UCAN – An Indonesian priest in Papua has joined rights activists in filing a judicial review of the country's treason law in the Constitutional Court.
They said the right to freedom of expression is being abused by authorities who slap treason charges against people for simply taking part in peaceful demonstrations.
Yanto Awerkion, a West Papuan local independence leader, remains imprisoned after being arrested the Indonesian security services for collecting signatures on an Avaaz petition calling for a new referendum on independence from Indonesia.
The Indonesia government says claims of mass arrests of West Papuans in the past two weeks are wrong.
Earlier this week the Australia West Papua Association called for Canberra to press Jakarta over the arrests in the city of Nabire of about 150 Papuans, mostly members of the pro-independence West Papua National Committee, or KNPB.
Jakarta – Authorities have charged Papua Governor Lukas Enembe with allegedly persuading residents to vote for one of the candidates in the Tolikara district head election earlier this year, police have said.
Officers have named Lukas a suspect in the case and submitted his case files to prosecutors, Papua Police Chief Insp. Gen. Boy Rafli Amar said on Monday (10/07).
Jayapura, Jubi – Papua legislator criticized a framing made by an online media in Jakarta toward an involvement of Free Papua Organization (OPM) in the riot between supporters of candidates for the head of Puncak Jaya, Papua,).
Jayapura, Jubi – Director of the Papua Policy and Human Rights Advocacy Association (PAK-HAM), Matius Murib, admitted that there is no significant progress of Jakarta-made coordination meeting team founded by Politic and Security Minister last year, which himself is a member, on the settlement of human rights violations in Papua.
Indonesia says it will invite the head of mining giant Freeport McMoRan Inc to Jakarta this month to try to settle a festering dispute over a new deal to operate the world's second-largest copper mine.
The Australia West Papua Association is pushing for action from Canberra over another bout of mass arrests of West Papuans in neighbouring Indonesia.
Around 150 Papuans – mainly members of the pro-independence West Papua National Committee, or KNPB – were arrested between 30 June and 6 July in the city of Nabire.
Hundreds of KNPB activists of the Nabire region were arrested and transported into truck Nabire Police in Bukit Meriam witnessed by a Papuan mama – (Jubi/ist) https://tabloidjubi.com/artikel-7564-tuntut-dua-rekannya-dibebaskan-ratusan-aktivis-knpb-nabire-ditangkap.html
Urgent Appeal Case: AHRC-UAC-072-2017
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Paniai, Jubi – Hundreds of West Papua National Committee (KNPB) activists in Nabire, West Papua, have reportedly being arrested by the Nabire district police and are now being held by the Nabarua sectoral police.
Viriya P. Singgih, Jakarta – Gold and copper miner PT Freeport Indonesia is upbeat that it can settle its disputes with the government over its future operations in Papua before the deadline of Oct. 10.
Jakarta – Hundreds of members and sympathizers of the Free Papua Organization, or OPM, have declared support for the Indonesian government – a long-awaited move after decades of insurgency and human rights abuses.
Benny Mawel, Jayapura – A Papuan bishop has warned people that selling their land for money risks not only their future but also their cultural identity.
Bishop John Philip Saklil of Timika in Papua said land is part of the cultural identity of indigenous Papuans and selling it means they are trading off their cultural heritage.
Setiawan Adiwijaya, Jakarta – Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry special staff Hadi M. Djuraid said that the government has yet to make any decision on PT Freeport Indonesia's contract extension.
According to him, a coordinated meeting held yesterday at the Finance Ministry building did not specifically discuss PT Freeport Indonesia contract extension.
Jakarta – Opposing parties of the Puncak Jaya regional elections have agreed to end a conflict in the region, marked by a "breaking arrow" ritual performed by representatives of the three candidates' respective supporters.
Jakarta – The Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry has sent a warning letter to gold and copper miner PT Freeport Indonesia after it laid off 4,000 employees.
The layoffs took place following a strike by Freeport Indonesia workers belonging to the All-Indonesia Workers Union Confederation (KSPSI) from May 1 to June 16 in Mimika regency, Papua, the site of the gold and copper mine.
Fransiska Nangoy, Jakarta – Thousands of mine workers at the Indonesian unit of Freeport-McMoRan Inc will extend their strike for another month to protest against layoffs, a union official said on Wednesday.
Up to 6,000 workers will remain on strike, Freeport Indonesia union industrial relations officer Tri Puspital told Reuters, putting Freeport's plan to ramp up output at risk.
Wamena, Jubi – A police officer in Wamena, Jayawijaya allegedly mistreated a minor, Friday afternoon, June 16, 2017. As a result the victim named Albert Nawipa (15) had to be treated at Emergency Installation (IGD) RSUD Wamena.
Jayapura, Jubi – Papua House of Representative Commission I in charge of government, politics, law and human rights urged PT Freeport Indonesia to stop the employees' lay off.
Fardah, Jakarta – Over the past several years, labor strikes have hit PT Freeport Indonesia (FI), but the subsidiary of the US mining giant Freeport McMoRan Copper & Gold has managed to find win-win solutions to the problems.
Urgent Appeal Case: AHRC-UAC-055-2017
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All five bishops serving in Indonesia's Papua and West Papua provinces have come under fire from indigenous Papuan Catholics for "staying silent" over alleged social injustices.
Jakarta – The government and Freeport Indonesia are still not in agreement over several aspects of the latter's contract of work (CoW) conversion to a special mining permit (IUPK), an official has said.
The United Liberation Movement for West Papua has urged Indonesia's government to put words into action about helping the Pacific with climate change.
Eman Riberu, Merauke – A local government's decision in Papua to pull licenses for a number plantation companies has won overwhelming backing from the Catholic Church and local people, calling the move a victory for the environment.
Urgent Appeal Case: AHRC-UAC-052-2017
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Johnny Blades – Even before the Indonesian ambassador took up the position, an interview with him was inevitable.
Tantowi Yahya declared last December that it was his mission to educate New Zealanders about Indonesia's Papua region, or West Papua.
Now, two short months into his posting as Jakarta's man in Wellington, there has been a spike in local activity around West Papua.
Vilimaina Naqelevuki, Suva – Media access to West Papua, where more than half a million of its indigenous people have reportedly been killed over five decades, remains restricted.
Stephen Wright, Jakarta, Indonesia – A major church in Indonesia's predominantly Christian Papua province said a riot in the provincial capital last month was sparked by the military burning Bibles, contradicting the police account of events.
Indonesia's new ambassador to New Zealand says the indigenous population of Papua region is not pushing for independence.
Tantowi Yahya says the push for a referendum is coming from overseas-based elements who do not represent the local populace.
Indonesia's new ambassador to New Zealand says issues of importance to Pacific Island countries are his country's concerns too.
According to Tantowi Yahya, Indonesia, with its significant Melanesian population, considers itself part of the Pacific region.
A former Vanuatu prime minister, Barak Sope, says he is confident West Papua will become independent from Indonesia.
Antara, Timika – Mimika Police in Papua have arrested a coordinator of a petition declaration and communal prayer held at the West Papua National Committee (KNPB) secretariat office after perceived threats to the unity of the Republic of Indonesia.
Indonesian officials say no bibles were burnt in an incident last week which preceded unrest in the Papua provincial capital Jayapura.
On Thursday members of a local Zionist congregation clashed with local security forces in Abepura district.
Kendall Hutt, Auckland – Political support in New Zealand for an independent West Papua is growing after a "historic declaration" was signed during free West Papua advocate Benny Wenda's visit to the country this month.
Production has been hit at the massive Grasberg mine in Indonesia's Papua province as more than 9,000 workers stage an extended strike.
The mine's owner, Freeport McMoRan, also says a "large number" of the absentee workers are deemed to have resigned.
This statement has been written by West Papuan Independence Leader Benny Wenda after Indonesian police officers brutally tortured Nareki Kogoya from the National Human Rights Commission.
Susan Taylor, Toronto – Freeport McMoRan Inc said on Thursday that mining and milling rates at its Grasberg copper mine in Papua, Indonesia have been affected as some 9,000 workers stage an extended strike, and a "large number" of approximately 4,000 absentee workers were deemed to have resigned.
There's been more deadly violence in Indonesia's Papua province. The body of a 45-year old woman from Maluku province was discovered outside a power plant in Waena, near Jayapura, early on Saturday morning.
As police moved the following day to make arrests in connection with the alleged murder, a mob of around two hundred Moluccans gathered in Waena to avenge the woman's death.
Agustinus Beo Da Costa and Samuel Wanda, Jakarta/Timika – An estimated 9,000 workers at the giant Grasberg copper mine operated by Freeport McMoRan Inc (FCX.N) will extend a strike for a second month, a union official said on Saturday, in an ongoing dispute over employment terms and layoffs.
Two cases of violence against journalists in Papua in the past week highlight the empty promise of Press Law protections in Indonesia's easternmost province, as well as the false hopes of President Joko Widodo, who more than two years ago promised to open foreign press access to the area.
The Indonesian government needs to change the policy of development which makes Papuan community a subject, says a non-government organisation that specialises in West Papuan development issues.
Nethy Dharma Somba, Jayapura, Papua – Representatives of many societal elements in Papua have called for the disbandment of a hard-line Islamic group, Hizbut Tahrir Indonesia (HTI), which now has about 300 followers in regencies and municipalities across the region.
Christian leaders from the Guild of Papuan Churches have rallied against growing radicalism in Indonesia which they claim has penetrated the Christian-majority region.
Timika, Papua – Gold and copper mining firm PT Freeport has reportedly laid off 840 employees for going on strike in Timika, Papua province, some time ago.
Septinus Soumilena, Head of the Immigration, Transmigration and Public Housing Office, confirmed he had received a report from PT Freeport about the dismissal of some 840 employees.
Jayapura, Jubi – Laurenzus Kadepa, Papua legislator has called for a referendum in Papua to prove the results of a Political Indicator survey that said 60 percent of Papuans (OAP) refused to separate from the Unitary Republic of Indonesia (NKRI).
He said if the survey results were true, certainly the Jakarta should not worry about holding a referendum.
Indonesian immigration authorities have deported a group of six Japanese filmmakers from Papua for allegedly misusing their visas.
The head of the Jayapura Immigration Office Yopie Watimena told the Jakarta Post the group had been illegally filming a documentary in Wamena. He said they did not have journalist visas.
Indonesia has disputed reports that this month's African, Caribbean and Pacific meeting featured discussion about West Papua.
The ACP Council of Ministers in Brussels reportedly heard a joint statement on Papua from seven Pacific countries – Vanuatu, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, Nauru, Palau and the Marshall Islands.
Nethy Dharma Somba, Jayapura, Papua – Thousands of citizens of Jayapura in Papua have joined waves of national and international support for the release of non-active Jakarta Governor Basuki "Ahok" Tjahaja Purnama from detention as well as to save the state ideology of Pancasila from efforts to undermine it.