Nethy Dharma Somba, Jayapura – Jayapura District Court had to postpone the Abepura case trial yet again Friday after the prosecution failed to present the remaining seven defendants to be tried for their involvement in the deadly March 16 clash with police.

West Papuan student detainees boycott court process as protestors brace for military action

West Papuan church and community leaders have joined with women's and grassroots organisations to hold an all night vigil and blockade of the Abepura prison where students accused of killing members of Indonesia's security forces are being held.

Nethy Dharma Somba, Jayapura – The remaining seven defendants being tried for their involvement in a deadly clash with police on March 16 in Abepura, Papua, refused to appear in court Wednesday after one of them was beaten up by a police officer Monday.

Mark Forbes, Indonesia – Papuan activists charged over the murder of four Indonesian police and one intelligence officer boycotted their trial yesterday after being assaulted by police as they were being returned to prison.

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono,
Istana Negara,
Jalan Merdeka 3,
Jakarta, Indonesia

31 August 2006

Dear President Yudhoyono,

I am writing to you with great concern for the safety of Nelson Ipan Kornelius Rumbiak, who is 20 years old.

The trial of seven Papuans charged with the killing of two American nationals and one Indonesian is likely to continue without the defendants and their lawyers, after the Central Jakarta District Court on Tuesday ruled against defendants' arguments that the case should be tried in Papua.

Kris Fathoni W, Jakarta – After holding a long-march from the State Palace, West Papuan protesters demonstrated at the Central Jakarta State Court demanding that the defendants in the 2002 Timika shooting case be released.

Multa Fidrus, Tangerang – The number of illiterate people in Tangerang regency has jumped dramatically within the past two years, an education official claims.

Education agency head Muhyi Syarifudin said the agency had measured a rapid increase in illiterate people from 2,673 in 2004 to 190,123 this year.

Arfi Bambani Amri, Jakarta – Around 50 people from the West Papua Peoples United Struggle Front (Pepera) demonstrated in front of the US Embassy on Monday August 28 calling for the defendants in the Timika shooting case to be unconditionally released.

Jayapura – Police in Papua have issued an arrest warrant for Jefri Pagawak, a local activist wanted for allegedly masterminding violent demonstrations throughout the province.

The order came after Jefri eluded police who tried to arrest him in Timika on Tuesday night.

Nethy Dharma Somba, Jayapura – The level of human rights violations in Papua has increased in recent years, according to one observer, who asked the international community to do more for the province.

An explosive report in today's issue of The Bulletin has vindicated a field investigation into the activities of the Indonesian military (TNI) in the Papua New Guinea - West Papuan border region. This investigation was undertaken by fieldworkers from May 14 to 14 June 2006 on behalf of the Free West Papua campaign in Australia.

On behalf of the Australia West Papua Association (Sydney), I am writing to you concerning the issue of West Papua. It was disappointing that concern for the human rights situation in West Papua was not mentioned in last years PIF Communique, as it has been in previous years.

Refugee and Free West Papua supporters this afternoon welcomed the Prime Minister's decision to scuttle the Migration Amendment (Designated Unauthorised Arrivals) Bill and

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's recent visit to Papua marked the government's renewed commitment to addressing the multitude of problems facing the local people. Papua University scholar Agus Sumule, who helped draft the law on special autonomy for Papua, shared with The Jakarta Post's Dwi Atmanta his views on the implementation of the law.

Pip Hinman – Refugee-rights campaigners and supporters of a free West Papua welcomed the Refugee Review Tribunal's (RRT) ruling on July 31 to overturn the government's decision not to grant a temporary visa to the last of the 43 West Papuan asylum seekers who landed on Cape York in January.

Ary Hermawan, Jakarta – Lawyers for seven men charged with the 2002 killings of two Americans and one Indonesian in Papua province entered a not guilty plea for their clients Tuesday, saying the indictments were obscure or baseless.

Hundreds of Papuan students on the run from the police following the clashes on 16 March this year are still hiding in the forests around Jayapura District and City, and the District of Keerom. They are too frightened to return home because they are being hunted by the TNI/Polri.

Andra Jackson – A Papuan asylum seeker whose visa refusal has been overturned says he believes the refusal was made on political grounds to appease Indonesia.

"It was like an international bargain," said David Wainggai, 28, the only one of 43 Papuan asylum seekers not granted a temporary protection visa in March.

Jewel Topsfield and Michelle Grattan, Canberra – Papua independence activist David Wainggai could be at risk of "serious harm" from Indonesian military or security forces if sent home, the Refugee Review Tribunal has warned.

Ary Hermawan, Jakarta – Seven men charged with the 2002 murders of two American nationals and an Indonesian in Papua province said Tuesday they would rather die than stand trial in Jakarta.

Jakarta – The judges in the Central Jakarta District Court have had to postpone the court hearing into the shooting of three PT Freeport employees. In addition to the defense attorney not being ready, Antonius Wamang and his six colleagues are still refusing to be tried in Jakarta.

Campaigners from Free West Papua Campaign in Melbourne have welcomed the decision by the Refugee Review Tribunal in overturning the original Immigration Department rejection of David Wainggai's application for Refugee Status.

Michael Gordon – A Federal Government decision to deny a Papuan asylum seeker refugee status in Australia has been overturned by the independent Refugee Review Tribunal.

Jayapura – President Soesilo Bambang Yudhoyono has agreed to evaluate Law No.21/2001 on Papua Special Autonomy in view of the latest developments in the easternmost Indonesian region.

Markus Makur, Timika – Two tribes involved in a series of deadly clashes over the past week in Mimika regency, Papua, have sat down for peace talks, but no deal has yet been reached.

Dimas Adityo, Jakarta – The Indonesian military (TNI) will continue to keep on guard against the Free Papua Movement (OPM) groups that are still exist in the Papuan interior, even though several members surrendered to the government late last week.

Ridwan Max Sijabat, Jakarta – Papua's "special autonomy" status has not brought significant progress to the people because it has failed to address their fundamental needs, a survey suggests.

Jakarta – A court in Indonesia's easternmost province of Papua on Wednesday jailed two people for five and six years each for taking part in violent protests against a US-run mine, a lawyer said.

Hundreds of protesters clashed with security officers in March near Papua's capital Jayapura over the mine run by US giant Freeport-McMoran, leaving six people dead.

Nethy Dharma Somba, Jayapura – The Jayapura District Court on Monday sentenced 11 protesters involved in a deadly March 16 clash with police in Abepura to jail terms of between five and six years.

The meeting in the port city of Madang brought together commanders from six commands in the West Papuan National Army.

Meeting organiser Jonah Wenda told AAP most of the commanders had crossed the border from Papua to attend the meeting and they had pledged to continue their struggle for a free Papua through non-violent means.

Jayapura – During the reading of defense speeches at the Jayapura District Court on Wednesday July 19, four of the defendants charged over the Abepura riots that resulted in the death of four police officers and an Indonesian airforce officer have retracted the statements made in their interrogation reports.

Ary Hermawan, Jakarta – The Central Jakarta District Court opened the trial Tuesday of seven Papuans charged with the 2002 murders of two American teachers and an Indonesian who worked for PT Freeport Indonesia in Timika, Papua.

The suspects were forcibly brought to trial by police after twice refusing to appear. The defendants demanded that the trial be held in Timika.

Alby Dallas – Hendrik Ervan Baldus from the People's Democratic Party of Indonesia is the chairperson of the Papuan National Student Front. He attended the 35th Resistance national conference, giving greetings from both organisations.

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono
Istana Negara
Jakarta, Indonesia

19 July 2006

Dear Mr President,

We have received reports of serious human rights violations perpetrated by Indonesian police officers in West Papua and we urge you to address the situation ahead of your visit to the territory next week.

Nethy Dharma Somba, Jayapura – A police officer who was allegedly drunk when he shot dead his female companion was mobbed and killed Saturday by hundreds of villagers in Tolikara, Papua. The dead woman has been identified as 20-year-old Selfi Kogoya.

Nethy Dharma Somba, Jayapura – An ongoing dispute between the Papuan Legislative Council and the Papuan chapter of the General Elections Commission (KPUD Papua) over procedures in the handover of election results has delayed indefinitely the inauguration of the governor-elect Barnabar Suebu.

Jakarta – A comprehensive audit on the operation of PT Freeport Indonesia, which was initially expected to be completed last month, is not finished yet, Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Purnomo Yusgiantoro said.

Ary Hermawan, Jakarta – The Central Jakarta District Court told prosecutors Tuesday to use force to get seven suspects in the 2002 killing of two US nationals and an Indonesian in Papua province to court for indictment.

Marianne Kearney, Jakarta – Six of the seven Papuans charged with the premeditated murder of three teachers at the Freeport mine in 2002 are facing the death penalty merely for supplying the attackers with coffee and sugar, says one of their lawyers.

Jakarta – Seven suspects who face trial over the 2002 killings of two US nationals in Indonesia's Papua refused to turn up in court Tuesday, arguing that their case should be heard in the easternmost province.

Nethy Dharma Somba, Jayapura – Seven suspects set to stand trial over the killing of two American teachers and their Indonesian colleague in Timika, Papua province have refused to stand trial in Jakarta, their lawyer said Thursday.

As ceremonies marked the National Police's 60th anniversary Saturday, Papuans observed the moment uniquely, holding a bakar batu, or "burning the stone" thanksgiving ritual.

Residents from 42 villages in Jayawijaya regency's three districts prepared a communal meal, cooking it with hot stones before sharing it together.

Kenneth Davidson – The chief criticism of John Howard's decision to reinstitute the Pacific Solution to deal with the threat of hundreds of Papuans fleeing military persecution and economic dispossession is that, in his desperation for a friendly personal relationship with President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, he is dealing with the symptoms of the problem, not the substance.

Jakarta – Indonesia plans to deport two US citizens after they were caught attending a meeting with separatist sympathizers in the country's eastern Papua province, an immigration official said Wednesday.

Nethy Dharma Somba, Jayapura – The National Police will take over security at US-owned mining company PT Freeport Indonesia from the military beginning in July, an officer says.

A Catholic human rights group has accused Indonesian police of torturing 23 Papuans arrested after violent protests in March.

The Peace and Justice Secretariat of the Catholic diocese in Papua's provincial capital, Jayapura, alleges cases of physical and mental abuse, and intimidation of prisoners.

Nurfajri Budi Nugroho, Jakarta – The 42 Papuan asylum seekers who obtained temporary visas in Australia are now biting their finger nails. Their dream of finding work in the Nation of the Kangaroo has run aground (sic).

Tb. Arie Rukmantara, Jakarta – The Indonesian Military (TNI) says it will continue guarding PT Freeport Indonesia in the restive province of Papua, despite accusations of human rights abuses against local people.

Richard Kerbaj – Hundreds of protesters, including four Papuan refugees, yesterday rallied against the Howard Government's proposed migration bill that would lock asylum-seekers in offshore detention centres.