Ina Parlina, Jakarta – The National Police have named two suspects related to the recent fatal clash in Tolikara, Papua.

"[The two are] from the GIDI [Evangelical Church of Indonesia]," National Police chief Gen. Badrodin Haiti said at the State Palace complex, adding that the initials of the two suspects were HK and JW.

Nethy Dharma Somba and Ina Parlina, Jayapura/Jakarta – Muslim and Christian communities in Tolikara, Papua, reached a peace agreement on Wednesday following last week's riot in which angered masses burned down several kiosks and the fire spread to a musholla (small mosque).

Urgent Appeal Case: AHRC-UAC-090-2015

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Teropong Senayan – The razing of an Islamic prayer room in the Tolikara district of Papua was carried out by a group pursuing the agenda of the Indonesian Communist Party (PKI) to re-implant its ideology in Indonesia.

Jakarta – Police on Wednesday were set to charge several suspects linked to the torching of a mosque in Papua's Tolikara district last week as officials rushed to contain the fallout of the incident and prevent violence from spreading elsewhere.

State Intelligence Agency (BIN) chief Sutiyoso says that the riot in Tolikara, Papua was aimed at attacking President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo.

"Those people took advantage of the incident to attack Pak Jokowi, attack the government, attack me as the head of BIN and attack the national police chief. This is becoming commonplace", he said at the Presidential Palace in Jakarta on July 22.

Jakarta – Indonesia's newly inaugurated intelligence chief, Sutiyoso, has dismissed criticism that his agency failed to prevent a small-scale sectarian incident in Tolikara district, Papua last week in which a mosque was torched.

Felix Utama Kosasih, Jayapura – Amid the festivities surrounding the Eid al-Fitr celebration in Indonesia, the peace and happiness characteristic of the holiday was broken by an attack in Tolikara, a regency in the island of Papua.

Security across the country has been raised as provocative messages spread online in the aftermath of the burning down of a small mosque in Karubaga, in Papua's Tolikara district last week.

Several firebrand clerics have even been calling on Muslims to wage jihad against Christians in Papua, and at least one church in Central Java has already received threats.

Oktovianus Pogau, Tolikara – The president of the Indonesian Evangelical Church (Gereja Injili di Indonesia, GIDI), Reverend Dorman Wandikmbo insists that the letter issued by the regional GIDI in the Tolikara highland district of Papua that has been circulating in the mass media and social networks is forgery or hoax.

Putri Adityowati, Cunding Levi, Jakarta – The National Commission for Human Rights (Komnas HAM) is currently investigating the perpetrators behind letters from the Gereja Injili di Indonesia (GIDI), which inflicted riot in Karubaga, Tolikara, Papua.

Jayapura, Jubi – The Indonesian Fellowship of Churches and Evangelical institutions (PGLII) has condemned the destruction and arson attack on an Islamic house of prayer (mushola) on Friday, along with kiosks and homes in Tolikara district, Papua.

Dini Pramita, Jakarta – President of the Evangelical Church in Inonesia (GIDI), Rev. Dorman Wandikmbo, said the unrest was initially caused by the police shooting indiscriminately at residents who asked Muslims practice Eid prayers without loudspeakers.

Unhappy with the drastic response, some people vented their anger by burning kiosks, which are located not far from the mosque.

Jakarta – The burning down of a small mosque in Karubaga, in Papua's Tolikara district on Friday, just as local Muslims prepared for Idul Fitri prayers, was an accident – with perpetrators merely targeting food stalls nearby, President Joko Widodo's chief of staff has said.

Ryan Dagur, Jakarta – At least 75 diocesan priests from five dioceses in the West Papua region have voiced concern over the treatment of the Papuan people that has spurred various acts of violence in Indonesia's easternmost provinces.

Sapariah Saturi and Agapitus Batbual – A coalition of Indonesian civil society groups that attended the first intergovernmental working group on a proposed UN binding treaty on business and human rights raised concerns about alleged abuses surrounding a controversial food and energy megaproject planned for the Papuan district of Merauke.

The West Papuan political prisoner Filep Karma says his personal preference is that the leader for his people's self-determination movement be based within West Papua.

The nobel peace prize nominee is currently serving a 15-year jail sentence in Abepura prison in Indonesia's Papua province for charges related to raising the Papuan nationalist Morning Star Flag.

Jakarta – The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) has said that Papua continues to lag behind in maternal health compared to other areas across Indonesia despite significant improvements in the country's health outcomes over the years.

In Papua, 16 percent of women begin childbearing between the ages of 15-19, or twice as high as the national figure.

Helen Davidson, Darwin – A group of West Papua activists has been evicted from the grounds of the Northern Territory Parliament House in Darwin after they erected a hut as an "embassy" and spent two days protesting against Indonesian human rights abuse.

Mr. Setya Novanto
Chairperson of the House of Representative
Dewan Perwakilan Rakyat (DPR)
Gedung Nusantara III DPR Indonesia, Lt I
Jalan Jenderal Gatot Subroto, Jakarta,
INDONESIA
Tel: +62 21 571 5311/+ 62 21 5715868
Fax: +62 21 573 1967/+62 21 5715368
Email: set_tu_ketua@dpr.go.id

Dear Mr. Novanto,

Haeril Halim, National – Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) prosecutors at the Jakarta Corruption Court on Monday indicted former Papua governor Barnabas Suebu for graft involved in the construction of a hydro power plant project on the Mamberamo River, Papua, in which the state recorded a loss of Rp 43 billion (US$3.2 million).

Alyssa Betts – The situation in the Indonesian province of West Papua is similar to East Timor just before independence, a West Papuan activist has announced at a protest in Darwin.

A group of about 60 people have erected a temporary hut embassy outside Parliament House, calling for West Papuan independence from Indonesia.

Transparency Vanuatu has welcomed Prime Minister Sato Kilman's clarification of his government's position on West Papua's recent bid to become a member of the Melanesian Spearhead Group.

This comes after scathing criticism from the prime minister over a Transparency article calling for the government to make its position known.

Nethy Dharma Somba, Jayapura – An NGO activist has said Papua needs safe houses as it has quite a high incidence of violence against women and children.

Few cases of violence against women and children can be brought to justice because of the absence of safe houses, she said.

The West Papuan flag, The Morning Star was raised on the 2 July in 1998 on top of a water tower near the harbour in Biak town. Up to seventy-five people gathered beneath it singing songs and holding traditional dances. As the rally continued many more people in the area joined in with numbers reaching up to 500 people.

Ryan Dagur, Jakarta – At least 40 Papuans were arrested on Friday in Fakfak district, West Papua, before holding a thanksgiving ceremony in the secretariat of the United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP) following the recent 20th Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG) Leaders summit.

Hans Nicholas Jong, Jakarta – The Indonesian government has denied speculations that it is trying to weaken the influence of the Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG) over Papua after the MSG granted a Papuan resistance group an observer status.

The Foreign Ministry said on Thursday that the government had no ulterior motives in its effort to join as the newest member of the MSG.

Andreyka Natalegawa, Jakarta – The admission of Indonesia into the Melanesian Spearhead Group last week has sparked concerns over the future of central government policy in the West Papua region, analysts say.

Ernes B Kakisina, Manokwari (AFP) – Police Chief of West Papua Province, Paulus Waterpauw prohibits people from celebrating the anniversary of the Free Papua Movement.

Archipelago – The high rate of illiteracy in Papua's two provinces has stalled development programs in the region, an official has said.

The head of Papua's Family Welfare and People's Empowerment Agency, Donatus Mote, said on Tuesday that the region's medium-term development plan had faced difficulties caused by illiteracy among local officials.

Jayapura – Manase Agapa, 22, a resident of Ugapuga village, East Kamu district, Dogiai regency, Papua, has been shot dead by an unidentified man while participating in a blockade of Jl. Nabire-Paniai.

Papua Police spokesman Sr. Comr. Patrige Renwarin confirmed on Saturday that Menase had been shot while blockading the road with his friends on Thursday.

NGOs in Vanuatu says the Melanesian Spearhead Group decision not to admit West Papua as a full member, but upgrade Indonesia's membership, is a slap in the face for ni-Vanuatu.

Chiefs and the trade union movement also say they are in shock at last week's decision.

Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama has commended the Indonesian President Joko Widodo and his government for the steps they are taking to improve conditions in West Papua for its Melanesian population.

Mr Bainimarama commended Mr Widodo and the Indonesian Government while addressing the Melanesian Spearhead Group meeting in Honiara, Solomon Islands yesterday.

Godwin Ligo – The Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG) has accepted the United Liberal Movement for West Papua (ULMWP) as Observer in the regional organisation on the basis that it represents West Papuans living outside West Papua.

Honiara, Jubi – Indonesian delegation reacted strongly to a speech by the General Secretary of the United Liberation Movement of West Papua (ULMWP) at a meeting of the Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG).

Oktovianus Mote said ULMWP stood before MSG to affirm that the group have fulfilled the requirements demanded by MSG at a meeting in Noumea, New Caledonia in 2013.

Mark Colvin: For the first time a coalition of West Papuan nationalist groups has been given formal diplomatic recognition.

The United Liberation Movement of West Papua has been granted observer status at a regional grouping of Melanesian countries. It happened at the Melanesian Spearhead Group leaders' summit in Solomon Islands.

The United Liberation Movement for West Papua has expressed gratitude for progress made but still intends pursuing full membership of the Melanesia Spearhead Group.

The Pacific sub-regional agency held its summit this week in Solomon Islands and granted observer status to the ULMWP and made Indonesia an associate member.

After new Indonesian president Joko Widodo appointed his self-consciously titled 'working cabinet' late last year, activist Andreas Harsono from Human Rights Watch took calls from no fewer than nine of Jokowi's ministers or their staff. All of them had listened to Jokowi's promises during the election campaign to pay more attention to Papua and West Papua, and wanted to learn more.

Observer status has today been granted to West Papua by the Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG) sub-regional bloc.

After over 53 years of political struggle for the right to self-determination, the United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP) representing West Papuan, was today granted Observer status by the 20th MSG Leaders summit in Honiara, Solomon Islands.

Michael Bachelard's – On a sunlit afternoon in the tiny village of Lolat, I ask a local school teacher, Natani Kobak, what subject he teaches. 'Pancasila,' he replies: the five-point Indonesian state ideology. 'I teach it for the students, but deep down I am not so happy about it'.

Michael Bachelard – Few work harder to advocate for the Papuan people than Victor Mambor. The son of John Mambor, who was a powerful independence leader, Victor has established himself as a robustly independent journalist, the editor of the newspaper Tabloid Jubi, based in coastal city of Jayapura, the capital of Papua province.

The Melanesian Spearhead Group has knocked back West Papua's bid to become a full member of the group, while elevating Indonesia's status.

In a statement, Papua New Guinea's Prime Minister, Peter O'Neill, says the United Liberation Movement for West Papua will be given observer status as a "development partner representing the welfare of Melanesian people living outside."

Sydney, Australia – Indonesia has been admitted to a Melanesian intergovernment group, Papua New Guinea Prime Minister Peter O'Neill announced Thursday, welcoming the move as an important way to strengthen peace and security in the region.

Jakarta – Indonesia has been bumped up to an associate member of the Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG), while a pro-independence coalition from West Papua has been granted observer status.

Nic Maclellan, Honiara – In a vibrant cultural display, Solomon Islands dancers, pan pipers and customary presentations welcomed Melanesian Spearhead Group delegations at the official opening of the 20th MSG summit in Honiara.

Margareth S. Aritonang, Jakarta – Lawmakers want a guaranteed surrender by members the Free Papua Organization (OPM) as a precondition for giving political support to the government's proposal to pardon political prisoners in Papua.

The United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP) today at the invitation of the Chair of the MSG Foreign Ministers meeting, Hon. Milner Tozaka, presented a petition containing 55,555 compiled signatures from West Papua to the Melanesian Foreign Ministers in Honiara, Solomon Islands.

Seven Papuan political activists have been detained as a result of their peaceful political activities. They have been charged with 'incitement' and could face up to six years' imprisonment. Three of the men have reported being beaten and burnt with cigarettes while in detention.

Michael Bachelard – 'In June last year, seven doctors were sent to this town, but five didn't want to come. In September they tried to send another four and all four went back to Jakarta.'

14 members of a student group have been arrested by police in the Papuan town of Abepura, as they raised funds for a probe into the shooting deaths of fellow students last year.

The shooting in December, at a peaceful rally in Paniai, has led to accusations against police and military for opening fire on uniformed school children.