Farouk Arnaz – Police officer Ridwan Napitupulu died on Monday morning, nearly four days after he was wounded during an attack in Jayapura, the capital of Papua.
Ridwan's death brings the total number of police officers killed this year in Papua to five, a painful reminder that violence is on the rise in the restive province.
Index: ASA 21/037/2011
In a meeting held today in Jakarta with Djoko Suyanto, the Coordinating Minister for Law, Politics and Security, Amnesty International urged the Indonesian government to integrate human rights in their efforts to address the situation in Papua.
Banjir Ambarita & Ulma Haryanto – Fighting in the violence-wracked district of Puncak Papua resulted in three deaths on Saturday, bringing the death toll from a long-simmering political feud there to 30.
Banjir Ambarita & Ulma Haryanto – The temperature in the restive province of Papua rose again after an armed attack over the weekend left two police officers dead and prompted villagers to flee as more security troops were deployed.
A member of the Jayapura police who was attacked by an unidentified group in Jayapura, Papua, died on Monday morning.
Second Brig. Ridwan Napitupulu suffered face and stomach injuries after being attacked by arrows on Thursday night. He had been hospitalized for four days in Jayapura and underwent jaw surgery.
Jakarta – The regent of Puncak Jaya wants to know who is supplying civilian groups with bullets in the wake of the fatal shootings of two police officers in the regency on Saturday.
Brigid Andersen – Reports from West Papua claim Indonesian anti-terrorist police have torched a remote village in the Papuan highlands amid clashes with guerrilla rebels in the region.
Activists say civilians have fled into the jungle in response to the unrest and there are now grave fears for their safety.
Jayapura – Security forces say they are hunting separatist rebels in Indonesia's restive Papua province after two police were killed in an attack.
National Police spokesman Maj. Gen. Saud Usman Nasution says hundreds of troops have been deployed in the separatist stronghold of Puncak Jaya since the attack Saturday on paramilitary police.
Adelaide – A media academic specialising in Asia-Pacific affairs condemned New Zealand news coverage on West Papua and other Melanesian issues at a journalism education conference in Australia this week.
Nethy Dharma Somba and Nani Afrida, Jayapura/Jakarta – The Jayapura Police have questioned four Papuan people in connection with the separatist flag-raising ceremony during the "West Papua Independence Day" anniversary celebration on Dec. 1 in Timika.
The four were identified as Larius Dolame, Nurbertus Timang, Marel Magai, Eli Maiseni and Marinus Pigai.
Laura Jones – Freedom campaigner Benny Wenda raised the West Papua flag with Lord Mayor of Oxford Elise Benjamin to call for independence.
The Oxford resident called for West Papua to break away from Indonesia, on the 50th annual West Papua Independence Day.
Two Indonesian policemen were shot dead on Saturday in the latest deadly attack in eastern Indonesia's restive Papua province, police said.
Provincial police spokesman Wachyono said that an unidentified armed group opened fire at paramilitary police in Puncak Jaya highland in central Papua.
Sean Parnell – The Queensland Parliament has called on Indonesia to investigate and act on humans rights abuses in Papua.
Retiring Labor veteran and Amnesty International advocate Judy Spence used the last sitting of Parliament overnight to call on Indonesia to act on allegations of human rights abuse at the Third Papuan Peoples' Congress in October.
Tom Allard, Jakarta – The man anointed as the leader of an independent West Papua, Forkorus Yaboisembut, says democratic countries that espouse human rights are hypocrites if they do not support the region's desire for self-determination.
Djoko Suyanto, the coordinating minister for political, legal and security affairs, has denied reports that security forces conducted sweeps against Papuan students across the country ahead of the 50th anniversary of the declaration of West Papua that fell on Thursday.
Tjahjono EP, Jerry Omona Sunudyantoro, Timika – Four men who claimed to be trained by the Army's Special Forces (Kopassus) were arrested in Timika yesterday. They said they were members of the Indonesia's Independence Pioneers (PKRI), namely Maj. John Lamera and Cap. Gerald Titalesi.
Jakarta – National Police revised its earlier report this morning saying a police officer was killed by a group of armed men in Timika, citing that the police officer had been left severely injured after he was brutally attacked by around 15 armed men in Timikia, Papua, on the day of the 50th anniversary of the Free Papua Movement (OPM) on Thursday.
Camelia Pasandaran – Four civilians were allegedly shot by police and military after conducting religious services in Timika Indah field to celebrate West Papuan independence on Thursday.
Timika, Indonesia – Security forces opened fire at a separatist flag-raising ceremony in Indonesia's restive Papua region Thursday, on the 50th anniversary of the region's claim to independence.
Elin Yunita Kristanti and Luqman Rimadi – Around 80 people calling themselves the Jakarta-Bali Papuan Society and Students held a protest action in Central Jakarta today demanding that the United Nations (UNTEA, United Nations Temporary Executive Authority), the United States, Holland and Indonesia immediately recognise West Papuan independence on December 1.
Prabowo, Yogyakarta – Students and people from Papua in the Central Java city of Yogyakarta commemorated 50 years of the Free Papua Organisation (OPM) in front of the Papua dormitory on Jl. Kusumanegara, Umbulharjo.
They called on the Indonesian government to acknowledge West Papua Independence day on December 1.
Edwin Firdaus, Jakarta – Hundreds of students originating from Papua held a protest action in front of the State Palace in Central Jakarta on Thursday December 1, again calling for Papuan independence.
Morning Star flag raising ceremonies have been held in Auckland and Wellington to mark a significant anniversary for West Papuans.
December 1st is the 50th anniversary of the declaration of independence from Holland by West Papua in 1961, a year before Indonesia annexed the territory.
Karlis Salna – Concerns are held for the welfare of a prominent Papuan leader allegedly beaten by Indonesian security forces in the aftermath of a pro-independence rally last month.
In a show of solidarity with the West Papuan people, Leichhardt and Marrickville councils will raise the West Papuan national flag, The Morning Star on their town halls in Sydney on the 1st December. AWPA supporters and West Papuan representatives will also be in attendance.
Life in the furthest recesses of New Guinea has not only been transformed but devastated by forces that originate at the core of global and industrial politics. The realities – and morality – of our world are to be seen starkly at work in one of the most spectacular, rich and yet remote corners of the world.
[Exclusive interview by Alex Rayfield (New Matilda) with West Papua Media.]
Despite a plan to deploy two-thirds of Papua's police force to ensure security on the anniversary of the Free Papua Organization on Thursday, police said on Wednesday that they love Papua.
Bagus BT Saragih and Nethy Dharma Somba, Jakarta/Jayapura – Authorities are beefing up security in Papua amid rumors of unrest ahead of events scheduled for the 50th anniversary of the separatist Free Papua Movement (OPM) on Dec. 1.
Banjir Ambarita & Ulma Haryanto – A shootout between security forces and guerillas has rocked the restive province of Papua, already on high alert for today's planned demonstrations by pro-independence activists.
Statement to the European Parliament Subcommittee on Human Rights 'Public Hearing on Human rights situation in South East Asia with special focus on West Papua' by Dr Neles Tebay. Coordinator of the Papua Peace Network and Rector of the 'Fajar Timur' Catholic School of Philosophy and Theology, Jayapura.
Jakarta, Indonesia – Up in the remote mountains of West Papua, Indonesia, a road winds along steep cliffs, tall trees, and security checkpoints to the world's richest copper and gold mine. More than four thousand meters above sea level, the mine is said to be so high that its mining trucks must be tracked via satellite, as clouds typically cloak them from view.
Farouk Arnaz & Ronna Nirmala – The National Police said on Monday that it handed out punishments to a total of 17 officers for last month's deadly crackdown on the Third Papuan People's Congress but refrained from firing or demoting any of their own.
The Hon Kevin Rudd MP
Foreign Minister
Parliament House
Canberra ACT 2600, Australia
Dear Minister Rudd,
Re: Promoting respect for human rights in Papua
AWPA has written to the Kevin Rudd concerning West Papua national flag day (letter below).
Jakarta – Police are still processing the cases of five Papuans charged with attacking the legitimate government at the 3rd Papua People's Congress on October 19, 2011.
Leah Hyslop – Issued at the request of Indonesian authorities, in relation to charges of arson and murder which he vehemently denies, the Interpol "red notice" means that Wenda can be arrested in, and possibly extradited from, any one of the crime-fighting agency's 190 member states.
Markus Junianto Sihaloho – Controversy has again erupted over security arrangements for copper and gold miner Freeport Indonesia, this time amid reports that armed American guards are operating around the Grasberg mine in Papua.
Jakarta – The National Police reiterated that they had sanctioned seven officers deemed to have violated codes of ethics while overseeing the third Papua Congress in Abepura, Papua, in October.
Farouk Arnaz – The national police internal supervisory commission has found that officers used extreme measures during the disbanding of the Papuan People's Congress in Abepura, Papua on Oct. 19.
Karlis Salna – Human rights groups have called for Australian monitors to be allowed into Papua amid reports people are fleeing parts of the Indonesian province due to fears of another violent crackdown on pro-independence rallies planned for next week.
Laura Jones – An independence campaigner wanted by Interpol last night said he still feels safe in his Oxford home.
Benny Wenda, 36, of Marston Road, is the subject of a red notice issued by the international police organisation which states he is wanted by the CID of Papua Regional Police who accuse him of murder and arson.
Jakarta – An international human rights watchdog has slammed the National Police for giving light punishment to police officers involved in the bloody Papuan Congress, calling it a "failure of human rights accountability".
Banjir Ambarita, Jayapura – In a major embarrassment for Indonesian authorities, police have been forced to release 12 innocent men just 24 hours after National Police announced they had made a major breakthrough in the war against the Free Papua Movement (OPM).
Puncak Jaya Police shot and killed one man, also presumably innocent, during a raid on Wednesday.
Danny ShawHome – A tribal leader from an Indonesian province who has been granted asylum in the UK has been named on an Interpol wanted list, the BBC has learned.
Benny Wenda, who is 36 and living in Oxford, leads a movement for the independence of West Papua.
Owen Bowcott – An Interpol red notice has been issued for the arrest of the Oxford-based leader of an Asian separatist movement, triggering allegations of political abuse of the international police alert system.
Agus Triyono & Markus Junianto Sihaloho – While experts and activists agree that mutual dialogue is the only way to solve problems of growing separatist sentiment and lack of economic development in Papua, finding the right people to talk to is a different matter altogether.
Jakarta – Papua Acting Governor Syamsul Arief Rivai has denied allegations the province's special autonomy had failed to bring progress for its people.
Ishomuddin, Edi Faisol, Jakarta – The National Commission for Human Rights (Komnas HAM) as well as public and religious leaders yesterday urged the government to stop violence in Papua.
"We've six resolutions that we will convey to the government. The violence issue in Papua is urgent and must be resolved through a dialogue," said Komnas chief Ifdhal Kasim.
Farouk Arnaz – After a series of violent attacks in the restive region of Papua, the National Police announced on Thursday that they have arrested 12 men believed to be members of the separatist Free Papua Organization (OPM).