The Australia West Papua Association thanks the Inner West Council in Sydney for supporting the raising of the West Papuan National Flag on its Leichhardt Town Hall today, 1st December to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the first official flying of the Morning Star flag on the 1st December in 1961, in the then Dutch colony of Netherlands New Guinea.

First raised 60 years ago, the Morning Star flag is a potent symbol of the people of West Papua's long struggle for independence, and people around Australia can expect to see it raised again on 1 December.

60 years ago, on 1st December 1961, the West Papuan national flag, the Morning Star, was raised for the first time on West Papua's soil. The flag represents Papuans' dreams for a Free West Papua.

Agung Sandy Lesmana – The Metro Jaya regional police have rerouted traffic and closed off Jalan Merdeka Utara and traffic in the direction of Gambir train station due a rally by Papuan protesters in Central Jakarta.

Sui Suadnyana, Denpasar – A protest action by the Bali City Committee Papua Student Alliance (AMP-KKB) and the Indonesian People's Front for West Papua (FRI-WP) in the Balinese provincial capital of Denpasar on Wednesday December 1 ended in a clash with a social organisation (ormas) called the Nusantara Garuda Patriots (PGN).

Ambon – A demonstration by scores of Papuan students commemorating 60 years of West Papua independence in the city of Ambon, Maluku province on Wednesday December 1, ended in chaos after it was forcibly broken up by police.

David Robie – Pressure is mounting on Indonesia to back off its brutal and unsuccessful military strategy in trying to crush West Papuan resistance to its flawed rule in "the land of Papua".

Uday Bakhshi – The Papuan provinces, or West Papua, the easternmost part of Indonesia's territory, have been wracked with conflict for decades. Indonesia annexed them through controversial means, including but not limited to the 1962 New York Agreement, and the ironically named "Act of Free Choice" of 1969.

Antara, Jakarta – Papua Police Chief gen. Marthinus D. Fakhiri on Monday said the clash between members of the police institution and Armed Forces (TNI) in Tembagapura, Timika, which circulated in a viral social media video was an isolated incident and was not a riot between the two institutions.

Timoteus Marten, Jayapura, Jubi – A total of 3,121 people in the Maybrat Regency, West Papua, have been displaced following the attack on the Indonesian Military (TNI) post in Kisor by the West Papua National Liberation Army (TPNPB) on September 2.

Jakarta – The Papua Council of Churches says that the Indonesian government is still choosing the path of violence in dealing with the armed conflict in Papua.

Hans Nicholas Jong, Natalia Laurensia Carmelia Yewen, Sorong, Indonesia – An Indigenous clan in Indonesia's easternmost region of Papua has had its rights to its ancestral lands and forests recognized by the local government, a key step toward acknowledgment at the national level.

Benny Mawel, Jayapura, Jubi – The Papuan Church Council conveyed on Thursday, Nov. 25, 2021, some of its findings related to the escalated armed conflict in six regencies in Papua and West Papua, namely Intan Jaya, Bintang Mountains, Nduga, Yahukimo, Puncak, and Maybrat.

Yuliana Lantipo, Jayapura, Jubi – Dozens of women gathered and joined worship at the Graha Sara building in Jayapura City, to celebrate the Day of the Women's Fellowship of the Church in Asia, as well as to start the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-based Violence on Thursday, Nov. 25, 2021.

Jakarta, Jubi – Indonesian Military (TNI) commander Gen. Andika Perkasa met National Police chief Gen. Listyo S Prabowo at the Police's headquarters in South Jakarta on Tuesday, Nov. 23, 2021, to discuss about Papua conflict.

According to Andika, the meeting was necessary so that there would be no overlapping of tasks between the TNI and police in Papua.

Yuliana Lantipo, Jayapura, Jubi – Participating in the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-based Violence global campaign, this year, the Save Papuan Humans Women's Coalition will hold a number of activities in Jayapura City under the theme "Papuan Women, Militarism, and Investment". The series of events will be held for 16 days, starting November 25 to December 10.

Arnold Belau, Jayapura – On November 15 the Papua Institute for Human Rights Studies and Advocacy (ELSHAM Papua) sent an open letter to President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo expressing concerns about the current situation in the land of Papua.

Yuliana Lantipo, Jayapura, Jubi – The Alliance of Independence Journalist in Jayapura City (AJI Jayapura) said that journalists covering conflicts in Papua must have a perspective on human rights and report from the perspective of victims.

Alexander Loen, Jayapura, Jubi – Deputy chairman of the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) Alexander Marwata has called on regents and mayors in Papua to strengthen and practice good governance as it is important to prevent corruption.

Evarianus Supar, Nabil Ihsan, Timika, Papua – Indonesian Army (TNI AD) Chief of Staff General Dudung Abdurachman reminded troops stationed in Papua to be endearing towards Papuans and prioritise a sympathetic approach in convincing criminal groups to restore their allegiance to Indonesia.

M Rosseno Aji, Jakarta – Indonesian Military (TNI) Commander General Andika Perkasa and National Police Chief General Listyo Sigit Prabowo met at the Police Headquarters on Tuesday, November 23.

One of the subjects they discussed was the security approach in Papua.

Arjuna Pademme, Jayapura, Jubi – Lawmakers in Papua have agreed on a number of points to address the armed conflict currently occurring in Indonesia's easternmost province, in a meeting initiated by the Papua Legislative Council on Monday, Nov. 22, 2021.

Jayapura, Jubi – On November 20 every year, the world community celebrates World Children's Day. The theme for this year's World Children's Day is "A Better Future for Every Child". Sadly, such a beautiful theme is far from what Papuan children are experiencing today.

West Papuans will peacefully mark the 60th anniversary of the birth of West Papua next week – on Wednesday, December 1.

It is also the first anniversary of the formation of the United Liberation Movement of West Papua (ULMWP) provisional government.

Siktus HarsonSiktus Harson, Jakarta – The people of Papua have become disenchanted over a lack of action among Catholic leaders amid the hardships they are facing. The silence of the shepherds amid a climate of insurgency-led violence and perceived state oppression is interpreted as them showing no concern, prompting locals to seek help from the universal Church.

Benny Mawel, Jayapura, Jubi – Two residents of Serambakon District, Bintang Mountains Regency have been reported missing since May 18, 2021. They have not been found to date.

Yance Wenda, Jayapura, Jubi – Head of the Papuan People's Assembly Women's Working Group Ciska Abugau said that the safety of women in Papua was threatened by three things, namely armed conflict, high cases of HIV/AIDS, and violence led by alcohol abuse due to easy accessibility of alcohol in Papua.

Ryan Dagur, Jakarta – A Catholic organization has joined advocacy groups in calling on Indonesia's new army chief to change the military's way of dealing with problems in Papua by prioritizing a humanitarian approach.

Antara, Jakarta – The National Police (Polri) have officially set free two youngsters who were previously detained by law enforcers on suspicions of being involved in the recent attack by an armed criminal group (KKB)'s on the Sugapa Police Sector in Papua.

Yuliana Lantipo and Ronna Nirmala Jayapura, Indonesia, and Jakarta – Twenty years after Indonesia introduced legislation for special autonomy to pacify a clamor for independence in Papua, residents of the underdeveloped and impoverished region are not seeing a better economy while violence from a separatist insurgency persists.

Jayapura – "Since it was first established on November 19, 2008, the West Papua National Committee (KNPB) has always been confronted by many challenges including attempts at criminalisation and disbandment by the state through the institutions of the TNI [Indonesian military] and Polri [Indonesian police]."

Benny Mawel, Jayapura – The West Papua National Liberation Army-Free Papua Organization (TPNPB-OPM) has said it will not call a truce nor engage in a dialogue with the Indonesian government unless the United Nations (UN) acts as a mediator and the dialogue is favorable to the Papuan people.

One hundred and ninety-four Catholic leaders from across West Papua have called for an end to military operations in the Indonesian-ruled region.

The Moral Call by 194 Catholic Pastors in Papua, urging government to facilitate peace in the region, was delivered on Thursday November 11 at the Bright World of Christ Parish in Waena, Jayapura.

As of January this year, food estate players have been seemingly seeking for investment from abroad to sponsor their ambitions.

Egi Adyatama, Jakarta – Commander of the Cendrawasih Regional Military Command Maj. Gen. Ignatius Yogo Triyono supports a dialogue approach to be taken in order to resolve the conflict in Papua. To date, the government is still applying a military approach in the easternmost province.

Timoteus Marten, Jayapura – Activist and coordinator of Papuan women's rights network TIKI, Fien Jarangga, said the gender inequality and violence experienced by Papuan women today was still the same compared to 2008. She said in a written statement following the discussion with a number of women activists held in Jayapura City on Thursday, Nov. 11, 2021.

Zacharias Szumer – Like many political firestorms in Australia's social media-saturated northern neighbour, this one started online.

Robert Lowry – Indonesian Papua has seen increasing levels of violence. The Indonesian government is pursuing a soft power response with mixed success.

Atamus Kepno, Jayapura – One hundred and ninety-four Catholic leaders from across Papua have explicitly called for an end to military operations in Papua. The Pastors hope that dialogue and reconciliation will be the solution to resolve the prolonged conflict in Papua.

Jayapura – The focus of the food estate program was, at first, to promote rice production in the peatland areas of Central Kalimantan. The plan immediately drew heavy criticism from those who worried it would only repeat the disaster that had occurred two decades ago in the same location.

The Alliance of Independent Journalists (AJI) has appealed to news media that reported on intimidation against the parents and relatives of human rights lawyer Veronica Koman to immediately make corrections.

Some media have revealed the identity and addresses exposing them to further violence, reports Tabloid Jubi in Jayapura.

Jayapura – When the COVID-19 pandemic hit and disrupted world supply chains, the Indonesian government launched an ambitious plan to boost domestic food production through the "food estate" program in June last year.

Jayapura – The Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras) has strongly condemned the shooting of a mama (traditional women trader) allegedly committed by a TNI (Indonesian military) member in Mamba Village, Intan Jaya, Papua.

Senator the Hon Marise Payne
Minister for Foreign Affairs
PO Box 6100
Senate, Parliament House
Canberra ACT 2600

10 November 2021

Dear Foreign Minister,

I am writing to you on behalf of the Australia West Papua Association in Sydney.

We are concerned about a number of attacks on the home (in Indonesia) of the parents of Veronica Koman.

Jakarta – The Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation (YLBHI) is urging the police to hold an independent investigation to find the perpetrator of the terror attack on the home of the parents of human rights activist Veronica Koman.

Arjuna Pademme, Jayapura – The Civil Society Coalition has challenged newly appointed Indonesian Military (TNI) commander Gen. Andika Perkasa to fulfill his promise to use a humane approach in dealing with conflicts in Papua.

Hon Nanaia Mahuta
Minister of Foreign Affairs
Parliament Buildings
Wellington

Tena koe Nanaia Mahuta,

West Papua Action Auckland was pleased to note your comments about West Papua (Radio New Zealand – New Zealand aims to work more alongside Pacific nations, RNZ News, 8 November 2021).

There's condemnation in Indonesia after an apparent attack on the parents of Veronica Yoman a lawyer who advocates for West Papuan human rights issues.

A number of packages were delivered to the pair's house in Jakarta on Sunday morning.

According to Amnesty International Indonesia, two of the packages exploded, scattering bits of paper and red paint in the garage.

Putu IS, Rahmad Nasution, Jakarta – The Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras) has urged General Andika Perkasa, the newly-approved Military Commander (TNI), to prioritize approach-based dialogue to address Papua issues.

TAPOL is deeply concerned about a series of escalating threats and attacks made against the family of prominent Indonesian human rights lawyer and defender, Veronica Koman in Jakarta. These threats and attacks indicate a worsening situation for human rights lawyers and defenders in Indonesia, with other prominent human rights defenders being subjected to police investigations.