Achmad Nasrudin Yahya, Jakarta – Indonesian military (TNI) Commander Marshal Hadi Tjahjanto has revealed that Papuan separatists are using social media (medsos) as a propaganda tool.

Tjahjanto explained that there are at least three elements exploiting social media as a propaganda tool, namely elements from political, clandestine and armed fronts.

A wave of rejections against Jakarta's plan to establish new provinces in West Papua has emerged in Papua Land. Papuan students outside their home have also risen to the occasion and rejected the plan.

Zuhdiar L, Rahmad Nasution, Jakarta – The Indonesian People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) has appealed to the Defence Ministry, National Defence Forces, and Police to seek effective measures to crush armed Papuan groups responsible for acts of terror in the province.

Stuart Rees – West Papuans are Indigenous people, easily ignored, their natural resources exploited, their homes and cultures destroyed, hundreds tortured, hundreds of thousands killed. Our media reports endlessly about genocide in remote Xinjiang but not about genocide in neighbouring West Papua. Why?

Jayapura, Jubi – Another armed conflict between the Indonesian Military (TNI) and West Papua National Liberation Army (TPNPB) occurred in Intan Jaya Regency in Papua, this time killing an Indonesian soldier.

The armed altercation was the second reported incident since Feb. 12, when an armed civilian shot and injured a TNI soldier.

Konradus EpaKonradus Epa, Jakarta – More than 5,000 people including 3,000 Catholics have fled their homes in Indonesia's Papua region following clashes between security forces and a separatist group, according to a church official.

Devina Halim, Jakarta – The family of Pastor Yeremia Zanambani who was killed in Intan Jaya, Papua, on September 19 last year, has agreed to an autopsy being conducted with certain conditions.

Laurens Ikinia, Auckland – Indigenous Papuan students who are currently studying in New Zealand and Australia have formed an educational association, choosing Waitangi Day to mark the occasion of their inaugural virtual conference.

Victor Mambor, Jayapura – On Aug. 1, 2019, the West Papua National Liberation Army (TPNPB) held a large meeting, called "Reunification and Declaration of Unity of TPNPB-Free Papua Organization" in Ilaga, Puncak Regency. The meeting in the neighboring regency ushered in a new period of conflict in Intan Jaya.

Ryan Dagur, Jakarta – Environmental organizations including church groups have warned that deforestation in Indonesia's natural forests is reaching a critical level, especially in Papua where the clearance rate has increased significantly in the last two decades.

Benny Mawel, Jayapura – Papua Legal Aid Institute (LBH Papua) Director Emanuel Gobay, said that Merauke Police had denied 13 activists from the West Papua National Committee (KNPB) their right to health after the institute received a report that one of the detainees was critically ill.

Benny Mawel, Jayapura – Papuan People's Assembly (MRP) announced they rejected the central government and the House of Representatives plan to revise special autonomy (otsus) law without consulting MRP. The decision was made after MRP held a plenary meeting on Feb. 9 in Jayapura.

Abigail Rose McCall, Brisbane, Australia – The struggles of Indonesia's Papuan communities have surfaced in various shows of solidarity, with indigenous Australians during the divisive Australia Day celebrations that took place across the "land down under" last month.

Jakarta – The Indonesian Monitoring Coalition says that deforestation in Papua has increased under the administration of President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo. The Coalition is made up of 11 non-government organisations (NGOs).

Indonesia is trying again to "divide and rule my people" by further carving Papua into three new provinces, warns interim president Benny Wenda of the United Liberation Movement of West Papua (ULMWP).

And he says that Jakarta is bringing in another 450 troops in to "violently enforce" its policies.

Yance Wenda, Jayapura – Hundreds of university students from Lapago Customary Territory gathered on Monday in Jayapura, the capital of Papua province, to reject the central government and local administration plan to establish new provinces in Papua Land or West Papua.

Hengky Yeimo, Nabire – People in West Papua called hip hop music "musik bicara-bicara", which can be loosely translated into conversational music or talks music, because it has spoken words.

Dr Socratez Yoman – The Indonesian coloniser has become an ignorant ruler with deaf ears and with evil intention in fighting for the addition of new Papuan provinces without the population numbers to justify this.

Provincial division is a serious problem because the population of Papua and West Papua does not meet the requirements to establish new provinces.

Yance Wenda, Jayapura – Flood victims and an environmental activist in Sentani in Jayapura Regency, West Papua, have identified that poor water management in the area and environmental damage in the regency's water retention area, the Cycloop Hill.

Jakarta, Jubi – Dutch Foreign Affairs Minister Stef Blok told the Dutch parliament recently that the country considered a visit by United Nations (UN) High Commissioner for Human Rights to Papua "important".

Victor Mambor, Jayapura – Papuan Humanity Team on Case of Violence against Religious Figures in Intan Jaya regency, or Humanity Team, has completed the documentation of alleged extrajudicial killings against Protestant pastor Yeremia Zanambani on Sept. 19, 2020. This report documents facts surrounding the killing of Pastor Yeremia.

The head of the Papuan People's Assembly says it has rejected Indonesia's plans on special autonomy for his region.

Indonesia's government is seeking to extend the Papuan provinces' Special Autonomy Law which expires this year after two decades.

Jeff Armstrong – The Indonesian-occupied nation of West Papua has called for urgent international intervention against Indonesia's intensification of what a 2016 report called "slow motion genocide."

Benny Mawel, Jayapura – Human rights activist Ambrosius Mulait plans to report five powerful politicians to the police for alleged racism in their statements.

Nabiha Shahab – Indonesia's easternmost region of Papua arguably has the richest biodiversity in the country, offering potential for sustainable eco-tourism, eco-education and conservation opportunities.

Medan – Scores of students from the Papuan Student Association (IMP) in Medan, North Sumatra, held a protest action in front of the North Sumatra University (USU) Rectorate Bureau Building on Tuesday February 2 protesting racism allegedly committed by USU Professor Yusuf Leonard Henuk.

Muhsidin, Rahmad Nasution, Jayapura, Papua – Population in the Indonesian province of Papua currently reached 4.30 million, or rose by some 1.47 million, from that in 2010, according to Statistics Indonesia (BPS).

Leon Langdon – In December 2020, Benny Wenda told TIME Magazine, "I'm on a mission. I'll finish my mission and then I will rest." Wenda, an activist for Papuan independence, was declared president of the Provisional Government of West Papua in a statement released by the United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP) on December 1.

Hendrina DK, Rahmad Nasution, Jayapura, Papua – The Papuan Customary Council has appealed to native Papuan communities in the province to not be provoked by Ambroncius Nababan's alleged racist remarks against noted Papuan human rights defender, Natalius Pigai.

Pacific Media Watch – More leading Indonesian figures have made racial slurs against Natalius Pigai, former chair of the National Human Rights Commission (Komnas HAM) – and all West Papuans, says United Liberation Movement of West Papua (ULMWP) interim president Benny Wenda.

The National Police's Cyber Crimes Division has arrested a man for hate speech after he allegedly compared a Papuan activist to a gorilla.

Antara, Jakarta – Representatives of the Batak community in Papua have appealed to the National Police to initiate action against Ambroncius Nababan, saying his 'racist' remarks against a noted Papuan human rights defender have marred the Bataknese image.

Adi Briantika – A group of Papuan students in front of the House of Representatives (DPR) building in Jakarta, who were planning to hold a protest action opposing the extension of Papuan Special Autonomy (Otsus), were arrested and taken to the Metro Jaya regional police headquarters on Wednesday January 27.

Jayapura, Jubi – A number of Catholics in Papua, calling themselves "One Voice of Catholic Laypeople in Papua", declared a vote of no confidence in all the bishops in Papua and in the Bishop Council of Indonesia (KWI).

Jayapura, Jubi – Since Dec. 24 last year, 18 Nduga residents who had been taking refuge in Jayawijaya regency in Indonesia's Papua had died after being denied access to healthcare, a volunteer reported.

Ryan Dagur, Jakarta – An Indonesian politician has come under fire after making racist comments about a former Papuan member of the country's National Human Rights Commission.

Ambroncius Nababan, who unsuccessfully stood as a candidate in a Papuan constituency in the last national assembly elections, is accused of likening Natalius Pigai, a Catholic, to an ape.

Jayapura, Jubi – Merauke District Court in Papua held a pre-trial hearing to judge whether the arrest of 14 West Papua National Committee (KNPB) activists in Merauke last month was legal or not.

Jakarta – Jakarta Legal Aid Foundation (LBH Jakarta) Director Arif Maulana has confirmed the view that the state has played a role in perpetuating racism against Papuans.

Jakarta – Indigenous people in Indonesia's easternmost Papua province are protesting against a company that's preparing to raze their ancestral forest for a plantation megaproject plagued by allegations of irregularities and wrongdoing.

Following the announcement of a Provisional Government of West Papua and rejection of Jakarta's 'Special Autonomy' renewal, the Indonesian state has pursued its strategy of aggressive arrests and violence against peaceful demonstrations for independence.

Pacific Media Watch – The pro-independence conflict in West Papua with a missionary plane reportedly being shot down at Intan Jaya has stirred contrasting responses from the TNI/POLRI state sources, church leaders and an independence leader.

A shooting caused a plane to catch fire on 6 January 2021 in the Intan Jaya regency, Papua province.

Michael Kabuni – The United Liberation Movement for West Papua has announced that it is forming the West Papuan Provisional Government. This comes as Indonesia has refused to extend the Special Autonomy provision granted to West Papua 20 years ago, which is set to expire next year. Across the border, support for West Papuan independence in Papua New Guinea (PNG) has been growing.

Reiner Brabar, Kota Sorong – On Monday January 11, hundreds of protesters from the Papuan People's Front (FRP) who oppose the extension of Special Autonomy (Otsus) held a long-march from Kilometre 9 to the Sorong City Regional House of Representatives (DPRD) carrying a coffin with the message "The late Otsus".

The Leader of Solomon Islands Opposition, Hon. Matthew Wale condemns in the strongest term revelations that the Indonesian government intends to remove the indigenous people of West Papua out from their motherland, the Solomon Star reports.

Ans K in Merauke, Papua – Mama Elisabeth Ndiwaen, one of the Papuan landowners who has been strongly critical of highlighting oil palm investment in Merauke regency in Papua province has urged the Archdiocese of Merauke to stop collaborating with PT Tunas Sawa Erma (Korindo Group).

Ryan Dagur, Jakarta – Merauke Archdiocese in Indonesia's Papua province is set to receive billions of rupiah through a collaboration with an environmentally controversial palm oil company, sparking strong protests from local Catholics.

Maria Baru, Kota Sorong – The Papuan people in greater Sorong reject all attempts by the Papuan political elite to extend Special Autonomy (Otsus) in Papua. This opposition was expressed during a march on the Sorong City Regional House of Representatives (DPRD) on Monday January 11.

[Special Report: By Victor Mambor in Jayapura – final article of a three-part investigation into the Pastor Yeremia Zanambani assassination.]

[Special Report: By Victor Mambor in Jayapura – second of a three-part investigation into the Pastor Yeremia Zanambani assassination.]

The atmosphere on Saturday morning, 19 September 2020, in the courtyard of the Elementary School for the Education and Schooling Foundation of Evangelical Churches in Tanah Papua or YPPGI Hitadipa was tense.

President-elect of the self-styled Republic of West Papua Benny Wenda called for continued support for the cause of the freedom of his people, warning that the new year has begun with renewed Indonesian repression.