last year, seven doctors were sent to this town, but five didn't want to come. In September they tried to send another four and all four went back to Jakarta.'

14 members of a student group have been arrested by police in the Papuan town of Abepura, as they raised funds for a probe into the shooting deaths of fellow students last year.

Jakarta – Indonesian Military Chief General Moeldoko said his institution was considering implementing a policy of having security personnel accompany foreign journalists in Papua to avoid untoward

Margareth S.

The Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG) leaders must realise by now that the umbrella organisation, The United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP) has the support of the West Papuan

Dylan Amirio, Jakarta – Foreign Minister Retno LP Marsudi revealed that her ministry had approved eight applications for foreign journalistic visits to resource-rich Papua in the past six months.

The West Papuan independence leader, Benny Wenda, says he has still not heard why he was blocked from travelling to the United States a month ago.

One sunny November school day at a school in Tagime, hundreds of primary and secondary students are outside having a whale of a time.

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,