Brisbane (Free West Papua Campaign/Pacific Media Watch) – West Papuan leaders of the newly formed United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP), including Benny Wenda, Octovianus Mote and Rex Rumakiek, met in Brisbane over the weekend with Australian and some Aotearoa/New Zealand solidarity groups.

Papua New Guinean prime minister Peter O'Neill has called on Indonesia to fulfil the promise of its former president, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, to reduce troops stationed in West Papua.

Mr O'Neill told Radio Australia's Pacific Beatprogram that Mr Yudhoyono had discussed this intention with him during a bilateral meeting when the PNG prime minister was in Indonesia for a state visit.

Banjir Ambarita, Jayapura – A leader of the Free Papua Movement has not "surrendered" to the Indonesian military and remains committed to armed struggled over Jakarta's occupation of Papua, a relative of Goliath Tabuni told the Jakarta Globe.

Liam Fox – Papua New Guinea's government says a prominent West Papuan activist has been flown out of the country because he was travelling without a visa.

Benny Wenda, spokesman for the United Liberation Movement for West Papua, was detained by immigration officials when he arrived in Port Moresby on Tuesday.

Port Moresby (PNG Loop/Pacific Media Watch) – West Papua roving ambassador Benny Wenda says he came to Papua New Guinea to personally thank Prime Minister Peter O'Neill for voicing concern and support for the West Papuan struggle.

Wenda made these comments while he was being escorted into the international airport to be deported from Papua New Guinea.

UA: 72/15 Index: ASA 21/1312/2015 Indonesia

Four students have been tortured or otherwise ill-treated by police in Indonesia Papua province. There are concerns for their safety.

Four students, three of them children, were arbitrarily detained and tortured or otherwise ill-treated by police on 18 March 2015, according to their lawyer.

Jayapura (ANTARA News) – Commander XVII/Cenderawasih Major General Fransen Siahaan asserted, Jakarta-Papua dialogue that aggressively championed by a number of people, will be presented in the frame of the Republic of Indonesia (NKRI).

"We have the same perception of the dialog before it is implemented," said Maj Siahaan, told Antara in Jayapura on Thursday.

West Papua leader Benny Wenda is still under the control of PNG Immigration and will be deported today at 1pm, back to England where he came from yesterday.

The co-ordinator of Free West Papua PNG Chapter Freddy Mambraso, said his group, with the support of NCD Governor Powes Parkop, were still negotiating with the government to allow Mr Wenda to stay for a while in the country.

The Papuan Police Chief, Inspector General (Pol) Yotje Mende said that the West Papua National Committee (KNPB) should be banned, as it is not an official organisation, it's an underground organisation.

Banjir Ambarita, Jayapura – The Indonesian military has claimed a prominent leader of the pro-independence Free Papua Movement, or OPM, has turned himself in to authorities and renounced his struggle against Indonesian rule in Papua.

There's an uneasy calm in Yahukimo regency of Indonesia's Papua province following an incident at a West Papuan fundraising event which left a person dead.

Last week's event in Dekai, aimed at at raising funds for the West Papuan bid to join the Melanesian Spearhead Group, lapsed into chaos when police forces started forcibly breaking up the crowd.

Timika, Jubi/Antara – A legislator urged the Papua Police to thoroughly investigate the shooting case of a number of civilians in Paniai on December 8, 2014.

The deputy chairman of House of Representatives' Commission III, Benny K Harman, made the statement during a working visit to Jayapura to the Papua police chief, Inspector General of Police Yotje Mende.

Andrew Janes – Freeport McMoRan's Grasberg copper mine in Indonesia, the world's second-largest for the metal by capacity, reopened Saturday after a worker roadblock stopped production for five days and helped push the metal's price to a two-month high.

The Security Forces again target KNBP in West Papua. One person killed and 3 wounded.

Throughout the week (11 to 18 March) the Yahukimo Regional Branch of the KNBP held a fundraising campaign in support of the United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP).

Dennys Kapa, Jakarta – A blockade by workers at Freeport-McMoRan's Indonesian mine extended into a fifth day on Friday, a union official said, with output still halted but maintenance workers allowed into the Grasberg site by protesters.

Banjir Ambarita, Jayapura – A policeman was assaulted and his firearm stolen during a fundraising event in the separatist eastern province of Papua on Thursday, Indonesian police told the Jakarta Globe.

Hans Nicholas Jong, Jakarta – In conjunction with the recent International Women's Day, the government has laid out its plans to protect Indonesian women from violence, with this year's focus being on the eastern part of the country.

Nethy Dharma Somba, Jayapura – Church leaders grouped under an ecumenical cooperation forum in Papua have urged President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo to establish a Commission of Inquiry into Human Rights Violations (KPP HAM) to probe the Paniai tragedy.

Banjir Ambarita, Jayapura, Papua – Freeport's operations at the Grasberg mine in Papua are being hampered, the company confirmed on Monday, as hundreds of upset employees were blocking access to the facility.

"It is true that we have received a report that some employees have staged a protest this morning," Freeport spokeswoman Daisy Primayanti told the Jakarta Globe.

Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare and the new Indonesian Ambassador to Solomon Islands, Ronald Manik said they want to see a strengthened bilateral relationship between their two countries.

Siteri Sauvakacolo – Support for the indigenous people of West Papua continues to gather momentum.

On Thursday, about 50 Methodist Church heads of divisions signed the solidarity movement for West Papua petition forms at Suva's Centenary Church in support of the call for the freedom of the natives of West Papua.

Jayapura, Jubi – The Independent Student Forum (FIM) urged the National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) to immediately form an inquiry team to investigate the shooting dead of four high school students in Enarotali, Paniai, Papua on December 8, 2014.

The United Nations special rapporteur on torture has criticised the Indonesian government's breakup of demonstrations in West Papua last year, saying it breached international conventions on torture.

The Solomon Islands Foreign Minister says the Melanesian Spearhead Group as a collective supports the right of West Papuans to self-determination.

Milner Tozaka says he related this during his recent talks with Indonesia's Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi in Honiara.

The West Papuan representative body applying for membership in the Melanesian Spearhead Group says it always expected Indonesia's government to increase efforts to counter the application.

Jakarta has been busy forging closer ties with independent Melanesian governments and Indonesia's Foreign Minister has just visited Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands and Fiji.

The Australia West Papua Association in Sydney condemns the intimidation of the staff of the West Papua National Committee (KNPB) Merauke's office by the Indonesian security forces.

Nethy Dharma Somba, Jayapura – One of the world's copper and gold giants, PT Freeport Indonesia, has pledged that it would process some of its copper concentrate at a smelter to be built by the Papua provincial administration and its Chinese partner in the province's regency of Timika.

A West Papuan leader says Indonesian lobbying of regional governments should not dilute the case for West Papuan membership in the Melanesian Spearhead Group.

The comment from the secretary-general of the United Liberation Movement for West Papua, Octo Mote, follows visits by Indonesia's Foreign Minister to Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands and Fiji.

Suva (The Fiji Times/Pacific Media Watch) – About 1000 signatures supporting West Papuan self-determination have been collected by the Ecumenical Centre for Research, Education and Advocacy (ECREA).

This is in solidarity with the West Papua people who have applied to officially join the Melanesian Spearhead Group.

Papua New Guinea's media watchdog has demanded an explanation for why local journalists were blocked from asking questions about West Papua during an official visit by Indonesia's foreign minister, Retno Marsudi.

Ms Marsudi has just wrapped up a three-country tour through the Pacific aimed at strengthening relations with PNG, Solomon Islands and Fiji.

Bagus BT Saragih, Jakarta – Foreign Minister Retno LP Marsudi has completed her one-week tour of four pacific nations, including three members of the Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG), which has just received another membership application from a Papuan resistance group.

Jayapura – Three Indonesian Military (TNI) soldiers at Cenderawasih Military Command are on trial charged with providing ammunition to armed civilian groups in remote Papua.

The Indonesian Foreign Minister is visiting New Zealand today and meeting her counterpart Murray McCully, amid calls in Parliament for them to discuss human rights abuses in Papua.

Raras Cahyafitri, Jakarta – Uncertainty over the gas supply for planned industrial development in the eastern part of the country, particularly Papua and West Papua, has hampered the government program aimed at accelerating the realization of investment in the area, says the head of the Investment Coordinating Board (BKPM).

The Foreign Ministers of Indonesia and Fiji have agreed to intensify consultations together within the Melanesian Spearhead Group framework.

Indonesia, which has special observer status in the MSG, sent its minister Retno Marsudi to three full member MSG countries, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands and Fiji late last week.

Johnny Blades reports.

Jakarta – Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno L.P. Marsudi is rushing to put out diplomatic fires across the Pacific with back-to-back visits to neighbors Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands and Fiji – three members of the intergovernmental organization known as the Melanesian Spearhead Group that have threatened in recent weeks to recognize West Papua as an occupied member state.

Tabita Diela, Jakarta – Indonesia's Investment Coordinating Board, or BKPM, has vowed to accelerate land clearing and power generation permits to support nine investment projects worth a combined $1.3 billion in Papua's Special Economic Zones.

A good crowd gathered yesterday at Ratu Sukuna Park to show their support for a 'Free West Papua' campaign.

Human rights, religious and youth organisations were also present at the campaign. The event is in collaboration with the World Social Justice Day, which is commemorated on February 20 annually.

Jakarta – Papuans and human rights advocates are concerned that President Joko Widodo's visits and campaign promises to the province are merely ceremonial rather than indicative of real change for Papua.

More information has emerged that Indonesian police have shot two more West Papuan civilians in the Yapen Island village of Kontiunai, killing one, after the unprovoked killing of another civilian the day before by a Police patrol.

Port Moresby, PNG – Papua New Guinea Enterprises and State Investment Minister Ben Micah has rejected suggestions that the Prime Minister's announcement of a policy shift on West Papua was a knee-jerk announcement.

Jakarta – The government has dropped its demand that Freeport-McMoran Inc build a $1.5 billion copper smelter in Papua province, saying a regionally owned enterprise would take on the project instead, news website Detik.com reported, quoting the mining minister.

Pacific churches have urged Indonesia's President, Joko Widodo, to honour an election promise to address human rights abuses in West Papua.

The moderator of the Pacific Conference of Churches, Reverend Dr Tevita Havea, says despite Mr Widodo's assurances last year, security forces have continued to torture and kill West Papuans.

Manokwari – The newly formed West Papua Police are expected to recruit more Papuans as policemen, as part of empowerment program for Papuans.

Kennial Caroline Laia, Jakarta – The National Commission on Human Rights, or Komnas HAM, is intensifying its investigation of alleged human rights violations in security forces' deadly shooting of unarmed residents, including women and children, in Paniai, Papua.

The Vanuatu government says it is open to dialogue with Indonesia over the West Papua bid to join the Melanesian Spearhead Group.

The United Liberation Movement for West Papua last week submitted its membership application to the MSG Secretariat in Port Vila.

Vanuatu's government has welcomed a call by the Papua New Guinea prime minister that the time has come to speak out against human rights abuses in West Papua.

In his strongest statement yet about West Papua, Peter O'Neill said PNG had a moral obligation to no longer ignore the indigenous people of its neighbouring territory.

The secretary-general of the United Liberation Movement for West Papua has been in Fiji meeting government and parliament figures as well as church leaders.

Octo Mote is seeking Fiji's support for the Movement's bid to join the Melanesian Spearhead Group.

Fiji's Government and Opposition have indicated their commitment to help West Papua join the Melanesian Spearhead Group.

In meetings with activist Octavianus Mote yesterday, Foreign Minister Ratu Inoke Kubuabola and Opposition Leader Ro Teimumu Kepa showed willingness to support West Papua's bid.

Papua New Guinea's Foreign Minister Rimbink Pato has reaffirmed his government's support for Indonesian territorial sovereignty in West Papua and Papua provinces.

This comes after the PNG Prime Minister Peter O'Neill made his strongest statement yet about human rights abuses in Indonesia's eastern region. Mr O'Neill said the time has come to speak out about oppression of West Papuans.