Jakarta – A total of 53 people are being questioned over the fatal shootings of at least five young civilians by security forces in Papua earlier this month, police say, but there are doubts about the credibility and impartiality of the investigation.

Jayapura – The government announced Sunday that it would halt the establishment of new administrative regions in Papua as the current ones had yet to improve people's welfare.

Human Rights Watch says the Indonesian President's condemnation of the killing of Papuan civilians by the military has come too late.

Joko Widodo, who has been in the province for Christmas celebrations, says the incident in Paniai in which 5 protesters were killed, and 17 people – including children – were injured was deplorable.

Prashanth Parameswaran – Indonesian president Joko "Jokowi" Widodo is now on a weekend visit to the restive eastern region of the province of Papua to begin to address a half-century long separatist insurgency that continues to simmer there.

Banjir Ambarita, Jayapura – President Joko Widodo has told a crowd in Papua that the shooting of five young civilians in the province earlier this month is unacceptable, and that the government will soon form a fact-finding team to investigate the case.

Hans Nicholas Jong, Jakarta – President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo attended the national Christmas celebration in Papua on Saturday, marking the first time the country's easternmost province played host to the event.

Ina Parlina, Jakarta – Only hours before leaving Jakarta for Papua to attend national Christmas celebrations, President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo summoned the leaders of the Indonesian Communion of Churches (PGI) and the Bishops Council of Indonesia (KWI) to get input on what should be addressed in Papua.

The climate of fear in Papua inhibits local people from publicly discussing security force abuses. The Witness and Victim Protection Agency can help Enarotali residents who wish to give their account to do so with greater safety. – Phelim Kine, deputy Asia director

Margareth S.

Malang/Jakarta – President Joko Widodo's plan to visit Papua for Christmas has been labeled the "worst Christmas present" by a group of students protesting about the shooting of five young civilians in the province earlier this month.

Ina Parlina, Jakarta – President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo is slated to go to Papua to celebrate Christmas this year and also plans to meet local residents to hear their aspirations on various issues.

Mohammad Arief Hidayat, D.A. Pitaloka, Malang – As many as 30 Papuan students from the Papua Student Alliance (AMP) in the East Java city of Malang held a protest action in front of the Malang Regional House of Representatives (DPRD) on Friday December 19.

Yogya – Papua students from the Papua Student Alliance (AMP) in the Central Java city of Yogyakarta held a protest action to commemorate Trikora at the zero kilometre point intersection in front of the central post office on the afternoon of Friday December 19.

The chair of the Indonesian National Commission on Human Rights has blamed police abuses in Papua province on the failure of the force to "adapt" to a democratic Indonesia.

The United Liberation Movement for West Papua secretary-general says the Governors of West Papua and Papua provinces have no political power when it comes to facing Indonesia's government.

The head of the newly formed United Liberation Movement for West Papua says the nature of Indonesia's deployment of security forces to the Papua region indicates it s a war zone.

Octo Mote says current killings and human rights abuses in Papua region indicate that Indonesia still takes a hardline militaristic approach to daily issues there.

Christian children in Indonesia's most easterly province are bearing the brunt of a multi-faceted Islamisation programme that is changing the character of the formerly Christian-majority region.

A New Zealand human rights activist says there is blanket impunity for Indonesia's police and no one in a position of responsibility has ever been held to account for abuses in West Papua.

Maire Leadbeater was at a rally in Auckland today, responding to the shooting death of five school students in Papua on December the 8th.

AWPA has written to the Australian Foreign Minister urging her to raise concerns about the recent killings in West Papua.

Warren Doull – The recent massacre in Paniai, Papua has moved Indonesia further away from a 'Papua Solution.' Five protesters were killed when a combined force of Indonesian police and military opened fire on unarmed demonstrators on Dec. 8.

Jakarta – Indonesian President Joko Widodo must form a fact-finding team to investigate a bloody police crackdown on protesters in Paniai district, Papua, that saw five people killed, a prominent clergyman has said.

Jakarta – Secretary-general of the Presidium of the Papua Council (PDP) Thaha Alhamid said Christmas would serve as a good opportunity for President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo to discuss and find peaceful solutions to issues in Papua.

Nethy Dharma Somba and Margareth S. Aritonang, Jayapura/Jakarta – Church leaders in Papua have opposed President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo's plan to visit the province for a national Christmas celebration in Jayapura on Dec. 27, citing the absence of a response by the state to Monday's Enarotali shooting incident that claimed the lives of five civilians and injured 21 others.

Nethy Darma Somba and Hasyim Widhiarto, Papua/Jakarta – Human rights activists have demanded that President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo form an independent team to probe a shooting in Paniai, Papua, that claimed the lives of five civilians and injured 21.

Admin MS, Jakarta – Commemorating International Human Rights Day, peaceful actions were held in several Indonesian cities calling on the administration of President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo and Vice President Jusuf Kalla (Jokowi-JK) to fully investigate the human rights violations that have taken place in the land of Papua.

Ben Bohane – In a gathering of West Papuan leaders in Vanuatu last week, different factions of the independence movement united to form a new body called the United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP).

Surabaya – Scores of Papuan students in East Java provincial capital of Surabaya held a protest action on Wednesday December 10 to express their concern over the clash between civilians and security forces in Enarotali, Papua.

Arie Sunaryo – The Indonesian military (TNI) and police (Polri) must be held accountable for the violence that has been occurring in Papua.

This statement was made by the Papuan Student Alliance (AMP) during a demonstration at the Gladag traffic circle in the Central Java city of Solo on the afternoon of Wednesday December 10.

Yogyakarta – Scores of Papuan students held a demonstration at the Gadjah Mada University (UGM) traffic circle in the Central Java city of Yogyakarta on Tuesday afternoon, December 9.

The action took place to coincide with a visit by President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo who was scheduled to give a public lecture before hundreds of UGM academics.

Bandung – Papuan students from the group Solidarity for Papua (SUP) held a protest action at the governor's office in the West Java provincial capital of Bandung on Wednesday December 10.

Andreas Gerry Tuwo, Jakarta – It turns out that the demonstrations currently taking place at the Hotel Indonesia traffic circle in Central Jakarta are not just being held by labour organisations opposing the increase in the price of subsidised fuel.

Michael Bachelard – Police and military brass in Indonesia have begun distancing themselves from blame for the shooting deaths of five young West Papuan civilians in the highlands region of Paniai.

Michael Bachelard, Jakarta – Indonesian President Joko Widodo has agreed to "follow up" Monday's shooting deaths of up to five civilians by security forces in the restive West Papua region.

The men who were protesting in a village square in Paniai were shot dead when police fired into the crowd.

Index: ASA 21/032/2014

Amnesty International is extremely concerned about reports that Indonesian security forces opened fire and killed at least five men, all students, in Paniai, Papua province. The new government must put an end to the climate of impunity for perpetrators of such abuses. Amnesty International is calling for an investigation into the killings.

Jakarta – The Indonesian authorities should prevent the use of excessive force, which has often led to fatalities, in dealing with civil protests in Papua, a New York-based human rights group has said.

Ezra Sihite, Jakarta – Indonesia's National Police chief on Wednesday denied police were behind a fatal shooting in Papua which killed at least four people and injured more than 20.

Police dispatched a special team to the mountainous Paniai district on Tuesday to investigate the incident, which they say left four people dead, but a human rights monitor says killed five.

Hasyim Widhiarto, Jakarta – The public should not be too quick to place blame on the law enforcers allegedly involved in a recent deadly shooting in Papua as the incident might have been triggered by unknown parties, a senior minister has said.

Kennial Caroline Laia, Ezra Sihite & Banjir Ambarita, Jakarta – Monday's deadly shootings of unarmed protestors by security forces in Papua that killed as many as five teenagers, has sparked fears that a new era of violence in Indonesia' easternmost region has begun.

The Indonesian government needs to investigate why security forces found it necessary to fire into a crowd of peaceful protesters. – Phelim Kine, deputy Asia director

Nethy Dharma Somba, Jayapura – Five civilians were shot and killed and 21 others were injured on Monday when security personnel dispersed a crowd that was gathering and dancing at the Karel Gobai Field in Madi district, Paniai regency, Papua.

Jakarta – Indonesia's National Police have launched an investigation following the fatal shooting of at least four teenagers at the hands of security forces in Papua.

A spokesperson for the newly-formed United Liberation Movement for West Papua, Benny Wenda, says its creation is one of the West Papua independence movement's most significant steps in dealing with Indonesia.

Nethy Dharma Somba, Jayapura – The Papuan Provincial Police deployed an investigating team to Enarotali, Paniai, Papua, on Monday to carry out an investigation into the deaths of five Papuans who died when police opened fire on protesters.

Banjir Ambarita, Jakarta – Six people were reportedly killed while several others remained in a critical condition after a group of police officers and soldiers allegedly opened fire on demonstrators in restive Papua province on Monday morning.

Oktovianus Pogau, Jayapura – The most saddening Christmas gift for the Papuan people this December was the death of five civilians in Paniai regency, Papua, who were shot dead by a joint unit made up of the municipal police (Polresta) and the Indonesian military (TNI) on Monday December 8 at around 10am.

Michael Bachelard – Five West Papuan people were shot dead and 12 others injured when Indonesian troops and police fired into a crowd of civilians in the highlands region of Paniai on Monday.

Nethy Dharma Somba, Jayapura – Four civilians were reportedly shot and killed by a joint police and military force in an incident at Karen Gobai Square in Madi district, Paniai regency, Papua, on Monday.

West Papua's bid to join the Melanesian Spearhead Group is one step closer, after delegates at a meeting in Vanuatu agreed to form an umbrella organisation to represent their interests.

Ricardo Hutahaean, Paniai – The situation in Paniai regency remains tense following a shooting by a joint unit of Indonesian military (TNI) and police (Polri) on Monday December 8. The shooting, which was intended to disburse a group of protesters, left five people dead, three in a critical condition and 22 others injured.

Five civilians were shot dead by a joint force of Indonesian Police and Military in Paniai, on Monday 8th December.

First reports in the local media indicate that the incident seems to have occurred over an altercation between children and a police patrol car.