Federation of Catholic Bishops' Catholic bishops from the Pacific region have voiced their support for the West Papuan people's desire to participate in the inter-governmental Melanesian Spearhead Group.

Pacific women are calling for an independent mission to investigate violence against women in Indonesia's Papua region.

The call comes from the Pacific Women's Network Against Violence Against Women which represents policy makers and front line workers from 13 Pacific countries.

Hundreds of Maori students marched to New Zealand's parliament today calling for freedom for West Papua.

The march was met at the steps of parliament by MPs from various political parties, who spoke of their concern about Indonesian state oppression in the Papua region.

Catholic bishops from across the Pacific region have declared support for West Papua to have a greater international voice.

Dignity for West Papuans was a focus issue for the executive committee of the Federation of Catholic Bishops' Conferences of Oceania in Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea and Pacific Islands meeting in Port Moresby.

Jakarta – The president's administration will send 24 US-based Indonesian academics to Papua to improve education and agriculture in the region.

Avinesh Gopal – Pacific Islands Association of NGOs executive director Emele Duituturaga says the groundswell of support for West Papua across the region is the ideal build up to the upcoming Forum Leaders meeting in Federated States of Micronesia.

Ms Duituturaga made the comments after presenting the issue of West Papua to the Regional Civil Society Forum in Suva last week.

Nethy Dharma Somba and Evi Mariani, Jayapura/Jakarta – National Committee of West Papua (KNPB), an organization campaigning for the right to self-determination for the people of Papua and West Papua provinces, denied allegations by Papua Police that supporters rallying on Monday had committed vandalism.

Reports from Indonesia indicate external elements hijacked a peaceful rally yesterday in the Papuan provincial capital when unrest broke out and police made arrests.

The rally in Waena, a suburb of Jayapura, had been organised by the West Papua National Committee, or KNPB, to mark the 55th anniversary of the New York Agreement.

Fiji – The groundswell of support for West Papua across the region is the ideal build up to the upcoming Forum Leaders meeting in Federated States of Micronesia says Pacific Islands Association of NGOs (PIANGO) Executive Director, Emele Duituturaga.

Duituturaga made the comments after presenting the issue of West Papua to the Regional Civil Society Forum in Suva, last week.

The Australia West Papua Association condemns the arrest of over 50 KNPB activists leading up to the commemoration of the New York Agreement, signed on the 15 August in 1962.

The signing of the New York Agreement lead to the betrayal of the West Papuan people.

The Australia West Papua Association says its condemns the arrest of over 50 KNPB activists leading up to the commemoration of the New York Agreement, signed on the 15th August in 1962.

The agreement helped pave the way to the United Nations Act of Free Choice in 1969, giving Indonesia control of the provinces, which many Papuans say was undemocratic and a betrayal.

Nethy Dharma Somba, Jayapura – Having been accused of frequent abuses of human rights in Papua, the Indonesian government took a couple of senior Australian officials on a tour of the easternmost region on Thursday to see the peaceful state of the region.

Lauren Farrow – Australia's Attorney-General must raise current and past abuses, including the alleged Biak massacre of 1998, when he travels to Papua with the controversial Indonesian minister Wiranto, Human Rights Watch says.

A Yogyakarta-based West Papuan student has filed a pretrial motion challenging the Yogyakarta Police's decision to name him a suspect in a alleged assault on state officials.

The 21-year old Obby Kogoya was one of a group of Papuan students arrested by police in the Indonesian city on Friday.

Aatai John – Member of Parliament (MP) for West Makira Constituency acknowledges the consistent support shown by the solidarity group in the country for ULMWP's (United Liberation Movement for West Papua) full membership in the Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG).

Jayapura, Jubi – Papuan students in Yogyakarta were reportedly attacked by a group of people while Papua Governor Lukas Enembe was scheduled to meet Yogyakarta Sultan Sri Sultan Hamengkubuwono X on Wednesday (3/8/2016).

A Papuan student was hit in the mouth, in the presence of Enembe. Papua legislator Laurenzus Kadepa who was in Yogyakarta a couple weeks ago confirmed the incident.

The Tongan Prime Minister is calling on Pacific leaders to unite on a call for United Nations intervention in the Indonesian provinces of Papua and West Papua.

Akilisi Pohiva told the UN General Assembly in New York last year that it should investigate allegations of human rights abuses against Indonesia and take action against "brutal and inhumane activities".

Benny Mawel, Jayapura – Indonesian Catholic students have called on the government to listen to the grievances of the people of Papua and resolve longstanding conflicts.

The call was made at the end of a four-day Catholic Student Association of the Republic of Indonesia conference in Jayapura on July 31.

Jayapura – Military and police personnel totaling 800 have been deployed to Timika, Papua, to secure the region after a tribal conflict in Kwamki Narama district on Sunday.

"Four hundred military personnel and 400 police officials have searched the area to find residents who took part in the clash," said Mimika Police chief Adj. Sr. Comr. Yustanto Mujiharso on Monday.

Clashes in the remote Papua province of Indonesia on the weekend have left three people killed and dozens injured, along with 25 houses burned down.

Bambang Muryanto, Yogyakarta – A mediation session between Yogyakarta Governor Hamengkubuwono and Papuan students in Yogyakarta on Friday failed to bridge their differences. The provincial leader insisted on banning the students from engaging in political activities.

Andre Brahmin – On July 13, Indonesian delegates – angry because the Morning Star Flag, emblem of the United Liberation Movement of West Papua (ULMWP), was flown alongside other members' flags – walked out of the first day of the Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG) leaders' summit.

Eko Widianto, Jakarta – Dozens of members of Papuan Student Association (IPMP) staged a rally in front of Malang City Hall, Wednesday, July 27, 2016. They demanded protection and more humane treatment following intimidation directed at them in the past month.

Bambang Muryanto, Yogyakarta – The Association of Papuan Students in Java and Bali has demanded Yogyakarta Sultan Sri Sultan Hamengkubuwono X apologize from statement he made that accused Papuan students studying in Yogyakarta, Central Java, of embracing separatism.

Following the move by the Melanesian Spearhead Group to defer a decision on the United Liberation Movement for West Papua's application to become full members, Vanuatu's prime minister Charlot Salwai says there is a need for membership criteria to be developed which better reflects the group's founding principles.

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Nethy Dharma Somba and Bambang Muryanto, Jayapura/Yogyakarta – Papua Governor Lukas Enembe has sent a team to Yogyakarta following an attack by a number of community organizations at a Papuan student dormitory in Kamasan, Yogyakarta, on July 15.

Bambang Muryanto, Yogyakarta – The National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) said on Thursday that human rights abuses might have occurred during a crackdown by the Yogyakarta police on Papuan students accused of promoting separatism.

Ryan Dagur, Jakarta – Indonesian Church officials and activists have accused police in Yogyakarta of racism and using excessive force after six Papuan students were arrested for singing Papuan songs in their college dormitory.

Yogyakarta – Papuan students studying in Yogyakarta have refused to provide official information about police oppression they experienced to a female member of the Papuan Legislative Council (DPRP), Yanni, who visited them at the Papuan students dormitory in Kamasan, Yogyakarta.

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) condemns racism, insults and assaults against indigenous Papuan students in the Papuan students dormitory at the Kamasan I Jalan Kusumanegara, Yogyakarta province, Indonesia.

Jane Joshua – Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Trades, Joe Natuman, believes other people are trying to use the Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG) to drive their own agendas, saying it is similar to Jesus who was betrayed and sold for 30 pieces of silver.

Dateline Pacific – The United Liberation Movement for West Papua says its campaign to become full members at the Melanesian Spearhead Group is not deterred, following the latest MSG leaders summit in Honiara.

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West Papuan university students in various Indonesian cities fear for their safety under close security forces' surveillance.

Eruera Rerekura – A Melanesian academic is criticising Prime Minister John Key for focusing on economic trade ahead of human rights abuses against West Papuans while he is in Indonesia.

One of the main aims of the meeting between Mr Key and his Indonesian counter-part President Joko Widodo was to increase trade between the two countries – particularly beef exports from New Zealand.

Raising the issue of human rights abuses in West Papua is timely given the recent arrests of thousands of students peacefully protesting in the streets.

Prime Minister John Key expressed concern while meeting with President Widodo about trade in Indonesia yesterday afternoon. John Key said it was Indonesia itself that put the issue on that table.

The United Liberation Movement for West Papua accepts the decision by leaders of the Melanesian Spearhead Group to defer its bid for full membership.

At their summit in Honiara last week, MSG leaders said the group's secretariat needed to establish guidelines for membership and signalled that a decision should be reached on the bid by September.

Ina Parlina, Jakarta – Economic cooperation was the main focus of a bilateral meeting between Indonesia and New Zealand while both countries also discussed human rights with New Zealand saying it respected Indonesia's territorial integrity in Papua.

Bambang Muryanto, Yogyakarta – Hackers have attacked three websites belonging to Yogyakarta Police after taking repressive measures against Papuan students staging a peaceful rally at a Papuan students dormitory in Kamasan, Yogyakarta, last Friday.

The New Zealand Prime Minister has discussed human rights in West Papua and New Zealand's opposition to the death penalty during formal talks with the Indonesian leadership. John Key is on his final day of a two-day trip to Indonesia.

West Papua Action Auckland expects Prime Minister John Key to raise human rights concerns with Indonesian President Joko Widodo when he meets with him later today. He should call for Indonesia to respect the fundamental right to freedom of expression in West Papua.

Haeril Halim, Jakarta – Repressive measures taken in the recent arrests of Papuan students in Yogyakarta on allegations of promoting separatism has sparked debate on the fine line the government must walk with regard to freedom of expression.

Anggi Kusumadewi, Jakarta – Animal names and racist insults could be heard shouted at midday on Friday July 15. The shouts originated from members of mass organisations besieging the Kamasan I Papua student dormitory on Jalan Kusumanegara in the Central Java city of Yogyakarta.

The United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP) remains positive despite the Melanesian Spearhead Group's (MSG) decision to defer its application for full membership.

ULMWP spokesperson, Benny Wenda, said this could be seen as a delay tactic but ULMWP acknowledges the technical issues highlighted by the leaders and senior officials of the MSG.

Bambang Muryanto and Nethy Dharma Somba, Yogyakarta/Jayapura – Yogyakarta Police arrested at least seven Papuan students for allegedly promoting separatism after the students were prevented from taking to the streets in the city's downtown.

The United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP) was not admitted as full member of the Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG) during the MSG Leaders' Summit in Honiara Thursday this week.

Shinta Maharani, Yogyakarta – Students and activists at the Papuan student dormitory in the Central Java city of Yogyakarta have been besieged by hundreds of security personnel from the Yogyakarta regional police and the Mobile Brigade (Brimob) paramilitary police.

Melanesian leaders have deferred a decision on whether the United Liberation Movement for West Papua can gain full membership of the Melanesian Spearhead Group.

Yogyakarta, Bambang Muryanto – Police officers surrounded Papuan students in their dormitory in Yogyakarta to prevent them from attending an event organized by the People's Union for West Papua Freedom (PRPPB).

Nether Dharma Somba, Jayapura – Local leaders have decried the results of selection for the Papuan People's Representatives' Council (DPRP), claiming the process was manipulated.

Jakarta – Indonesia has hailed the decision of the Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG) to reject the United Liberation Front for West Papua (ULMWP) as its member.

It is seeing the ULWMPs failure to win MSG full membership as its victory, according to a press statement of the Foreign Affairs Ministry here on Thursday.