There are signs that Papua New Guinea's government may be backtracking from comments made by the prime minister last week that it is time to speak out about West Papua. This comes as a fresh bid has been lodged for West Papuan membership at the Melanesian Spearhead Group.
Transcript
Michael Bachelard – The people of Lolat in the high mountains of West Papua had their first experience of a white man in 1968, and it was a culinary one. When Australian missionary Stanley Dale hiked over the ridge into the nearby Seng Valley, his would-be flock mistook him for a demon.
A prominent Australian human rights lawyer has welcomed a statement of support for West Papuans by Papua New Guinea prime minister Peter O'Neill, saying it has "been a long time coming".
Mr O'Neill said he would speak out on behalf of Melanesians in Indonesian West Papua, saying it was "time for PNG to speak about the oppression of our people there".
Papua New Guinea's prime minister Peter O'Neill has promised to do more to speak out on behalf of Melanesians in Indonesian West Papua. In the past, Port Moresby has stuck firmly to its position that West Papua is an integral part of Indonesia. It's been reluctant to talk about human rights abuses or to speak out on behalf of Melanesian separatists.
Papua New Guinea's Prime Minister says the time has come for his government to speak out about oppression of West Papuans in neighbouring Indonesia.
In a departure from his previous deferral to Indonesia on such matters, Peter O'Neill says that PNG cannot keep ignoring abuses by security forces against the indigenous Melanesians of Indonesia's eastern region.
The chairman of the West Papua National Committee, or KNPB, says inclusion in the Melanesian Spearhead Group would open up solutions for his people's self-determination struggle.
Victor Yeimo and other representatives of the United Liberation Movement for West Papua have this week submitted their formal membership application to join the MSG.
Jemima Garrett – Papua New Guinea's prime minister Peter O'Neill has promised to do more to speak out on behalf of Melanesians in Indonesian West Papua.
"Sometimes we forget our own families, our own brothers, especially those in West Papua," Mr O'Neill said. "I think, as a country, time has come for us to speak about the oppression of our people there."
Jakarta – The Foreign Ministry will set up a special desk or working group to handle the Papua issue and to improve the country's engagement with its easternmost province.
The United Liberation Movement for West Papua says it is vital that West Papuans have full membership in the Melanesian Spearhead Group.
The ULM was formed late last year at a major summit of West Papuan representative groups hosted by the Vanuatu government.
Jakarta – The Papuan Students Alliance (AMP) in Semarang city urged the Indonesian government under the leadership of Joko Widodo to close a number of national and foreign companies that are suspected to be involved in human rights abuses in Papua.
Andi Hajramurni, Makassar – Mining giant PT Freeport Indonesia's plan to develop a smelter to process mineral ore in Gresik, East Java, has led to a protest being staged by Papuan students in Makassar, South Sulawesi.
United Liberation Movement for West Papua/ULMWP, newly formed West Papuan coordinating body which comprised of three main resistance groups, namely Federal Republic of West Papua, West Papua National Parliament and West Papua National Coalition for Liberation have submitted their application for membership in the Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG) in Port Vila, Vanuatu today.
Ina Parlina and Raras Cahyafitri, Jakarta – The House of Representatives is pushing the government to make copper giant PT Freeport Indonesia establish its smelter in Papua, increasing concerns over whether the company will be able to complete development by 2017 when a full ban on ore exports will be implemented.
Tabita Diela, Jakarta – Four activists from ProDem, an activist group, filed a citizen lawsuit against President Joko Widodo and Freeport Indonesia, the local unit of US mining giant Freeport-McMoRan, at the Central Jakarta district Court on Monday for allegedly failing to comply with the 2009 Mining Law's requirement on domestic smelting.
Jakarta – Rights group Human Rights Watch (HRW) has said President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo should uphold human rights in Papua and bring perpetrators of rights abuses to justice.
Nethy Dharma Somba and Nani Afrida, Jayapura/Jakarta – The Cenderawasih Military Police Command in Papua is currently questioning five Indonesian Military (TNI) personnel from the Cenderawasih Military Command Adjutant General's (Ajendam) unit, allegedly involved in the sale of ammunition to armed civilian groups.
Jakarta – Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Sudirman Said has criticized PT Freeport Indonesia for what he deemed was poor occupational safety at its mining site in Timika, Papua, with the death toll reaching 30 in occupational accidents over the years.
Nethy Dharma Somba, Jayapura – Papua Governor Lukas Enembe has told PT Freeport Indonesia to establish its planned smelter in Papua or risk being banished from the country's easternmost province.
Ben Hillier – Simon Degei sat amid the ground cover, a gaping hole in his right shoulder obscured by a bloodied tank-top, and his face covered in dirt. It is difficult to tell from the picture precisely how long he had left. But Degei is looking to the sky and his gaze is distant; these are his last moments.
Nethy Dharma Somba, Jayapura – Three more members of an armed group led by Puron Wenda were arrested at a trade center in Jayapura, Papua, on Wednesday.
The three, identified as Rais Wenda, 27, Albert Jikwa, 29, and Fredi Kagoya, 15, were arrested as they traveled on a minibus in the Papua Trade Center in the city.
The West Papua National Liberation Front will submit its application for West Papua to become a full member of the Melanesian Spearhead Group by the end of the next week.
Spokesman Benny Wenda says all the members of the Front representing different political groupings are currently in the Vanuatu capital, Port Vila.
Jakarta – The Papua Police intensively interrogated on Saturday two members of the Puron Wenda-led armed group arrested in Wamena, Papua.
Papua Police spokesman Sr. Comr. Patrige said in Jayapura on Tuesday that the two, identified as Wayunga and Nesmi Wenda, had been arrested near the Sinakma market in Wamena.
Paul Gregoire – Earlier this month, Indonesian forces reportedly burned down villages and conducted mass arrests across the province of West Papua. VICE spoke to Independence leader Benny Wenda about reports of worsening repression.
Jakarta – The National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) has protested the government's approval of giant miner PT Freeport Indonesia's plans to build a smelter in Gresik, East Java, saying that the smelter should be built in Papua to help development in the eastern region.
The Indonesia researcher for Amnesty International says there is little sign of progress being made in the investigation into five students who were killed by the military in West Papua.
In December, security forces opened fire on about 800 protesters gathered outside a police station in the town. Five people were killed, and at least 17 others – including children – were injured.
Sally Andrews – As one of his first official actions as Indonesia's president-elect, Joko Widodo announced his intention to build a presidential palace in West Papua.
Rangga Prakoso, Jakarta – Papua disapproves of mining giant Freeport Indonesia's plan to build a smelter facility outside Papua, calling the move indicative of the company's lack of good deeds to the nation's easternmost province.
Retno Ayuningtyas, Rangga Prakoso & Kennial Caroline Laia, Jakarta – Freeport Indonesia, a unit of the US mining giant Freeport-McMoRan, has given its full commitment to the government to build a copper smelter in East Java as it prepares to spend $15 billion for the expansion of its mining operations in Papua this year, the company's new chief said on Thursday.
Nethy Dharma Somba, Jayapura – Labora Sitorus, a chief brigadier police officer in Raja Ampat, West Papua, has been included on the list of most wanted fugitives in West Papua and a team has been established by the state prosecutor's office in Sorong to hunt him down to serve his 15-year prison sentence.
The international spokesperson for the United Liberation Movement for West Papua says the group will submit its application to join the Melanesian Spearhead Group in February.
The Australia West Papua Association says there was no improvement in the human rights situation in the region in 2014, despite some governments claiming abuses against Papuans are a thing of the past.
Transcript
Fiji's opposition parties have rallied behind the Free West Papua Movement in a move they hope will put pressure on authorities to act.
The Opposition leader, Ro Teimumu Kepa, says the Melanesian people of West Papua have been terrorised for years and hopes for freedom have been suppressed.
An exiled West Papuan independence leader says people from a remote village near the Freeport mine have fled into mountains for fear of the Indonesian military.
Benny Wenda says Indonesian authorities have conducted mass arrests and burned down homes in the village of Utikini.
The Australia West Papua Association says there was no improvement in the human rights situation in the region in 2014, despite some governments claiming abuses against Papuans are a thing of the past. Its new report outlines events and abuses in West Papua last year.
Nethy Dharma Somba, Jayapura – The police in Papua have arrested two civilians suspected of murdering two personnel from the South Sumatra Police's Mobile Brigade (Brimob) in Utikini village, Tembagapura, Mimika, Papua.
The two are also suspected of stealing weapons in the village on Jan. 1. They were identified only by the initials JW and MW.
Jakarta – The National Police Headquarters have set up a fact-finding team to investigate a shooting in Enarotali, Papua, during which four civilians were killed and dozens of others injured on Dec. 8, 2014.
Helen Davidson – Indonesian authorities have conducted mass arrests and burned down the homes of West Papuan villagers in response to the deaths of two police officers, a West Papuan independence leader in exile has claimed.
Andreas Harsono – In December, President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo promised the long-suffering residents of Indonesia's easternmost area of Papua something extraordinary: The opportunity to be heard by their government.
Nethy Dharma Somba, Jayapura – A joint team of National Police (Polri) and Indonesian Military (TNI) personnel is pursuing an armed civilian group led by Ayub Waker suspected to be behind the recent killing of two members of a police Mobile Brigade (Brimob) unit and the theft of their weapons in Tembagapura, Mimika, Papua.
The spokesperson for the global Free West Papua Campaign claims up to 1000 police and military deployed to the Timika region in West Papua have tortured people in the area.
Yustinus Paat, Jakarta – Indonesia's Human Rights Committee announced on Thursday that it had formed a team to investigate possible human rights abuses committed in the fatal shootings of at least five young civilians by security forces in Papua early last month.
Index: ASA 21/001/2015
Jayapura – The Papua Police have nabbed 13 members of an armed separatist group led by Ayub Waker following the deaths of two Mobile Brigade personnel and a Freeport employee in Utikini village, Mimika regency on January 1.
Jakarta – Gold and copper miner PT Freeport Indonesia has appointed former State Intelligence Agency (BIN) deputy chief Maroef Sjamsuddin as its new president director to replace Rozik B. Soetjipto, who has reached retirement age.
Freeport spokesperson Daisy Primayanti said on Wednesday that Maroef, also a retired rear marshal, joined Freeport after retiring from the Air Force.
Richard C. Paddock, Banda Aceh, Indonesia – Vice President Jusuf Kalla, who played a key role in negotiating peace in Aceh after the 2004 tsunami, said he will initiate efforts to bring an end to Papua's long-running conflict with the central government.
West Papua Action Auckland is urging the government to do more to protect people from ongoing security force violence in Indonesia's Papua region.
Jayapura – The Papua Police were hunting an armed group led by Ayub Waker who is believed to be responsible for the recent fatal shootings of two Mobile Brigade (Brimob) officers.
"A platoon of mobile brigade officers from the Timika detachment has been deployed to find Waker's group," Papua Police chief Isp. Gen. Yotje Mende told Antara on Saturday.
Farouk Arnaz, Jakarta – Police have arrested a man suspected to be behind the killings of two policemen and a security guard in Utikini, near Freeport's Grasberg mine in Papua, last week.
"We have identified the perpetrators of the killings... one of the suspects has been arrested," said Insp. Gen. Ronny F. Sompie on Monday.
Banjir Ambarita, Jayapura, Papua – The bloodied bodies of two policemen and a security officer were found in Utikini, near the Grasberg mine in Papua, on Thursday night.
Second Brig. Riyan Hariansah and Second Brig. Adpriadi, both aged 22, and 33-year-old security guard Suko Miartono were found dead shortly after carrying out a patrol in Utikini, Tembagapura, about 9 p.m. local time.
By Made Supriatma
Police