Church leaders in Indonesia's Papua province have asked the separatist group to release a New Zealand pilot, held hostage for nearly two months to garner international support for the Papuan independence movement.

Finau Fonua – Indonesian security forces in West Papua last week launched an offensive against the West Papua Liberation Army (TPNPB) command holding New Zealand pilot Philip Mehrtens hostage, RNZ Pacific can confirm.

Jayapura, Jubi – The Jayapura District Court on Monday, March 27, 2023, held another trial of treason against the International Spokesperson of the West Papua National Committee (KNPB), Viktor Yeimo. In the hearing, expert witnesses presented by Yeimo's side, Herlambang Wiratraman and Cahyo Pamungkas said that anti-racism expression and referendum demands were not treason.

Duncan Graham – It's easy being morally upright when the brutalities and agonies are far away. When adjacent, and the offender is big, powerful, outnumbering us 11-to 1, and a vital trader, concerns get muted. President Theodore Roosevelt's 'big stick' foreign policy advice has been tweaked by Canberra to: 'Speak softly and carry a small twig'.

A joint force of Indonesian military and police are claiming to have shot dead a member of the West Papua National Liberation Army (TPNB) in Central Papua Province on Wednesday last week.

Jayapura, Jubi – The Papua Legal Aid Institute (LBH Papua) asks the Head of the Investment and One-Stop Integrated Service Office of Papua Province to immediately revoke Decree No. 82/2021 on the environmental feasibility of a plan to develop oil palm plantations and processing plants in the customary forest of the Woro Clan in Boven Digoel Regency, South Papua Province.

Ahmad B, Kenzu, Palembang, S Sumatra – National Defense Forces (TNI) Commander Admiral Yudo Margono flagged off the departure of 850 soldiers of the Indonesia-Papua New Guinea Border Security Task Force to Papua and West Papua from Palembang, South Sumatra, on Friday.

Jayapura, Jubi – A joint forces of Indonesian Military (TNI) and Police has shot dead an alleged member of the West Papua National Liberation Army (TPNPB) in Mundidok Village, North Gome District, Puncak Regency, Central Papua Province on Wednesday, March 22, 2023.

Jayapura, Jubi – Solidarity of Tambrauw Regency Students in Jayapura rejects illegal mining in Kwor Village, Barar Village, and Orwen Village in Kwor District, Tambrauw Regency, Southwest Papua Province. The students held a press conference in Tambrauw Dormitory on Monday, March 20, 2023.

Merauke, Jubi – South Papua Youth Movement for Indigenous Land Care (GPPSPTA), a group of young people in South Papua Province's Merauke Regency, voiced the dangers and threats of deforestation to the community and local government.

Jenny Munro – Navigating false information is now an everyday experience in Indonesia and globally, but recent incidents in West Papua show how the rhetoric of the 'hoax' or 'fake news' may be used by those in power to justify violence, perpetuate discrimination, and deny people's capacity to analyse their own social contexts.

M Julnis Firmansyah, Jakarta – President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo announced that the government had enrolled infrastructure construction funds for Papua that amount to Rp1,036 trillion from 2014 up to 2022, during his two Presidential terms. Jokowi noted that

it was not a small amount of money and that people must reap the benefits.

M Julnis Firmansyah, Jakarta – Indonesian President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo said he had discussed efforts to rescue New Zealand pilot Philips Max Mehrtens who was being held hostage by the separatist group in Papua, Free Papua Movement (OPM), with the National Police Chief General Listyo Sigit Prabowo and Military Commander Admiral Yudo Margono.

Wamena, Jubi – Kiosk traders in Sinakma, Wamena, Jayawijaya Regency, Mountainous Papua Province, admitted that their income has dropped since the riot on February 23, 2023, following a rumor of child abduction. At that time, they chose to temporarily close their kiosks.

Jayapura, Jubi – Chairman of Yahukimo Students All Around Indonesia Yanis Soll said his party asked President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo to guarantee the peace and safety of the people in Yahukimo, who since December 4, 2021 have experienced trauma due to military operations that limited their mobility to hunt, garden and do other activities.

Jayapura, Jubi – The West Papua National Liberation Army (TPNPB) asked the Yahukimo Regency Government to pay attention to Papuan civilians in the Yahukimo war zone and protect them from Indonesian security forces who were hunting down the TPNPB.

Jayapura, Jubi – The United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP) has called on the international community to pay serious attention to the escalated violence that continued to occur in Papua, or internationally known as West Papua.

Len Garae – Mr. Morris Kaloran, the Interim Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister of the United Liberation Movement of West Papua (ULMWP), has been praised by Fijians for his successful intervention techniques during the latest Lobby Team efforts.

Len Garae – The highest ranking lobby team from all regions of West Papua made up of high chiefs say they and their people support United Liberation Movement of West Papua's (ULMWP) sole application for full membership in the Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG).

Mirza Bagaskara, Jakarta – The Corruption Eradication Commission or KPK seized Rp50.7 billion in the graft case of inactive Papua Governor Lukas Enembe.

Jayapura, Jubi – The Jayapura District Court on Wednesday, March 15, 2023, continued the trial of treason against Viktor Yeimo, the international spokesperson of the West Papua National Committee (KNPB).

Jayapura, Jubi – Violence against the press in Papua continues to occur in early 2023. The Alliance of Independent Journalists (AJI) Jayapura on Monday, March 13, 2023, received reports of threats to kill journalists and burn the Teropong News media office located on S. Kamundan Street Kilometer 12, Sorong City, Southwest Papua.

Wamena, Jubi – Jayawijaya AIDS Commission (KPA Jayawijaya) Margaretha Wetipo in a press conference on Tuesday, March 14, 2023, said the number of HIV/AIDS patients in Jayawijaya Regency reached 8,386.

The solidarity network, Free West Papua Aotearoa, is calling for New Zealand to raise concerns with Indonesia over a shooting incident in Papua which left 10 people dead and two dozen injured.

Reuters reported that Indonesian security forces responded to a riot – where they opened fire on a crowd – late last month.

Dio Suhenda, Jakarta – The Indonesian Military (TNI) has said it is ready to launch a strike against the West Papuan rebel group holding a New Zealand national hostage but will wait for the command from the government, as negotiations are ongoing.

Jayapura, Jubi – As of Monday, March 13, 2023, the Yahukimo Police has detained one person suspected of being involved in the shooting of a Trigana Air plane type B 373-500 when landing and taking off at Nop Goliat Dekai Airport on Saturday, March 11.

Hilaire Bule – A five-man delegation from West Papua arrived are in Port Vila as part of a visit to lobby for West Papua to become full member of the Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG).

Yamin Kogoya – The West Papua National Liberation Army, armed wing of the Free Papua Movement (OPM), known by the acronym TPNPB, released a video on February 15, showing hostage, Captain Philip Mehrtens – a New Zealander and Susi Air pilot – saying in a calm, but trembling voice: "I have been instructed to read this statement.

Jayapura, Jubi – Executive Director of Amnesty International Indonesia Usman Hamid said the armed conflict in Papua between the West Papua National Liberation Army (TPNPB) and Indonesian security forces has gotten more alarming and increasingly difficult to control.

Jayapura, Jubi – As of Tuesday, March 14, 2023, the Yahukimo Police has yet to name EG (23) suspect in the shooting of a Trigana Air plane despite him having been detained for four days, or since the day the shooting occurred.

Hipolitus Wangge – It has been over a month since an armed group abducted Phillip Merthens, a New Zealand-born pilot, on February 7, 2023, in Indonesia's Nduga, West Papua. The group is the West Papua Liberation Army. Known by the acronym TPNPB, it's an armed wing of the Papua Liberation Movement (OPM).

Manokwari, Jubi – Residents of Kwoor District in Tambrauw Regency, West Papua Province have blocked illegal gold mining sites in three villages in Kwoor.

Previously, residents had submitted two reports to the Sausopur Police but there was no response from the Police. Therefore, the people decided to block the site themselves.

Rory James – One month ago extraordinary scenes emerged from the remote province of West Papua, Indonesia.

Images showed New Zealand pilot Phil Mehrtens in the rainforest, surrounded by rarely seen Papuan independence fighters wielding rifles and bows and arrows.

Jayapura – Indigenous leader, Hendrikus 'Franky' Woro, today filed an environmental and land rights lawsuit challenging the plan by a Malaysian-owned palm oil company to clear tens of thousands of hectares of West Papuan forest.

Jayapura, Jubi – Commander of 172/Praja Wira Yakthi Military Resort Command Brig. Gen. Juinta Omboh Sembiring assessed that the West Papua National Liberation Army (TPNPB) led by Egianus Kogoya tried to distract security forces from saving New Zealand Susi Air pilot Philip Mark Mehrtens who was held hostage by TPNPB.

Antara, Jakarta – A Trigana Air plane was shot at by members of an armed Papuan separatist group on Saturday, according to Jayapura Police chief, Adjunct Senior Commissioner Fredrickus W.A. Maclarimboen.

The shooting occurred shortly after the plane took off from Dekai Airport in Yahukimo district, Papua Pegunungan province, Maclarimboen told ANTARA.

Wamena, Jubi – The National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) and its Papua representative office has sent a team to investigate the incident in Wamena's Sinakma, Jayawijaya Regency on February 23, 2023.

Jayapura, Jubi – Executive Director of Amnesty International Indonesia Usman Hamid has called on the security forces to immediately investigate the reported case of a mother, Tarina Murib, who was shot dead and mutilated after a firefight between the security forces and a pro-independence Papuan group on March 3, 2023 in Yugumoak District, Puncak Regency.

Nur Janti, Jakarta – Indonesian Military (TNI) commander Adm. Yudo Margono has turned down New Zealand's offer of assistance in an operation to release the New Zealander pilot who has been held hostage by an armed Papuan rebel group in Nduga regency, Papua Highlands, for about a month.

The Indonesian state is causing a renewed humanitarian crisis in occupied West Papua. A 35-year-old woman has been murdered and mutilated by the Indonesian military in Puncak Regency, and villages and churches have been emptied as thousands more soldiers have been deployed in the area. Indonesia must urgently draw back their troops to allow civilians to return home in peace.

Anne Barker, Indonesia – It is now more than a month since Captain Philip Mehrtens was seized and taken hostage after he landed a small Susi Airlines plane last month in the remote highlands of central Papua.

Jayapura, Indonesia – Separatist rebels in Indonesia's Papua province released more photos and videos Friday appearing to show the New Zealand pilot they took hostage last month alive.

Jayapura, Jubi – Indonesia is approaching the election period. Political parties begin to compete and win people's votes. One of the requirements for registering election participants is the fulfillment of the 30 percent quota for women as stipulated in the Election Law and technical regulations of the General Election Commission (KPU).

It has been a month since Susi Air pilot Philip Mark Mehrtens was taken hostage by the National Liberation Army of West Papua (TPNPB) in Nduga, in the highlands of Papua Pegunungan Province.

Senator the Hon Penny Wong
PO Box 6100
Senate
Parliament House
Canberra ACT 2600

9 March 2023

Dear Foreign Minister,

I am writing to you on behalf of the Australia West Papua Association in Sydney concerning the issue of West Papua. Tragically, the human rights situation in West Papua is seriously deteriorating.

Jayapura, Jubi – The West Papua National Committee (KNPB) of Tolikara Region in Mountainous Papua Province is urging young Papuans not to apply as members of the Indonesian Military (TNI) and Police.

Jayapura, Jubi – Youth leader Denius Tabuni said some residents of Yugumuak District and Mageabume District in Puncak Regency, Central Papua Province, have fled to a number of villages in Sinak District in the same regency. He said the evacuees needed food, clothing, and tents.

Jayapura, Jubi – The Executive Board of the Yahukimo Student Community (KPMY) recently made a press statement addressing the security situation in Yahukimo Regency, wherein armed conflict between the West Papua National Liberation Army (TPNPB) and the Indonesian Military (TNI) has displaced hundreds of civilians as security forces sweeps in residential areas to pursue TPNPB.

Sentani, Jubi – As many as 11 children are still being treated at the Ilaga Regional General Hospital in Puncak Regency for measles. Puncak Regent Willem Wandik said the measles transmission in Puncak had reached the status of an Extraordinary Event, and asked his staff to prevent wider transmission.