Jakarta – Amnesty International Indonesia has revealed that police officers forced a number of residents of Intan Jaya regency in Papua to cut their hair and beards because they were seen as the characteristics of armed group members.

Jakarta, Jubi – Greenpeace Indonesia appreciates the decision of the Jayapura State Administrative Court which rejected the lawsuits of two palm oil companies, PT Anugerah Sakti Internusa and PT Persada Utama Agromulia, against South Sorong Regent Samsudi Anggiluli for revoking their operational permits.

Introduction

George Heagney – Students from West Papua desperate to stay in New Zealand after having their scholarships cut are pinning their hopes on finding an employer to sponsor new working visas.

About 40 students from the Indonesia province have been studying at different tertiary institutions in New Zealand.

UCA News reporter, Jakarta – Church activists in Indonesia are calling for a transparent investigation into a series of arson attacks targeting homes and other buildings in Papua province.

Susan Price – The United Nations International Week of Solidarity with the Peoples of Non-Self-Governing Territories runs from May 25-31.

According to the UN there are 17 Non-Self-Governing Territories.

In the Pacific region there are 6. French Polynesia and New Caledonia/Kanaky. (France). American Samoa and Guam (US). Pitcairn (UK) and Tokelau (NZ).

Another territory which is not on the list of self governing terrorites but should be is West Papua.

Melanie Reid and Bonnie Sumne – Documents tabled in a New Zealand court case show how a Kiwi developer and a company which has cut down Papuan rainforest intend to make around $110 million from the timber to make floors and decks – in stark contrast to statements made in a recent Newsroom investigation.

Antara, Jakarta – Over a dozen of houses, and kiosks located in the Dogiyai Regency in Papua went ablaze after being intentionally burned by unknown people on Sunday evening, May 22. This has forced 100 women and children to take refuge at the region's military-police post.

Jayapura, Jubi TV – The Humanitarian Coalition for Papua urges the government to involve actual, meaningful participation of indigenous Papuans regarding the amendment of Special Autonomy Law and the government's plan to establish three New Autonomous Region (DOB) Bills in Papua.

George Heagney (Stuff) – A group of students from West Papua, the Melanesian Pacific region in Indonesia, are fearful about their futures in New Zealand after their scholarships were cut off.

Jayapura, Jubi – Papuan respected figure, theologian and activist Benny Giay throws the question of why the Indonesian government has not wanted to engage in a dialogue with Papuans. Instead, the government always chooses a security approach by sending troops and police to the Land of Papua.

Jayapura, Jubi TV – The Papuan Customary Council of the IV Great Conference of Indigenous Papuans assessed that the government should impose restrictions on migration to the Papua land. Such restrictions can be stated in regional regulations, said Secretary-General of the Papuan Customary Council Leonard Imbiri on Saturday, May 14, 2022.

Jakarta – Papua Legal Aid Foundation (LBH) Director Emanuel Gobay says that demonstrations or protest actions are regulated under Law Number 9/1998 on the Freedom to Convey an Opinion. This includes also, he added, the recent demonstrations criticising plans to create new autonomous regions (DOB) in Papua.

Qadri Pratiwi, Uyu Liman, Jayapura, Papua – The Papuan People's Council (MRP) fully supports the central government's plans to establish new autonomous regions (DOB) of South Papua, Central Highlands Papua, and Central Papua to provide fair, equitable, and inclusive development.

Jakarta – On Friday May 20 President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo invited political figures from Papua and West Papua provinces to an audience at the Bogor Presidential Palace in Bogor city, West Java.

During the meeting, they discussed a number of issues including the creation of new autonomous regions (DOB) in Papua.

Jakarta – The University of Indonesia Student Executive Council (BEM UI) believes that the state has been acting repressively against indigenous Papuans protesting against the creation of new autonomous regions (DOB) in Papua.

Sahabandi – On Friday May 13, the Greater Jakarta Papua People's Petition Joint Secretariat (PRP Sekber Jabodetabek) and the Indonesian People's Front for West Papua (FRI-WP) held a protest action with the theme "Expel the Indonesian occupation through the DOB and Otsus in West Papua", referring to the plan to create new autonomous regions in Papua (DOB) and the revisions the Specia

A new network of MPs in support of West Papua was launched today (May 12, 2022) at the European Parliament in Brussels. At a meeting and press conference, the International Parliamentarians for West Papua (IPWP) announced the formation of its new EU branch.

Mutia Yuantisya, Jakarta – The Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (KontraS) on Thursday strongly condemned what they believe to be police violence acted against demonstrators protesting against the Papua new autonomous region (DOB) on May 10.

There has never been any democracy for the Papuan people! We continue to be shown the very tangible distain for the democratic rights of the Papuan people. With every day that passes the space for free expression for the Papuan people continues to shrink.

Nur Janti, Jakarta – Activists have condemned alleged terror and intimidation against Papuan human rights activists and called the police to thoroughly investigate an alleged arson attack at Papua Legal Aid Institute (LBH Papua) on Monday.

Katharina Reny Lestari – A human rights organization in Indonesia's restive Papua province came under attack from an unknown assailant who threw what was thought to be Molotov cocktails at its offices.

Jordan Fennell of ABC Pacific Beat talks to Laurens Ikinia

Living in New Zealand as a student Laurens Ikinia wanted to create a space for the West Papuan diaspora to gather.

"We have been facing challenges and oppression back home so it is really hard for us to preserve and maintain our culture," he said.

Jayapura, Jubi – The spokesperson for the Papuan People's Petition, Jefri Wenda, was arrested by the police regarding alleged violations of the Information and Electronic Transactions Law or the ITE Law, regarding his action of calling on people to take to the streets to reject Papua's Special Autonomy and the expansion of Papua, which took place in a number of cities in Papua on Tu

Manokwari, Jubi – Filep Wamafma, a lawmaker of the Regional Representatives Council from West Papua, regrets the increasingly closed democratic space in Papua, as seen by police action blocking protesters who rallied in various cities in Papua and West Papua provinces on Tuesday, May 10, 2022.

Jakarta – Police arrested at least seven people in relation to a protest action in Jayapura on Tuesday May 10 against the creation of new autonomous regions (DOB) in Papua.

Jakarta – Papua Legal Aid Foundation (LBH) Director Emanuel Gobay says that a participant of a demonstration in Jayapura opposing the creation of new autonomous regions (DOB) in Papua is in a critical condition after being shot by a rubber bullet allegedly fired by a police officer.

Jayapura (Indonesia) – Indonesian police used water cannon against protesters in the province of Papua on Tuesday, after thousands came out to oppose plans to for a major redistricting in the restive region.

Jakarta announced last year it was considering making six new provinces in the region, home to a decades-old rebel insurgency.

Jayapura, Jubi – A member of the Commission for Government, Politics, Law and Human Rights at the Papua Legislative Council (DPRP), Laurenzus Kadepa, urged the Indonesian government to review the plan for the expansion of the Papua Province which is now raising pros and cons among Papuans.

TAPOL urges the Indonesian Government to release Jefry Wenda, the spokesperson of the Papuan People's Petition (Petisi Rakyat Papua, PRP) and others arrested today during a peaceful protest in Jayapura. Wenda was arrested along with several members of the West Papuan National Committee (Komite Nasional Papua Barat, KNPB) including Ones Suhuniap, Omizon Balingga and Imam Kogoya.

For nearly 60 years, West Papua, a region in the easternmost stretches of the Indonesian archipelago, has been engaged in one of the longest-running independence struggles of any region in the world against occupying Indonesia. Despite the longevity of the independence campaign, it has often escaped the notice of international outlets and Western audiences.

Yance Agapa, Paniai – Amnesty International Indonesia Executive Director Usman Hamid is asking the government to halt the planned gold mine at Wabu Block in Intan Jaya regency, until there is agreement from the Papua indigenous people in the area.

Jayapura, Jubi – Indonesian President Joko Widodo or Jokowi is urged to immediately follow up on the recommendations of the National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) in 2017 and 2018 regarding the rights fulfillment of 8,300 laid-off workers of PT Freeport Indonesia.

Kornelius Purba – Indonesian policymakers, from the highest to the lowest rung ladder, need to read and discuss with open minds an article that appeared in The Conversation titled "Despite its Pacific 'step-up', Australia is still not listening to the region, new research shows". Published on Feb.

Jayapura – Data shows that the expansion of a region is highly dependent on the increase in Locally Generated Income (PAD), whose main components are regional taxes and levies.

Konradus Epa – Papuan students have called on the Indonesian government to arrest military commanders involved in human rights violations in the country's restive easternmost region.

Konradus Epa, Jakarta – Two members of the Indonesian security forces were shot and wounded by separatist rebels while guarding a church in Papua.

Papua police chief Mathius D Fakiri said the attack took place in Apmisibil, a village in Pegunungan Bintang district, at a Protestant church during Sunday morning worship on May 1.

Moh Khory Alfarizi, Jakarta – The National Liberation Army of West Papua-Free Papua Movement (TPNPB-OPM) has claimed responsibility for the attack on Sunday morning, May 1, 2022 at round 10:45 a.m. Eastern Indonesia Time that wounded two members of the military-police joint Cartenz Task Force.

Jayapura, Jubi – The Papua Provincial Government claims to have distributed scholarship funds, or paid tuition fees and sent allowances for 355 Papuan students who are studying abroad.

Jayapura, Jubi – Papuan People's Assembly (MRP) chair Timotius Murib says the government's plan to expand Papua, or form three new provinces, does not necessarily guarantee that the Papuan people will prosper.

Eduard Lazarus – On 12 April, the Indonesian parliament announced plans to establish three new provinces in West Papua. Currently, the western part of the island of New Guinea consists of two provinces: West Papua Province and Papua Province.

Konradus Epa, Jakarta – A construction worker was killed in an attack by armed separatists in Indonesia's restive Papua province in reprisal for the recent killing of two rebels by security forces, police said.

The shooting took place in Erogama, a remote village in Puncak district, police spokesman Ahmad Mustofa Kamal said on April 26.

Gilang Galiartha, Mecca Yumna, Jakarta – Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal, and Security Affairs Mahfud MD pointed out that 82 percent people of Papua and West Papua had agreed to the discourse on expansion of new autonomous regions.

Ardito Ramadhan, Jakarta – Papua People's Council (MPR) Chairperson Timotius Murib has questioned a claim by Coordinating Minister for Security, Politics and Legal Affairs (Menko Polhukam) Mahfud MD that 82 percent of Papuans agree with the creation of new regions in Papua.

Jayapura, Jubi TV – The West Papua National Liberation Army (TPNPB) under the command of Goliath Tabuni and Lekagak Telenggen claimed to have set fire in Ilaga, Puncak Regency and shot military on patrol in Keneyam, Nduga Regency, Papua.

An interview with Irene Yuliana Fatagur

Jakarta, Jubi TV – President Joko Widodo received delegations from the Papuan People's Assembly (MRP) and West Papuan People's Assembly (MRPB) at the Merdeka Palace on Monday, April 25, 2022.

Jayapura, Jubi – A number of rights NGOs comprising KontraS, YLBHI, Amnesty International Indonesia and the families of the victims of the Bloody Paniai case (7-8 December 2014) highlighted many irregularities in the investigation of the case by the Attorney General's Office (AGO).

The Pacific Elders' Voice has expressed deep concern about reports of deteriorating human rights in West Papua and has appealed to Indonesia to allow the proposed UN high commissioner's visit there before the Bali G20 meeting in November.