The chairman of the Melanesian Spearhead Group, Victor Tutugoro, says a special summit is planned for May 21st to examine the membership bid of the United Liberation Movement for West Papua.

West Papua must be given full membership at the Melanesian Spearhead Group, says the Pacific Freedom Forum.

Sally Andrews – As the Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG) prepares to discuss West Papua's latest bid for membership, the 'Papuan problem' poses a significant challenge to Melanesian states, who trea

Vanuatu's West Papua Unification Committee has dismissed the credentials of a man claiming to be a West Papuan envoy.

Papua New Guinean prime minister Peter O'Neill has called on Indonesia to fulfil the promise of its former president, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, to reduce troops stationed in West Papua.

Port Moresby (PNG Loop/Pacific Media Watch) – West Papua roving ambassador Benny Wenda says he came to Papua New Guinea to personally thank Prime Minister Peter O'Neill for voicing concern and supp

Liam Fox – Papua New Guinea's government says a prominent West Papuan activist has been flown out of the country because he was travelling without a visa.

Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare and the new Indonesian Ambassador to Solomon Islands, Ronald Manik said they want to see a strengthened bilateral relationship between their two countries.

The Solomon Islands Foreign Minister says the Melanesian Spearhead Group as a collective supports the right of West Papuans to self-determination.

The West Papuan representative body applying for membership in the Melanesian Spearhead Group says it always expected Indonesia's government to increase efforts to counter the application.

A West Papuan leader says Indonesian lobbying of regional governments should not dilute the case for West Papuan membership in the Melanesian Spearhead Group.

Suva (The Fiji Times/Pacific Media Watch) – About 1000 signatures supporting West Papuan self-determination have been collected by the Ecumenical Centre for Research, Education and Advocacy (ECREA)

Papua New Guinea's media watchdog has demanded an explanation for why local journalists were blocked from asking questions about West Papua during an official visit by Indonesia's foreign minister,

Bagus BT Saragih, Jakarta – Foreign Minister Retno LP Marsudi has completed her one-week tour of four pacific nations, including three members of the Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG), which has jus

Jakarta – Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno L.P.

The Foreign Ministers of Indonesia and Fiji have agreed to intensify consultations together within the Melanesian Spearhead Group framework.

Pacific churches have urged Indonesia's President, Joko Widodo, to honour an election promise to address human rights abuses in West Papua.

Port Moresby, PNG – Papua New Guinea Enterprises and State Investment Minister Ben Micah has rejected suggestions that the Prime Minister's announcement of a policy shift on West Papua was a knee-j

Vanuatu's government has welcomed a call by the Papua New Guinea prime minister that the time has come to speak out against human rights abuses in West Papua.

The Vanuatu government says it is open to dialogue with Indonesia over the West Papua bid to join the Melanesian Spearhead Group.

Fiji's Government and Opposition have indicated their commitment to help West Papua join the Melanesian Spearhead Group.

The secretary-general of the United Liberation Movement for West Papua has been in Fiji meeting government and parliament figures as well as church leaders.

Papua New Guinea's Foreign Minister Rimbink Pato has reaffirmed his government's support for Indonesian territorial sovereignty in West Papua and Papua provinces.

There are signs that Papua New Guinea's government may be backtracking from comments made by the prime minister last week that it is time to speak out about West Papua.

Papua New Guinea's prime minister Peter O'Neill has promised to do more to speak out on behalf of Melanesians in Indonesian West Papua.

Papua New Guinea's Prime Minister says the time has come for his government to speak out about oppression of West Papuans in neighbouring Indonesia.

Jemima Garrett – Papua New Guinea's prime minister Peter O'Neill has promised to do more to speak out on behalf of Melanesians in Indonesian West Papua.

The United Liberation Movement for West Papua says it is vital that West Papuans have full membership in the Melanesian Spearhead Group.

The chairman of the West Papua National Committee, or KNPB, says inclusion in the Melanesian Spearhead Group would open up solutions for his people's self-determination struggle.

United Liberation Movement for West Papua/ULMWP, newly formed West Papuan coordinating body which comprised of three main resistance groups, namely Federal Republic of West Papua, West

The West Papua National Liberation Front will submit its application for West Papua to become a full member of the Melanesian Spearhead Group by the end of the next week.

The international spokesperson for the United Liberation Movement for West Papua says the group will submit its application to join the Melanesian Spearhead Group in February.

Fiji's opposition parties have rallied behind the Free West Papua Movement in a move they hope will put pressure on authorities to act.

Andreas Gerry Tuwo, Jakarta – It turns out that the demonstrations currently taking place at the Hotel Indonesia traffic circle in Central Jakarta are not just being held by labour orga

Vanuatu's former prime minister, Barak Sope, says the people of his country are convinced that West Papua will one day gain its independence from Indonesia.

West Papuan delegates are converging on Vanuatu's capital to try and form a unified bid to get West Papua membership of the Melanesian Spearhead Group.

Vanuatu's former Prime Minister, Edward Natapei, says he hopes a united political force for West Papua will be formed as a result of a conference being held in Port Vila this week.

The chair of Vanuatu's West Papua Unification Committee is confident next week's summit will produce a united West Papuan bid to join the Melanesian Spearhead Group.

Vanuatu's West Papua Unification Committee says it is aiming to ensure all opinions will be well represented at its summit next week.

By Camellia Webb-Gannon and Jim Elmslie

Introduction

The West Papua conference that was expected to open in Vanuatu next week has been postponed.

West Papuan campaigners, supporters and students gathered in Auckland for a memorial ceremony for the Vanuatu-based exile John Ondawame who died recently in Port Vila.

The Pacific Freedom Forum says Indonesia's President-elect Joko Widodo should keep his campaign promise to open up access to West Papua.

Margareth S.

The Chairman of the Vanuatu-based West Papua Unification Committee says they won't defer to Indonesia on the issue of West Papuan self-determination aspiration.

The Vanuatu-based West Papua Unification Committee has postponed this month's planned West Papua conference to early October.

Vanuatu's Prime Minister Joe Natuman has reconfirmed his government's support for West Papuan independence aspirations to Indonesia's government.

The Vanuatu Prime Minister says a West Papua conference in Port Vila this month will provide a platform for delegates to decide together whether they want to join the Melanesian Spearhe

Support for a West Papuan bid to join the Melanesian Spearhead Group is strong in Indonesia's Papua region, according to a leading local journalist.

The Pacific Islands Forum leaders in Palau have been urged to discuss human rights violations in West Papua.