Netty Dharma Somba & Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, Jayapura/Jakarta – Papuan human rights activists said they were prepared to support the planned investigation by the National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) into alleged atrocities in the province.

Chris Brummitt, Jakarta – Indonesia's military promised Saturday to investigate claims that it carried out extra-judicial killings and torture in Papua province. But it warned that if the charges were not true, it would pursue legal action against the body that made them, the National Commission on Human Rights.

Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, Jakarta – The National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) said on Friday that based on preliminary findings the Indonesian military (TNI) committed gross abuses in Papua in 2001 and 2003, and says it is launching a legal probe into the incidents.

Laksamana.Net – Not content with murdering Papua province's passive independence leader Theys Eluay two years ago, Indonesian authorities have now destroyed part of a memorial dedicated to the slain activist.

Nethy Dharma Somba, Jayapura – Members of the Papuan Presidium Council (PDP) commemorated here on Tuesday the death of former charismatic PDP chairman Theys Hiyo Eluay, who was killed two years ago by Indonesian military personnel.

Tim Johnston – Indonesia may be gearing up for a new offensive against separatist rebels in the restive eastern province of Papua, observers believe. Analysts in Jakarta have warned that the killing of 10 suspected members of the Free Papua Organisation (OPM) this week could be the first shots in a renewed campaign.

Greg Poulgrain – The Jakarta media yesterday strongly criticised Indonesian army personnel who shot dead nine Papuans in a pre-dawn raid in the highlands of West Papua.

Nethy Dharma Somba and Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, Jayapura/Jakarta – Three more people were reported dead on Thursday, following an attack by unknown assailants in the Papua regency of Paniai, three days ago, bringing the total number of dead to four, with two others missing and three others in the hospital.

The separatist movement in Indonesia's Papua province took a major blow this week after the military claimed it killed 10 separatist rebels, including leader Yustinus Murib. But church leaders in Papua say they too have been targetted by the special forces, Kopassus, and subjected to surveillance, intimidation and even murder.

Rob Taylor, Jakarta – Indonesian special forces troops have ambushed and killed 10 alleged separatists in Papua, including a top rebel leader, after they attacked a village in the latest round of independence-linked fighting.

In Indonesia it's been claimed 10 separatist rebels, including a local leader, have been killed by special Kopassus troops in a pre-dawn raid in Papua. The military says it's killed the leader of the local Free Papua Movement (OPM) Yustinus Murib, in an ambush along with nine of his supporters.

Jakarta – At least 12 people have been killed in clashes between security forces and separatist rebels in Indonesia's troubled Papua province, local media reported on Wednesday.

Eight rebels were killed and several were injured after troops raided a camp in the Wamena region on Wednesday morning, an army officer told El-Shinta radio.

Pete Thomas: What footage will you be broadcasting?

Mark Davis: It's a rather extraordinary video that was sent to us last week from the Balian valley, from an OPM rally, which is documenting reports that have been coming out all this year from church groups, but of course no journalists are allowed in there at the moment.

Jakarta – Gunmen apparently belonging to a separatist rebel group in Indonesia's Papua province attacked construction workers in a remote village, killing one of them and leaving five others missing, police said Tuesday.

July 6 was the anniversary of one of the shameful events in Australia's relationship with Indonesia. In July 1998 on Biak's tiny island just north of Australia – the Indonesian military carried out a massacre of more than 100 people, mostly women.

Jayapura – XVII/Trikora Commander, Maj-Gen Nurdin Zainal MM, on Thursday (28 October) fulfilled his promise to meet with students and residents of Koteka in relation to the "Mulia Case" which resulted in several deaths.

Nethy Dharma Somba, Jayapura – Papua Hundreds of students and local Papuans staged a protest on Friday in Jayapura, to reject a plan by the General Elections Commission (KPU) to establish a provincial KPU (KPUD) in the soon to be established province of West Irian Jaya.

Jayapura – Hundreds of Papuans, including students, launched a peaceful rally at the provincial legislative building on Friday to reject the establishment of West Irian Jaya province.

Nethy Dharma Somba, Jayapura – The Trikora Military Command, which is responsible for military affairs in the troubled province of Papua, has dishonorably discharged at least 63 soldiers this year, mostly on account of desertion, an officer said here on Monday.

Nethy Dharma Somba, Jayapura – A court-martial here sentenced two soldiers on Thursday to up to 14 months in jail for their roles in events connected with a weapons raid last April on a military armory in Wamena regency, Papua province.

Papua province's governor Jaap Salossa says the resource-rich territory will never secede because its people benefit by being part of Indonesia.

The governor on Tuesday said the Papuan people's "enjoyment of the fruits of development" for more than 40 years has made the province an integral part of the Indonesian republic.

Kurniawan Hari and Moch. N. Kurniawan, Jakarta – Politicians in the Papua provincial legislature have threatened to boycott the 2004 general elections if the central government insists on establishing West Irian Jaya as a separate electoral district from its mother province, Papua.

Netty Dharma Somba, Jayapura – The Jayapura District Court sentenced on Thursday Edison Waromi and Herman Wanggai to two years in prison for treason.

The district court also sentenced Yordan Ick to 10 months in prison for having known of the planned treason but failing to report it to the authorities. The three were the first Papuans to be jailed for treason.

Nethy Dharma Somba, Jayapura – Army soldiers began a four-day military exercise in Biak Numfor regency, Papua, on Monday, but it immediately sparked protests from students and a human rights group in Jayapura, the capital of the troubled province.

Jakarta – Demonstrators wearing traditional Papuan tribal dress marched Saturday to protest an Indonesian government plan to divide Papua into three provinces.

More than 100 protesters chanted "Free Papua from legal and illegal military operations" at the rally in Jakarta, about 3,600 kilometers west of the province.

Jakarta – Supporters and opponents of the creation of Central Irian Jaya province barbecued two pigs in a traditional ceremony on Thursday in the town of Timika, Papua province, to mark a peace agreement among them.

Max Lane, Jakarta – There was little doubt about what feelings dwell in the heart of Negro Alpius Kogoyo, head of the Lani tribe of Mimika and commander of the Peoples Opposed to the Division of Papua.

["The United Nations and the Indonesian Takeover of West Papua, 1962-1969: The anatomy of betrayal" by John Saltford. Review by Julian Evans.]

Just a few days after the Indonesian Defense Forces (TNI) announced plans to form new battalions in Papua, a prominent environmentalist has warned that illegal logging mafias are joining forces with crooked officials to plunder the province's rainforests.

Jakarta – Indonesia said on Wednesday it might ban foreign tourists from visiting restive Papua, where four people have been killed and dozens wounded in recent clashes over government plans to divide the province.

Dr Laurence Sullivan is a British lawyer who's been working on Indonesia's current Special Autonomy Law for the restive, but resource-rich province of Papua. He says the Indonesian Government's failure so far to grant promised autonomy to Papua is actually helping the independence movement, and undermining the unity of the Indonesian state.

Nethy Dharma Somba, Jayapura – A seven-member team from the National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) has begun to investigate allegations of human rights abuses in the province of Papua.

Tiarma Siboro and Muninggar Sri Saraswati, Jakarta – An expert warned on Monday of more troubles as a result of the government's failure to involve local participation in its plan to divide Papua into three provinces.

Sociologist Daniel Dhakidae suggested that the government be prepared to revise the plan or even drop it as opposition to the partition was quite serious.

Nethy Dharma Somba, Jayapura – A National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) team is scheduled to arrive here on Monday to investigate reports of human rights abuses in the troubled province of Papua.

The team will gather data and information in Wamena, Wasior and Timika, where non-governmental organizations have accused security personnel of human rights violations.

Jakarta – Foreign Affairs Minister Hassan Wirajuda has stated that the government is continuing to monitor the possibility of support from a number of countries in the Asia Pacific region for a group of people in Papua who have ideas of Papuan independence, separating from the Republic of Indonesia.

Dean Yates, Wamena – It was a typical Sunday in a village not far from the highland town of Wamena in Indonesia's restive Papua province.

Dean Yates, Hebuba – Against the backdrop of mist-shrouded mountains and a new brick church, tribesmen in Indonesia's restive Papua province grabbed their bows and began firing arrows into more than 100 pigs tied to stakes. The dying pigs howled and thrashed madly.

Jakarta – A pro-independence activist Saturday denounced a government plan to quell separatist sentiment in Indonesia's easternmost province by setting up a local legislature, saying the body would be unrepresentative and lack strong political powers.

Jakarta – Indonesia will deploy 2,000 more troops in its easternmost province of Papua after recent anti-government protests left five people dead.

Nethy Dharma Somba, Jayapura/Jakarta – Ahead of a planned tribal celebration for peace, the situation in Timika, the capital of Mimika regency, abruptly turned tense on Monday following the killing of two migrant people on Sunday evening.

Moch. N. Kurniawan, Jakarta – The government again made clear on Monday its determination to prevent an overly powerful Papuan People's Assembly (MRP), throwing into question the status of the province's special autonomy.

Pro-independence groups in Papua have issued an urgent call for immediate assistance from Australia to help stop escalating violence in the Indonesian province. A total of six people have been killed in the past week in fighting between supporters and opponents of a plan by Jakarta to divide the province into three.

Kurniawan Hari and Syaiful Amin, Jakarta/Yogyakarta – The controversial division of Papua, which sparked deadly violence in Mimika regency last week, has been blamed on the political elite in Jakarta, particularly those in the two largest parties, and the Indonesian Military (TNI).

Nethy Dharma Somba, Jayapura – The deadly clashes between opponents and supporters of the creation of Central Irian Jaya province has come to an uneasy truce, after it turned into a tribal war upon the local "eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth" principle.

The premature declaration of Central Irian Jaya province by six regents together with the speaker of the regional parliament on Saturday has given rise to suspicion that the division of Papua is driven by the desire to dominate the natural resources and political allegiances of the area.

Muridan S. Widjojo, Jakarta – The public has again apparently been taken by surprise by the popular uprising in Papua, this time in Timika. The clashes were triggered by the declaration of the Central Irian Jaya province by Jakarta elites.

Papua/Jakarta – Police in Timika, Papua have detained as a suspect, a man identified only as LS and questioned seven others for alleged roles in bloody clashes over the controversial creation of Central Irian Jaya province last week.

Bagus Kurniawan, Yogyakarta – In the aftermath of the violent clashes between Papua citizens as a result of the creation of the new province of Central Irian Jaya, Papua students in Yogyakarta have called for the [decision to] divide up the province of Papua be immediately annulled.

Neles Tebay, Pontifical University of Urbaniana, Rome – The controversial plan to divide Papua into three provinces was delayed on the heels of the fatal clashes following the announcement of the Central Irian Jaya province in Timika.

Jakarta/Papua/Denpasar – Experts have finally begun to step up criticism of the government for violating its own laws on Papua, saying that it would only spark further legal uncertainty and become a divisive issue for the people, especially the residents of Papua.