Violence has flared in the capital of Indonesia's troubled province of West Papua as security forces moved to break up a flag-raising ceremony by independence supporters, a Sydney-based

Nethy Dharma Somba, Jayapura – Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS), and the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) that causes it, may be contributing to the extinction of some of Pap

Muninggar Sri Saraswati, Jakarta – The establishment of West Papua province could remain a stumbling block in the relations between the central government and Papuans, if it is not reso

Jakarta – Even though the Indonesian province of Papua sits on the sprawling nation's remote, far-eastern frontier, it has been placed squarely on the frontlines of the fight against HI

Greg Poulgrain – Thousands of people were starving after they were driven from their villages by Indonesian forces and militia groups, a Papuan leader claimed yesterday.

[The following Press Release by the Jakarta-based NGO, SNUP (National Solidarity for Papua), was issued on 22 November last year.

Jayapura – The governor of West Papua, Jaap Salossa, has forbidden people from commemorating December 1 as Papua's independence day as well as hoisting the morning star flag or other sy

Jakarta – The National Police headquarters (HQ) is to investigate the involvement of former Sorong Police Operations chief, First Inspector Anshar Johar and former Sorong Police chief,

Indonesia's human rights watchdog may launch an investigation in Papua following fighting which has left eight people dead and forced thousands to flee gunmen said to be covert members

Matthew Moore, Jakarta – Human rights advocates in Australia and Indonesia fear a new military campaign in Papua province is behind eight recent deaths and has caused up to 5000 people

Tony Hotland and Nethy Dharma Somba, Jakarta/Jayapura – Police are investigating the possible involvement of high-ranking police officers in illegal logging in Papua following the confe

Nethy Dharma Somba, Jayapura – Local non-governmental organizations, churches and student organizations urged the National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) to set up a fact-findi

Jayapura – An alliance of 20 political parties that participated in the April 5 legislative election in Mimika, Papua protested the recent inauguration of 25 councillors for the Mimika

Nethy Dharma Somba and Apriadi Gunawan, Jayapura/Medan – The nationwide drive against illegal logging continued as the police apprehended a foreign ship carrying illegal logs in Papua a

Australian and Papuan human rights groups have accused the Indonesian Army's elite Special Forces (Kopassus) of responsibility for a recent attack on a convoy of local government offici

A joint statement by the Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies, (Sydney University), the Uniting Church of Australia and the West Papuan Institute for Human Rights Study and Advocacy (E

Ridwan Max Sijabat – The decision by the Constitutional Court on the judicial review of Law No.

Nethy Dharma Somba, Jayapura – Around 500 locals and religious leaders staged a rally around the Provincial legislature in Jayapura, the capital of Papua province, protesting the prolon

Tiarma Siboro, Jakarta – The Constitutional Court's recent ruling on Papua should prompt a revision to Law No.

Ricky Binihi – Vanuatu chiefs at the recent Melanesian Trust conference held in Tanna have unanimously agreed with other Melanesian representatives that Independence is a God-given righ

Jayapura – Papuan rebels went on a rampage in Puncak Jaya regency causing Rp 19 billion in damages, a top government official said on Thursday.

Oct. 4, 1999: Law No. 45/1999 issued to establish West Irian Jaya and Central Irian Jaya provinces, the regencies of Paniai, Mimika and Puncak Jaya, and the Sorong mayoralty. Jan.

Muninggar Sri Saraswati, Jakarta – The Constitutional Court was established in 2003 to provide legal certainty in the face of conflicting laws, but its ruling on Papua's division on Thu

Oxford, UK – The international campaign calling on Kofi Annan to set up an official United Nations review of the UN's conduct in the 1969 Act of "Free" Choice received a huge boost toda

In Indonesia, at least three people are dead, and as many as 20,000 may have been displaced, after raids in Puncak Jaya district in Papua province.

The restive Indonesian province of Papua was a ticking time bomb that could drag Australia into its wreckage, a prominent Papuan human rights campaigner has warned.

Like war-torn Aceh, Papua remains in the spotlight.

Sapto Pradityo, Jakarta – President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has asked the former governor of West Papua, Freddy Numberi, to assist in resolving the Papua question.

Suwarjono, Jakarta – A number of West Papuan public figures have asked President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to immediately proceed with the formation of the Papua People's Council (MRP) w

Eworaswa, Jakarta – The fatal shooting on September 14 in Mulia, Puncak Jaya, in which four civilians were killed, has left behind feelings of deep fear.

Gunawan Mashar, Makassar The perpetual internal conflicts in West Papua has prompted students originating from Papua who are studying in the South Sulawesi provincial capital of Makassa

Cunding Levi and Lita Oetomo, Jayapura – Thousands of demonstrators from the Papua People's Anti-Militarism Front (Front Rakyat Papua Anti Militerisme, FRPAM) led by Jefrison A.

Agus Sumule, Manokwari – The downfall of former president Soeharto on May 21, 1998, undoubtedly fueled the widespread revival of free speech among the people – including Papuans – in de

Jakarta – As many as four people and a priest in the Puncak Jaya regency of West Papua were killed by shots suspected to have been fired from a TNI (armed forces) helicopter.

Paul Barber, London – It is not yet clear whether the election of Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono as president of Indonesia is a positive development for West Papua and whether he will bring p

Dewi Santoso, Jakarta – Despite an extensive campaign against HIV/AIDS in Papua, the number of local people living with the deadly virus continues to increase, making the province one o

Nethy Dharma Somba, Jayapura – The whereabouts of the bodies of five migrants, killed a week ago by suspected separatist rebels in a remote area of Papua, remained a mystery on Tuesday

Marianne Kearney, Jakarta – Demonstrators rallied in Jayapura yesterday demanding that recently elected president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono allow international negotiators to end the dec

Jayapura – Some 100 people protested in Jayapura on Monday, demanding president-elect Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono re-hold Papua's 1963 referendum.

Nethy Dharma Somba, Jayapura – Two Papuans were arrested on Monday for questioning over an attack that claimed five lives in Tinggi Nambut village, Puncak Jaya regency.

Angela Gregory – Pacific countries are ignoring the brutality of Indonesian armed forces towards West Papuans, a regional peace and security conference has been told.

Nethy Dharma Somba, Jayapura – A three-day evaluation of regional autonomy in Papua ended on Friday, with one of the most contentious issues raised being the appointment of civil servan

Ridwan Max Sijabat, Jakarta – Papuans have called on president-elect Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to enforce the Special Autonomy Law for Papua to resolve the prolonged issues in the provin

Indonesia – The situation in Tinggi Nambut village, Puncak Jaya regency remained tense on Friday, following the murder of five construction workers, all migrants from Makassar, South Su

Nethy Dharma Somba, Jayapura – A group of suspected Papuan separatists remained in control of a hamlet in Puncak Jaya on Friday, as efforts to negotiate the release of bodies of five mi

West Papua has never been known to the world politics, except for its rich natural resources.

Port Vila – The West Papua freedom fighters are enjoying unprecedented support from the Vanuatu Government.

Jayapura – In the ongoing trial of five men charged with rebellion, the defence lawyers at a hearing in Jayapura on 28 September, called for the men's release.

Unless West Papua is granted independence from Indonesia, a time bomb will go off affecting Papua New Guinea, Australia and New Zealand, according to a West Papuan activist.

John D'Arcy May – Now the pretext that the war in Iraq was a war on terror has worn thin, and the US President and the Australian Prime Minister face elections in which their manipulati