Leo Earle, West Papua – This week, Indonesians commemorate their independence from Dutch colonialism, on August 17, 1945. West Papuans also commemorate their six-decade-long struggle for independence this week on August 15.

At least 20 people were wounded when police used batons, water cannon and tear gas to disperse hundreds of people who joined rallies in Indonesia's West Papua region on the 61st anniversary of an agreement that made the territory part of Indonesia, news agencies report.

Jayapura, Jubi – On Friday, August. 11, 2023, the Cartenz Peace Operation Task Force, in collaboration with the Yahukimo Police, arrested three suspected individuals associated with the West Papua National Liberation Army (TPNPB) within the Mountainous Papua Province's Yahukimo Regency.

Jayapura – After a peaceful action in Sentani was forcibly broken up by police on the morning of August 15, demonstrators from the Jayapura West Papua National Committee (KNPB) decided to hold a free speech forum at the Zakeus field in Pandang Bulan, Abepura, Jayapura, Papua,

Agus Pabika, Sentani – One person was arrested and scores of others beaten black and blue by a joint unit of police and military when they forcibly broke up a peaceful action by the West Papua National Committee (KNPB) in the Sentani area of Jayapura regency, Papua, on the morning of Tuesday August 15.

Jakarta – The government says residents of Puncak regency, Central Papua, have returned to their normal activities following the distribution of tonnes of food aid to the area.

People residing in Agandugume and Lambewi districts in Puncak had been scrambling for food due to a drought and cold snap hitting the area since June.

At least 20 people were injured when police used batons, water cannon and tear gas to disperse hundreds of people who joined rallies in Indonesia's restive Papua region on the 61st anniversary of an agreement that made the region part of Indonesia.

Timika, Jubi – Since 1972, PT Freeport Indonesia's mining operations in Mimika, Central Papua have transformed mountains into giant ravines, pulverizing mineral-rich rocks and depositing the resulting waste, known as tailings, into rivers.

An Australian West Papuan solidarity group has condemned the reported arrest of 21 activists protesting in Jayapura over a "tragic day in history" and called on Canberra to urge Jakarta to restrain its security forces.

Again, West Papuan National Committee (KNPB) activists were arrested simply because they were handing out flyers calling on West Papuans to commemorate the tragic day in their history, the 15 August in 1962 when the Papuan people were betrayed by the international community.

Jayapura, Jubi – On Wednesday, August 9, 2023, students, youth, and local communities in Jayapura City joined to commemorate the International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples. The event included religious ceremonies, speeches, signing of declarations, discussions, and a luncheon.

The human rights abuses against indigenous Papuans, who have been under military occupation of the Indonesian armed forces since 1962-63 and their fight for independence from Jakarta, remains a sticking point for the I

Jayapura, Jubi – Three students were found guilty of treason and subsequently given a 10-month prison term by the panel of judges at the Jayapura District Court on Tuesday, August 8, 2023.

Prime Minister Chris Hipkins has called again for the immediate release of Phillip Mehrtens, who has now been held hostage in West Papua for six months.

Speaking in Auckland, Hipkins said Mehrtens – a pilot who was helping provide air links to remote communities in Papua – is a much-loved husband, brother, father and son.

New Zealand Prime Minister Chris Hipkins has called for the release of a Kiwi pilot kidnapped six months ago by separatists in Indonesia's Papua region.

New Zealander Phillip Mehrtens was working for Indonesian airline Susi Air when he was snatched by rebels at Nduga airport in February.

Julie Wark – A West Papuan friend has just sent me a new documentary (please watch it, reader). It's called Paradise Bombed and it's about what happened when burning metal death rained down on Kiwirok, one of the most remote places on earth in October 2021.

Jayapura, Jubi – Papua Police chief Insp. Gen. Mathius Fakhiri has reported that Philip Mark Mehrtens, the Susi Air Pilot of New Zealand who has been held captive by the West Papua National Liberation Army (TPNPB) since February 7, 2023, remains in good health.

Timika, Jubi – Since 1972, PT Freeport Indonesia's mining operations in Mimika, Central Papua have transformed mountains into giant ravines, pulverizing mineral-rich rocks and depositing the resulting waste, known as tailings, into rivers.

Antara, Jakarta – The Head of Papua Regional Police Department Inspector General of Police Mathius Fakhiri said that the location of Susi Air's pilot who was held hostage is situated in a nearly inaccessible area.

Craig Harris – How do you get world attention for a cause to help save your culture? The freedom fighters of West Papua are asking that very question.

On February 7, 2023, 37-year-old Phil Mehrtens, a New Zealand pilot, was kidnapped by the West Papua Liberation Army, the military wing of the Free Papua Organization.

Jayapura, Jubi – In the two years following the attack by the West Papua National Liberation Army (TPNPB) on the Military Post in Maybrat Regency's Kisor, that resulted in the reported deaths of four Indonesian Military (TNI) members, a significant number of individuals who had evacuated from five districts within Maybrat ever since the incident continued to opt for staying in multi

Budiarti Putri (Greenpeace) – It was not until I went on a field trip to the traditional lands of the Auyu People (also written as Awyu in the Indonesian language) last June that I appreciated just how remote many of their settlements are, deep in the territory known internationally as West Papua, just across from the border with Papua New Guinea.

Eka Yudha Saputra, Jakarta – The Chairman of Papua's Commission on Human Rights Frits Ramandey said that the leader of OPM (Free Papua Movement) Egianus Kogoya has guaranteed the safety of Susi Air Pilot Captain Phillips Max Mehrtens during the hostage situation. The captain has been held hostage by OPM for eight months from February this year.

A new documentary and human rights report have documented savage attacks in 2021 by Indonesian security forces on a remote West Papuan village close to the Papua New Guinea border as part of an ongoing crackdown against growing calls for independence.

John Martinkus – As anyone who has ever visited West Papua knows, you can barely leave the airport before someone starts talking about independence.

It could be the guy at customs, the cab driver, the bloke who sells you a coffee.

Jayapura, Jubi – Three Papuan students from Mataram University were banned from taking photos and escorted off the campus area after they were spotted holding the Morning Star posters at the graduation ceremony of the Faculty of Law in Mataram City, West Nusa Tenggara Province.

Jakarta – Vice President Ma'ruf Amin convened on Wednesday an emergency meeting at his private residence in Central Jakarta to discuss the monthslong drought in Papua, which has claimed six lives so far.

Antara, Jakarta – The government planned to build food estate in Puncak District, Central Papua, in an effort to anticipate famine caused by drought and periodic frost phenomena in the region.

Samira Homerang Saunders – Since the colonial era, West Papuans have been engaged in a long struggle for their independence and freedom from outside rule, first as a Dutch colony, and then, in a rather complex and underhanded turn of events, as an indigenous land occupied by Indonesia.

Extreme drought that destroyed crops triggered a food crisis in Indonesia's Christian-majority conflict-ridden Papua region, leaving at least six people dead and thousands starving, an official said.

Yamin Kogoya – An Indonesian court has held a hearing to consider whether the ailing suspended Papua Governor, Lukas Enembe, is well enough to go on trial for the allegations of bribery and gratification that he is facing.

The island that comprises Papua New Guinea and Indonesian ruled West Papua, is the largest island in the Pacific, with some of the widest cultural and linguistic diversity, biodiversity, and home to some of the largest mineral deposits in the world such as copper and gold.

Jayapura, Jubi – The Dogiyai Police is currently conducting an investigation into the recent burning incidents that took place on Monday, July 31, 2023. The affected structures include the offices of the National Unity and Politics Agency and the Dogiyai Cooperatives and Small and Medium Enterprises Office in Central Papua Province.

Theo Kelen, Rabin Yarangga, Dominggus A Mampioper, Angela Flassy, Timika – Since 1972, PT Freeport Indonesia's mining operations in Mimika, Central Papua have transformed mountains into giant ravines, pulverizing mineral-rich rocks and depositing the resulting waste, known as tailings, into rivers.

Jakarta – The government will this week send aid to remote areas of the eastern Papua, where thousands are facing hunger brought on by drought, the chief of national disaster agency said on Monday.

Tria Dianti, Jakarta – Indonesia's leader ordered the military Monday to escort food deliveries into the rebellious Papua region, where thousands face starvation amid extreme weather conditions that have led to severe food shortages.

Indonesia has stepped up its campaign of repression against West Papuans peacefully rallying for full membership of the Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG), says a Papuan advocacy leader.

Len Garae – "As Christians, the people of Vanuatu love the people of Indonesia but the people hate the killings of Melanesian people of West Papua by Indonesian people".

As the Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG) leaders' summit approaches, Indonesia is stepping up its campaign of repression against West Papuans peacefully rallying for full membership of the Group.

Merauke, Jubi – From January to June 2023, Merauke Regency in South Papua Province identified 60 new cases of HIV/AIDS. Inge Silvia, the head of the Reproductive Health Center at Merauke Regional General Hospital, during a press conference on July 27, 2023, said cases were discovered through voluntary counseling and testing (VCT) initiatives.

Jayapura, Jubi – The Acting Governor of Papua, Ridwan Rumasukun, announced that Papua's Human Development Index (HDI) showed a positive increase of 1.27 percent by 2022. In 2022, Papua's HDI reached 61.39, indicating notable growth compared to the previous year's HDI of 60.62.

Jayapura, Jubi – The Cooperation Team for the Prevention of Torture (KuPP) made a visit to Papua recently. The team visited four police headquarters in the region. These included the Papua Police Headquarters, Jayapura City Police Headquarters, Jayapura Regency Police Headquarters, and Keerom Police Headquarters.

Eko Ari Wibowo, Jakarta – Deputy Head of Papua Regional Police Brigadier General Ramdani Hidayat said that the Bureau of Internal Profession and Security (Propam) has examined the members of Homeyo Sectoral Police concerning the firearms theft by Armed Criminal Group (KKB) in Homeyo, Intan Jaya Regency, Central Papua.

Jayapura, Jubi – On Monday, July 24, 2023, the local administration of Jayawijaya Regency, Mountainous Papua, along with the Jayawijaya People's Council (DPRD) and Regional Leader's Coordination Forum, conducted a meeting with the victims and families affected by the Wamena human rights violations that occurred on April 4, 2003.

Jayapura, Jubi – On Tuesday, July 18, 2023, three students who participated in a protest at the University of Science and Technology Jayapura (USTJ) on November 10, 2022, were charged with treason and sentenced to 18 months in prison by the public prosecutor.

Papuan people throughout the territory of West Papua have held huge demonstrations of support for full membership of the United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP) in the Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG).

Delighted with the response but disappointed with the delay, organisers appealed to supporters to "keep going" with the solidarity.

Jayapura, Jubi – Following a clash that resulted in the shooting of civilians, casualties, and the destruction of numerous buildings in Dogiyai Regency, Central Papua Province, joint patrols were conducted by Indonesian Military (TNI) and Police on Monday, July 17, 2023.

Catholic officials and rights activists have called for a thorough investigation into the shooting and subsequent rioting in conflict-ridden, Christian-majority Papua region that left three civilians killed and seven injured.

Pauliasi Mateboto – The Pacific Conference of Churches, Youngsolwara and the free West Papua Campaign have stepped up calls to Melanesian leaders and fellow Pacific island countries to officially recognise West Papua as an official member of the Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG).

Yamin Kogoya – Suspended Papua Governor Lukas Enembe, who is detained in Indonesia on corruption charges, was supposed to go on trial yesterday but this did not go ahead as he is gravely ill and could not attend.