Banjir Ambarita, Jayapura – A member of the Free Papua Organization was killed in a firefight with security officers at an airfield in Lanny Jaya district, a military spokesman said on Wednesday.

Over 80 delegates from West Papua and other countries are expected to converge on Port Vila at the start of next month to attend the West Papua Conference.

Michael Bachelard, Jakarta – The families of two French journalists imprisoned indefinitely for reporting in West Papua without a visa have spoken out for the first time to beg the Indonesian government for mercy.

The Pacific Freedom Forum says Indonesia's President-elect Joko Widodo should keep his campaign promise to open up access to West Papua.

The regional media organisation has criticised Indonesian authorities for doing nothing to countermand the arrests of two French journalists in Papua province.

ALRC-COS-27-15-2014
Speaker: Mr. Budi Tjahjono
HRC section: Item 3, General Debate

A Joint Oral Statement to the 27th Session of the UN Human Rights Council from 23 NGOs.

Mr. President,

Marie Dhumieres – Jakarta, Indonesia – "It's safe here in Papua. There is nothing to hide."

That's what Indonesian President-elect Joko Widodo said when asked on the campaign trail whether foreign journalists would be allowed into West Papua. "Why not?" he said.

The body of one of West Papua's most prominent freedom fighters, John Ondawame, was buried in Port Vila Thursday afternoon. Dr Ondawame, who has been living in Vanuatu, died last week.

Jayapura, Papua – The immigration office in Jayapura, Papua, is continuing to work on the legal process for two French journalists who have been detained for abusing their tourist visas.

Michael Bachelard, Jakarta – Indonesian authorities are seeking the maximum five-year jail sentence for a pair of French journalists arrested last month for working on tourist visas in the province of West Papua.

The call by Indonesia's Immigration Department highlights the country's paranoia about foreign media scrutiny of affairs in the restive province.

Margareth S. Aritonang, Jakarta – President-elect Joko "Jokowi" Widodo is being urged to dissolve the current government's Special Unit of Acceleration of Development in Papua and West Papua (UP4B), an institution that activists and analysts have deemed a failure.

The Secretary-General of the West Papua National Coalition for Liberation says the West Papuan cause has lost a good leader, following the death of Dr John Otto Ondawame.

Amnesty International has called on the Indonesian government to stop attacking freedom of expression in Papua.

That comes after a number of arrests of pro-independence activists as well as two French journalists who were making a documentary on the independence movement.

Jakarta – The Press Council urged the government to deport French journalists Thomas Charles Dandois and Louise Marie Valentine Burrot to their home country.

"They did not only misuse their tourist visas, but also contacted a number of sources in Papua," the council chairman Bagir Manan told reporters in a conference in Jakarta on Friday, as quoted by Antara news agency.

Auckland (Pacific Media Watch/West Papua Media Alerts) – Indonesian intelligence officers are targeting West Papuan journalists and independence leaders for "potentially having contact" with two French journalists who were arrested in West Papua almost a month ago, says independent Australian-based agency West Papua Media.

AWPA has written to the Indonesian President concerning the intimidation against human rights lawyer Gustaf Kawer

Australia West Papua Association (Sydney)
PO Box 28, Spit Junction, NSW 2088

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono
President of the Republic of Indonesia?
Jl. Veteran No. 16
Jakarta Pusat

3 September 2014

Dear President Yudhoyono,

Asian media organisations have urged the Indonesian government to immediately release two French journalists who have spent a month in jail in Papua.

Thomas Dandois and Valentine Bourrat face up to five years in jail and 42,000 US dollar fines, after being accused of breaching their tourist visas by practising journalism.

Regional rights groups are hoping they can convince Indonesian authorities to free two French journalists in Papua province.

The journalists, who were making a documentary on the West Papuan independence movement, have been in custody for a month on immigration charges. A local leader who had met with them is also being held on charges of rebellion.

Amy McQuire – An alliance of South East Asian journalists have called on the Indonesian government to release two French journalists jailed in the province of Papua, claiming that their continued detention without charge is illegal.

Amy McQuire – A West Papuan pro-independence activist has been found dead less than a week after he went missing in the lead-up to Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's visit to the region.

Jakarta – Immigration officials have extended the detention period of two French journalists accused of violating the terms of their tourist visas by carrying out reporting work in Papua.

Jakarta – Human rights watchdog Amnesty International has demanded an end to what it calls the Indonesian security forces' attacks on freedom of the expression in Papua, following the arrest and torture last month of two students for allegedly painting pro-independence graffiti.

Papua – Two French tourists detained at the Jayapura Immigration Office claim they were simply carrying out their journalistic duties while in Papua.

Further information on UA: 199/14 Index: ASA 21/023/2014 Indonesia Date: 29 August 2014

One of the two Papuan students tortured or otherwise ill-treated by police has been released. The other is still in detention and has been charged for his peaceful political activism in Indonesia's West Papua province.

Index: ASA 21/022/2014

Indonesian authorities must end attacks on freedom of expression in the country's Papuan region, Amnesty International said. Recent attacks highlight the repressive environment faced by political activists and journalists in the area and the ongoing impunity for human rights violations by security forces there.

Amy McQuire – An international human rights group is calling for urgent action after two West Papuan students, one still a child, were allegedly beaten and detained for peaceful protest.

Jayapura – The body of West Papua National Committee (KNPB) leader Marthinus Yohame, buried at the Sorong city cemetery on Aug. 27, reportedly did not undergo an autopsy.

Democratic Labour Party Senator John Madigan has urged the Australian Government to not turn a blind eye to Indonesia's treatment of the indigenous population of Papua province.

Jayapura, Papua – Two tourists from France, who have been detained in Jayapura immigration office, Papua, confessed to have taken coverage while staying in Papua, head of Immigration in Jayapura, Gardu Tampubolon said here on Friday.

Nethy Dharma Somba, Jayapura – Human rights activists called on police on Wednesday to investigate the death of the Sorong Raya West Papua National Committee (KNPB) chairman Marthinus Yohame.

"It's very shocking that the body was found inside a gunny sack floating on the sea," West Papua human rights lawyer Yan Christian Warinussy told The Jakarta Post.

Nethy Dharma Somba, Jayapura – The Papua Police are preparing for an autopsy to be carried out to reveal the cause of death of Marthinus Yohame, 27, who was the head of the Sorong Raya chapter of the West Papua National Committee (KNPB), whose body was found wrapped in a sack in Nana waters near Port Dom in Sorong, West Papua.

The Australian West Papua Association says Australia's proposed anti-terrorism laws could be applied to activist groups like itself in the future.

A spokesperson for the Australian Democratic Labour Party says the arrest of two French journalists in West Papua is unacceptable, and has called on Australia to review its support to Indonesia.

Robert Dandois and Valentine Bourrat were arrested two weeks ago for allegedly violating their tourist visas by reporting for a French-German television station, Arte.

Jerry Omona, Reza Aditya, Antara, Jakarta – Several Papuan figures urged president and vice president-elect Joko Widodo and Jusuf Kalla to solve past human rights violations and straighten history of Papua's integration to Indonesia as violence may re-emerge if it is not solved.

Michael Bachelard – Indonesian president-elect Joko Widodo has promised to build a presidential palace on the shores of West Papua's picturesque Lake Sentani as a sign he will pay more attention to the resource-rich but troubled region.

The plan, which includes regular meetings for dialogue with Papuan leaders, has met a mixed reception from senior local figures.

An exiled West Papuan independence activist, Benny Wenda, says he doubts Indonesia's newly elected president, Joko Widodo, will make any difference to the suffering of his people under Indonesia's military stranglehold.

Phelim Kine – French reporters Thomas Dandois and Valentine Bourrat have spent the past two weeks in a police jail cell on Indonesia's island of Papua.

The two journalists, who domestic media have reported were producing a documentary on the restive province for Franco-German Arte TV, are just the latest victims of the Indonesian government's Papua censorship obsession.

Johan Chang – A recent seminar on human rights issues in West Papua has focused questions about New Zealand's priority on trade relations over press freedom and rights violations.

Nethy Dharma Somba, Jayapura – Celebrations for Indonesia's 69th Independence Day in Tiom, the capital of Lanny Jaya regency, Papua, passed off peacefully on Sunday, with a flag-raising ceremony led by Lanny Jaya Regent Befa Jigibalom.

Lasse Underbjerg – After an election campaign filled with turmoil and nerve-wrecking rivalry, Joko Widodo has been elected as the new president for the world's third largest democracy with 53.2 percent of the votes.

Bambang Muryanto, Yogyakarta – Hundreds of Papuan students in Yogyakarta affiliated with the Papuan Students Alliance (AMP) rallied in Yogyakarta on Friday, demanding the release of two French journalists being held by the Papua Police.

Jakarta – The XVII/Cendrawasih Military Command chief spokesman Lt. Col. Rikas Hidayatullah said Saturday some 500 members of the separatist Free Papua Movement (OPM) in West Papua swore allegiance to Indonesia and handed over the Morning Star flag and five firearms.

Craig Hoyle – Political activists are using this month's "Pacific shame" seminar in New Zealand to highlight the plight of indigenous West Papuans, and some say they fear the extinction of their people.

Two French journalists arrested in the Indonesian province of Papua late last week remain in detention on charges relating to misusing their visas.

A local activist, himself just released from prison, is calling for their immediate release. But Victor Yeimo is also keen to highlight that the fate of the journalists is something the local population faces everyday.

Yuliasri Perdani, Jakarta – Police in Papua say they have found indications that two French journalists who have been held in custody since Aug. 6 for allegedly abusing their tourist visas could be involved in espionage.

The Chairman of the Vanuatu-based West Papua Unification Committee says they won't defer to Indonesia on the issue of West Papuan self-determination aspiration.

Pastor Allan Nafuki's statement comes at a time as Indonesia has sent an official delegation on a diplomatic visit to Port Vila this week.

Nethy Dharma Somba, Jayapura – The improper implementation of policy and lack of attention to security-related problems in Papua are said to be the root causes of the ongoing separatist movements in the region.

Michael Bachelard, Jakarta – The detention of two French journalists in the Indonesian province of West Papua has taken a dangerous new turn, with local police suggesting the pair were present at an exchange of ammunition by a separatist group and should be charged with subversion.

The Vanuatu-based West Papua Unification Committee has postponed this month's planned West Papua conference to early October.

Nethy Dharma Somba, Jayapura – Authorities in Jayapura, Papua, continue to investigate two French journalists who were arrested on Aug. 6, for allegedly abusing their tourist visas.

Vanuatu's Prime Minister Joe Natuman has reconfirmed his government's support for West Papuan independence aspirations to Indonesia's government.