Juni Kriswanto and Jack Moore, Lumajang, East Java – Surrounded by an apocalyptic scene of molten ash and mud, locals who live in the shadow of Indonesia's Mount Semeru combed through ruined belongings Sunday after their homes were blanketed by its eruption a day earlier.

Kiki Siregar, Jakarta – When Indonesian Made Janur Yasa encouraged villagers in his hometown of Tabanan, Bali, to collect plastic waste last year, they came back with 500kg of straws, plastic bags, plastic bottles and the like in five days.

In return, he rewarded them with 500kg of rice.

Maria Fatima Bona, Jakarta – Indonesians had a skeptical attitude toward China's Sinovac vaccine even when it was their sole choice in the beginning, but the demand for it has been growing rapidly in recent months when alternatives from more famous western pharmacists are available.

Agencies – The death toll from the eruption of the Semeru volcano on Indonesia's Java island has risen to 13, with nearly 100 others injured, the country's disaster mitigation agency has said.

Tri Meilani, Raka Adji – Incidents involving data leakage are increasingly occurring in Indonesia and can be taken as clear evidence of the urgent need for protecting personal data.

For this reason, the ratification of the Bill on Personal Data Protection (PDP Bill) is increasingly becoming important.

Hilaire Bule – Apart from the national government, SHEFA Provincial Government Council (SPGC) is the first provincial authority in Vanuatu to recognize Mr. Benny Wenda as the interim president of a provisional West Papuan government.

The official recognition was made by SPGC Secretary General (SG), Morris Kaloran to mark West Papua Day on December 1, 2021.

Anita Permata, Raka Adji, Jakarta – The National Commission on Anti-Violence against Women (Komnas Perempuan) has asked the Health Ministry to develop health facilities that are easily accessible for people with disabilities.

Ryan Dagur, Jakarta – Following the detection of the new Omicron Covid variant in several countries, including neighboring Australia, Catholic-majority Timor-Leste is on the alert while continuing to boost its vaccination program.

Jakarta – Indonesian Forum for the Environment (Walhi) Food, Water and Essential Ecosystem Campaign Manager Wahyu Perdana says that this is not the first time that the government has tried to defend investment instead of the environment and the public.

Alexander Loen, Jayapura, Jubi – The eight people who raised the Morning Star flag at the Cenderawasih Gymnasium in Jayapura City on Wednesday, Dec. 1, 2021, were named suspects for alleged treason.

Arjuna Pademme, Jayapura, Jubi – Lawmaker of Papua Legislative's Council's Commission for Government, Politics, Law and Human Rights Laurenzus Kadepa said that that the raising of the Morning Star flag in six locations in Papua on Wednesday, December 1, 2021, should be a reflection to all parties in resolving Papua problems.

Cheta Nilawaty P., Jakarta – Social Affairs Minister Tri Rismaharini or popularly known as Risma drew criticism from many people with disabilities after forcing a deaf child who is using hearing aids to speak during the commemoration event of the International Day of Persons with Disabilities at the ministry's building on Wednesday, December 1.

Desca Lidya N, Nabil Ihsan, Jakarta – President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) has instructed government officials to correct the decline in the national democracy index and public satisfaction with law enforcement.

Papua New Guinea's government has been urged by a prominent MP to develop a stronger policy on West Papua.

Powes Parkop, the governor of PNG's national capital, said the government shouldn't keep ignoring the crisis in the neighbourng Indonesian-controlled half of New Guinea.

A woman in Karawang, West Java who was initially charged with alleged psychological violence because she scolded her ex-husband when he was drunk, has been acquitted in court in a case that has captured nationwide attention.

Aisyah Llewellyn, Medan, Indonesia – For the past week, commercial lawyer Christopher Panal Lumban Gaol's phone has been ringing off the hook.

Katharina R. Lestari, Jakarta – Christian leaders in Indonesia have issued a joint Christmas message calling on Catholics and Protestants in the country to cultivate compassion for people affected by the Covid-19 pandemic.

An official police investigation is underway after a pornographic clip taken at the Yogyakarta International Airport (YIA) went viral recently, with authorities now looking into allegations that the woman featured is a popular Indonesian adult content creator.

Basten Gokkon, Jakarta – A recent analysis of the legal wildlife trade in the last 46 years puts Indonesia, a biodiversity hotspot in Southeast Asia, among the top 10 exporters of live animals.

M Rosseno Aji, Jakarta – The Indonesia Corruption Watch (ICW) on Friday blasted a statement made by Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) deputy chairperson Alexander Marwata who said village heads who committed corruption in small numbers should not face jail time.

Syailendra Persada, Jakarta – The chairperson of the National Commission on Violence Against Women or Komnas Perempuan, Andy Yentriyani, on Thursday said female human rights defenders often find themselves in a susceptible position merely because of their gender.

Dewi Nurita, Jakarta – President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo in a meeting with regional unit heads on Friday lamented the dropping freedom of expression index in a Statistics Indonesia (BPS) survey.

The survey in 2018 scored 66.2 percent and gradually dropped year-after-year to 56 percent in 2020.

Eight Papuan students who have been detained and charged with treason by police for peacefully expressing their political opinions on 1 December must be immediately released, Amnesty International Indonesia and Amnesty International Australia said today.

Jakarta – Indonesia has injected at least one dose of the Covid-19 vaccine to 140.9 million people, or more than half of its population, on Thursday, passing a key milestone in its vaccination drive amid renewed concerns about slowing vaccination rate and a new virus variant Omicron.

Jakarta – Indonesia has been witnessing a declining rate of new COVID-19 infections, which should be treated as an opportunity to accelerate mass vaccination in the regions.

Vanuatu's Shefa province is recognising Benny Wenda as the interim president of a provisional West Papuan government.

In a country that has historically been the most vocal in support of West Papuan self-determination rights, Shefa province is the first authority in the country to officially recognise an independent West Papua government.

Things are quite chaotic this morning up at Central Jakarta's Monas (National Monument) and its surrounding areas, with hundreds adamant on holding the 212 "reunion" rally without a crowd permit while authorities are pushing them back to restore order.

Jakarta – The National Human Rights Commission (Komnas HAM) has revealed that scores out of the 23 organisations referred to by the government as armed criminal groups (KKB) in Papua want peaceful dialogue. Komnas HAM Chairperson Ahmad Taufan Damanik said that the commission heard this directly for themselves when they visited Papua.

Indonesia is set to lengthen mandatory quarantine for most international arrivals from 7 days to 10 days, a senior minister said, as the country seeks to tighten border restrictions to avoid the spread of the Omicron variant.

Konradus Epa, Jakarta – The Church in Indonesia has joined rights groups to criticize the arrests of dozens of Papuan students for marking the 60th anniversary of the birth of West Papua on Dec. 1.

Ahmad Musthofa Kamal, a spokesman of Papuan police, said eight students were still in detention pending further investigations.

Ryan Dagur, Jakarta – An Indonesian Christian governor is under fire for threatening and insulting indigenous people protesting against land earmarked as a site for a cattle development project.

Dominggus Mampioper, Jayapura, Jubi – Sixty years ago, December 1, 1961, the Morning Star flag of West Papua was raised for the first time in front of the Nieuw Guinea Raad Building in Jayapura City. Now, the building is known as the Papuan Arts Council Building.

Adam Prireza, Jakarta – The National Police and the Indonesian Military (TNI) personnel on motorbikes dispersed masses of the 212 Reunion who were gathering at the roadblocks on Jalan MH Thamrin, or precisely at the intersection of Wisma Mandiri, Central Jakarta.

Dhias Suwandi – Eight youths have been declared suspects on charges of makar (treason, subversion, rebellion) for flying the Morning Star flag at the Cenderawasih Sports Centre in Jayapura city, Papua, on Wednesday December 1.

The Morning Star is a symbol used as a flag by the Free Papua Organisation (OPM).

Jakarta – Indonesian authorities detained and charged eight West Papuan students with treason on Thursday (Dec 2) for raising the banned Morning Star flag used by supporters of independence for the restive province, police said.

Jakarta – Authorities in Indonesia have tightened border curbs, extended quarantine and limited movement on strategic toll roads, in a pre-emptive move to limit the spread of the Omicron COVID-19 variant should it reach Southeast Asia's largest country.

Kiki Siregar, Jakarta – Five pied stilts with their thin and long pink legs are usually kept in a cage. When they are let out for several hours daily, they have an important task of maintaining the grass field of what would be Indonesia's largest stadium.

Evarukdijati, Rahmad Nasution, Jayapura, Papua – Indonesian Military (TNI) Commander General Andika Perkasa has said he will supervise cases involving grave human rights violations in Papua province.

Evarukdijati, Rahmad Nasution, Jayapura, Papua – Indonesian Military (TNI) Commander General Andika Perkasa has pledged to emphasize "social communication" to deal with Papuan groups who continue threatening the lives of civilians and security personnel in Papua.

Jakarta – All international arrivals must undergo a ten-day quarantine starting Friday to prevent the spread of the Omicron variant, a senior official said on Thursday.

The current requirement obliges foreign visitors and Indonesian returnees to spend a week-long quarantine.

One may be forgiven for having little hope for the welfare of disabled people in Indonesia, after the country's social affairs minister – whose job it is to ensure their well-being – practically outed herself as an ableist.

Abeth You, Enarotali, Jubi – The displaced people of Maybrat in West Papua Province, who fled their hometowns due to armed conflict between the Indonesian Military (TNI) and police and the West Papua National Liberation Army (TPNPB), wanted to go home and celebrate Christmas in peace.

Ambon – A demonstration by scores of Papuan students commemorating 60 years of West Papua independence in the city of Ambon, Maluku province on Wednesday December 1, ended in chaos after it was forcibly broken up by police.

From Auckland Tamaki Makaurau in Aotearoa New Zealand to Paris, France, and from Wellington Te Whanganui-a-Tara to Jayapura and far beyond, thousands of people across the world today raised the Morning Star flag – banned by Indonesian authorities – in simple acts of defiance and solidarity with West Papuans.

UCA News reporter and AFP – The self-immolation of an Afghan refugee in Indonesia has prompted Catholic officials to ask the government to handle refugees with more accountability and collaboration.

Road trippers may have to clear one additional bureaucratic hurdle to travel during the Christmas and New Year holidays: car stickers.

Further proving that the mighty durian is a valuable commodity in Indonesia, a traffic cop was filmed receiving a bribe of the thorny fruits in exchange for not writing a ticket, in an incident that has gotten the attention of the National Police.

The Australia West Papua Association thanks the Inner West Council in Sydney for supporting the raising of the West Papuan National Flag on its Leichhardt Town Hall today, 1st December to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the first official flying of the Morning Star flag on the 1st December in 1961, in the then Dutch colony of Netherlands New Guinea.

First raised 60 years ago, the Morning Star flag is a potent symbol of the people of West Papua's long struggle for independence, and people around Australia can expect to see it raised again on 1 December.

Tom Allard, Kate Lamb and Agustinus Beo Da Costa, Sydney, Australia – China told Indonesia to stop drilling for oil and natural gas in maritime territory that both countries regard as their own during a months-long standoff in the South China Sea earlier this year, four people familiar with the matter told Reuters.