The Indonesian President Joko Widodo (better known as Jokowi) promised to make Papua one of his priorities if elected as president. However, it is unfortunate that ministers in his government are making statements that are raising alarm amongst the West Papuan people.

Paris (Reporters sans Frontieres/Pacific Media Watch) – French journalists Thomas Dandois and Valentine Bourrat have returned to France after being detained for 11 weeks in the Indonesian Melanesian province of Papua, where a court in Papua's capital, Jayapura, convicted them last week of misusing tourist visas to work as journalists.

Jakarta – Workers at Freeport-McMoRan Inc's Indonesian copper mine have cancelled a planned one-month strike due to start next week, a union official said on Friday, after reaching an agreement with the company's management following two days of talks.

Nic Maclellan – Writing in Crikey yesterday, Indonesia analyst Jim Della-Giacoma said the appointment of retired general Ryamizard Ryacudu as new Indonesian Defence Minister "could have been worse". But if you're West Papuan, it's hard to see how.

Banjir Ambarita, Jayapura – Authorities in Papua have arrested a police officer and are questioning three soldiers suspected of supplying ammunition to an armed separatist cell blamed for attacks that killed at least six police officers in the past three years.

Protestors staged a demonstration outside Indonesia's embassy in New Zealand today, calling for media freedom in West Papua.

This follow's last week's conviction of two French journalists for misusing their tourist visas to work in Indonesia's Papua province. The pair, who were arrested and detained in August, were sentenced in Jayapura to two and half months in prison.

Amy McQuire – In spite of the outcome, free press advocates are warning the charges laid against a pair of French journalists could make it even harder to report from the province. Amy McQuire reports.

Nethy Dharma Somba, Jayapura – Yohana Susana Yembise might have had a bitter pill to swallow when she was defeated as a candidate to become the 2014-2019 Biak Numfor regent in Papua, but she was headed for a better future after being appointed as the minister for women's empowerment and child protection in the administration of President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo.

Jakarta – Workers at Freeport-McMoRan's giant Indonesian copper mine plan to go on strike for a month from next week, a union official said on Monday, after the company failed to make changes to local management following a fatal accident.

Jakarta – Human Rights Watch (HRW) deputy Asia director Phelim Kine says the arrest and conviction of two French journalists, Thomas Dandois and Valentine Bourrat, reflects the Indonesian government's willingness to steamroll over journalists' rights in order to keep foreign media from reporting on Papua.

Reporters Without Borders welcomes the imminent release of Thomas Dandois and Valentine Bourrat, two French journalists who have been held for the past 11 weeks in Indonesia's eastern province of Papua on a charge of misusing their tourist visas to do investigative reporting.

Michael Bachelard, Jakarta – Two French journalists have been sentenced to two months and 15 days imprisonment in an Indonesian jail for reporting in the West Papua province while on a tourist visa.

The sentence means Thomas Dandois and Valentine Bourrat will be out of prison and free to return to France next week.

Jayapura – Two French journalists were on Friday handed short jail terms for illegally reporting in Papua, sparking calls for the new Indonesian government to lift long-standing restrictions on foreigners covering the restive province.

Phelim Kine – Indonesia's media freedom sustained a worrying blow on Friday when a court in Jayapura, on the country's easternmost island of Papua, convicted French journalists Thomas Dandois and Valentine Bourrat of "abusive use of entry visas."

Banjir Ambarita, Jakarta – Two French journalists arrested in Papua for operating without journalism visas should serve four months in jail and face a cursory $200 fine, prosecutors in the region said on Thursday.

"It's the maximum request and we hope it will be a lesson for foreigners to not violate their visas in Indonesia," lead prosecutor Sukanda said.

Media Release on behalf of West Papua Action Auckland, EPMU Print and Media Council and the NZ Media Freedom Network.

West Papua Action Auckland, the EPMU Print and Media Council and the NZ Media Freedom Network call on the Minister of Foreign Affairs to speak out in support of the two French TV journalists whose trial has just begun in Jayapura West Papua.

Jakarta – President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo should use his first official visit to Papua and West Papua on Thursday to endorse specific measures to address serious human rights problems on the country's easternmost island, according to a New York-based rights watchdog.

Nethy Dharma Somba, Jayapura – The Jayapura District Court resumed on Tuesday a trial of two French journalists, Thomas Charles Dandois and Marie Valentine Bourrat, hearing from three witnesses from the prosecution who were not able to confirm that the defendants undertook journalistic activities.

Efforts by Indonesia's new President to solve political, social and economic issues in Papua region may be restricted by a lack of support from national parliamentarians.

Joko Widodo, who was inaugurated on Monday, has indicated that addressing lingering grievances of West Papua will be one of his first priorities.

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.