West Papua activists are calling on the new president of Indonesia to begin addressing Papua's human rights grievances during his first official visit there tomorrow.
Joko Widodo, who was inaugurated on Monday, has indicated a discussion on the West Papua situation will be one of his priorities.
Nethy Dharma Somba, Jayapura – The Jayapura District Court in Papua commenced a trial on Monday involving two French television journalists, Thomas Charles Dandois and Marie Valentine Louise Bourrat, who stand accused of misusing their visas.
Banjir Ambarita, Jayapura – The fate of two French journalists detained for reporting on an outlawed independence movement in Papua without the correct visa will be decided this week.
Thomas Dandois and Valentine Bourrat, who were arrested in Wamena on Aug. 6, made their first appearance at Jayapura District Court on Monday.
Markus Junianto Sihaloho, Jakarta – A Golkar Party legislator has criticized President Joko Widodo for saying "Merdeka," or "Freedom," during his inauguration speech, suggesting it was indicative of partisan politics and could have been construed as inciting Papuan independence.
"President Widodo deserves credit for recognizing that Papua's problems demand the urgent attention of his new government. But Widodo should recognize that this government can't just spend its way out of Papua's problems and needs to address an abusive status quo rooted in the persistent human rights violations in Papua." – Phelim Kine, deputy Asia director
Amy McQuire – Two French journalists imprisoned for more than two months in the Indonesian province of West Papua with no charge are facing court today, on the same day of the inauguration of the incoming President Joko Widodo.
John Garnaut, Michael Bachelard – Joko Widodo, who on Monday will be inaugurated as Indonesia's second directly elected president, will quickly move to salve the festering grievances of West Papua.
Two French journalists who were detained by the Indonesian authorities on 6 August are to face trial on Monday (20 October) for "abusive use of entry visas".
Thomas Dandois and Valentine Bourrat were arrested while filming a documentary about the separatist movement in West Papua for the Franco-German broadcaster, Arte TV.
"The Indonesian government's chokehold on Papua media coverage has effectively turned foreign journalism in the province into a criminal activity. The government should drop the charges against Dandois and Bourrat as a first step toward ending the gag on foreign media reporting on Papua." --Phelim Kine, deputy Asia director
66 West Papuan activists were arrested by Indonesian Police in Jayapura and Merauke, Papua on Monday, as rallies calling for respect of press freedom and the release of two French journalists who continue to be imprisoned without charge, attracted thousands of people across Papua and Indonesia.
Held since early August, Valentine Bourrat and Thomas Dandois are to go on trial next week
After holding French journalists Valentine Bourrat and Thomas Dandois in the eastern province of Papua for 70 days, the Indonesian authorities announced yesterday that they will be tried on a charge of misusing an entry visa, which carries a possible five-year jail sentence.
Jayapura – Police have set up a team to investigate gunfire exchanged between members of the 756th infantry battalion and officers of Kelapa Dua Police's Mobile Brigade (Brimob) in Lanny Jaya, Papua on Monday. The incident resulted in the injury of military commander Lt. Ali Okta, who was wounded in his left leg.
Katharina R. Lestari and Ryan Dagur, Jakarta – The arrests on Monday of 49 Papuan protesters represent a deterioration of freedom of expression, Jakarta-based human rights watchdog Indonesian Human Rights Monitor (Imparsial) said today.
There are reports in the West Papuan media that 29 members of the separatist West Papua National Committee, or KNPB, have been arrested by Indonesian government officials.
Jakarta – Freeport-McMoRan Inc's Indonesian unit can resume open-pit mining at its Grasberg complex, one of the world's biggest copper mines, after it agreed to improve safety following a fatal accident last month, a government official said on Monday.
Banjir Ambarita, Jayapura, Papua – A military officer was wounded in a shooting between police officers and soldiers in restive Papua province on Monday.
"It happened in Pirime, Lany Jaya district, this afternoon," Maj. Gen. Fransen G. Siahaan, head of the Cenderawasih military command, told the Jakarta Globe on Monday.
Masrul Fajrin – The Papua Student Alliance (AMP) in the East Java provincial capital of Surabaya held a protest action in front of the Surabaya Grahadi building (governor's office) demanding the immediate release of two French journalists who were arrested not long ago on charges of misusing their passports.
Agus Sigit, Yogya – The Papua Student Alliance (AMP) held an action at the zero kilometre point in the Central Java city of Yogyakarta on the afternoon of Monday October 13. During the action, scores of students called for the release of the two French journalists being detained in West Papua.
AWPA has written to Foreign Minister Julie Bishop concerning the banning of rallies in West Papua called for the 13 October (Letter below).
Michael Taylor and Dennys Kapa, Jakarta – Workers at Freeport-McMoRan Inc's giant Indonesian copper mine are seeking face-to-face talks with local management following a fatal accident, and may plan a further mine blockade or strike action, a union official said.
Wellington (Radio New Zealand International/Pacific Media Watch) – A former prime minister, several high profile members of Parliament and religious leaders have nominated West Papuan leader in exile, Benny Wenda, for the Nobel Peace Prize.
RNZI reports that this is the second year in a row that Wenda has been nominated for the prize.
Hamish Fitzsimmons – Lateline has been told postgraduate students are providing information to Indonesian intelligence about Australian citizens and has obtained photos that are claimed to be of some of the student spies.
The press freedom watchdog Reporters Without Borders and journalists' unions are calling for the release of Thomas Dandois and Valentine Bourrat, two French TV reporters who were arrested in the West Papua area of Indonesia two months ago.
Reporters Without Borders launched a petition on Monday October 6, calling for Dandois and Bourrat's immediate release.
Ross Tapsell – The Australian Senate passed a motion last week, with explicit support from the Foreign Minister's office, expressing concern over the imprisonment of two French journalists for reporting in Indonesia's restive province using tourist visas.
SP/Robert Isidorus, Jayapura, Papua – Nine out of 45 members of the new West Papua legislative council are corruption convicts but nonetheless were inaugurated last week.
The convicts in question have been sentenced to jail terms of two to four years for various graft cases, but have filed appeals at the Supreme Court.
Jayapura – After a long standoff, workers at US mining giant PT Freeport Indonesia have agreed to open access to the Grasberg mine in Tembagapura, Mimika, Papua.
"The blue tent [which was used to block access] has been taken down," Papua Police spokesman Sr. Comr. Pudjo Sulistyo told The Jakarta Post on Friday.
The Free West Papua Campaign is delighted to announce that for the second year in a row, Free West Papua Campaign founder Benny Wenda has been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize.
The Nobel Peace Prize is a prestigious international award, given to some of the most prominent and well known campaigners for peace in the world.
Amy McQuire – The Abbott government has backed a motion calling on Indonesia to dismantle its media ban in West Papua, home to widespread allegations of human rights abuses, but there is doubt this will signal any further change to Australia's policy.
Nethy Dharma Somba, Jayapura – Workers from US-based mining giant PT Freeport Indonesia (FI) have again blockaded road access to the mine site in Tembagapura in Mimika regency, Papua, urging the company's management to take responsibility for workplace accidents occurring in the country's biggest mine.
Jakarta – Workers at Freeport-McMoRan's Indonesian unit are blocking access to the mine site, union and company officials said on Wednesday, to protest against the number of fatal accidents at one of the world's biggest copper mines.
Michael Bachelard – The Abbott government has risked insulting Indonesia again by calling explicitly for more openness in its most sensitive province, West Papua.
Edo Rusyanto, Jakarta – The Blacksteel Group, a property developer, is developing three malls in Sorong regent, West Papua, at a total investment of Rp 600 billion ($50 million), the company's chief operating officer said in Jakarta recently.
Vanuatu's West Papua Unification Committee has confirmed its conference in Port Vila will now be held from the 4th of December following the National Day and flag raising ceremony on the first.
The Jakarta Foreign Correspondents Club is calling on the incoming administration of Joko Widodo to immediately lift all restrictions on foreign journalists travelling to the Papua region.
It says it's concerned by the continued detention without charge of French journalists Valentine Bourrat and Thomas Dandois.
The West Papua conference that was expected to open in Vanuatu next week has been postponed.
The West Papua Reunification Committee's chairman, Pastor Alan Nafuki, says the meeting will now take place from October the 30th.
Banjir Ambarita, Jayapura – An Indonesian soldier was killed following an armed attack at a market in Puncak Jaya Regency in Papua on Thursday.
Spokesman for the Papua military command Lt. Col. Rikas Hidayatullah told the Jakarta Globe that four members of the Indonesian Military (TNI) were ambushed at a traditional market in Ilaga on Sept. 25.
Auckland (Pacific Media Watch/The Fiji Times) – The New Zealand Council of Trade Unions (NZCTU) has called on Prime Minister John Key to pressure Indonesian President Joko Widodo to release two French journalists and a West Papuan indigenous leader from prison.
A Green Party MP has urged the returning government in New Zealand to make good on the recently passed parliament resolution to press for media freedom in West Papua.
Alison Bevege – A face frowned through the glass at a bright banner waving on a fishing rod below the consulate window. 15 years in an Indonesian jail can be the penalty for flying the Morningstar flag, symbol of the West Papuan independence movement. But Jakarta's little patch of Sydney lay 50 cm away, separated from Australian soil by a stern metal fence.
Auckland (Pacific Media Watch) – The New Zealand government and the French Embassy in Wellington were today called on at a vigil to put pressure on Indonesia to free two French journalists and their sources imprisoned in West Papua.
Anna Majavu – The visit by the South African government and 17 unnamed South African companies to Indonesia last week has thrown into stark relief the ANC government's hypocrisy in its international relations with countries that are guilty of human rights abuses.
Jakarta, Indonesia – Theo Hesegem was carrying a foreigner on his motorbike when a pair of police intelligence officers pulled up behind him and ordered him to stop.
Jerry Omona, Jayapura – General Coordinator of the National Army of Free Papuan Organization (OPM) Lambert Pekikir has rejected the change of Special Autonomy Law of 2001 into Special Autonomy Plus. He said that the Special Autonomy Plus, as realized by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (SBY) yesterday, is a waste of time.
Nick Miller, Edinburgh – Over a long night, through the wee hours, Scotland will count its referendum votes as an army of scrutineers keep an eye on proceedings.
Some of them are there out of passion, some out of concern, some for loyalty, some for civic duty. But for Benny Wenda it is so he can dream.
Harry Pearl & Banjir Ambarita, Jakarta – An alliance of non-governmental organizations from Indonesia and abroad has addressed the UN Human Rights Council to demand the Indonesian government improve freedom of expression in Papua and West Papua.
Jakarta – Indonesia's Supreme Court has increased the prison sentence handed to a Papua-based police officer found guilty of laundering up to Rp 1.5 trillion ($132 million) in criminal proceeds to 15 years.
Amnesty International says a Papuan human rights lawyer, defending a tribal leader accused of separatist activities by Indonesian authorities, has been attacked. Amnesty says it has concerns for the safety of Anum Siregar
UA: 232/14 Index: ASA 21/027/2014
Papuan human rights lawyer Anum Siregar was attacked by an unknown person in Wamena, Papua province. She is currently defending a tribal leader who is a prisoner of conscience accused of supporting separatist activities. There are concerns for her safety.
West Papuan campaigners, supporters and students gathered in Auckland for a memorial ceremony for the Vanuatu-based exile John Ondawame who died recently in Port Vila.
Banjir Ambarita, Jayapura – A senior police officer in Papua province has been fired over a personal indiscretion and another for his alleged involvement in a gambling racket, while a third has been linked to a knife attack on a lawyer for a prominent activist.