Jayapura, Kompas – The residence of the chairperson of the Papuan Representative office of the National Human Rights Commission or Komnas HAM, Albert Rumbekwan, was broken into by unidentified individuals on Sunday September 23.

Jayapura – Although the matter has not been in the news recently, it now appears that the police are still carrying out investigations about the flying of the Kejora flag at the Sports Stadium in July.

Anton Aprianto, Jakarta – Former Foreign Affairs Minister of Free Papua Organization (OPM), Nicholas Messet, 61, has met Vice President Jusuf Kalla and asked to become an Indonesian citizen, Thursday (20/9).

A number of human rights activists and leading personalities in West Papua have taken the unusual step of making representations to the police in Jayapura, complaining that they have been subjected to intimidation and terror from unknown persons.

Julia Daia Bore – Over 500 settlers from Papua province of Indonesia (formerly West Papua) living at the 8-Mile Settlement outside the nation's capital are likely to be evicted today by the owner of the land. And the settlers want the PNG Government to intervene and prevent this happening.

Desy Nurhayati, Jakarta – The Army's plan to establish a third infantry division in Papua is necessary and feasible, as long as the proposal is first approved by the Defense Ministry, a legislator and an analyst said Saturday.

Jakarta – The Indonesian Army has proposed a third infantry division for their Strategic Reserves Command (Kostrad) in Papua, which would see more guards made available to patrol Papua border areas and other conflict-prone regions.

The Army needs financial assistance from the government however before its proposal can be realized.

Ridwan Max Sijabat, Jakarta – A group of Papuan public figures has called on the government to restart discussions on the establishment of Central Papua province in order to speed up development programs and address poverty in the region.

The human rights organisation ELSHAM says Indonesian security forces continue to target Papuans and abuse their human rights.

ELSHAM says riots have erupted in the city of Nabire and that shops and offices in the city's heart have all been closed.

The Australia West Papua Association (AWPA) calls on Prime Minister Howard to raise the issue of West Papua with the Indonesian President at APEC.

AWPA believes that West Papua will be one of our most pressing foreign policy issues in the future.

Jake Lynch – Prime Minister John Howard's handshake with George W. Bush at the APEC summit will be greeted with howls of protest as his welcome for a President widely seen as a warmonger. But it is in his meeting with Indonesia's leader, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, that the Prime Minister's reputation, at least in our own quadrant of the globe, as a peacemaker will be at stake.

Reports from Human Rights workers confirm that the Indonesian military (TNI) and police launched a new military offensive in the Jamo (also spelt Yamo) Valley in the remote Puncak Jaya region of West Papua, in the first week of August 2007.

Tom Hyland – Matius Bunai was last seen alive three weeks ago today when he left a church service in the town of Nabire in the Indonesian province of Papua. His body, beaten and lacerated, was found dumped in the street the following morning.

The 4th National Gathering of the Australian Coalition of West Papua Support Groups met in Sydney over the weekend of the 11-12 August to discuss and formulate campaigns to highlight the ongoing human rights abuses occurring in West Papua. The gathering also affirmed their support for the peaceful struggle of the West Papuan people to achieve their right to self-determination.

Jayapura – Some 300 protesters who said they were from the Coalition of People and Students Care of Papua held a rally at Papua Legislative Council on Monday demanding the provincial government, the local council and Papua People's Council reject the province's special autonomy status.

Two West Papuan men have been murdered in separate incidents in what appears to be a return of the 'mysterious killing' style of political repression, which was carried out by the Indonesian security forces during the Suharto era.

There is concern being expressed about the statement by the Indonesian president, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, linking Papuan separatists to terrorism.

Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has warned his Government will not tolerate interference from those who want to slow down the development of Papua. The President issued the warning in his annual address to Parliament.

Erica Vowles – The rights and revenue that were supposed to flow from West Papua's Special Autonomy Law – implemented by the Indonesian Government in 2001 – are yet to transpire for the majority of West Papuans, according to delegates at a conference in Sydney last week.

Craig Skehan – The diplomatically sensitive Morning Star independence flag was flown outside the Australian Parliament yesterday by a group of West Papuans – some of whose successful asylum applications last year infuriated Indonesia. Flying the same flag in West Papua would probably mean jail.

Markus Makur, Timika – Soldiers and police officers have been ordered to take strict action against any groups or parties that erect Papua's Bintang Kejora flags during the commemoration of Indonesia's 62nd Independence Day on Friday.

Here is a strong warning as the 17th August anniversary approaches to anyone who tries to pull down the red-and-white flag already unfurled on the mast. Army headquarters has issued a threat that they will "shoot on sight".

Australia's Prime Minister John Howard is being asked to speak up for the human rights of Papua when he meets Indonesia's President in Sydney next month.

Jakarta – Papua's five-year-old special autonomy status has done nothing to lift social conditions for the majority of Papuan people thanks to the poor allocation of autonomy funds, said the Papuan People's Assembly (MPR) in Australia on Tuesday.

The DPRP team which visited Jakarta this week to discuss the adoption of the Morning Star flag, the song 'Hai Tanahku Papua' and the Mambruk bird as symbols for Papua spent Friday in a meeting with BIN (State Intelligence Bureau) officials.

A West Papuan man, Yakobus Gimbanop, is reported to be dying in hospital at Tanah Merah after being tortured by Indonesian military personnel.

Yakobus Gimbanop from the Wabom tribal group was beaten and tortured at Military Camp 19 Korindo, Aseki. This incident was reported have occurred from about 29/07/07.

Police use gun to threaten Rev Sofian Yoman, outspoken Human Rights advocate, at Church service

The Rev Socretez Sofian Yoman, President of the Baptist Church in West Papua, has been threatened by members of the Indonesian Police and members of military intelligence with a gun outside Sunday service in Jayapura.

Indonesia is under pressure for posting a colonel indicted for crimes against humanity in East Timor, to the province of Papua. It comes as the Indonesian military is believed to be stepping up its activities in Papua and there are reports of Indonesian backed militias increasing their presence there too. Human rights groups are calling for international intervention.

Yesterday the embattled Kingmi Church in West Papua was again violently occupied by Indonesian Police.

Alvin Darlanika Soedarjo, Jakarta – An independent NGO, the Papua Working Group in Jakarta, said a revision of the Papua Special Autonomy Law was insignificant and that the Papuan administration needed a solid and transparent plan to prioritize development and channel progression funds properly.

Jakarta – The Supreme Court refused the appeal of a man convicted in a December 2006 shooting near the operational area of Freeport McMoran in Timika, Papua, that left three employees dead.

Justice German Hoediarto on Thursday upheld the life sentence handed down to Antonius Wawang by the Jakarta High Court. Wawang was sentenced by the high court in January.

The Institute for Papuan Advocacy and Human Rights (IPAHR) is extremely concerned at the increasing activity of pro-Indonesian militias in West Papua.

Jakarta – The Free Papua Movement (OPM) is no more than an ideology, with only about six percent of the population of Papua remaining active members of the separatist movement, a military commander said Tuesday.

HS Dillon, Jakarta – Despite evident shortcomings, one of the outstanding features of post-Soeharto reform has been the devolution of considerable authority to the regions. This includes Papua, where, dating back from the Dutch colonial days, the institutional setup and policy-making has not favored ethnic Papuans.

Filep Karma a West Papuan political prisoner has been on hunger strike in prison in Jayapura. He went on hunger strike after receiving a letter from the authorities saying that he and fellow prisoner Yusak Pakage, would be moved from prison in Jayapura to a prison in Jakarta.

Calls for the release of prisoners jailed under Indonesia's draconian 'hate-sowing' laws, including Papuans Filep Karma and Yusak Pakage, have been reiterated today by TAPOL, which promotes human rights, peace and democracy in Indonesia.

The presence in West Papua of Col. Burhanuddin Siagian, a senior Indonesian army officer indicted for crimes against humanity charges in East Timor (now called Timor-Leste) endangers human rights defenders and political activists. Recently Col. Siagian threatened to "destroy" peaceful dissidents in the contested region.

The Asia Pacific Solidarity Coalition (APSOC), a regional solidarity organization that campaigns on issues affecting the peoples of the region, expresses its gravest concern over the continued presence of Col. Burhanuddin Siagian as commander of the Jayapura sub-regional military command (Korem 172) in West Papua.

James Balowski, Jakarta – Indonesian police routinely torture, rape and kill with impunity in West Papua and risk fanning separatism there, Human Rights Watch (HRW) said in a report released on July 5.

James Balowski, Jakarta – Coinciding with the release of a report by Human Rights Watch exposing endemic human rights abuses in West Papua and the refusal to allow a member of the US Congress to visit the province, protests featuring the Morning Star flag were held.

With the regional assembly (DPRP) now preparing to issue a regulation about cultural symbols, such as the Morning Star, the song Hai Tanahku Papua some time this month, the Commander of Korem 172/PWY, Colonel Burhaniddin Siagian, said that the DPRP and the MRP should "act wisely" bearing in mind that the Morning Star flag, Tanahku Papua and the Mambruk bird symbol were not regional

The Indonesia Human Rights Committee has faxed an urgent letter to the Prime Minister calling on her to raise issues of human rights in West Papua when she meets with President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono next week.

Only days after the Indonesian Government banned U.S Congressman Eni Faleomavega from visiting West Papua, the Indonesian police, military and local government in Yogyakarta have teamed up with Islamic militias and hardline nationalist groups to crack down on West Papuan activists.

Jayapura – Police have questioned 14 witnesses in connection with the unfurling of a separatist Bintang Kejora (Morning Star) flag during the opening of the Papua Customary Community Congress here last week.

Men and women from the Papua Tribal Council have been arrested yesterday in Jayapura at the end of the Peoples Congress held by the Papuan Presidium Council to elect its new set of officers.

Paula Makabori – More Papuans are being questioned by Indonesian police in Jayapura over a flag-raising incident. This follows the arrest of eight Papuans at the end of the four-day Papuan Tribal Congress meeting in Jayapura last week.

Jakarta – The police said Friday they would look into allegations of abuse contained in a Human Rights Watch report released the previous day, and respond appropriately if the allegations were found to be true.

Nethy Dharma Somba, Jayapura – The four-day Papuan Tribal Community congress has elected Forkorus Yoboisembut as the new Papuan Tribal Council leader, replacing Tom Beanal.

Forkorus, formerly the council's tribal governing chief, was elected Friday on the last day of the congress at the Cendrawasih sport complex in Jayapura city. He will hold the post until 2012.

Jakarta – Indonesian police are to investigate claims in a human rights report released this week that their forces in Papua have routinely abused people there, national police chief Sutanto said Friday.

Jakarta – A US congressman who once supported separatism for Indonesia's Papua said Thursday he was encouraged by the nation's commitment to address the needs of people in the troubled region.

US Democrat congressman Eni Faleomavaega, who was invited to the national capital Jakarta but not to Papua itself by an Indonesian lawmaker, said his outlook had "changed".