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.

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).

Alin Almanar & Donny Andhika Mononimbar, Jakarta – The Melanesian Spearhead Group has rejected an application for full membership status by the United Liberation Movement for West Papua, which Indonesia deems a separatist group, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.

Jakarta – Indonesia's culture-based forays into the South Pacific and measured determination to extinguish the simmering heat of Papuan separatism has seemingly paid off.

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.

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.

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

Margareth S. Aritonang and Nethy Dharma Somba, Jakarta/Papua – Two activists with pro-independence group West Papua National Committee (KNPB) have undergone questioning at a police station in Papua for allegedly leading a rally that promoted separatism.

Fiji's Opposition Leader said giving the United Liberation Movement of West Papua membership to the Melanesian Spearhead Group was the most responsible action any Melanesian Leader can do.

The Solomon Islands government says the United Liberation Movement of West Papua wants to move away from advocacy towards nation-building.

The Movement's general secretary Octo Mote says for West Papuans to gain international support for their push for self-rule, they need to be involved in nation-building.

The Catholic Church of Papua New Guinea has called on leaders of the Melanesian Spearhead Group to consider West Papua's membership application.

West Papuans have applied under the United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMPW), which is a collaborative group comprised of united resistance organisations located both inside and outside of West Papua.

Aatai John – Indonesian province of West Papua is hopeful to see their full membership plea in the Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG), advance during this 4th Pacific Islands Development Forum (PIDF) summit hosted in Honiara, Solomon Islands.

Edo Karensa, Jakarta – The Melanesian Spearhead Group, or MSG, will stage a leadership summit in Honiara on Thursday (14/07) to determine if it will grant full membership status to the United Liberation Movement for West Papua, better-known as ULMWP, or maintain the current observer status.

The West Papua National Committee wants a national action to be held over the next two days in West Papua (July 13th and July 14th) to mark its meeting with the MSG.

The West Papua National Committee (KNPB) Centre has called for a national action to be held over two days, the 13th and July 14th in West Papua.

The Pacific Islands Association of NGOs (PIANGO) executive director, Emele Duituturaga, has welcomed a call made by the World Council of Churches (WCC) for a solidarity visit to West Papua by an international ecumenical delegation, reports PINA.

The Indonesian Government is taking issue with claims it is not ensuring media freedom.

The country is to host the International Press Freedom Day event in May next year but the Pacific Freedom Forum this week called on Jakarta to first ensure it ends abuses against local media in Papua and West Papua and ensures open access for foreign media.

Ronald Toito'ona – Members of the United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP) are arriving in Honiara starting this week, ahead of the Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG) Leaders' Summit next week.

This was confirmed to the Solomon Star by Ben Didiomea, one of the West Papua campaigners in the country. They arrived in Honiara on separate flights.

Indonesia has been given a 2017 deadline to address press freedom violations in its Papua province.

The call from the chair of the regional media watchdog Pacific Freedom Forum came as Indonesia was earmarked to host the International Press Freedom Day event in May next year.

Nationwide petition calls on Government to protect human rights and freedom of expression in West Papua.

Launched today at a rally outside the Indonesian Embassy in Kelburn marking the killing of an 18 year old student by security forces. 12. 15 pm outside 70 Glen Rd Kelburn.

West Papua solidarity groups in New Zealand have launched a petition calling for the New Zealand government to speak out about human rights in the Indonesian region.

Green MPs have been among protestors outside the Indonesian Embassy in Wellington today marking the death of a teenager Owen Pekei last week.

The New Zealand Green Party says Prime Minister John Key must address human rights in West Papua when he meets with Indonesia's Joko Widodo later this month.

Mr Key intended to discuss trade and economic links, but a Greens' MP Catherine Delahunty said there was no mention of discussions on the political situation in West Papua.

[From Biak Massacre Citizens Tribunal website.]

New Zealand news media are "ignoring" the biggest story in the Pacific region in spite of a social media revolution taking the storytelling to the world.

This is the view of a journalist and media educator expressed at the Otago Foreign Policy School at the weekend, Pacific Media Centre director Professor David Robie.

Pacific Islands Association of NGOs (PIANGO) executive director, Emele Duituturaga has welcomed a call made by the World Council of Churches (WCC) for a solidarity visit to West Papua by an international ecumenical delegation.

Jakarta – The Coordinating Minister of Political, Law and Security Affairs, Luhut Binsar Panjaitan, said Indonesia is concerned about separatists participating in the Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG) Summit that will be held on the Solomon Islands from July 14-16, 2016.

Bastian Tebai, Yogyakarta – Every year July 1 is commemorated by Papuans as West Papua proclamation day. The proclamation was read out at the Victoria Headquarters in Waris Village, Jayapura, in 1971.

A grouping of the region's NGOs says a top United Nations official must be commended for highlighting the plight of West Papuans.

Last week the UN Special Rapporteur on the right to freedom of peaceful assembly and association, Maina Kiai, brought up West Papua at the at a Human Rights Council meeting in Geneva.

Adam Boland – Prominent West Papuan religious leader Benny Giay believes Pacific countries might offer the last hope to save his people. During an emotional interview with Pasifik News from Jayapura, Dr Giay predicted the Papuan culture could disappear within decades.

Gavin Drake – The increasing tensions in Indonesian West Papua has attracted the attention of both the World Council of Churches' Central Committee and the Bishops of the Anglican Church in Papua New Guinea.

Mark Bowling – With Australia heading to a general election, Catholic Church leaders are calling on the major political parties to end their double standards on human rights advocacy in the region.

Indonesia's campaign to contain issues of West Papua has entered a new phase.

As diplomatic activity on behalf of the indigenous people of West Papua has recently surged, Jakarta has responded by taking steps that it says will address human rights abuses in Indonesia's troubled region.

On the 1st July in 1971, West Papuan Independence was declared by the OPM.

Local media suarapapua.com reported that the Papua Student Alliance (AMP) central committee had issued a general call to all the students and the people of Papua to commemorate the reading of the proclamation of independence of Papua.

An international human rights law firm has submitted a formal legal complaint to the UN Human Rights Council regarding violations by Indonesia against West Papuans.

West Papua Media and local sources – Australian-supported Indonesian Police special forces shot dead a teenage Papuan high school student in central Nabire city, West Papua, on Monday (27th June) afternoon, in an apparently premeditated ambush without provocation, according to credible reports and witnesses from the scene. The student was unarmed.

Papua New Guinea's ambassador in Jakarta says there's a change of attitude taking place in Indonesia's Papua region, or West Papua, whereby the indigenous people are participating more in the running of their own region.

Jakarta – The National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) is taking no part in a government-sanctioned team on human rights violations in Papua, commissioner Natalius Pigai said on Monday.

"Komnas HAM has decided not to delegate any commissioner to take part in the team," Natalius said at his office in Jl. Latuharhari, Menteng, Central Jakarta.

Following his visit to West Papua, Papua New Guinea's ambassador to Indonesia says that increasingly West Papuans are in the driving seat in terms of the running of their own region.

West Papua Action Auckland congratulates the Governments of Vanuatu and Solomon Islands for their statements last week about human rights abuses in West Papua.

We believe their principled and courageous stand at the Human Rights Council in Geneva has drawn attention to the suffering of a people whose plight remains hidden from much of the world.

Ernest Ta'asi – The Solomon Islands government is in support for an international supervised vote on the independence of West Papua.

Solomon Islands representative Barret Salato gave the country's support before the UN Human Rights Council for the vote proposal that was made by the International Parliamentarians for West Papua Forum in London last month.

Amsterdam, The Netherlands – The Foundation St.

London – A new report by Papuans Behind Bars (PBB) exposes the Indonesian government's increased use of arbitrary arrests to shut down protests in West Papua in 2015.

Allegations of human rights abuses in Indonesia's Papua region, or West Papua, have been highlighted at the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva this week. But as the international focus sharpens on ongoing human rights abuses against West Papuans, Jakarta says it's taking concrete action to address the issue.

Johnny Blades reports.

New Zealand's government has confirmed its ambassador to Indonesia, Dr Trevor Matheson, visited Jayapura and Merauke in Papua last week.

The visit took place at the invitation of Indonesia's Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs, Luhut Panjaitan. Ambassadors from Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands and Fiji also took part in the visit.

The Solomon Islands and Vanuatu have condemned the "unresolved" human rights violations in West Papua by Indonesian security forces, saying they have continued in spite of President Joko Widodo's greater attention to the region.

Both countries say the agreed future visit by the UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression to Indonesia should also include West Papua.

Yeremia Sukoyo, Jakarta – Minister of Land and Spatial Planning Ferry Mursyidan Baldan has declared the government's recognition of communal rights of nine indigenous communities in Papua.

The declaration was held at the closing of the 9th Sentani Lake Festival at the province's Khalkhote region in East Sentani on Thursday (23/06).

Human Rights Situation in West Papua

Mr. President,

Solomon Islands' diplomat in Geneva has told the UN Human Rights Council's 32nd session about an eroding human rights situation in Indonesia's Papua region.

Barrett Salato told the session that whilst his country welcomes increased attention on West Papua from Indonesia's president Joko Widodo, violations of Papuans' rights remain unresolved.