Armando Siahaan, Ismira Lutfia & AFP – The chief of Indonesian Armed Forces (TNI) Adm. Agus Suhartono on Thursday said that while the abuse perpetrated by soldiers in Papua might fall under the human rights violation category, they were "not heavy violations."

Ina Parlina – The National Commission for Human Rights (Komnas HAM) on Tuesday urged the government to conduct a through evaluation of its security operations in Papua following the emergence of three cases in which native Papuans were tortured by members of the military there.

Jakarta – The National Human Rights Commission (Komnas HAM) says human rights violations were committed in cases of torture and murder that took place in Puncak Jaya, Papua, although it is not recommending the formation of a human rights court.

Adi Nugroho, Jakarta – The National Human Rights Commission (Komnas HAM) has concluded that serious human rights violations were committed by the Indonesian military (TNI) against people in Puncak Jaya, Papua.

In this year of 2011, violations of civil and political rights [will] still continue to occur in Papua, with such incidents as demonstrations, shootings, torture, hostage-taking, killings and so on, which result in conflict between the law enforcement agencies and civil society, according to a human rights observer, Yusack Reba.

Jayapura – Some 564 of the total of 939 inmates in Papua province will enjoy a remission in this year's Christmas celebrations.

Head of the Papua office of the Ministry of Legal and Human Rights Affairs Nazarudin Bunas said here Friday that of the total of 506 inmates who will receive a remission, 43 will directly walk free after receiving the remission.

The recently released cables by WikiLeaks in relation to West Papuan human rights confirm what NGOs have been telling their governments and the media for years – that it is the Indonesian military that are one of the main problems in West Papua.

Jakarta – Activists in Papua continue to voice their discontent with Indonesia's central government, calling for greater autonomy to help improve the region's socio-economic problems.

Health and education indicators in Indonesia's lesser-known province are in dire need of attention, experts say.

Nurfika Osman, Jayapura – While Papua has long had a reputation among many Indonesians for being inhospitable to outsiders, a small island there is proving naysayers wrong.

Kosong, or Empty, Island is just a 10-minute boat ride from Jayapura, the provincial capital, and has since 1968 been home to a small fishing community from Southeast Sulawesi.

Jayapura – Andi Rahmat Faisal was found dead on Wednesday, bringing to four the total number of shooting victims in the past three weeks in Jayapura regency.

"He was found at 1 o'clock and we believe he was killed a few days before. He had a gunshot wound to his left eye," Papua Police spokesman Sr. Comr. Wachyono told The Jakarta Post on Thursday.

Jakarta – The central government must remove their security forces from Papua and West Papua provinces and communicate better with residents in order to reduce tensions in the region, a legislator says.

Nivell Rayda, Indonesia – New York-based Human Rights Watch has demanded an explanation for the transfer of two Papuan "political prisoners" from Jayapura's notorious Abepura Prison to local police headquarter, saying the men should be able to contest the arrest and see their families.

The East Timor and Indonesia Action Network (ETAN) and the West Papua Advocacy Team (WPAT) urge the Indonesian Government to respect the rights of and end the persecution of internationally recognized prisoners of conscience Filep Karma and Buchtar Tabuni who were transferred from Abepura Prison to Jayapura Police Headquarters on December 3.

Charlie Hill-Smith – As YouTube evidence of Indonesian soldiers burning the genitals of the West Papuan Tunaliwor Kiwo received its 50,000th viewer, the Indonesian military (TNI) was exposed holding a cynical mock trial to try to cover up systemic violence.

Prisoners have rights too, and ignoring those rights is no way to celebrate Human Rights Day. The authorities should explain why Filep Karma and Buchtar Tabuni have been thrown in a police lock-up and denied access to lawyers. – Elaine Pearson, deputy Asia director at Human Rights Watch

AHRC-UAC-178-2010

Dear friends,

Markus Junianto Sihaloho, Jakarta – Despite increasing tension in Papua following the bombing of a military officer's house, the Army announced on Tuesday that it was not planning to deploy additional troops to secure the area.

Indonesia Human Rights Committee
Box 68-419
Auckland

Hon Murray McCully
Minister of Foreign Affairs
Hon Wayne Mapp
Minister of Defence
Parliament Buildings
Wellington

7 December, 2010

Dear Mr McCully and Mr Mapp,

Banjir Ambarita, Jakarta – The Papuan chapter of the National Commission for Human Rights (Komnas HAM) has called on the local police and military to immediately investigate the alleged torture of Puncak Jaya residents by military personnel.

Human Rights Watch says Jakarta is in denial about the widely-publicised case of Indonesian troops allegedly torturing two Papuan men.

The Indonesian military has dismissed claims that five soldiers tortured two Papuan men in May, despite the online release of a graphic video in which the genitals of one of the victims are burnt.

Banjir Ambarita, Jayapura – A diner was killed on Saturday in the latest in a series of shooting incidents that have swept Papua in the past week. Authorities blame separatist guerrillas for the attacks.

Nethy Dharma Somba, Jayapura – A man was shot dead and eight others arrested Friday in an operation by the Jayapura Police and Wira Yakti Military Command to apprehend the perpetrators of a shooting incident in Nafri, Abepura, on Nov. 28.

The manhunt commenced on Thursday and the dead suspect, identified as Miron Wetipo, was killed at around 00:30 a.m. local time.

Peter Alford, Jakarta – President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's officials insist that soldiers responsible for a vicious torture incident in West Papua will be brought to justice.

Nine Papuans arrested and charged in Jayawijaya in Indonesia's Papua last month on subversion charges are experiencing difficulties in finding a defence lawyer.

They were arrested for raising the Morning Star flag and are in custody at the Wamena District Police station.

Jakarta – Australian Ambassador Greg Moriarty has been ordered to raise his nation's concerns about Indonesia's stalled investigation into the alleged torture of two Papuans by members of the military, a media report said on Friday.

Banjir Ambarita, Jayapura – Hundreds of inmates at the Abepura Penitentiary in Papua rioted on Friday to protest over the shooting of a fellow prisoner who escaped and was killed in a raid the same day.

AHRC-UAC-176-2010

Dear friends,

According to reports received from local activists, two villagers were killed in Bolakme, Papua, Indonesia during a sweeping operation by the security forces on December 1, 2010.

Case narrative:

Nivell Rayda & Banjir Ambarita, Jakarta – At least one person has been reportedly killed in raids in Papua as the military steps up its search for members of the separatist Free Papua Movement (OPM), which marked its 45th anniversary on Wednesday.

Ismira Lutfia, Jakarta – Human Rights Watch on Thursday chastised the media for propagating misleading news that five soldiers caught on tape torturing two Papuan men had been summarily court-martialed.

Nethy Dharma Somba, Jayapura – A man was shot dead and four others, including a child, were injured by unidentified armed men on Sunday in Nafri village, Abepura, outside the Papuan capital.

Reports from Papua in Indonesia say unidentified gunmen have shot at traffic outside Jayapura, killing a motorcyclist and injuring six others, including a nine-year child in a public bus.

Paula Makabori from the Institute for Papuan Advocacy and Human Rights says the victims in Sunday morning's attack were mainly Indonesians.

Camelia Pasandaran, Jakarta – Bringing down the high cost of living in Papua, which is paradoxically the country's least-developed province, is a key factor in boosting development there, the government says.

The matter was raised on Tuesday at a meeting between Vice President Boediono and Gamawan Fauzi, the home affairs minister.

Markus Junianto Sihaloho & Nivell Rayda, Jakarta – Human Rights Watch on Monday lambasted the government for failing to prosecute five soldiers allegedly caught on tape torturing two Papuan civilians, even after one of the victims came forward to recount his ordeal.

Nivell Rayda, Jakarta – A prominent international human rights group has agreed to advocate for the release of Filep Samuel Karma, a Papuan political prisoner who was jailed in 2005 for raising the banned Morning Star flag.

Jakarta – President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono arrived in Papua on Sunday to meet with the local administration on regional revenue and to open a national university student body conference, steering clear of the thorny issue of human rights violations.

Jakarta – Nine people have been arrested after an outlawed separatist flag was raised in Papua, police said on Sunday.

Indonesia – A series of conflicts sparked by a racist mobile phone ringtone will not affect a visit by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to Jayapura, Papua.

"President Yudhoyono will continue to visit Jayapura from Nov. 21-22 despite the recent conflicts," Papua Police chief Insp. Gen. Bekto Suprapto said Saturday.

Jayapura, Papua – Security conditions in Jayapura, Papua, ahead of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (SBY)'s visit on Sunday (Nov 21), are quite conducive, the region's military chief of the Cendrawasih Military Command Brig. Gen. Erfy Triassunu said here Saturday.

Once again, the authorities are sitting on their hands rather than fulfilling their obligations and proactively identifying and prosecuting the soldiers responsible. Kiwo has shown tremendous bravery in coming forward – he deserves justice and protection from retaliation, not another half-hearted army investigation and cover-up.

Nivell Rayda & Markus Junianto Sihaloho – The Rev. Socratez Yoman was supposed to attend the Papua Baptist Church's annual congregation meeting in the provincial capital, Jayapura, in February, but on the eve of the event, two of his most faithful disciples discouraged him, saying there was a possible plot on his life.

Jakarta – The national human rights body says it would look into reports of human rights violations in Papua, adding that a recent military tribunal only paid lip service in the attempt to bring justice to the province.

AWPA is calling on Julia Gillard to raise the threat to human rights defenders in West Papua with President Yudhoyono.

Jakarta – Rights activists have expressed disappointment over the Cenderawasih Regional Military Command (Kodam) military tribunal's verdict in the case of the Papuans that were tortured in Tingginambut, Puncak Jaya regency, a video of which was circulated via YouTube not long ago.

A US-based Papuan journalist and academic, Octo Mote, says the Indonesian Army's Special Forces unit, Kopassus, operates only under its own agenda in Papua.

His comment comes as reports of leaked Kopassus documents reveal that the group targets churches in Papua and defines civilian dissidents as the enemy.

Jakarta – US freelance journalist Allan Nairn claimed he got hold of a leaked document containing an intelligence report on the Indonesian Army's Special Forces (Kopassus) that showed a targeted list of civilians in Papua allegedly involved in a separatist group.

Markus Junianto Sihaloho, Jakarta – The Indonesian Military chief has confirmed claims by a rights activist that the armed forces are actively carrying out intelligence gathering in Papua, and defended the move as crucial for national security.

Nethy Dharma Somba, Jayapura – Three enlisted soldiers were sentenced to five months in prison on Thursday for their involvement in assaulting dozens of Puncak Jaya residents in March.

The officers were Chief Pvt. Sahminan Husain Lubis, Second Pvt. Joko Sulistiono and Second Pvt. Dwi Purwanto.

Banjir Ambarita & Nivell Rayda, Jayapura – A military tribunal on Thursday sentenced four soldiers filmed beating unarmed civilians to between five and seven months in prison, but human rights activists remain unappeased by the "showcase" trial.

Documents leaked from the Indonesian Army's Special Forces unit, Kopassus, have revealed that the group targets churches in Papua and defines civilian dissidents as the enemy.

The documents describe a covert network of surveillance, infiltration and disruption of Papuan institutions.

Nethy Dharma Somba, Jayapura – Three Indonesian Military (TNI) soldiers on trial for allegedly torturing Papuan civilians have testified they kicked and beat captives out of anger.