The Australian-based West Papuan National Coalition for Liberation says Indonesia's President, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, should show his goodwill to Australia and the international community by allowing more outside contact with the Papua region.

Sydney – Australia West Papua Association representative Joe Collins has rejected a Sydney-based Lowy Institute paper that argues that the trust of Australians in Indonesia is low.

Nethy Dharma Somba, Jayapura – A planned large-scale food production system in Merauke, Papua province, aimed at improving national food sustainability, could prove detrimental for locals, an activist says.

Jayapura – Regional Representatives Council member Sophie Maipauw wants the Indonesian government to help with the implementation of autonomy in West Papua with the immediate issue 19 government regulations.

Jakarta – One of Timika's native tribes, Amungme, filed a civil lawsuit with the South Jakarta District Court on Monday, against PT Freeport Indonesia for allegedly taking over their customary land for their main pit without paying compensation, the tribe's lawyer said.

The Lowy Institute's latest paper (Indonesia and Australia: time for a step change) on Australian Indonesian relations describes the relationship as being "not on a firm footing".

It says that although "Government-to-government ties have been strengthening "public attitudes on both sides are doing badly" and "the Australian public's trust in Indonesia is low".

The Vanuatu Free West Papua Association has held a peaceful demonstration in Port Vila in support of West Papua's independence from Indonesia.

The march proceeded through the capital's main street to the head office of the National Council of the Chiefs where demonstrators handed over a petition reiterating support for West Papuan self-determination efforts.

Ricky Binihi – West Papuans highly value their relationship with Vanuatu because of its former traditional staunch position on their plight.

The Australia West Papua Association in Sydney has written an open letter to Prime Minister Rudd asking that he raise the human rights situation in West Papua with the Indonesian President.

The Vanuatu Free West Papua Association says the government needs to clarify its position on the independence of Papua.

Suwardiman – After nine years, support by various elements of society for special autonomy (otsus) is weakening. The problematic nature of the application of special autonomy is closely linked with the failure to implement Law Number 21/2001 on Special Autonomy for Papua along with mistrust between the central government and the Papuan people.

Ilya Gridneff, Port Moresby – The suspicious death of an Australian journalist filming Papuan guerrillas fighting Indonesia's hardline military rule must be revisited with an investigation, friends and colleagues say.

A prominent West Papuan human rights lawyer is using a speaking tour of Australia to promote the need for a peaceful solution to problems in Indonesia's troubled Papua region.

Lilian Budianto, Jakarta – President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono should use his visit to Papua New Guinea next month to discuss ways to work with Pacific nations to solve the issue of Papuan separatism, say experts.

Nani Afrida, Jakarta – PT Freeport Indonesia has bowed to government pressure on alleged violation of regulations concerning operating in protected forests, saying the company would apply for the necessary permits to remain operating in existing mining areas.

Markus Makur, Timika – PT Freeport Indonesia has not helped develop human resources in Papua, particularly in the Amungme and Kamoro tribes, a member of the Regional Representatives' Council (DPD) says.

The demonstration which took place yesterday outside the Papua Legislative Assembly building consisted of several groups who had come from different parts of the city. They called on the Papuan people to struggle for the rights of the Papuan people which continue to be violated.

The Vanuatu Free West Papua Association says it hope to re-organise a march in support of independence for the West Papuan people of Indonesia within the next two weeks.

Andreas Harsono – In Jakarta in the late 1960s, a young Barack Obama noticed his stepfather's great unease and silence about his one-year military service in New Guinea. Lolo Soetoro, his stepfather, did not like to talk about his time there. He did tell young Barack about how leeches got into his boots in New Guinea's jungles.

Jakarta – National Police spokesman Insp. Gen. Edward Aritonang said a group of officers from Papua Police were deployed to pursue actors behind the recent shooting of an officer there.

"We suspect the Free Papua Organization (OPM) may be responsible the killing. But we still have to wait to see whether this initial assumption is true," Edward said Tuesday.

Jono van Hest – With strictly limited international media access to West Papua, Australian filmmaker Jono van Hest decided that he wanted to help West Papuans tell their own stories.

The four remarkable stories that ensued provide unparalleled access and a strikingly personal insight into the West Papuan resistance filmed by the West Papuans themselves.

Police are investigating whether separatists are responsible for the fatal shooting on Monday of a policeman who was guarding a gas station in the restive Indonesian province of Papua, a report said.

The country's easternmost territory has been a bane of security and development for a long time. With Timor Leste separated from the republic and Aceh peacefully consolidating itself, Papua remains an enigma despite the numerous political initiatives taken at various levels.

Camelia Pasandaran – A controversial nationalist organization got its way on Monday when the Constitutional Court approved part of its judicial review request on the number of legislators allowed in the Papua Legislative Council.

In the Netherlands, Papuan activist VIktor Kaisiepo has died in his home town of Amersfoort at the age of 61.

Markus Makur and Angela Flassy, Timika/Jayapura – The authorities have increased security measures at mining firm PT Freeport Indonesia by slipping a police officer into each of the buses transporting company employees between work and home.

Markus Makur, Timika – Around 1,500 Papuans in Mimika staged a rally Wednesday to support the registration of the International Parliamentarians for West Papua and the International Lawyers for West Papua at the European Union in Brussels the same day.

Cunding Levi, Jayapura – Linked to terror acts that often happen around the mining area of PT Freeport Indonesia in Tembagapura, Mimika Regency, the Papua Traditional Council and the Papua Presidium Board have called for the withdrawal of members of the Indonesian military (TNI) and the police assigned to secure the mining area.

Indonesian police are hunting for the gunmen responsible for a shooting near the Freeport mine in Indonesia's majority-Melanesian Papua province. Nine people were injured in the attack – the latest in a series of violent incidents near the mine.

Nethy Dharma Somba and Markus Makur, Jayapura/Timika – The latest attack against mining firm PT Freeport Indonesia in Papua, weeks after the shooting death of separatist leader Kelly Kwalik, has left the authorities without the usual suspects to pin the blame on, local figures say.

Farouk Arnaz & Markus Junianto Sihaloho – The Free Papua Movement on Tuesday rejected an accusation by the National Police that it was behind Sunday's ambush in which nine people were injured traveling in a convoy of miner PT Freeport McMoran.

Baseless accusations have always been directed towards the OPM/TPN when any killings or shootings happened around the mining area. The recent shooting on Mile 60 on 24th January 2010 was not exceptional case.

Farouk Arnaz – Police in Papua have found shell casings during investigations of Sunday's ambush in which nine people traveling in a convoy of US miner PT Freeport McMoran were injured.

Farouk Arnaz – Police claims that the killing of Papuan rebel leader Kelly Kwalik last month would improve security in the province's Timika area were dashed early on Sunday when nine people traveling in a convoy of US miner Freeport McMoran were injured in an ambush.

Sukmawati, Jakarta – The Peace Institute's Board chairman, Ichsan Melik, said that in the next 10 years Indonesia will become susceptible to separatism. The area mostly at risk is Papua.

A Papua analyst says increasing militarisation of Indonesia's Mimika district and recent actions by police are incendiary for local Papuans aggrieved by the killing of separatist leader Kelly Kwalik.

The senior Free Papua Movement leader was shot dead by police in a raid in Timika town last month, prompting anger among many Papuans, especially the local Amungme tribe.

Irawaty Wardany and Novan Iman Santosa, Jakarta – The National Commission on Human Rights has questioned officials from gold and copper mining firm PT Freeport Indonesia over the company's local CSR funding.

Markus Makur, Timika – Two rival groups engaged in a tribal war over the past two weeks in Kwamki Lama village in Mimika regency, Papua, held a traditional peace ceremony on Wednesday marked by the breaking of bows and arrows.

Markus Makur, Timika – A junior high school student was killed by arrow shots in the wake of a tribal conflict between two rival groups in Timika, Papua, residents said Tuesday.

The death of Isodorus Edoway, 13, increased the toll from the series of clashes in Kwamki Lama village, Timika, to three people.

Irawaty Wardany, Jakarta – The Human Rights Commission considers the government ignored upholding human rights in Papua in 2009.

Matius Murib from the commission's Papuan branch said criminalization of Papuan civilians had escalated significantly, with security forces discrediting anyone suspected of being a member of a separatist group.

Jakarta – Acts of violence and human rights violations in Papua have continued throughout 2009. This situation has further complicated efforts to resolve various problems in Papua through dialogue, as desired by the majority of Papuan people.

Jayapura (Papua) – Major General Hotma Marbun here Monday took over the Cenderawasih regional military command (Kodam-XVII) overseeing Papua and West Papua provinces from Maj Gen Azmyn Yusri Nasution.

Jakarta – Maj. Gen. Hotma Marbun was installed as the Cendrawasih Papua Military Commander on Monday, replacing Maj. Gen. Azmyn Yusri Nasution.

The inauguration ceremony was attended by Papua Governor Barnabas Suebu, West Papua Governor Abraham O Atururi, Papuan People's Assembly chairman Agus Alua and other local leaders.

Markus Makur, Timika – Police on Wednesday arrested a tribal war chief and seven members of the upstream group in Kwamki Lama village as part of efforts to end days of fighting between the village's two rival groups.

A team of 50 police officers on Wednesday received special commendations from the National Police headquarters for shooting and killing Kelly Kwalik, the charismatic leader of an armed faction of the pro-independence Free Papua Movement, in December.

The Australia West Papua Association (Sydney) condemns the banning of books by the Indonesian Attorney General's Office (AGO).

Markus Makur, Timika – A new clash broke out between two rival groups in Kwamki Lama village in Timika district, Papua, on Friday.

A day earlier police had managed to stop the fighting that started on Monday afternoon. So far the clashes have left one man dead and dozens of others injured.

Hotli Simanjuntak, Banda Aceh – Papuans can learn Aceh's transition to democracy, which has been far more successful than Papua, an activist from South Papua's Association of Pegunungan Tengah Students (IPMPT) says.

Jakarta – Tribesman have resorted to arrows, slingshots and other traditional weapons in clashes over compensation for a rape in the Indonesian province of Papua.

At least 31 people were injured yesterday as violence involving hundreds of people entered a third day in Kwamki Lama, a regency in Mimika that boasts one of the world's richest goldmines.

Erwida Maulia, Jakarta – The Papua Police says it will not reduce the number of police officers guarding the gold and copper mine of US-based PT Freeport Indonesia in Papua despite the recent fatal shooting of a local separatist leader.