Congressman Eni F. H. Faleomavaega
Territory of American Samoa
US House of Representatives

Angela Maria Flassy, Jayapura, Papua – State prosecutors seized Friday 60 copies of a book they say could divide Papua politically, while critics have accused them of robbing local people of their freedom of expression.

A Papuan human rights campaigner has been formally charged with insulting Indonesia's president in a series of mobile phone SMS text messages.

Gede Suardana, Denpasar – The United States' stand in refusing to reduce emissions in order to overcome global warming has received a strong reaction with hundreds of students demonstrating in Bali on Monday December 10.

Although the 7 December 2000 Abepura case is now closed according to the law, victims of this bloody incident are not satisfied. On Friday this week they went to the DPRP building to seek justice.

Jayapura – The case of the hoisting of the Kejora flag on 1 December in Timika is being intensively handled by the Mimika police with back-up from the police force in Papua.

Chief of Police in Papua, Drs. Max Donald Aer said that this case is being pursued. Yesterday, the number of suspects increased by one to seven people.

Mark Forbes – Papua will ban all log exports from next month, in a radical move to preserve one of the world's largest remaining tracts of untouched forests.

Governor of the Indonesian province, Barnabas Suebu, told The Age that the Bali climate change conference should endorse funding the anti-logging moves, due to its impact on reducing global warming.

Ellie Simmonds – Campaigners showed solidarity with their fellow countrymen by raising the West Papuan flag over Oxford Town Hall.

Exiled countryman Benny Wenda joined Oxford's Lord Mayor John Tanner and other local campaigners to mark West Papua's National Day on Saturday.

Indonesia's military is exploiting prejudices against indigenous Papuans so it can remain in the impoverished region, an Australian researcher said.

Jakarta – Police released 14 people they arrested after a ceremony to mark the anniversary of West Papua's declaration of independence from Indonesia, a report said Sunday.

Another six people detained as the group raised its outlawed "Morning Star" separatist flag on Saturday remained in police custody, the Detikcom online news portal reported.

More than 20 people were reportedly arrested in Indonesia's Papua as they raised the outlawed "Morning Star" separatist flag.

A spokesman for the United Front of West Papuan People's Fight, says the group was making the anniversary of their declaration of independence.

Jayapura, Papua – The Morning Star flag of Free Papua Movement (OPM) was raised illegally at Kwamki Baru region in Mimika district town of Timika to commemorate independence by OPM separatists opposed to the region being part of Indonesia.

Abdul Khalik, Jakarta – US Congressman Eni Faleomavaega has been in Papua since Monday to directly assess the latest condition of two provinces after he was granted permission by the Indonesian government.

Manasseh Sogavare – The Solomon Islands Prime Minister says the Melanesian Spearhead Group can do more to push for discussion on self-determination aspirations of Papuans.

Manasseh Sogavare says the MSG guiding principles mean member countries should assist fellow Melanesian peoples realise statehood where possible.

Alfian, Jakarta – The government and the House of Representatives have to evaluate the performance of security personnel in Papua, especially the concentration of military forces, their roles and the clarity of their purpose in Papua, activists said Monday.

In 2006, the United Nations established a Human Rights Council in place of the discredited UN Commission for Human Rights. Indonesia was elected onto the 47-member Council, initially for a one-year period, and in 2007, successfully put itself forward for re-election for a three-year term.

During the past nine months, Indonesia has been visited by three UN human rights experts, Hina Jilani, the special representative of the UN Secretary-General for Human Rights Defenders in June, Louise Arbour, head of the UN Human Rights Council, and Professor Manfred Nowak, UN Special Rapporteur on Torture.

The National Human Rights Commission is planning to re-open the case of the disappearance of Aristoteles Masoka, the chauffeur of Theys Hiyo Eluay, the chairman of the Papuan Presidium Council, even though case of Theys himself has been closed.

Neles Tebay, Abepura, Papua – In the wake of civil society's efforts to transform Papua into a land of peace, the Indonesian Military (TNI) has been growing both in strength and numbers in the province, as reported by the International Crisis Group in September last year.

Riot police and soldiers fired warning shots on Sunday after tribesmen in Indonesia's Papua province set several homes on fire in unrest triggered by the death of a former local police chief.

Jakarta – One person was killed in Indonesia's restive Papua province in tribal fighting as villagers burned houses and attacked a police station close to a US-owned gold mine, a police officer said Sunday.

A man of 23 years died after being struck several times by a soldier attached to the district command Korem 172/PWY. The soldier has been identified only by his initials Sergeant YK.

The incident leading to the death of Rudi Pagawak, who worked for Sinar Mas Plantation occurred outside the TNI Post in Lereh, Jayapura on Thursday.

Jayapura – A lack of clear regional autonomy guidelines has prevented the two-year-old Papua People's Council (MRP) from reaching its full potential, members say.

Council chairman Agus Alue Alua acknowledged the council has been less than effective.

Jakarta – The National Human Rights Commission (Komnas HAM) hopes that the police will soon provide an explanation for the arrest of an activist from the Foundation for Legal Education and Democracy (LPHD), Iwangin Sabar Olif.

The Honorable Condoleezza Rice
Secretary of State
Department of State
Washington, DC 20520

October 31, 2007

Dear Madame Secretary,

On 18 October, members of the anti-terrorist squad, Detachment 88 arrested Iwanggin Sabar Olif, a human rights activist in Jayapura. A few days later, he was moved to Jakarta where he is now being held at police headquarters.

The involvement of Detachment 88 in his arrest raises fears that he may be subjected to mal-treatment and is likely to face serious charges.

Jakarta – Human rights activists are calling for the immediate release of Sabar Iwanggin, a Papuan lawyer, arrested because he forwarded a mobile phone text message, said to be offensive to President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.

Jakarta – The horizontal tribal conflict in Banti, District of Tembagapura, Mile 68, Freeport has not yet been resolved by either of the warring parties.

We received information from Jayapura on Sat, 20 Oct 2007 that a West Papuan lawyer Sabar Iwanggin has been arrested in Jayapura and was being interrogated by personnel from the Detachment 88 the special police anti terrorist force.

A United States-based West Papuan journalist and academic says the media access to Indonesia's Papua region has become more restricted.

Octo Mote's comments follow discussion in the British parliament over how much Jakarta has opened up Papua for foreign journalists.

Members of the Papuan community living in the Papua New Guinea capital say they fear for their safety after the murder of a senior court magistrate at the weekend.

It is alleged a group of Papuan refugees stoned the judge to death after he crashed his car near their make shift camp site.

Emily Sherlock – They have been interrupting our TV viewing for months. And with the federal election campaign in full swing, advertisements on West Papua have become more prevalent.

Harlyne Joku – West Papuans numbering 600 have agreed to be repatriated to their home province in Indonesia, the independent group supporting special autonomous region of Papua (IGSSARPRI) said yesterday.

Secretary general Sawi Sitapai said IGSSARPRI was organising their voluntary repatriation which would take place in December and January.

Markus Makur, Timika – Eight people have been killed and 19 others injured in ongoing violence involving four tribes in Tembagapura district, Mimika, Papua.

The Sydney Australia West Papua Association urges the Pacific Islands Forum leaders meeting in Tonga this week to discus the gravely deteriorating situation in West Papua.

The Indonesia Human Rights Committee is urging the New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark to advocate for the people of West Papua at the Pacific Islands Forum when it meets next week. This appeal is backed by other NGOs, including Pax Christi. Peace Movement Aotearoa and Christian World Service.

Greenpeace has warned that Indonesia's plans to clear Papuan forests for palm oil plantations will hinder efforts to mitigate climate change.

Indonesia's President has asked Papua's Governor Barnabas Seubu to open up five million hectares of land for conversion into palm oil plantations in a bid to increase biofuel production.

Leaders of Pacific Island countries, including Australia and New Zealand, should devote special attention to the plight of West Papuan human rights defenders at the annual meeting of the Pacific Islands Forum starting on 16 October in Tonga says TAPOL, the UK-based NGO that promotes human rights, peace and democracy in Indonesia.

Jayapura, Papua – At least 300 members of the Biak Traditional Council (DAB) protested Thursday outside the Biak Numfor regency legislative council, demanding the government review its decision to permit the launch of a Russian satellite from the area in 2010.

Markus Makur, Timika – Papua province's rich natural resources have had no impact on life in the remote villages of Asmat and East Mimika Jauh, in Mimika regency. The villages are symbols of the lack of development in many areas of the province.

The West Papua National Coalition for Liberation (WPNCL) is calling on the Government of Indonesia to end more than four decades of oppression and human rights abuses. WPNCL representative, Paula Makabory, said the Indonesian government should discuss the future of West Papua with an elected team of West Papuan political leaders in an international setting.

Sarah Smiles – A united front of Papuan leaders has called for crisis talks with Jakarta as human rights abuses escalate in the militarised Indonesian province.

Pacific Islands leaders are being asked to consider the plight of the nearly two million Melanesian people in the Indonesian region of Papua when they meet in Tonga in two weeks.

A spokesman for the Australian West Papua Association, Joe Collins, says there is a growing military presence in Papua and increasing human rights abuses there.

A group of pro-independence Papuans said it has asked Indonesia's government to meet to discuss greater democracy and self-determination as well as the withdrawal of troops from the troubled, resource-rich region.

Sarah Smiles, Canberra – The 17-year-old daughter of a prominent Papuan activist has been kidnapped, drugged and assaulted at gunpoint by a group allegedly linked to Indonesian security forces, human rights workers have reported.

David Crawshaw – Australia broke international law and endangered the lives of five Papuan asylum seekers by secretly sending the men back to Papua New Guinea, refugee advocates say.

Jakarta – The terrorisation of the Papuan chief representative of the National Human Rights Commission or Komnas HAM, Albert Rumbekwan, could have an impact on Indonesia's image as a member of the United Nations Human Rights Commission. Moreover, Amnesty International has sent a letter to the president raising questions about the case.

Rob Taylor, Canberra – Australia secretly deported five separatist asylum seekers from Indonesia's Papua province, in what rights groups said on Thursday was an attempt to appease Jakarta and avoid embarrassing its powerful military.

Jakarta – In relation to his duties and responsibilities as a representative of the National Human Rights Commission or Komnas HAM in Papua, Albert Rumbekwan is a state official and cannot be harassed when carrying out his duties.

Markus Makur, Timika – More than half of the population of Mimika regency, Papua, live below the poverty line and lack access to health care, education, proper clothing and food, an official said Tuesday.