About 20 academics, librarians, journalists and Pacific issues activists gathered at the Pacific Media Centre at noon today for a Morning Star flag-raising ceremony as part of global actions for West Papuan freedom.

Lice Movono – As futile as it may seem, your voices can make a difference in the Free West Papua movement, a group of young Pacific Island activists told students today.

Speaking at the "Raise The Morning Star" gathering at the University of the South Pacific today, students who make up the Youngsolwara movement called on youths to join them.

We, the undersigned organisations, express our support to the struggle of the people of West Papua for self-determination.

Stephen Wright and Niniek Karmini, Jakarta, Indonesia – West Papuan protesters faced off with police in the Indonesian capital on Thursday in a demonstration calling for the remote region's independence.

Organizers had promised protests in other cities and said police had denied them permission to march in central Jakarta.

Yudhistira Amran Saleh, Jakarta – Hundreds of Papuan demonstrators from the Papuan Student Alliance (AMP) demanding independence for West Papua have been taken to the Metro Jaya regional police headquarters. The transportation of the activists had to be done in stages because the police did not have enough vehicles to accommodate all of them.

Safrin La Batu, Jakarta – Police apprehended on Thursday several people who were participating in a peaceful rally to demand a referendum for West Papua.

One of the people arrested was the coordinator of the rally, Surya Anta, a lawyer for the rally participants, Veronica Koman, said on Thursday.

Arnold Belau, Jayapura – Indonesian colonial police arrested 221 people on December 1 in three different cities with 203 people arrested in Jakarta, four in Sentani, West Papua and 14 people in the Central Java city of Yogyakarta.

Pita Ligaiula in Nairobi, Kenya – Pacific regional civil society delegates attending the High Level Meeting (HLM2) in Nairobi Thursday commemorated the West Papua flag raising ceremony.

Alin Almanar, Jakarta – A protest in support of Papua's independence in Jakarta on Thursday (01/12) ended up with the police beating up the protesters and drew criticism from fellow Papuans, who called on the demonstrators to heed efforts by the government to speed up development in Indonesia's easternmost province.

New Zealand MPs were among those demonstrating today in cities across the country to raise the West Papuan nationalist flag.

It's 55 years since the Papuan Morning Star flag was first flown officially when the indigenous people of the former Dutch New Guinea declared independence.

Moses Ompusunggu and Marguerite Afra Sapiie, Jakarta – Amid what has been perceived as government inaction over injustice in Papua, civil society organizations have rallied to support residents in the country's easternmost region to exercise their right to self-determination through a referendum.

An Indonesian group in Jakarta has declared its support for West Papuans to be granted self-determination.

The Indonesian People's Front for West Papua, or FRI West Papua, held an event at the office of the Legal Aid Institute in Indonesia's capital yesterday and expressed solidarity with Papuan independence aspirations.

Greetings of National Liberation of West Papua!

Amolongo, Nimo, Koyao, Koha, Kinaonak, Nare, Yepmum, Dormum, Tabea Mufa, Walak, Foi Moi, Wainambe, Nayaklak

Wa...wa...wa...wa...wa...wa..wa..wa..wa..wa!

"Independence is truly the right of all nations and thus colonialism in the world must be abolished since it contravenes the sense of humanity and justice"

Melki Pangaribuan, Jakarta – Through an unpretentious press conference at the offices of the Legal Aid Foundation (LBH) in Jakarta on Thursday November 29, the Indonesian People's Front for West Papua (FRI-West Papua) declared its support for self-determination for the people of Papua, which they refer to as the West Papuan nation.

Jakarta – Persistent oppression and discrimination as well as cultural and historical differences are sufficient reasons for Papuan people to decide their own fate through a referendum, an alliance has said.

Anne Noonan – It is now 55 years since the Morning Star flag was flown officially in West Papua for the first time on the 1 December 1961.

The West Papuan people continue to raise their flag as an act of celebration but also in protest against the injustices they suffer under Indonesian rule. They can face up to 15 years jail for doing so.

AWPA has written to the Australian Foreign Minister re 1st December in West Papua.

Civil Society groups in West Papua have again called for people to celebrate their national flag day. AWPA is concerned the security forces will crack down on any peaceful rallies called.

The mining giant Freeport has selected a former chief of staff of Indonesia's air force to be chief executive of its Papua-based operations.

A Melanesian Spearhead Group committee is meeting in Port Vila to consider guidelines around membership in the regional organisation.

The Sub-Committee on Legal and Institutional Issues was tasked by MSG leaders at their Honiara summit in July to clarify guidelines for observer, associate and full membership in the group.

Andre Barahamin – After two years as president, Joko "Jokowi" Widodo has yet to meet his promises to engage meaningfully with the people of Papua.

A group demonstrating in front of an Indonesian naval ship in Auckland raised the Morning Star flag in support of West Papuans.

Indonesia's KRI Banda Aceh is one of numerous warships from other countries currently in New Zealand participating in the New Zealand Navy's 75th birthday celebration.

More than 100 indigenous activists were arrested by Indonesian police at the weekend in the West Papua city of Sorong.

The police took in 106 activists from the West Papua National Committee, or KNPB, for their involvement in an inauguration of its local governing body last week.

Susan Schulman, Kambele, Indonesia – Martina Wanago was sick. In fact, she was sure she would die. She had contracted HIV, which has reached epidemic proportions here in Indonesia's remote and restive province of Papua. And like many of those infected, she didn't know what was wrong with her.

When the oil palm plantation companies first arrive in the villages they promise jobs for indigenous Papuans, an effort to implant dreams of improved economic well-being and higher incomes.

Nethy Dharma Somba, Jayapura, Papua – The Papua General Elections Commission (KPU) is set to introduce several changes to the noken voting system, which will be used in six of the province's 11 regencies and municipalities during the 2017 simultaneous regional elections.

Church groups around the region are calling for justice on long-standing issues undermining the rights of the region's people.

At a recent gathering in Auckland, the Pacific Conference of Churches' general secretary discussed issues such as West Papua, climate change, the legacy of nuclear testing and the militarisation of the Pacific.Indira Stewart was there.

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Ben Bilua – The Leader of Free West Papua Movement in Solomon Islands has called on political parties to leave West Papua issue alone.

Speaking to this paper, Mr Samson Faisi said it is disappointing to see a National Leader use West Papua as a reason to topple Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare.

Nethy Dharma Somba, Jayapura – The taskforce on human rights in Papua has made slow progress in resolving alleged abuses in Papua and West Papua provinces, largely as a result of the Attorney General's Office (AGO), which has persistently disagreed with the approach of the National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM).

Urgent Appeal Case: AHRC-UAC-144-2016

Dear Friends,

The Parliamentary Opposition Group has urged the Prime Minister and his Government to reassess its approach on the issue of West Papua with Indonesia.

In a statement today, the Opposition Group says the stern warning by the Indonesian Foreign Minister conveyed to his Australian counterpart must not be taken lightly by the Government.

Elaine Pearson – As Indonesia's president, Joko "Jokowi" Widodo, touches down in Australia for the first time since assuming the presidency, will human rights feature at all in the talks?

The Solomon Islands government says it's not in a position to respond to a warning from Indonesia's government not to speak out about West Papua.

Indonesia's Defence Minister Ryamizard Ryacudu has urged Australia to pass on a message to Pacific Island governments to not interfere in Indonesian domestic affairs.

A conference getting underway in Sydney today looks to address two major areas of concern to people in the Pacific region in the same sitting.

'At the Intersection: Pacific Climate Change and Resource Exploitation in West Papua' runs for two days, hosted by Western Sydney University and the University of Sydney's West Papua Project.

A warning by Indonesia's Defence Minister for Pacific countries not to speak out about West Papua has been described as an odd and backward form of diplomacy.

The Minister Ryamizard Ryacudu urged Australia to rebuke Pacific states, in particular Solomon Islands, for raising West Papua in global forums and inviting Papuans to join the Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG).no caption

Leader of the Australian West Papua Association (Sydney) (AWPA), Joe Collins, has spoken out against reports that Jakarta has requested Australia to pass on a message to the Solomon Islands to refrain from interfering in the internal affairs of Indonesia.

The Dutch royals were welcomed to Canberra by a little half-Dutch girl, a protester for West Papua, and a slew of Australians with Dutch heritage.

It was a family gathering of sorts when the Dutch King and Queen met Australians with heritage from the land of tulips and windmills.

Nethy Dharma Somba Jayapura – The Papuan People's Assembly (MRP), an institution formed as part of the implementation of the 2001 Law on Special Autonomy for Papua, will focus on the rescue of Papuan culture, which is in crisis as a result of the rapid influx of other cultures.

Grasberg mine in the Indonesian province has been a source of untold wealth for its owners, but local communities say it has brought poverty and oppression

Amanda Hodge – Indonesia has asked Australia to caution its Pacific Island neighbours against interfering in the West Papua issue and to urge them to withdraw support for West Papuan membership of the Melanesian Spearhead Group, warning that the issue could pose a "stumbling block" to closer bilateral ties.

News that the Indonesian government is upping the ante against supporters of West Papua comes as no surprise, a well-placed senior government source said.

"It is no surprise to us, and I think it is not right to say that we are interfering with the internal affairs of Indonesia, we are simply raising an issue of concern regarding our Melanesian brothers of West Papua.

Indonesia's Defence Minister has urged Australia to rebuke Pacific Island states who raise issues relating to West Papua in global fora.

Ryamizard Ryacudu met with Australian government representatives including Foreign Minister Julie Bishop in a meeting in Bali where the two countries reaffirmed security ties.

During her visit to Indonesia, Foreign Minister Julie Bishop and Indonesia's Defense Minister Ryamizard Ryacudu discussed efforts to deepen military relations at the 2+2 meeting held in Bali last Friday.

A member of the provincial parliament in Indonesia's West Papua province has called for an investigation into last Thursday's deadly shootings in Manokwari.

Reports from Indonesia said police in the provincial capital allegedly opened fire when rioting broke out in the town, leaving ten people injured and one person dead.

Jayapura – The National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) will investigate further the death of a civilian, Onesimus Rumayom, during a rally outside a police office in Manokwari, West Papua, on Thursday.

Preliminary investigation has revealed that Onesimus was shot in his right thigh, which caused severe bleeding and eventually led to his death.

There are questions over the effectiveness of a push by Indonesia to have Australia lean on Pacific countries to not talk about West Papua.

Aditya Mardiastuti, Nusa Dua – Defense Minister Ryamizard Ryacudu has emphasised that the sovereignty of the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia (NKRI) cannot be challenged.

Ryacudu made the remark at a meeting with Australian government representatives during the 2+2 Meeting in Bali on Friday October 28.

Ever since the National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) established the Ad Hoc investigation team for the Paniai case, under the decision 1 March 2016 letter of the Chair of the Komnas HAM (Number 009/Komnas HAM/III/2016), there is no progress in this case (see case details at AHRC-UAC-089-2015 and a related joint statement here).

Nethy Dharma Somba, Jayapura – Nearly a week after President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo visited Yahukimo, Papua, where he promised lower fuel prices and infrastructure development, a clash broke out in Manokwari, West Papua, late Wednesday, leaving one person dead and some injured.

Jakarta – Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs Minister Wiranto has called for an immediate investigation of the riot in Manokwari, West Papua.

"I ask that the riot be investigated. Reports about it are still uncertain. We are still waiting for official reports," the minister said here on Thursday.

Margareth S. Aritonang, Jakarta – While government teams are working to identify fatal incidents that have led to human rights abuses in Papua to gain the trust of its people, former political prisoner Filep Karma said on Tuesday that a referendum should take place to determine the future of the restive region.