Victor Mambor, Jayapura – Two air force military police have reportedly racially tortured an 18-year-old Papuan in Merauke on Monday, July 26, 2021. The victim, named Steven, has a speech disability but was mistaken as being drunk and the soldiers blatantly slammed him and stepped on his head.

Ronna Nirmala, Jakarta – The Indonesian Air Force fired two commanders in the troubled Papua region on Wednesday after a widely shared video showing military police roughing up a deaf Papuan man caused a public outcry and drew condemnation from the president's office.

Kate Lamb and Agustinus Costa, Jakarta – The Indonesian government has apologised for the actions of two air force officers it said used "excessive force" to pin down the head of a deaf, indigenous Papuan man after a video of the incident was shared online, drawing widespread condemnation.

Jakarta – The actions of an air force (TNI-AU) military police officer who stepped on the head of a Papuan civilian has been slammed by human rights organisations.

The incident occurred in Merauke on the afternoon of July 16 when two air force officers were arresting a civilian who was allegedly intoxicated – according to the air force's version of events.

Sebastian Strangio – On July 15, Indonesia's parliament voted to revise and extend for 20 years the Special Autonomy Law for the provinces of Papua and West Papua. The move was greeted by protests in the easternmost region of the archipelago, where a separatist insurgency has rumbled since the 1960s. Dr.

Ronna Nirmala, Jakarta – Indonesian police arrested a Papuan separatist leader who was on the run after he escaped from a prison in Papua with several others in 2016, while serving a life sentence for the killings of three police officers, officials said Friday.

Agustinus Beo Da Costa – Hospitals in Indonesia's easternmost region of Papua are nearing full capacity amid a surge in COVID-19 cases, with health officials bracing for the full impact of the virulent Delta variant on one of the country's least-developed areas.

Jayapura – Hospitals in Papua are nearing full capacity amid a surge in COVID-19 cases, with health officials bracing for the full impact of the virulent Delta variant on one of the country's least-developed areas.

Maghvira Arzaq Karima, Maudey K. Setyakusuma (Intern), Jakarta – The number of Covid-19 positive cases in Indonesia has drastically increased, including in the Papua Province. The latest data released in the official website covid19.papua.go.idon July 22, shows that to date, there are 29,047 confirmed Covid cases in Indonesia's easternmost province.

Victor Mambor, Jayapura – Civilian Yosep Samogoi (26) has been allegedly shot by an Indonesian soldier named Syarifudin of the 1707-07/Kepi Subdistrict Military Command on Friday, July 16, 2021 in Kanami Village, Mappi Regency.

A pro-independence movement in West Papua has appealed to several Western countries – including New Zealand – to provide urgent humanitarian help by supplying covid vaccines directly to the Papuans to cope with the "double crisis" in the Indonesian-ruled region.

Jakarta – The unanimous House of Representatives decision last week to endorse the revised Papuan Special Autonomy Law shows, yet again, the propensity of the Jakarta elite to dictate the future of the territory, despite persistent calls to honor local demands.

Tabloid Jubi, Jayapura – The West Papuan Council of Churches (WPCC) has condemned the Indonesian government's Special Autonomy (Otsus) law ratified by the Jakarta parliament last week, describing it as racist and warning that Papuans could "become extinct".

Sebastian Strangio – Protests have once again flared in Indonesia's Papua region following last week's renewal and amendment of a Special Autonomy Law that local activists say will increase Jakarta's grip over the restive region.

Two rights groups have condemned the renewal of the special autonomy law in Papua and say it further erodes critical aspects of decentralization and autonomy in the region.

A New Zealand explorer who trekked in West Papua before Indonesian rule says he's saddened to see what colonisation has done to the region's indigenous people.

Philip Temple, who is also a renowned author, was part of a small group who made the first recorded ascent of the Carstensz Pyramid in West Papua in 1962 before Dutch colonial rule ended.

Jayapura – A number of demonstrators from the People's Front Against Special Autonomy Chapter II were reportedly arrested and taken to the Sorong city municipal police headquarters when they wanted to hold a peaceful demonstration in front of the Sorong Regional House of Representatives (DPRD) on Monday July 19.

Jakarta – As many as 714,066 Papuans and 112 organisations which are part of the Papuan People's Petition (PRP) are said to reject the enactment into law of revisions to Law Number 21/2001 on Papua Special Autonomy (Otsus). They believe that special autonomy is not the answer to resolving the problems in the land of Papua.

Johnny Blades – Indonesia's House of Representatives has passed a bill that is expected to reshape the future administration of West Papua.

The Revision of the Special Autonomy Law for the provinces of Papua and West Papua was ratified by Indonesian lawmakers despite widespread opposition by Papuans who have been calling instead for an independence referendum.

Jakarta – Lawyer and Papua advocate Veronica Koman has criticised the House of Representatives (DPR) and the government for ratifying the Special Autonomy (Otsus) Law on Papua, saying that the law only represents the interests of the government.

Jayapura, Jubi – The West Papuan Council of Church (WPCC) has spoken in an online forum organized by the International Coalition for Papua (ICP) on Wednesday, July 14, 2021, asking the Pacific and international community to stop the Indonesian government's racism toward the West Papuan people, which is perpetuated by the government-designed Special Autonomy (Otsus) Law planned to be

Jayapura, Jubi – The Indonesia House of Representatives has passed the revised Special Autonomy (Otsus) Bill into law despite continuous protests from the Papuan people rejecting the extension of the special autonomy status.

Agus Pabika, Jayapura – As many as 40 protesters opposing the extension of Papua special autonomy at the House of Representatives (DPR) building in Jakarta were arrested by police and taken away in two crowd control vehicles to the Metro Jaya regional police headquarters.

Agus Pabika, Jayapura – Earlier this morning on Thursday July 15 Papuan students from the Papua People's and Student Front held a peaceful rally at the House of Representatives (DPR) building in Senayan, Jakarta, rejected the extension of special autonomy (Otsus) and new autonomous regions anywhere in the land of Papua.

Antara, Jakarta – The Social Affairs Ministry explained the controversial remark by Minister Tri Rismaharini, or more known as Risma, about threatening to transfer state civil apparatus or ASN to Papua.

Fresh demonstrations by West Papuans have again been stopped by armed Indonesian police who arrested dozens of people.

The demonstrations are the latest in a series of protests by West Papuan students, churches and customary representatives opposed to the Indonesian government's plans to extend Special Autonomy provisions in the two Papuan provinces.

Ryan Dagur, Jakarta – A Catholic priest has found himself in hot water with Papuans seeking independence by speaking out in favor of plans that would keep the restive region under Indonesian rule.

Jakarta – Around 23 Cendrawasih University (Uncen) students at several different locations were arrested by police when they held a protest action on Tuesday July 14 opposing the extension of special autonomy in Papua.

HA Kapisa and Rahmad Nasution in Manokwari, West Papua – Indonesian police have begun tightening entry controls in Manokwari district and Sorong city as part of the enforcement of an emergency partial lockdown this week.

We have received urgent information from inside West Papua: students peacefully demonstrating against Indonesia's imposition of a second 'Special Autonomy' bill have been harassed, beaten and arrested by police at the University of Cendrawasih in Jayapura today.

Konradus Epa, Jakarta – Churches and rights groups have accused Indonesian police of illegally detaining Victor Yeimo, the international spokesman for the pro-independence West Papua National Committee (KNBP), and called for his immediate release.

Hengky Yeimo, Jayapura – The Papuan Students Alliance in Surabaya, East Java have staged a protest on Tuesday, July 6, 2021, to commemorate the 23rd anniversary of the Biak massacre. The students demand the state to resolve the alleged human rights violation.

Siktus HarsonSiktus Harson, Jakarta – The 50th anniversary of the declaration of the Republic of West Papua on July 1 was expected to be a special day for Papuans.

Along with Independence Day on Dec. 1 – the day in 1961 when the Dutch gave Papuans their freedom – the declaration of the republic is a very important one on the separatist calendar.

Antara, Papua – The Indonesian government has hinted that it will go ahead with the scheduled convening of Papua's 2021 PON National Games even though the country is battling a surge in COVID-19 cases in several cities and districts.

Aryo Danusiri – The Indonesian government's recent campaign to promote an upcoming sports event in Papua shows the country, with more than 1,300 ethnic groups, still struggles to ensure equal representation of its various cultures.

Today, the 6 July marks 23 years since the Indonesian security forces massacred scores of people in Biak, West Papua. The victims, included women and children who had gathered for a peaceful rally. They were killed at the base of a water tower flying the Morning Star flag. Other Papuans were rounded up and later taken out to sea where they were thrown off naval ships and drowned.

Jayapura – An Islamic mass organisation (ormas) in the South Sulawesi provincial capital of Makassar has forcibly closed down a discussion organised by a solidarity group and Papuan students. The discussion, which was held on Thursday July 1 at the Dogiyai student dormitory in Skarda Empat, was on the proclamation of Papuan independence on July 1, 1971.

Abeth Ayou, Jayapura – Papuan Students Alliance (AMP) and Indonesian People's Front (FRI) for West Papua held a rally in front of the West Java gubernatorial office in Bandung on July 1 to commemorate the declaration of Independence of Papua Land, or internationally known as West Papua, on July 1, 1971.

Natalia Laurensia Carmelia Yewen, Papua – It has been more than half a century since the former Dutch colony of Papua was integrated into Indonesia in a highly controversial referendum that triggered a bloody brushfire war between the Indonesian military and guerilla separatists.

Justin L. Wejak – Archbishop Petrus Canisius Mandagi of Merauke recently requested a papal visit to Indonesia's easternmost region of Papua. He believes that a papal visit can help resolve Papua's long history of violent conflict since the early 1960s when the region, arguably involuntarily, became part of Indonesia through the New York Agreement.

Ryan Dagur, Jakarta – The Protestant Church Council in Papua has accused the Indonesian government of attempting to perpetuate unrest and push through unpopular policies by ousting the restive province's governor, a native Papuan who opposed them.

Yamin Kogoya – Indonesia's most troubled province of Papua is become embroiled in another mass demonstration with protesters barricading provincial government buildings and offices over a draconian and undemocratic appointment.

Indonesian police say they are searching for a group behind the deaths of four construction workers in Papua province.

The latest reported deadly violence in Papua occurred in Seradala district of Yahukimo regency last Thursday. Police have blamed the West Papua Liberation Army whose pro-independence guerilla fighters are labelled as terrorists by Jakarta.

Jubi – Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG) announced on June 23 through its Twitter account that it gave facility to Freddie Waromi, a representative from United Liberation Movement of West Papua (ULMWP), to allow him to join MSG's governing body meetings.

Stevanus Yogi, Paniai – The West Papua National Liberation Army-Free Papua Organisation (TPNPB-OPM) is asking President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo and his government to reexamine the TPNPB-OPM's line of march which it has been pursuing since it was formed in 1965 until now.

Ronna Nirmala, Jakarta – Suspected separatist rebels killed four construction workers and were holding four people hostage in the latest burst of violence in Indonesia's Papua region, police and reports said Friday, as the insurgents warned non-ethnic Papuan workers to leave conflict areas.

Separatist rebels were holding four civilians hostage in the jungles of Indonesia's breakaway Papua region after they killed several construction workers in an ambush, authorities said Friday.

Tensions have been mounting between Indonesian security forces and guerrillas fighting a decades-long insurgency to win independence from the Southeast Asian nation.

Jakarta – The West Papua National Liberation Army-Free Papua Organisation (TPNPB-OPM) has warned the Papuan people not to trust that the TNI (Indonesian military) and the Polri (Indonesian police) can provide them with security guarantees in the region.

Budiarti Utami Putri, Jakarta – The government and the Special Committee of the House of Representatives (DPR) for Papua's Special Autonomy Bill have agreed to set up a working committee to discuss the bill on the special autonomy status of the country's easternmost province (RUU Otsus Papua).

Yerica Lai, Jakarta – A second round of arrests netting suspected Islamist militants in the easternmost province of Papua, security and intelligence analysts say, indicates that religious extremist groups were seeking to set up camp outside of their usual bases on Java, Sumatra and Sulawesi.