Nethy Dharma Somba, Jayapura – Tolikara Legislative Council member Husia Yosia Karoba was beaten to death by a mob at a polling station as Papuans elected a governor on Tuesday.

Some non-government and community groups in Vanuatu remain opposed to the Melanesia Spearhead Group's acceptance of Indonesia as an observer.

The MSG this week marks its 25th anniversary organised by its secretariat in Port Vila. Two years ago, the MSG agreed to grant Jakarta observer status despite protests from many West Papuans who are Melanesians.

Ricky Binihi – If the Melanesian Spearhead Group is the brainchild of the late Father Walter Lini then how appropriate it would be to grant West Papua its MSG Observer Status when the people of Melanesia commemorate the MSG Silver Jubilee today.

Nethy Dharma Somba and Rendi A. Witular, Jayapura, Papua – Papua's "mountain people" who reside in the alpine terrain of the isolated pegunungan tengah area, are the largest population group in country's most backward province.

Banjir Ambarita – Papua Armed Forces Chief Maj. Gen. Christian Zebua said on Monday that they have learned of plans to disrupt the provincial gubernatorial polls this week.

Farouk Arnaz & Banjir Ambarita – While cold, hard cash is typically the preferred medium of exchange for kidnappers the world over, an armed group in Papua has given new meaning to the phrase "bringing home the bacon."

The Australia West Papua Association congratulates the Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG) on the official launching of its Silver Jubilee celebrations in Port Vila on the 28 January. We also congratulate the MSG on its past successes and on it's increasing importance around the Pacific region.

A group that had crossed the Papuan border to join the Free Papua Movement (OPM) led by Daniel Kogoya in Papua New Guinea (PNG) have handed over three firearms to the Cenderawasih Military Command chief Maj. Gen. Christian Sebua at the Muara Tami district office in Jayapura.

Banjir Ambarita & Camelia Pasandaran – Jayapura/Jakarta. Indonesian authorities have announced the surrender of more than 200 members of the Free Papua Organization (OPM), but human rights activists aired doubts about the claim.

Papuan civilians around Timika have again been made wary of military provocations that may potentially revive a bloody horizontal conflict, after a former Freeport mine worker's mutilated body was found in a roadside trench on January 19.

[Lecture by Sidney Jones at International Policy Studies program of Stanford University, 5 December 2012, as amended 22 January 2013.]

Herman Wainggai – It is likely that most US citizens who consider themselves informed about global events are aware of the genocides in Rwanda, Bosnia and East Timor, yet it's likely that few people in the US are aware of the ongoing genocide in West Papua, New Guinea.

A January 19 demonstration of over 500 people asserting Papuan rights to freedom of expression defied a police ban on gatherings in the remote town of Oksibil, in the Pegunungan Bintang (Star Mountains) Regency, close to the Papua New Guinea border.

Buchtar Tabuni, the Chairman of the pro-independence National Parliament of West Papua, was released unexpectedly from Abepura prison around 12pm West Papua time today, to a waiting group of about fifty of his supporters from the West Papua National Committee (KNPB), according to multiple sources.

Kendari, S.E. Sulawesi – A member of the Southeast Sulawesi regional legislative assembly described, alleged butchering of fishermen in Papua by members of TNI (Indonesian National Military) as despicable and immoral.

Well over 1000 people engaged in a colourful and vibrant demonstration calling for West Papuan independence on Manokwari on January 17, despite Indonesian police banning the march and the display of the Morning Star Papuan Independence flag.

Banjir Ambarita, Jayawijaya, Papua – At least eight people were injured and dozens of vehicles were set on fire after a campaign event in Jayawijaya, Papua, turned violent on Friday.

Brooke Baskin – A Melbourne pensioner charged with planning to travel to West Papua as a mercenary fighting against the Indonesian government had his matter briefly heard in the Brisbane Magistrate Court on Friday.

Gerard Michael Little, 45, was remanded in custody following his arrest at Brisbane International Airport on December 4.

PFF, Rarotonga, Cook Islands – Killing, beating, abducting and jailing journalists in West Papua remains the most immediate issue in regional affairs, states the Pacific Freedom Forum.

Wrapping up its fourth year of advocacy, PFF chairs said that ongoing suppression of freedom of expression under Indonesian rule often involves violence against news media.

The group, Pacific Freedom Forum, says the killing, beating, abducting and jailing of journalists in Indonesia's West Papua region remains the most immediate issue in regional affairs.

The group says ongoing suppression of freedom of expression under Indonesian rule often involves violence against news media.

The West Papua Advocacy Team is deeply concerned about the Government of Indonesia's unilateral decision to restrict the planned visit of the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression, Frank La Rue.

Farouk Arnaz & Banjir Ambarita – A gunman shot at a member of the Indonesian Armed Forces and a civilian at a market in Puncak Jaya, Papua, on Thursday, killing the civilian and seriously wounding the soldier, police said on Friday.

Timika – An unidentified gunman shot dead a civilian and seriously injured a soldier in Indonesia's restive Papua province on Thursday, a local military official said.

Unconfirmed reports from local activists and credible human rights observers in Paniai have claimed that 13 houses have been burnt down as sweep operations by Indonesian security forces have resumed, causing panic amongst local Papuan civilians.

Oktovianus Pogau, Merauke, Papua – Anis Jambormase, a family member of female pastor Frederika Metalmeti (38 years old), is questioning the legal process against the shooting of their child in Boven Digoel, Papua, on 21 November 2012.

Ivar Andersen and Klas Lundstrvm, Contributor, Kiunga, Papua New Guinea – For decades, the struggle for West Papuan independence has been fought from the vast rainforests along the border between Indonesia and Papua New Guinea (PNG).

Benny Mawel – A spokesperson for the West Papua National Committee (KNPB) has claimed that the detention of a number of KNPB activists and the addition of more KNPB members' names to the Wanted Persons List (DPO) has been done purely in the interests of the Papuan political elite.

Brooke Nolan – Arriving at Maranatha Convent in Waena, a town near Jayapura, Papua, a nun greets me and shows me a room where I am hoping to stay. Her first question to me still looms in my mind. "Are you from an NGO?" she asks.

ID/Retno Ayuningtyas – Mining company Freeport Indonesia has agreed to trim its concession area in Timika, Papua, indicating that the government's efforts to renegotiate mining contracts have started to bear fruit.

Oktovianus Pogau, Papua, Jayapura – In 2012 Indonesian security forces murdered twenty-two activists from the West Papuan National Committee (KNPB) and a further fifty-five are behind bars, some of whom are also on a search list from the regional Papuan police.

Banjir Ambarita, Jayapura – An unidentified gunman shot and wounded a man not far from the Papua Police headquarters on the first day of the new year, residents here said.

Unconfirmed Reports have emerged from Biak that Indonesian armed police have disappeared local Papuan pro-democracy activist Anthon Kafiar.

Jayapura, Papua – Papua Police are investigating an attack on a journalist in Sorong, West Papua.

"My officers in Sorong, West Papua, have received the report about the incident and are now investigating it," the Papua regional police command spokesman, Adjunct Senior Commissioner I Gede Sumerta, said here on Friday.

Seven Papuan fisherman were shot by members of the TNI (Indonesian army) near Pulau Papan district, Misol Perairan Raja Apat, West Papua. It is not clear why they were shot, but one TNI soldier is now being questioned by POM, the military police in Puncak Rafidin.

The Alliance of Independent Journalists (AJI) has recorded twelve cases of violence and intimidation against journalists Papua during 2012, which is a significant increase as compared with 2011, when there were seven cases.

Indonesia Human Rights Committee,
Box 68-419,
Auckland

Hon Murray Mc Cully,
Minister of Foreign Affairs,
Parliament Buidlings,
Wellington.

Duty Minister,
Parliament Buildings,
Wellington.
Fax: 04 499 0704

23 December, 2012.

Dear Mr McCully and Duty Minister,

Margareth S. Aritonang, Jakarta – Concerns over an escalation of human rights abuses are growing as the National Police decided to use the antiterrorism law to deal with armed groups in the resource-rich province of Papua.

Urgent Appeal Case: AHRC-UAC-203-2012

Dear friends,

Hundreds of Papuan students belonging to the Papuan Students Alliance (AMP) staged a silent protest on Wednesday (19/12) commemorating the 51st anniversary of Trikora, the campaign that enabled the military invasion of West Papua by Indonesian forces.

Jayapura – The human rights organisation ELSHAM believes that the level of violence and conflict in West Papua has increased significantly since August last year. It reports a number of incidents when many lives were lost but the government. did not do anything in response.

Dian Maharani, Jakarta – National police criminal investigation bureau chief Commissioner General Sutarman says that perpetrators of violence in West Papua could be charged under Law Number 15/2003 on Terrorism.

According to Sutarman, the national police will also not hesitate to use the articles under the law against armed perpetrators that cause loss of human life.

There was a significant increase in the intensity of the conflicts and violence in Papua between August 2011 and December 2012. ELSHAM Papua reported on several incidents that had resulted in serious casualties and although the growing severity of the incidents was disturbing, these did not prompt the Government to react.

The New Zealand Green Party MP says the government's stand on issues in Indonesia's Papua is ironic given its principled line when dealing with Fiji.

Banjir Ambarita, Jayapura – The total number of reported cases of people living with HIV/AIDS in Papua has topped 13,000, with 150 of the new cases involving infants below the age of five years who contracted the virus from their parents.

The Australian Greens today called for Foreign Minister, Senator Bob Carr, to explain what Australia is doing to help put an end to violence and human rights abuses in West Papua.

"The Australian Greens were saddened to learn that two more West Papuan activists were killed on Sunday by Indonesian police," said Greens spokesperson on West Papua, Senator Richard Di Natale.

Adi Suhendi, Jakarta – Scores of Papuan youths living in Jakarta held a demonstration in front of the Security Maintenance Agency (Baharkam) building at the national police headquarters in South Jakarta on Tuesday December 18.

Jayapura – The fatal shooting of an activist of the KNPB, Hubertus Mabel, has been condemned by his family and by the KNPB – National Committee of West Papua – as unlawful. According to the law, if a person is deemed to be engaged in unlawful acts, he should be arrested and charged before a court of law but this did not happen in the case of Mabel and his colleague.

AWPA has written to Sen Bob Carr concerning the killing and arrest of members of the KNPB. Letter below.

Joe Collins
04077 857 97

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

Senator the Hon Bob Carr

Minister for Foreign Affairs
Parliament House, Canberra
ACT 2600

18 December 2012

Margareth S. Aritonang, Jakarta – The government has issued a regulation that will allow only native Papuan businesspeople to make bids on government construction, part of a strategy to accelerate development in the country's easternmost province and improve prosperity in the region.

Jakarta – Police have arrested five suspects following a riot when mobs attacked and set on fire a police station in Wamena, Papua, yesterday. "They were being investigated," police's chief spokesman Brig. Gen. Boy Rafli Amar said here on Monday.