Timothy Mapes, Jakarta – The Indonesian military's controversial behavior in resource-rich Papua province could threaten the country's political unity and one of its biggest planned foreign investments.

Geneva – The World Council of Churches (WCC) has called for an independent inquiry to look into the killing of an independence leader in the Indonesian region of Irian Jaya.

Martin Doolard, of the Geneva-based WCC, told the UN Human Rights Commission that most people in Irian Jaya viewed the death of Eluay as a deliberate act of the state authorities to silence him.

Jakarta – Religious leaders in Indonesia's Papua province have met regional authorities to discuss the entry of a militant Islamic militia into the mainly Christian province, an official said Thursday.

R.K. Nugroho, Jayapura – The students of state-run Cenderawasih University in Jayapura, Irian Jaya, lodged a petition on Tuesday that the United States of America be held responsible for the prevalent human rights abuses in province since the territory's integration into Indonesia in 1963.

R.K. Nugroho, Jayapura – Despite Washington's official stance on Papua, visiting US Ambassador Ralph L. Boyce met with officials of the pro-independence Papua Presidium Council (PDP) and visited the grave of former PDP chairman Theys Hiyo Eluway in the Irian Jaya provincial capital of Jayapura on Monday.

Jakarta – Three Indonesian army officers have been detained as suspects in the murder of Papuan separatist leader Theys Hiyo Eluay, the military police chief said Tuesday.

"Three officers of the Indonesian armed forces, all of whom are members of the Tribuana Task Force, have been detained in connection with the death of Theys Eluay," Major General A.B. Sulaiman told AFP.

Prangtip Daorueng, Jakarta – The arrival of an Islamic militia group in Indonesia's restive province of West Papua is sowing fear among residents about sectarian conflict like that seen in other provinces before – and community leaders want its members out sooner than later.

R.K. Nugroho and Sri Wahyuni, Jayapura/Yogyakarta – Separatist leaders have rejected the presence of the Java-based Laskar Jihad militant group in the troubled province of Papua, which they said had sparked disquiet among local people.

Tiarma Siboro, Jakarta – An Army general revealed on Wednesday that members of the Indonesian Military (TNI) believed to be involved in the killing of Papuan leader Theys Hiyo Eluay would probably be charged with insubordination.

Geneva – Amnesty International accused Indonesian forces on Wednesday of grave human rights violations in Papua, where the murder of the province's top independence leader last year remains unresolved.

At Ipenburg – There was always something ambiguous about Theys Hiyo Eluay. He became a focal point in the struggle for Papuan independence. But he was also seen as close to top army and police commanders, and the Kopassus special forces were his friends.

Tiarma Siboro, Jakarta – Internal investigators of the Indonesian Military (TNI) are likely to name several officers as suspects in the murder of Papuan independence leader Theys Hiyo Eluay last November, a TNI official said.

Jakarta – Soldiers are suspected of involvement in the murder of Theys Hiyo Eluay, a separatist leader in Indonesia's Papua province, the military said Wednesday.

Jakarta – The military police team set up to probe the death of Papua Presidium Council leader Theys Hiyo Eluay has suspended its investigation, as there have been no further developments made, an officer said on Thursday.

R.K. Nugroho, Jayapura – A district court in the easternmost province of Papua acquitted on Monday three pro-independence leaders of the Papua Presidium Council, who had been tried on charges of subversion.

Jakarta – An Indonesian court in the easternmost province of Papua on Monday acquitted three pro-independence leaders of subversion.

"Praise the Lord, justice prevailed," said Reverend Herman Awom, who was cleared along with fellow Papua Presidium members Don Flassy and Thaha Al Hamid.

Jakarta – A military team is currently conducting extensive excavations at the headquarters of a the elite army battalion in Papua province to try to locate a missing key witness in the murder of local pro-independence leader Theys Hiyo Eluay, a report said Sunday.

Jakarta – Head of the National Investigation Commission (KPN) Koesparmono Irsan said they could not do much to unravel the mystery behind the death of Papua pro-independence leader Theys Hiyo Eluay since they do not have official judicial or lawenforcement authority.

Jakarta – A member of a government-appointed team to investigate the murder of Papua separatist leader Theys Hiyo Eluay said Tuesday he has resigned and a report said a second resignation was likely to follow.

R.K. Nugroho, Jayapura – Two government teams investigating the mysterious death of Papuan independence leader Theys Hiyo Eluay should be disbanded, non-governmental organizations and church groups demanded on Monday.

Tiarma Siboro and Yogita Tahilramani, Jakarta – Papuans and human rights activists expressed doubt on Wednesday that the National Investigation Commission set up to probe the mysterious death of Papuan independence leader Theys Hiyo Eluay would reveal the truth behind the murder, saying commission members would work to protect the interests of the state.

Jakarta – Indonesia on Tuesday formally set up an inquiry team including an army general to investigate the murder of Papua separatist leader Theys Hiyo Eluay, a crime in which military involvement is suspected.

R.K. Nugroho and Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, Jayapura/Jakarta – The government has expelled two members of human rights organization Amnesty International from Irian Jaya for illegally investigating the mysterious death of Papuan separatist leader Theys Hiyo Eluay.

Tiarma Siboro, Jakarta – Religious leaders in the restive province of Papua rejected on Saturday the inclusion of military and police personnel in the planned National Investigation Commission (KPN), arguing that they wanted only independent, professional and trustworthy people to join the team.

Jakarta – Indonesia's army chief admitted Thursday that soldiers may have been involved in the murder of a Papua separatist leader and pledged action against any who were proven guilty.

"It is true that from the existing testimony there are indications towards that [army involvement] but it does not mean that it is certain," General Endriartono Sutarto said.

Tiarma Siboro, Jakarta – The Papuan people's hope for a thorough investigation into the apparent murder of pro-independence Papua Presidium Council (PDP) Chairman Dortheys "Theys" Hiyo Eluay may have been dashed as the government decided to include the military (TNI) and Police in the proposed investigation team.

Jakarta – Indonesia's armed forces – widely suspected of involvement in the murder of a Papua separatist leader – will be represented on a proposed national commission to investigate the crime, it was announced Wednesday.

Jakarta – Religious leaders in Irian Jaya have nominated a number of activists and experts to be included in the planned national commission to carry out an independent investigation into the murder of proindepedence Papua Presidium Council (PDP) Chairman Dortheys "Theys" Hiyo Eluay.

Lindsay Murdoch, Jakarta – A militant Muslim group blamed for killing hundreds of Christians in the Maluku islands has infiltrated the Indonesian province of Papua, where its fighters are training pro-Jakarta militia, human rights activists claim.

Jakarta – Indonesian soldiers shot dead a woman in a dispute at a logging company in the easternmost province of Papua, a rights activist said Tuesday.

Jakarta – Prosecutors at a court in Jayapura, the capital of Indonesia's easternmost province of Papua, on Monday sought 30-month jail sentences for each of three pro-independence leaders accused of subversion, one of the defendants said.

Jakarta – A three-member Amnesty International team is headed for the remote Indonesian province of Papua to carry out human rights work and investigate alleged rights violations, a rights group in the province said Saturday.

Indonesia's easternmost province of Irian Jaya was officially renamed Papua yesterday as part of an autonomy package aimed at reducing support for independence.

R.K. Nugroho, Jayapura – Jayapura Police apprehended 42 students involved in a violent antigovernment demonstration in the city on Saturday, but some were later released after questioning. The 42 students were arrested because they attacked security personnel after being asked to disperse peacefully.

Jakarta – Police in Jayapura, the capital of Irian Jaya province were seen beating defiant protesters on Saturday in an attempt to break up a demonstration which was held to protest themurder of proindependence figure Theys Hiyo Eluay.The protesters gathered outside the provincial legislative building, which was already tightly guarded by the police.

Jayapura – Indonesian police beat protesters with sticks in rebellious Papua province on Saturday to break up a demonstration over the murder last month of pro-independence chief Theys Eluay.

Tiarma Siboro and R.K. Nugroho, Jakarta/Jayapura – Bowing to intense public pressure, the government announced on Thursday that it was forming an independent team to investigate the November 11 murder of Irian Jaya independence leader Theys Hiyo Eluay.

Fabiola Desy Unidjaja and Tertiani ZB Simanjuntak, Jakarta – A member of the rights commission's fact-finding team on the death of Theys Hilo Eluay claimed there were already strong clues that might shed light on the case, but without presidential intervention the police would be unable to unravel the murder any further.

R.K. Nugroho, Jayapura – As many as 50 Irianese religious leaders and local figures expressed on Wednesday support for the government's plan to give special autonomy to the resource-rich province of Irian Jaya.

Jayapura – Just four days before President Megawati Soekarnoputri is due in Irian Jaya's provincial capital of Jayapura to hand over the much-awaited Autonomy Law to Papuan elders, students in the country's easternmost province are already intensifying their protests rejecting the proposed wide-ranging autonomy.

Agence France Presse in Jakarta – Hundreds of students occupied the Parliament in Indonesia's restive province of Irian Jaya yesterday, demanding an independence referendum instead of a new autonomy package from the central Government.

Indonesian Army Chief general Endriartono Sutarto rejected allegations that the military was behind the murder of an Irian Jaya pro-independence leader and vowed to punish any soldier implicated in the case.

Jakarta – Indonesia's army commander indicated for the first time that rogue troops may have killed a separatist politician in Irian Jaya province last month. "If it is one of my men who did it, [then] this is an action without any orders," General Endriartono Sutarto said after meeting President Megawati Sukarnoputri on Wednesday.

R.K. Nugroho, Irian Jaya – Papuans are becoming increasingly impatient with the slow pace of the investigation into the death of independence leader Theys Hiyo Eluay, who many believed was murdered for political reasons.

Jakarta – More than 1,000 students and youths demonstrated peacefully in Irian Jaya Tuesday to demand quick answers over the murder of pro-independence leader Theys Hiyo Eluay last month, police said.

Jakarta – Some 30 people from Indonesia's rebellious Irian Jaya province rallied peacefully outside the UN mission here on Thursday, accusing the military of being behind the murder of separatist leader Theys Hiyo Eluay.

Jakarta – Two rebels were killed and two wounded when some 100 members of the separatist Free Papua Movement attacked a police outpost on Wednesday in Indonesia's easternmost province of Irian Jaya, a report said.

Ian Timberlake, Jakarta – The mysterious death of charismatic leader Theys Eluay threatens to inflame desires for independence in Irian Jaya, the vast province occupying the western half of the island of New Guinea.

Jakarta – The Jayapura-based offices of the Irian Jaya chapter of the Independent Journalists Alliance (AJI) were attacked and damaged by an unknown person or group on Sunday, a report said.

"The attackers smashed the office's ten glass windows with stones," chapter chairman Fritz Ramandey was quoted by Antara as saying.

Slobodan Lekic, Jakarta – Wracked by separatist struggles across its vast chain of islands, Indonesia is being especially haunted by a referendum 32 years ago that former United Nations officials now admit was a sham.