Leaders of Pacific Island countries, including Australia and New Zealand, should devote special attention to the plight of West Papuan human rights defenders at the annual meeting of th

Jayapura, Papua – At least 300 members of the Biak Traditional Council (DAB) protested Thursday outside the Biak Numfor regency legislative council, demanding the government review its

Markus Makur, Timika – Papua province's rich natural resources have had no impact on life in the remote villages of Asmat and East Mimika Jauh, in Mimika regency.

Sarah Smiles – A united front of Papuan leaders has called for crisis talks with Jakarta as human rights abuses escalate in the militarised Indonesian province.

The West Papua National Coalition for Liberation (WPNCL) is calling on the Government of Indonesia to end more than four decades of oppression and human rights abuses.

Pacific Islands leaders are being asked to consider the plight of the nearly two million Melanesian people in the Indonesian region of Papua when they meet in Tonga in two weeks.

A group of pro-independence Papuans said it has asked Indonesia's government to meet to discuss greater democracy and self-determination as well as the withdrawal of troops from the tro

Sarah Smiles, Canberra – The 17-year-old daughter of a prominent Papuan activist has been kidnapped, drugged and assaulted at gunpoint by a group allegedly linked to Indonesian security

Jakarta – The terrorisation of the Papuan chief representative of the National Human Rights Commission or Komnas HAM, Albert Rumbekwan, could have an impact on Indonesia's image as a me

David Crawshaw – Australia broke international law and endangered the lives of five Papuan asylum seekers by secretly sending the men back to Papua New Guinea, refugee advocates say.

Rob Taylor, Canberra – Australia secretly deported five separatist asylum seekers from Indonesia's Papua province, in what rights groups said on Thursday was an attempt to appease Jakar

Jakarta – In relation to his duties and responsibilities as a representative of the National Human Rights Commission or Komnas HAM in Papua, Albert Rumbekwan is a state official and can

Markus Makur, Timika – More than half of the population of Mimika regency, Papua, live below the poverty line and lack access to health care, education, proper clothing and food, an off

Jayapura, Kompas – The residence of the chairperson of the Papuan Representative office of the National Human Rights Commission or Komnas HAM, Albert Rumbekwan, was broken into by unide

Jayapura – Although the matter has not been in the news recently, it now appears that the police are still carrying out investigations about the flying of the Kejora flag at the Sports

Anton Aprianto, Jakarta – Former Foreign Affairs Minister of Free Papua Organization (OPM), Nicholas Messet, 61, has met Vice President Jusuf Kalla and asked to become an Indonesian cit

A number of human rights activists and leading personalities in West Papua have taken the unusual step of making representations to the police in Jayapura, complaining that they have be

Julia Daia Bore – Over 500 settlers from Papua province of Indonesia (formerly West Papua) living at the 8-Mile Settlement outside the nation's capital are likely to be evicted today by

Desy Nurhayati, Jakarta – The Army's plan to establish a third infantry division in Papua is necessary and feasible, as long as the proposal is first approved by the Defense Ministry, a

Jakarta – The Indonesian Army has proposed a third infantry division for their Strategic Reserves Command (Kostrad) in Papua, which would see more guards made available to patrol Papua

Ridwan Max Sijabat, Jakarta – A group of Papuan public figures has called on the government to restart discussions on the establishment of Central Papua province in order to speed up de

The human rights organisation ELSHAM says Indonesian security forces continue to target Papuans and abuse their human rights.

The Australia West Papua Association (AWPA) calls on Prime Minister Howard to raise the issue of West Papua with the Indonesian President at APEC.

Jake Lynch – Prime Minister John Howard's handshake with George W.

Reports from Human Rights workers confirm that the Indonesian military (TNI) and police launched a new military offensive in the Jamo (also spelt Yamo) Valley in the remote Puncak Jaya

Tom Hyland – Matius Bunai was last seen alive three weeks ago today when he left a church service in the town of Nabire in the Indonesian province of Papua.

The 4th National Gathering of the Australian Coalition of West Papua Support Groups met in Sydney over the weekend of the 11-12 August to discuss and formulate campaigns to highlight th

Jayapura – Some 300 protesters who said they were from the Coalition of People and Students Care of Papua held a rally at Papua Legislative Council on Monday demanding the provincial go

Two West Papuan men have been murdered in separate incidents in what appears to be a return of the 'mysterious killing' style of political repression, which was carried out by the Indon

There is concern being expressed about the statement by the Indonesian president, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, linking Papuan separatists to terrorism.

Erica Vowles – The rights and revenue that were supposed to flow from West Papua's Special Autonomy Law – implemented by the Indonesian Government in 2001 – are yet to transpire for the

Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has warned his Government will not tolerate interference from those who want to slow down the development of Papua.

Craig Skehan – The diplomatically sensitive Morning Star independence flag was flown outside the Australian Parliament yesterday by a group of West Papuans – some of whose successful as

Markus Makur, Timika – Soldiers and police officers have been ordered to take strict action against any groups or parties that erect Papua's Bintang Kejora flags during the commemoratio

Here is a strong warning as the 17th August anniversary approaches to anyone who tries to pull down the red-and-white flag already unfurled on the mast.

Australia's Prime Minister John Howard is being asked to speak up for the human rights of Papua when he meets Indonesia's President in Sydney next month.

Jakarta – Papua's five-year-old special autonomy status has done nothing to lift social conditions for the majority of Papuan people thanks to the poor allocation of autonomy funds, sai

The DPRP team which visited Jakarta this week to discuss the adoption of the Morning Star flag, the song 'Hai Tanahku Papua' and the Mambruk bird as symbols for Papua spent Friday in a

Police use gun to threaten Rev Sofian Yoman, outspoken Human Rights advocate, at Church service

A West Papuan man, Yakobus Gimbanop, is reported to be dying in hospital at Tanah Merah after being tortured by Indonesian military personnel.

Yesterday the embattled Kingmi Church in West Papua was again violently occupied by Indonesian Police.

Indonesia is under pressure for posting a colonel indicted for crimes against humanity in East Timor, to the province of Papua.

Alvin Darlanika Soedarjo, Jakarta – An independent NGO, the Papua Working Group in Jakarta, said a revision of the Papua Special Autonomy Law was insignificant and that the Papuan admin

Jakarta – The Supreme Court refused the appeal of a man convicted in a December 2006 shooting near the operational area of Freeport McMoran in Timika, Papua, that left three employees d

The Institute for Papuan Advocacy and Human Rights (IPAHR) is extremely concerned at the increasing activity of pro-Indonesian militias in West Papua.

Jakarta – The Free Papua Movement (OPM) is no more than an ideology, with only about six percent of the population of Papua remaining active members of the separatist movement, a milita

HS Dillon, Jakarta – Despite evident shortcomings, one of the outstanding features of post-Soeharto reform has been the devolution of considerable authority to the regions.

Filep Karma a West Papuan political prisoner has been on hunger strike in prison in Jayapura.

Calls for the release of prisoners jailed under Indonesia's draconian 'hate-sowing' laws, including Papuans Filep Karma and Yusak Pakage, have been reiterated today by TAPOL, which prom

James Balowski, Jakarta – Indonesian police routinely torture, rape and kill with impunity in West Papua and risk fanning separatism there, Human Rights Watch (HRW) said in a report rel