The human rights situation in West Papua should be raised with Indonesia at the Post-Forum Dialogue in Niue, Joe Collins of AWPA said. Indonesia is a Post- Forum Dialogue partner and here is a chance for the pacific island countries to express their concerns about the human rights situation in West Papua with Indonesia.

The East Timor and Indonesia Action Network (ETAN) and the West Papua Advocacy Team (WPAT) today welcomed the removal of Col. Burhanuddin Siagian from his command in West Papua. Siagian faces two indictments in East Timor for crimes against humanity committed in 1999.

[Joint statement by Amnesty International USA, East Timor and Indonesia Action Network (ETAN), and the West Papua Advocacy Team concerning Congressional letter to President Yudhoyono.]

Nethy Dharma Somba, Jayapura – A traditional tribal community in Waigeo, Raja Ampat regency, in Papua, has questioned the government's decision to authorize nine mining companies to operate in their region.

The Indonesian government should ensure proper accountability for the death of a peaceful protester apparently killed by a bullet fired by police in the country's restive region of Papua, Amnesty International said.

Bramantyo Prijosusilo, Jakarta – Opinus Tabuni, 35, was shot dead during a peaceful rally in the city of Wamena in the picturesque Baliem valley in the Indonesian province of Papua on August 9th.

Police rejected a request by six Papuan Tribal Council executives to allow UN staff to accompany them during an investigation into the hoisting of a separatist flag last week.

"The case has nothing to do with the United Nations," National Police spokesman Insp. Gen. Abubakar Nataprawira was quoted by Antara as saying here Friday.

Nethy Dharma Somba, Jayapura – The National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) has insisted the police should thoroughly investigate a fatal shooting incident during the commemoration of UN Indigenous People's Day in Wamena on Aug. 9.

Statement by ELSHAM-Papua, Yahamak (Institute of Basic Human Rights and Anti-Violence) and AMPTPI (Alliance of Students of the Central Highlands of Papua)

Jakarta – Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono will not respond to a letter from 40 members of US Congress demanding the immediate release of two Papuan activists, a spokesman said Tuesday.

The Indonesia Human Rights Committee has written to each of the Heads of Government of the Pacific Island Forum Nations (see letter below) ahead of their annual meeting next week. IHRC is calling on the Forum leaders to prioritise the issue of Indonesian-ruled West Papua.

Mark Forbes, Jakarta – Several of the 43 Papuans who sparked a diplomatic crisis by seeking asylum in Australia want to return home, according to Indonesian Foreign Minister Hassan Wirayuda, who has offered to assist them.

Ed Davies and Telly Nathalia, Jakarta – Indonesia does not face any organised resistance to its rule in Papua and there should be a degree of tolerance responding to cases of banned separatist flags being hoisted, the defence minister said on Monday.

TAPOL wishes to express its deep concern about the death of a Papuan who was participating in the celebration of World Indigenous Day in Wamena on Saturday, 9 August.

The Australia West Papua Association in Sydney has written to the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) leaders who will meet in Niue on the 19 August for the opening of the 39th PIF Leaders Summit.

Nethy Dharma Somba, Jayapura – A man was reportedly killed in Wamena, Jayawijaya regency, during an event Saturday celebrating the International Day of the World's Indigenous People.

Jakarta – A man was killed in Indonesia's Papua province after police fired warning shots when a group raised a separatist flag at a ceremony, an official said on Saturday.

Thousands of people had gathered in Wamena city to mark UN Indigenous Peoples' Day when the incident happened.

Desy Nurhayati, Jakarta – Defense Minister Juwono Sudarsono and TNI chief Gen. Djoko Santoso were divided Friday in their responses to a request from US Congress members asking Indonesia to release two convicted Papuan separatists.

Jakarta – A hardline Muslim group staged a rally outside the US embassy in Jakarta on Saturday to protest over a call by Washington for the release of two Papuan activists.

Some 100 members of Hizbut Tahrir massed outside the embassy with banners reading: "We are against US intervention in Papua."

Muh Syaifullah, Yogyakarta – The Yogyakarta District Attorney General's Office has seized 213 books titled "The Annihilation of Ethnic Melanesians: Breaking the Silence on the History of Violence in West Papua", published by PT Galang Press. The AGO seized the books because they were deemed to touch upon the issues of SARA (race, religion and tribalism).

Nethy Darma Somba – The World Indigenous Day celebration in Papua province turned into a riot on Saturday after several members of local separatist group hoisted the Bintang Kejora (Morning Star) flag.

Nethy Dharma Somba, Jayapura – Some 160 former members of the Free Papua Organization (OPM) declared their allegiance to the Republic of Indonesia at a ceremony on Thursday attended by Coordinating Minister for the People's Welfare Aburizal Bakrie.

Washington – The East Timor and Indonesia Action Network (ETAN) today congratulated U.S. congress members for their letter to Indonesian president, Dr. H. Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono urging him to work for the "immediate and unconditional" release of West Papuan political prisoners Filep Karma and Yusak Pakage.

Nethy Dharma Somba, Jayapura – At least 3,000 people mobilized by the Papuan Christian Communication Forum staged a rally in Jayapura on Monday, questioning the functioning of the special autonomy law.

They claimed the law had been in force for seven years, but that most indigenous Papuan people had not seen any improvement in their welfare.

Abdul Khalik, Jakarta – Deaths from cholera increased to 173 in Papua as of Saturday, with lawmakers and civil society groups accusing the local administration and central government of neglecting to prevent the disease from spreading.

Closer to home, and it's emerged that Indonesian embassy officials tried to invoke a security treaty with Australia early this month to try to stop a gathering in Canberra.

Jakarta – At least 172 villagers have died in a cholera outbreak that has triggered unrest in Indonesia's remote eastern Papua province, church authorities said Tuesday.

Church aid workers in the Kamuu valley confirmed the victims had died from severe diarrhoea and vomiting caused by cholera, said Catholic brother Budi Hermawan from the Jayapura archdiocese.

A diarrhoea outbreak in a remote area of Indonesia's easternmost province of Papua has killed at least 156 people and sickened hundreds of others, media reports say.

Local church leaders feared the toll would rise because of limited drugs and medical personnel and the possibility the outbreak would spread to other areas.

Jayapura – A group of demonstrating students from the Coalition of Students and the Community Concerned about the Land of Papua (KMMPTP) were ordered to disband by police units in Abepura for failing to comply with procedures stipulated in Law 9/1998 about expressing views in public. They were intending to hold a peaceful demonstration outside the office of the MRP.

Jayapura – The military commander of XVII/Cenderawasih, Major General Haryadi Soetanto issued a warning on Saturday to remind all adat councils in Papua, including the Dewan Adat Papua (Papuan Traditional Council) that they should not use these institutions for political purposes, or still worse intervene in any way in affairs of State that could undermine the Unitary Republic of In

Tom Wright, Jakarta – The global resource boom is threatening one of the world's last tropical-forest frontiers: the Merauke region of Indonesia's remote Papua province.

The National Commission on Human Rights will launch an investigation into alleged human rights violations in Papua, despite protests from the Attorney General's Office (AGO).

Reports from Fakfakstate that 6 West Papuans involved in a flag raising ceremony, with the banned Morning Star flag, on early Saturday morning, will be charged under the Indonesian Criminal code for crime of 'subversion'.

Jakarta – Indonesian police have detained six people for raising up separatist flag in easternmost province of West Papua in Indonesia at the weekend, National police spokesman Sulistyo said Monday.

Indonesia – Police have detained 41 people in Fakfak, 890 kilometers west of Jayapura, for allegedly hoisting the Bintang Kejora (Morning Star) flag on Saturday.

Papua Police spokesman Sr. Comr. Agus Rianto said three of detainees hoisted the flag in front of the former people's self-determination vote (Pepera) office. All 41 are former political prisoners.

Jakarta – The separatist conflict in Indonesia's Papua region – formerly known as Irian Jaya and once one of the world's great liberal causes – has become relatively quiet in recent years. Small groups of protesters still occasionally gather to wave the Morning Star independence flag and get arrested for it.

Jakarta – Greenomics Indonesia, an NGO conducting studies on the environment, says 60.42 percent of forestry companies in Papua and West Papua perform poorly on local community empowerment and investment in sustainable forest development.

West Papua National Coalition for Liberation expressed alarm over border violation and discretion of border marker in Vanimo, Sandaun Province by the Indonesian Military.

Nethy Darma Somba and Angela Flassy, Jayapura – At least 16 have died of HIV/AIDS in Puncak Jaya regency, in Papua, and millions more are at risk in the country with the world's highest rate of spread of the disease.

The disease has spread to the country's coastal regencies, including Jayapura, Sorong, Mimika and Merauke.

Jayapura – A local religious leader said the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) has so far not paid any attention to or touched suspected corruption cases involving serving and former office-holders in Papua's executive and legislative branches at provincial and district or municipal levels, creating the impression the KPK was "discriminative" in carrying out its mission.

Andra Jackson – As they settle into their new life in Melbourne, tomorrow brings a poignant reminder for a group of West Papuans of why they fled their country.

It is the 10th anniversary of what they call the Biak massacre, when Indonesian soldiers shot and injured 200 islanders after they raised the Morning Star, symbolising West Papuan independence aspirations.

Richard Brunton – Concern has been raised about the poor living conditions among a group of Papuan refugees squatting in a public park in Papua New Guinea's capital.

The group of about 100 is currently camped at Boroko's Apex Park after being evicted from four different public locations over the past nine months.

Angela Flassy, Jayapura – President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has breached a 2001 on special autonomy for Papua by issuing a 2008 government decree to amend the law, Papuan People's Assembly (MRP) chairman Agus Alue Alua said Thursday.

Dr. H Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono
President of the Republic of Indonesia
Istana Merdeka
Jakarta 10110
Indonesia

Your Excellency,

Jakarta – All factions in the House of Representatives have agreed to pass legislation giving a legal basis for the implementation of special autonomy in the new province of West Papua.

"We agreed to pass the bill during a plenary session Tuesday," lawmaker EE Mangindaan, head of House Commission II overseeing home affairs, said here Monday.

Jakarta – An Indonesian plan to build a highway through the forests of Papua risks opening the door to massive deforestation in the jungle-clad half-island, environment groups said Wednesday.

Jakarta – Papuans have demanded a halt to all new forestry and plantations deals until the region's Special Autonomy Law protects indigenous rights with dedicated implementing regulations, a coalition of local organisations said today.

The Hon Kevin Rudd MP
Prime Minister
Parliament House
Canberra
ACT 2600

23 June 2008

Re Health Concerns in West Papua

Dear Prime Minister,

I am writing to you on behalf of the Australia West Papua Association (Sydney) about the health of the West Papuan people.

Nethy Dharma Somba, Jayapura – The 2001 law on special autonomy has been implemented over last seven years in Papua, but its journey has lacked clear direction, a discussion concludes.

Antara, Wamena, Papua – Home Affairs Minister Mardiyanto officiated Saturday five new regencies in Papua as well as installing five temporary regents.

The five new regencies were Central Mamberamo regency with five districts with Kobakma as the regental seat. Created by the Law No. 3/2008, the first regent is David Pagawak.