Ariel Bogle and Albert Zhang – On Twitter, Instagram and Facebook, a network of accounts is targeting the West Papua independence movement with memes and messages designed to shape international and domestic narratives about the separatist movement.

The Indonesian People's Front for West Papua (FRI-WP) and the Papuan Student Alliance (AMP) again launched actions in several parts of the country on December 19. This time the actions took up the theme, "Trikora: The Start of Indonesia's Colonisation of the West Papua Nation".

Jakarta

Jakarta – Residents of Tambrauw regency in West Papua province are opposing the establishment of the Tambrauw 1810 District Military Command (Kodim) which was officially inaugurated on Monday December 14.

Charles Maniani, Manokwari – Mobile Brigade (Brimob) paramilitary police, national police intelligence officers (intel) and the army's special forces (Kopassus) stormed the West Papua National Committee (KNPB) offices in the Almasuh area of Merauke regency, Papua, during a raid on Sunday December 13.

Richard C. Paddock, Bangkok – It has been 59 years since separatists in the Indonesian territory of West Papua raised their red, white and blue flag and declared independence. The region has been in conflict ever since.

Hans Nicholas Jong, Jakarta – A major sawmill operation linked to widespread deforestation and corruption in Indonesia has had its legality certification revoked by the licensing authority over allegations of a forged permit, meaning it will not be allowed to export any wood products.

Arya Kiet – Coinciding with International Human Rights Day today, December 10, 147 Catholic priests in Papua have called for an end to violence in Papua and have requested that bishops give more serious attention to the issue for the sake of the safety of religious community members in Indonesia's eastern-most provinces.

Johnny Blades – Catholic priests in West Papua have appealed for reconciliation and dialogue to address ongoing armed violence in their region.

A statement has been issued by 147 priests from across the Indonesian-administered provinces of West Papua and Papua.

Nicholas Ryan Aditya, Jakarta – Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras) researcher Arif Nur Fikri has reported the group's findings on human rights violations throughout 2020. Kontras found 40 incidents of human rights violations in Papua between January and November 2020.

Budiarti Utami Putri, Jakarta – The General Election Commission (KPU) reported problems in distributing the logistics of the 2020 Regional Election in several regions of Papua, particularly in Yalimo, Yahukimo, and Pegunungan Bintang.

Budi Sutrisno, Jakarta – The shooting of Papuan Pastor Yeremia Zanambani is not an independent incident but part of the most recent and most significant shift in the trend of conflicts in Intan Jaya regency since its establishment in 2008, a report has said.

Introduction

Hans Nicholas Jong, Jakarta – An area of natural forest the size of 1,500 football fields has been cleared since January in an oil palm concession in Indonesia's easternmost region of Papua by a company that ultimately supplies major traders and global brands.

Jakarta – Indonesia has lodged a formal protest with Britain after a UK-based separatist leader announced an interim government-in-exile for the restive Papua province.

Mineral-rich Papua, Indonesia's easternmost province, has been dealing for decades with a low-level separatist insurgency, as well as poverty and communal tensions.

Egi Adyatama, Jakarta – Chairman of the United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP) Benny Wenda, requested President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo to end the martial law status in West Papua.

"The President must end martial law period in West Papua and discuss the issue," Benny said in a written statement on Friday, December 4, 2020.

Jakarta – The fissure in relations between the West Papua National Liberation Army-Free Papua Organisation (TPNPB-OPM) and the United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP) began to sharpen in 2017.

Jakarta – The Presidential Staff Office says it regrets the raising of the Morning Star flag – which is identified with Papuan independence – at the Indonesian Consulate General (KJRI) in Melbourne, Australia, on Tuesday December 1.

Budiarti Utami Putri, Jakarta – The People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) Speaker Bambang Soesatyo asked the government through the Foreign Affairs Minister to summon the British Ambassador over the declaration of the West Papua provisional government by the United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP) leader Benny Wenda.

Egi Adyatama, Jakarta – The chairman of the United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP), Benny Wenda, said he is ready to discuss with President Joko Jokowi Widodo over Papua and West Papua issues. Benny recently declared himself as the interim president of the provisional government of West Papua.

Foreign Affairs Minister Retno Marsudi has summoned the British Ambassador in Jakarta, Owen Jenkins, regarding the declaration of an independent Papua on 1stDecember 2020 that was echoed by the Chairman of the United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP), Benny Wenda.

Jakarta – On December 1, United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP) Chairperson Benny Wenda declared Papuan independence. He did not make the declaration on Papuan soil but rather through a press release on the ULMWP's official website.

Following the announcement of the Provisional Government of West Papua on Tuesday, the new interim President, Benny Wenda, has said he is ready to sit down with President Jowoki and discuss a solution to the conflict, amidst massive controversy in Indonesia regarding the announcement.

Imam B, Rahmad Nasution, Jakarta – Responding to the recent developments in Papua and West Papua, Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives (DPR), Azis Syamsuddin, has urged the government, military, and police to maintain state authority and safety in the region.

Indonesia has been urged by the United Nations to engage with West Papuans in an inclusive dialogue to address long-standing grievances.

The UN Human Rights Office says it is disturbed by escalating violence and increased arrests of people for simply exercising their basic rights in the Indonesia-ruled Papua region.

Jakarta – Environmental organisation Greenpeace says that corporations in the palm oil sector have begun to venture into forests in Papua in concert with diminishing land availability in Kalimantan and Sumatra.

Protest actions took place in several cities around Indonesia on December 1 including in Jakarta, Yogyakarta (Central Java), Ternate (North Maluku) and Sinjai (South Sulawesi). The actions were launched to commemorate West Papua Independence Day.

Pacific Media Watch – West Papuan leaders have begun forming a "provisional government" in defiance of a crackdown by Indonesian security forces and have pledged that the Melanesian region will establish the world's first "green state".

Surabaya – Protesters from the Papua Student Alliance (AMP) held a demonstration commemorating the declaration of West Papuan independence at the Negara Grahadi building in the East Java provincial capital of Surabaya on Tuesday December 1.

Imam Budilaksono/Suharto, Jakarta – Deputy House Speaker Azis Syamsuddin urged Indonesia's government to act sternly and promptly against the claim of the United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP) that declared a West Papua provisional government on Dec 1.

Andita Rahma, Jakarta - The Indonesian National Police (Polri) on Wednesday has officially considered the declaration of West Papua's provisional government by the United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP) as a form of provocation and propaganda.

Abdu F, Rahmad Nasution, Jakarta – Hikmahanto Juwana, professor of international law at the University of Indonesia, has urged the Indonesian government to ignore Papuan separatist leader Benny Wenda's maneuvers, including his declaration of a so-called "interim government" in West Papua.

Egi Adyatama, Jakarta – The Indonesian Foreign Affairs Ministry on Wednesday confirmed that a group of trespassers had entered the Indonesian Consulate General in Melbourne, Australia, to hoist the Free Papua Movement (OPM) morning star (Bintang Kejora) flag.

This incident was captured in the consulate general's CCTV footage that was shared by Twitter user @Tbuch2.

Pacific Media Watch – Academics, journalists and students today raised the West Papuan flag – an act banned in Indonesia and punishable by up to 15 years in jail – at a Pacific Media Centre-hosted symposium in Auckland today.

Agustinus Beo Da Costa, Jakarta – Hundreds of Papuans held rallies across at least eight cities in Indonesia on Tuesday to renew calls for independence, as a separatist group declared it had established a provisional government in exile.

Adi Briantika – Police have arrested 15 demonstrators from the Indonesian People's Front for West Papua (FRI-WP) during a protest action at the Bamboo Monument in Sinjai, South Sulawesi.

Adi Briantika – Natan Weya, a Papuan student from the Pattimura University (Unpatti), has confirmed that joint units of police and Indonesian military (TNI) officers along with local people besieged their dormitory on the evening of Tuesday December 1.

Jakarta – Scores of Papuans held a protest action in front of the Arjuna Wiwaha (Horse) statue on Jalan Medan Merdeka Barat in Central Jakarta on Tuesday December 1. The action coincided with the day which is often linked to the commemoration of Papuan independence, December 1.

Egi Adyatama, Jakarta – Dozens of people on Tuesday, Dec 1, had gathered in the capital city's landmark Monas (National Monument) in Central Jakarta to commemorate the anniversary of the Free Papua Organization (OPM), which is considered by the government as a separatist group.This rally – that is heavily guarded by security personnel – reportedly comprises people from numerous pro-

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 first official flying of the Morning Star flag on the 1st December in 1961).

Nina A. Loasana, Jakarta – Indonesia must carry out "thorough, independent and impartial" investigations into a string of violent incidents in its easternmost provinces, a spokeswoman for the United Nations' human rights office has said.

The ULMWP says the fledgling provisional government is supported by all of West Papua's liberation groups.

Up to 70 per cent of West Papuans have signed a petition rejecting Jakarta's attempt to extend funding for so-called Special Autonomy provisions that were first introduced to the provinces in 2001.

Naseem Radmehr – West Papuan separatists say they will form a new provisional government for the region and reject Indonesia's rule, in a significant escalation of a decades-long battle over independence.

Ben Doherty – West Papuan leaders have declared a provisional "government-in-waiting" of the contested Indonesian province, as the United Nations said it was "disturbed by escalating violence" there, including the killing of a child allegedly by security forces.

The United Liberation Movement for West Papua has announced it is forming a 'Provisional Government' of West Papua.

The Movement is hoping to achieve a self-determination referendum in West Papua and independence from Indonesia.

Bangkok/Geneva – We are disturbed by escalating violence over the past weeks and months in the Indonesian provinces of Papua and West Papua and the increased risk of renewed tension and violence.

Indonesian police have arrested 36 people in two West Papuan cities for demonstrations to support a pro-independence movement.

The Asia Pacific Report reported the demonstrations in Manokwari and Sorong were commemorating the anniversary of the West Papua New Guinea National Congress at the weekend.

John McBeth, Jakarta – The long drawn-out saga of mining giant Freeport Indonesia's (PTFI) proposed new copper smelter has taken a new turn with China's Tsingshan Steel agreeing to build the US$1.8 billion facility at its Weda Bay nickel processing complex in Halmahera, eastern Indonesia.

Antara, Jakarta – Hengky Heselo, a native Papuan community leader in Jayawijaya District, Papua Province, appealed to the police to crack down on people and groups that launch anti-Indonesian campaigns and spread slanders through social media platforms.

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

28 November 2020

Dear Foreign Minister,

Jakarta – The West Papua regional police (Polda) arrested 36 people in Manokwari and Sorong city following demonstrations commemorating the anniversary of the West Papua New Guinea National Congress (WPNGNC) on Friday November 27.