An Indonesian parliamentarian, Eva Sundari, says there should be no restriction for foreign journalists wanting to go to Papua.

Michael Field – A 23-strong delegation of politicians from Indonesia-controlled Papua is heading to New Zealand amidst controversy that they're on a junket with little perceived benefit.

The Jakarta Globe said the delegation had only one appointment in its five-day trip to New Zealand – to visit the son of the delegation leader in Palmerston North.

Nethy Dharma Somba, Jayapura – Two members of the West Papua Provincial Legislative Council (DPRD) and the director of a provincial business appeared at the Jayapura Corruption Court on Wednesday as their trials began concerning a Rp 22 billion (US$1.89 million) graft case.

Banjir Ambarita & Robert Isidorus, Jayapura – The entire membership of the Papua provincial legislature, including a corruption convict and other officials accused of embezzling social aid funds, has left or is preparing to leave on costly overseas trips with little perceived benefit to the people of one of Indonesia's least developed regions.

Nethy Dharma Somba, Jayapura – Dozens of Cendrawasih University students staged a mass rally to protest the Papua autonomy plus draft currently being considered by the provincial administration. The students argued that the draft didn't take into account the interests of the people.

Gloria Bauai – The Free West Papua campaign PNG chapter office was launched yesterday by international campaigner Benny Wenda.

This entity based in Port Moresby will coordinate and centralise the awareness and advocacy efforts in Papua New Guinea on the West Papuan issue.

Nethy Dharma Somba, Jayapura – Hundreds of students from various universities in Jayapura, Papua, continued protesting against the Papua administration bill, also known as the special autonomy plus bill, which is still in draft form and will soon be submitted to an assistance team at the Home Ministry in Jakarta.

Olivia Rondonuwu – High in the snow-capped mountains, the sight of tribesmen roaming in loincloths contrasts sharply with that of miners using hi-tech machinery to extract gold and copper ore at a huge US-owned facility in remote Papua province.

Thousands of Papuan university and high school students led demonstrations in Jayapura on November 4, firmly rejecting attempts by Jakarta to impose the revived "new, improved" version of the failed Special Autonomy package, named "Otsus Plus".

Banjir Ambarita – An alleged member of the Free Papua Movement (OPM), an outlawed militant separatist organization, was shot dead by soldiers in Papua's Puncak Jaya province on Monday morning.

"One member of the armed group was shot and a firearm was confiscated," Maj. Gen. Christian Zebua, the top Indonesian military (TNI) officer in Papua, told the Jakarta Globe.

West Papuan independence leader Mr. Benny Wenda is presently in Papua New Guinea (PNG). Throughout the month of November (2013) Mr. Wenda, other PNG-based advocates for West Papuan independence and concerned Papua New Guineans will initiate a series of activities.

Oktovianus Pogau, Papuan, Jakarta – On Monday afternoon scores of youth and students from the Papua Student Alliance (AMP) held a peaceful demonstration at the House of Representatives (DPR) building to declare their opposition to the creation of 33 new operational areas (DOB, new administrative areas) in Papua.

Cunding Levi, Jayapura – Thousands of Papuan students marched to protest against the Draft Bill on Special Autonomy Plus. The protesters marched for 30 kilometers from Abepura to Jayapura, carrying banners and shouting "Special Autonomy Plus bring no change to Papuans."

While they are keenly awaiting the decision on their membership of the Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG), West Papua activists are travelling the Pacific lobbying countries to support their bid.

Jakarta – The National Family Planning and Population Board (BKKBN) has said the maternal mortality rate in Papua Province remains high.

Deborah Snow – Two recent accounts by former Australian defence force personnel who worked in the Indonesian province of Irian Jaya (now West Papua) in 1977 suggests there was ADF knowledge at that time of alleged atrocities committed by Indonesian troops.

Nethy Dharma Somba and Panca Nugraha, Jayapura/Mataram – The governor of Papua, Lukas Enembe, has strongly rejected the plan to split the province, as the planned creation of a south Papua province and a central Papua province did not follow the proper procedures.

Banjir Ambarita, Jayapura – A report from the Supreme Audit Agency from July 6 shows that a presidential adviser and several Papuan legislators received hundreds of millions of rupiah last under the guise of social aid from the from the budget of one of the least developed provinces in the country.

Thea Cowie & Sacha Payne – A report claims Australia provided Indonesia with helicopters which were used to carry out 'genocidal' attacks in West Papua in the late 1970s.

Kate Lamb – Allegations of genocide, rape and napalm bombs dropped on the restive province of West Papua in the late 1970s are likely to be 'stonewalled' by the Indonesian government, analysts say.

Dessy Sagita & Rizki Amelia – Indonesia is responsible for a genocidal military operation carried out in Papua between 1977-1978, which killed more than 4,000 indigenous Papuans, including women and children, the Hong Kong-based Asian Human Rights Commission and Human Rights and Peace for Papua said in a statement released Thursday.

Cathy Harper – An extensive new report has been released, containing graphic detail of the alleged murder, rape and torture of more than 4,000 Papuans by Indonesian military in the late 1970s.

Oliver Milman – Helicopters supplied by Australia were used by Indonesia in a "genocidal" crackdown on civilians in West Papua in the 1970s, a new report has claimed.

Jenny Denton – Research into one of the most violent episodes in the history of West Papua claims that helicopters provided to Indonesia by the Australian government were used in military operations in the 1970s that amounted to genocide.

Marni Cordell – Experts in refugee law have warned that Australia cannot pass off to Papua New Guinea its responsibility to process the claims of seven West Papuan asylum seekers.

Daniel Drageset – A petition to revoke the ban on media reporting from West Papua has been initiated by press freedom groups.

Karen Barlow and staff – The Australian Department of Defence has rejected claims that Australian-supplied helicopters were used by Indonesia's military to kill Papuan civilians in the late 1970s.

AHRC-PRL-017-2013

Banjir Ambarita, Jayapura – Security officials at Freeport Indonesia's massive Grasberg Mine have detained nine foreign nationals who said they were mountain climbers, according to a source within the company.

Early reports received from West Papua Media stringers have described another serious and violent crackdown across West Papua on October 19 by Indonesian security forces, against peaceful gatherings commemorating the third anniversary of the brutal crackdown on the Third Papuan Congress in October 2011.

Jenny Denton, Melbourne – Swedish pension fund authorities have followed the lead of counterparts in Norway and New Zealand in divesting all holdings in the American company Freeport McMoRan, which operates the world's biggest copper and gold mine in the contested province of Papua, in Indonesia.

In several centres across West Papua on October 16, Indonesian police and army (TNI) have again cracked down violently on peaceful political demonstrations held by the West Papua National Committee (KNPB), resulting in the injuries of several participants, with unconfirmed reports of police opening fire in related incidents against KNPB members in Kaimana.

Amahl S. Azwar, Jakarta – Following months of delay, PT Freeport Indonesia and the company's workers union on Wednesday said they had agreed on some basic premises in their pay talks for the 2013-2015 period.

Organisations and politicians from the US, Asia and the Pacific have written to leaders of the Melanesian Spearhead Group, calling for sustained efforts to give Papuans a voice and welcoming MSG leadership on the issue.

The MSG, currently under the chairmanship of New Caledonia, is considering a Papuan application to join the Group.

98 international and Pacific non-governmental organisations, academics, politicians and individuals have written to the leaders of the Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG), welcoming their leadership on the West Papua issue and adding their wholehearted support for the application of West Papua to join the MSG.

Pro-independence activists in the remote Indonesian province of West Papua are planning to mark the anniversary of what they say was their declaration of independence.

98 international and Pacific NGOS, academics, politicians and individuals have written to the leaders of the Melanesian Spearhead Group voicing support for the West Papuan application to join the MSG.

The New Zealand Green Party says New Zealand should be facilitating peace talks in Indonesia's Papua region rather than sending police advisors.

Six West Papuans who had sought asylum in Australia, but were secretly moved to Papua New Guinea by Australian authorities, have now been moved to a remote part of Western Province, near the Indonesian border.

Six of the West Papuans who sought asylum in Australia after being persecuted for their involvement in a ceremonial handover of sacred water and ashes as part of the Freedom Flotilla, were relocated under armed guard to Kiunga on Saturday the 12th and will be sent to a refugee camp in East Awin on Tuesday the 15th of October 2013.

[Exclusive investigation from West Papua Media team.]

Banjir Ambarita, Jayapura – With the top Indonesian military (TNI) officer in Papua joining the province's governor in extending an invitation to foreign journalists and nongovernmental organizations, you'd think a clutch of writers and activists must be boarding planes to the country's eastern-most province, hitherto off limits to foreign press.

Staff and agencies – The foreign minister, Julie Bishop, has denied that threats were made to three West Papuan activists who scaled the walls of the Australian consulate in Bali.

Marni Cordell – Seven West Papuans who claimed asylum in Australia have been told they will be sent to a remote camp in Papua New Guinea on the border of Indonesia – the country they are fleeing from.

Michael Bachelard – Fresh hope that Indonesia would allow foreign journalists and observers freely into its most troubled province, West Papua, appear to be unfounded.

The governor of Papua province, Lukas Enembe, said on Wednesday that he wanted to welcome reporters and non-governmental organisations to the area.

West Papua Action Auckland is shocked to hear that the Government's training programme for the police in West Papua and Maluku is about to enter a new phase – a three year commitment involving two full-time police officers being deployed to Jayapura – This is the worst possible moment for New Zealand to boost the image of the police in West Papua.

Alfred Sasako – New information has emerged that some senior officials on the Prime Minister's recent delegation to Indonesia received as much as USD$25,000 (about SBD$187,500) each, sources have confirmed.

West Papua is now open to foreign journalists and NGOs, according to Papuan governor Lukas Enembe, who has promised to allow reporters into the region for the first time in years.

Dr Richard Di Natale
Australian Greens Senator for Victoria

Australian Greens spokesperson for West Papua, Senator Richard Di Natale, today welcomed the comments by the Governor of Papua Lukas Enembe that West Papua is now open to journalists and human rights monitors and has announced that he will visit the province.

Banjir Ambarita, Jayapura – Papua Governor Lukas Enembe promised to open the region up to foreign journalists and NGOS on Wednesday, guaranteeing their safety as they visit the restive province.