Jakarta – Environmental organisation Greenpeace says that corporations in the palm oil sector have begun to venture into forests in Papua in concert with diminishing land availability in Kalimantan and Sumatra.

Following the announcement of the Provisional Government of West Papua on Tuesday, the new interim President, Benny Wenda, has said he is ready to sit down with President Jowoki and discuss a solution to the conflict, amidst massive controversy in Indonesia regarding the announcement.

The General Election Commission (KPU) says it will fulfill the rights of all to vote – including COVID-19 patients – with the highly controversial Dec. 9 regional elections fast approaching.

On Dec. 9, Indonesia is set to hold simultaneous regional elections in which nine provinces, 37 cities, and 224 regencies will be going to the polls.

Kurniawan Ulung – Jakarta has seen a decline in hotels' support for the government-initiated quarantine programme intended to accommodate Covid-19 patients with mild symptoms, following public backlash from fears of virus spread.

Hans Nicholas Jong, Jakarta – Paying villages in Indonesia to ensure they don't burn their land for farming appears to have little to no effect on reducing fires, researchers have found.

Jakarta – On December 1, United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP) Chairperson Benny Wenda declared Papuan independence. He did not make the declaration on Papuan soil but rather through a press release on the ULMWP's official website.

Heru Andriyanto, Jakarta – Indonesia set a new record in daily number of coronavirus cases on Thursday amid a dramatic single-day surge in West Java and Papua.

Indonesia has been urged by the United Nations to engage with West Papuans in an inclusive dialogue to address long-standing grievances.

The UN Human Rights Office says it is disturbed by escalating violence and increased arrests of people for simply exercising their basic rights in the Indonesia-ruled Papua region.

Pacific Media Watch – West Papuan leaders have begun forming a "provisional government" in defiance of a crackdown by Indonesian security forces and have pledged that the Melanesian region will establish the world's first "green state".

Adrian Wail Akhlas, Jakarta – President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo has instructed his ministers to ensure that the government's 2021 social aid budget is spent "as soon as possible" to stimulate domestic consumption during the global health crisis, Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati said on Tuesday.

I Nyoman Sutarsa, I Md Ady Wirawan and Putu Ayu Swandewi Astuti – After nine months of constant battles with the COVID-19 pandemic, it seems Indonesia, Southeast Asia's most populous country, is losing.

Since Indonesia declared its first cases in March, the pandemic has continued unabated.

Jakarta – Men, women, rich or poor, COVID-19 can infect anyone and without prejudice.

It has been over eight months since President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo announced the first COVID-19 cases in Indonesia in March.

Since then, the number of cases continues to increase and the disease has also infected numbers of high-ranking central and regional government officials.

Jakarta – The government has decided to reduce the number of collective leave days for the Christmas and New Year celebrations, including a substitute for Idul Fitri leave.

Jakarta – In light of the rising COVID-19 hospitalizations in South Tangerang, Banten, Mayor Airin Rachmi Diany is looking at providing hotel rooms for self-isolating asymptomatic carriers.

On Monday, the South Tangerang COVID-19 task force reported 19 new patients, bringing the total of people receiving hospital treatment to 331.

Surabaya – Protesters from the Papua Student Alliance (AMP) held a demonstration commemorating the declaration of West Papuan independence at the Negara Grahadi building in the East Java provincial capital of Surabaya on Tuesday December 1.

Free internet at a public facility is basically a crowd magnet in Indonesia, and officials in Jakarta may have just realized that they've shot themselves in the foot by providing free Wi-Fi at all TransJakarta bus stops despite the ongoing pandemic.

Islamic Defenders Front (FPI) leader Rizieq Shihab has come forward to address his recent controversies, during which he apologized for being irresponsible during the pandemic while also calling on the public to be responsible.

Abdu F, Rahmad Nasution, Jakarta – Hikmahanto Juwana, professor of international law at the University of Indonesia, has urged the Indonesian government to ignore Papuan separatist leader Benny Wenda's maneuvers, including his declaration of a so-called "interim government" in West Papua.

Imam Budilaksono/Suharto, Jakarta – Deputy House Speaker Azis Syamsuddin urged Indonesia's government to act sternly and promptly against the claim of the United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP) that declared a West Papua provisional government on Dec 1.

Andita Rahma, Jakarta - The Indonesian National Police (Polri) on Wednesday has officially considered the declaration of West Papua's provisional government by the United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP) as a form of provocation and propaganda.

Egi Adyatama, Jakarta – The Indonesian Foreign Affairs Ministry on Wednesday confirmed that a group of trespassers had entered the Indonesian Consulate General in Melbourne, Australia, to hoist the Free Papua Movement (OPM) morning star (Bintang Kejora) flag.

This incident was captured in the consulate general's CCTV footage that was shared by Twitter user @Tbuch2.

Irfan Kamil, Jakarta – Amnesty International Indonesia says that the police committed acts of violence when securing the protest actions against the Draft Omnibus Law on Job Creation in October and November.

Dzulfiqar Fathur Rahman, Jakarta – Tourism has yet to recover from the pandemic-induced slump, with foreign tourist arrivals and hotel occupancy rate remaining below normal levels, Statistics Indonesia (BPS) data have shown.

Djemi Amnifu, Kupang – More than 5,500 people have reportedly fled to evacuation shelters in Lewoleba city in Lembata regency, East Nusa Tenggara (NTT), after Mount Ili Lewotolok experienced a series of eruptions over the weekend.

Jakarta – Families across the country, especially younger ones, are still working hard to provide adequate nutrition and attention for their children, which are necessary to ensure proper early childhood development.

Ardila Syakriah, Jakarta – Suspected cases and close contacts of confirmed coronavirus cases, especially those without symptoms, are left to their own means to find out their infection status as the government still lacks the ability to provide testing in many parts of the country.

Protest actions took place in several cities around Indonesia on December 1 including in Jakarta, Yogyakarta (Central Java), Ternate (North Maluku) and Sinjai (South Sulawesi). The actions were launched to commemorate West Papua Independence Day.

M Julnis Firmansyah, Jakarta – A small group of Petamburan residents on Wednesday had reportedly blocked the arrival of police personnel from the Jakarta Police that intended to summons Islam Defenders Front (FPI) leader Rizieq Shihab for questioning.

Christopher Knaus – The Australian lawyer Bernard Collaery has won a prestigious British free speech prize for his efforts exposing a secret Australian operation to bug Timor-Leste's fledgling government during sensitive oil and gas negotiations.

Yeremia Sukoyo, Farouk Arnaz, Jakarta – Jemaah Islamiyah, or JI, a terrorist group responsible for the 2002 Bali bombing, has deployed charity boxes at minimarkets in several regions throughout Indonesia to trick the unsuspecting shoppers into giving money that would fund the group's terror activities, the police said on Tuesday.

Jakarta – Reopening schools will lead to an increase in COVID-19 cases, the Indonesian Pediatric Society (IDAI) has stated.

Thomas Newdick – It's a previously unknown story of an unusual, and dramatic, aerial encounter in a little-known conflict.

Jakarta – The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) has detained two more suspects for allegedly accepting bribes pertaining to the procurement of a backbone coastal surveillance system at the Maritime Security Board (Bakamla).

The two suspects detained were Bakamla's procurement service unit head, Leni Marlena, and a coordinator from the same unit, Juli Amar Ma'ruf.

Naseem Radmehr – West Papuan separatists say they will form a new provisional government for the region and reject Indonesia's rule, in a significant escalation of a decades-long battle over independence.

The ULMWP says the fledgling provisional government is supported by all of West Papua's liberation groups.

Up to 70 per cent of West Papuans have signed a petition rejecting Jakarta's attempt to extend funding for so-called Special Autonomy provisions that were first introduced to the provinces in 2001.

Ben Doherty – West Papuan leaders have declared a provisional "government-in-waiting" of the contested Indonesian province, as the United Nations said it was "disturbed by escalating violence" there, including the killing of a child allegedly by security forces.

Nina A. Loasana, Jakarta – Indonesia must carry out "thorough, independent and impartial" investigations into a string of violent incidents in its easternmost provinces, a spokeswoman for the United Nations' human rights office has said.

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 first official flying of the Morning Star flag on the 1st December in 1961).

The United Liberation Movement for West Papua has announced it is forming a 'Provisional Government' of West Papua.

The Movement is hoping to achieve a self-determination referendum in West Papua and independence from Indonesia.

Pacific Media Watch – Academics, journalists and students today raised the West Papuan flag – an act banned in Indonesia and punishable by up to 15 years in jail – at a Pacific Media Centre-hosted symposium in Auckland today.

Idhamsyah Eka Putra and Yesaya Sandang – In his article published on 27 September 2020, Greg Fealy wrote with concern about Joko Widodo's (Jokowi) "systematic campaign of repression against Islamists", especially towards those who are described as "extremists" and "radicalists". Fealy argued that such a campaign may be welcomed by Indonesia's western partners, such as Australia.

Agustinus Beo Da Costa, Jakarta – Hundreds of Papuans held rallies across at least eight cities in Indonesia on Tuesday to renew calls for independence, as a separatist group declared it had established a provisional government in exile.

Jakarta – Monash University, one of the highest-ranked universities in Australia, has acquired a license from the Education and Culture Ministry and plans to open Indonesia's first international, foreign-owned university in Green Office Park 9, BSD City in the outskirts of Jakarta next year.

Apriadi Gunawan, Tebing Tinggi, North Sumatra – A swell of water 2 meters deep flooded thousands of houses in Tebing Tinggi city, North Sumatra over the weekend, blocking the roads connecting up to three regencies and cities in the area.

Adrian Wail Akhlas, Jakarta – The government expects to spend around 95 percent of the total COVID-19 stimulus budget by year-end, less than the initial target, as it struggles to ramp up state spending to support an economy still badly hit by the coronavirus outbreak.

Bandung – The West Java provincial administration is mulling over the possibility of requiring voters to take a swab test prior to casting their ballots at the polls during the simultaneous regional elections on Dec. 9.

Eisya A. Eloksari, Jakarta – Poor internet connection and lack of digital device accessibility are still impeding distance learning as the pandemic continues.

Ardila Syakriah and Rizal Harahap, Jakarta – The governors of Jakarta and Riau, Anies Baswedan and Syamsuar, respectively, have become the latest additions to the long list of government officials who have tested positive for COVID-19, at a time when cases and hospitalizations continue to soar in the country.

Adi Briantika – Police have arrested 15 demonstrators from the Indonesian People's Front for West Papua (FRI-WP) during a protest action at the Bamboo Monument in Sinjai, South Sulawesi.

Adi Briantika – Natan Weya, a Papuan student from the Pattimura University (Unpatti), has confirmed that joint units of police and Indonesian military (TNI) officers along with local people besieged their dormitory on the evening of Tuesday December 1.