Jakarta – Military and police personnel belonging to the Nemangkawi task force in Intan Jaya regency, Papua, are on a manhunt for an armed group that purportedly shot members of a local COVID-19 response team.

Jakarta – The Free Papua Movement (OPM) has denied that it was involved in the shooting of two members of the Intan Jaya regency COVID-19 task force, claiming that the two men were shot by security forces.

For millions around the world COVID 19 is one more terrible threat to an existence already precarious because of poverty and conflict. Others are at high risk because they are in detention at the behest of repressive governments.

Len Garae – Chairman of Vanuatu West Papua Association and Unification Committee (VWPAUC), Pastor Alan Nafuki has confirmed that all relevant West Papua related documents to brief the Government how far his Committee has progressed regarding its drive to help the United Liberation Movement of West Papua, have been handed over to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mark Ati and Prime M

A West Papuan man has died shortly after allegedly being hit by a police officer while making a complaint against a palm oil company.

Indonesian media say the man claimed the company knocked down his banana plantation in the southeast of Papua province.

The West Papua Liberation Army has stolen a number of weapons from an Indonesian police post.

A spokesman for the pro-independence guerilla fighting force said the attack on the station in Paniai regency was carried out to retrieve its own guns earlier confiscated by police.

Benny Mawel and Alya Nurbaiti, Jayapura and Jakarta – A Papuan man has died shortly after allegedly being hit by a police officer while making a complaint against a palm oil company he believed was responsible for knocking down his banana plantation in Asiki village, Boven Digoel regency, in Papua.

Sri Krishnamurthi – Australian war correspondent and investigative journalist John Martinkus warns the West Papuan conflict is "reigniting" and "that's happening now with new weapons and 20-year-olds".

James Balowski – Rights groups have slammed a last-minute decision to deny parole to five Papuans jailed on charges of treason over a peaceful protest in August last year. The activists were calling for an end to racism against Papuan students and a referendum on self-determination for West Papua.

Fathin Ungku and Wilda Asmarini, Singapore – Freeport-McMoRan Inc's Indonesian unit said it will operate the giant Grasberg mine with a "skeletal team" after a rise in coronavirus infections in the area, including at the mine workers' living quarters, and three deaths.

Review by David Robie – The 4300-km Trans-Papuan Highway costing some US$1.4 billion was supposed to bring "wealth, development and prosperity" to the isolated regions of West Papua.

At least, that's how the planners and politicians envisaged the highway far away in their Jakarta offices.

Sarah Jacob – It's 8 am on a Saturday morning in early March. A group of young children are busy arranging tables and chairs inside a makeshift building. They range in age from toddlers to late primary schoolers. Their classroom doubles as their community's only church. The building is a simple structure, constructed largely from pieces of corrugated iron and bamboo poles.

Camellia Webb-Gannon, Jaime Swift, Michael Westaway and Nathan Wright – Indonesia has recently indicated it is considering investigating the killings of hundreds of thousands of people in the 1965 "anti-communist" purge under authoritarian leader Suharto.

Jakarta – Five Papuan activists imprisoned for treason are not eligible for early release, as part of the government's prisoner assimilation program, which aims to reduce COVID-19 transmission, a legal team has revealed.

The government deems the assimilation program necessary due to overcrowded prisons during the health crisis.

The mining company PT Freeport Indonesia has increased efforts to test for, and treat people with Covid-19, in Papua.

The number of confirmed covid-19 cases in Mimika regency, where Freeport operates one of the world's largest gold and copper mines, has reached 110.

Responding to the postponed release of five Papuan prisoners of conscience (PoC) in Jakarta, Amnesty International Indonesia Executive Director, Usman Hamid, said:

Pacific Media Centre – TAPOL has condemned the political decision to cancel the early release of five political prisoners that were arrested in Jakarta for demonstrating in favour of self-determination of West Papua.

West Papuan independence movement leader Benny Wenda has demanded "urgent attention from the international community" to claims that Indonesia is using the Covid-19 crisis to further militarise the region.

Dwi Bowo Raharjo and Stephanus Aranditio – The release and reintegration of five out of six Papuan political prisoners (tapol) was suddenly cancelled today, Tuesday May 12. Supporters say they are being screwed over by the Indonesian state.

Reza Gunadha and Erick Tanjung – Six Papuan political prisoners in Jakarta, namely Surya Anta Ginting and his companions are to be released from Salemba prison in Jakarta today, Tuesday May 12.

Pacific Media Watch – The regent of Mimika in Papua has urged President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo to temporarily close a mine in the regency owned by gold and copper miner PT Freeport Indonesia as the number of covid-19 coronavirus cases in the area continues to rise.

Sally Sara, Anne Worthington and Victor Mambor – In the highlands of Papua, in easternmost Indonesia, villagers are returning to the burnt-out remains of their abandoned homes.

A woman slumps on the grass, overcome with grief, as men dig a pit for the remains of those who could not escape the bloodshed.

The air is filled with the sound of wailing.

London – TAPOL condemns the political decision to cancel the early release of five political prisoners that were arrested in Jakarta for demonstrating in favour of self-determination of West Papua.

A West Papuan church leader says he has support of local Christian churches over his right to speak about violence in the region.

Reverend Socratez Yoman of the Baptist church was invited by Indonesian police to 'clarify' an article he wrote about an attack in which a New Zealander was killed in Papua in March.

Jakarta – The regent of Mimika in Papua has urged President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo to temporarily close a mine in the regency owned by gold and copper miner PT Freeport Indonesia as the number of COVID-19 cases in the area continues to rise.

Febriana Firdaus – Thousands of workers at the world's largest copper and gold mine, run by U.S.-based Freeport McMoRan in the Indonesian province of Papua, have been instructed to remain on the company's premises or risk being furloughed without pay, amid an outbreak at the mine that has seen 56 employees test positive for COVID-19, with one death, in recent weeks.

Jakarta – The Mining Advocacy Network (Jatam) is urging President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo to temporarily halt operations by mining companies around the country which they believe are neglecting workers' safety in the midst of the corona pandemic (Covid-19).

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

4 May 2020

Dear Foreign Minister,

I am writing to you on behalf of the Australia West Papua Association in Sydney, concerning the jailing of six West Papuan activists for treason.

Rt Hon Jacinda Ardern
Prime Minister
Rt Hon Winston Peters
Minister of Foreign Affairs
Parliament Buildings
Wellington

Dear Jacinda Ardern and Winston Peters,

David Robie – The jailing of the Jakarta Six – five Papuans and the first Indonesian to be convicted for a Papuan protest – in Indonesia last month has focused global attention on the plight of political prisoners in the face of a failing struggle against the coronavirus pandemic.

Basten Gokkon of Mongabay – Local authorities and indigenous communities in Indonesia's Papua region have imposed a sweeping lockdown in an attempt to minimise the spread of the novel coronavirus.

Johnny Blades – A West Papuan church leader has been 'invited' by Indonesian police to 'clarify' an article he wrote about a shooting incident in which a New Zealander was killed.

The shooting attack, which occurred at the offices of mining giant Freeport in Papua's Mimika regency, resulted in the death of Graeme Wall and injuries to several other employees.

West Papuans continue to fight for independence with the support of many Pacific nations. Despite Indonesia's opposition and the recent impact of COVID-19 on the region, the resolution of West Papuan grievances may have stalled but nationalist sentiment has not been quelled.

By Johnny Blades

Key findings

The East Timor and Indonesia Action Network (ETAN) condemns the ongoing violence and racism against West Papuans living in various parts of Indonesia and in West Papua (the Indonesian provinces of Papua and West Papua, and the government's reactions to these expressions of discontent.

There's been a surge in the number of confirmed Covid-19 cases in Mimika regency of Indonesian-ruled Papua. Mimika now has 51 cases, the most of any single regency in Papua region.

Indonesia's Health Ministry said the number of confirmed Covid-19 cases in West Papua province was 37, and 189 in neighbouring Papua province, with seven deaths overall.

Nicolas Marvey & Babon Hitam – On December 16, 2009, the Indonesian armed forces murdered the independence leader Kelly Kwalik, accused of sabotage, treason, kidnapping and assassination. Kelly Kwalik, charismatic leader of the Free Papua Movement, was a major figure in the struggle of the Papuan people.

Gemma Holliani Cahya, Jakarta – "I know this might sound harsh for some people but this is the fact; if you do not want to die, do not come to Papua," Silwanus Sumule, a doctor who works in Jayapura, said in a recent phone interview with The Jakarta Post.

Silwanus is also the spokesperson for the Papua COVID-19 response team.

Skylar Lindsay – Indonesia is one of the world's largest exporters of coal and with little oversight, coal mining companies in the archipelago have cleared rainforests and polluted natural resources, often belonging to indigenous communities.

Arie Firdaus (Benar News) – An Indonesian court sentenced six activists to prison on Friday after finding them guilty of treason for participating in a protest last year calling for a self-determination referendum in the restive Papua province.

Agustinus Beo Da Costa, Jakarta – An Indonesian court convicted six activists of treason for organising a protest demanding independence for the easternmost province of Papua, in a verdict slammed by rights groups.

Adam Prireza, Jakarta – The Papua Advocacy Team believes that the panel of judges at the Central Jakarta District Court were desperately looking for a way to justify why the protest action by six Papuan activists in August last year was an act of treason.

Adam Prireza, Jakarta – A court hearing of six Papuan activists will be held again on Friday April 24. The six activists are scheduled to hear the verdict from the panel of judges on charges of treason.

Bangun Santoso and Stephanus Aranditio – Surya Anta Ginting and five other Papuan political prisoners will face a sentence hearing at the Central Jakarta District Court today on Friday April 24. The prosecution has demanding a sentence of one year and five months jail on charges of committing treason.

Jakarta – Papuan activist and treason defendant Suryanta Ginting and his five colleagues have been sentenced to between eight and nine months jail by judges at the Central Jakarta District Court.

They were declared guilty of violating Article 106 of the Criminal Code in conjunction with Article 55 of the KUHP on makar (treason, subversion, rebellion).

Jakarta – The panel of judges in the Central Jakarta District Court have handed down jail sentences against Surya Anta and five other Papuan activists charged with treason. The Five other defendants are Charles Kossay, Ambrosius Mulait, Isay Wenda, Anes Tabuni and Arina Elopere.

London – TAPOL denounces the sentencing by the district court of Central Jakarta which found six political prisoners guilty of treason today and demands their immediate release. Paulus Suryanta Ginting, Ambrosius Mulait, Ariana Elopere, Dano Tabuni, and Charles Kossay were sentenced to nine months imprisonment, whereas Isay Wenda was sentenced to eight months imprisonment.

Galih Gumelar, Jakarta – A panel of judges at the Central Jakarta District Court have found six activists guilty of committing treasonous acts for holding a protest in support of Papuan independence in front of the Presidential Palace in Jakarta in last August.

Ramadani Saputra, Jakarta – President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo decided on Thursday to push back the 2020 National Games (PON) in Papua to October next year due to the COVID-19 outbreak.

West Papua's Independence movement has congratulated Vanuatu's new government on its parliamentary election.

The Vanua'aku Pati's Bob Loughman heads a new coalition government in Vanuatu after newly-elected MPs met for the first time following last month's general election.

Febriana Firdaus, Bintuni Bay, Indonesia – Residents of this part of the island of New Guinea have long known they live atop a coal deposit. Some local people recall hearing traditional stories of how the weather is hot because of the coal found deep in the bowels of the Earth.