Twenty-nineteen has been the worst year on record for the people of West Papua. They cannot enjoy their Christmas this year. They are facing military operations in every corner of every village in West Papua, from Nduga to Puncak Jaya to Intan Jaya.

Gunmen opened fire on a small commercial plane as it landed in Indonesia's Papua on Saturday.

Reports from one of the pilots quoted by The Star say there were no reports of casualties among the nine passengers on the plane.

The attack happened in the hilly district of Puncak, a stronghold of separatists who have been battling Indonesian since the 1960s.

Jakarta – Five Papuan pro-independence students and a rights activist went on trial Thursday on charges of treason after waving morning star flags that are a separatist symbol during a peaceful protest in front of Indonesia's presidential palace.

Ben Bohane – For decades, Papua New Guinean troops say they have watched as Indonesian forces violated PNG sovereignty "up to a dozen times per year".

At times the TNI (Indonesian armed forces) crossed the border between Indonesian Papua and PNG to hunt animals. Sometimes they entered to intimidate refugees living along the border.

Antara, Jakarta – House of Representatives (DPR) Commission I member, Sukamta, officially requests the central government to eradicate armed groups in Papua following a shootout that broke between armed forces (TNI) army with a Papuan armed group on Tuesday, December 17.

Beritasatu, Jakarta – Members of militant group Jemaah Ansharut Daulah have tried to go into hiding in Indonesia's easternmost province of Papua, police said on Thursday following the arrests of eight suspected militants there.

Jakarta – The public prosecutor charged six Papua activists, Surya Anta, Charles Kossay, Dano Tabuni, Isay Wenda, Ambrosius Mulait and Arina Elopere with makar and criminal conspiracy during their formal arraignment at the first hearing at Central Jakarta District Court on Thursday December 19.

Jakarta – Surya Anta and five other Papua activists heard the formal charges against them during the first hearing at the Central Jakarta District Court on Thursday December 19. Following their arraignment, Anta and the other defendants presented emotional speeches to the court.

Jakarta – An Indonesian prosecutor charged five men and a woman with treason on Thursday, accusing them of organizing a protest in Jakarta demanding independence for the easternmost province of Papua.

The peaceful protest of about 100 people had been held outside the presidential palace and military headquarters on Aug. 28 and followed a period of unrest in Papua.

Benny Mawel, Jayapura – Two military officers and a policeman have been killed during recent clashes in Papua, sparking fear among residents of the predominantly Christian region with the conflicts breaking out just one week prior to Christmas day.

Erwin Renaldi and Tasha Wibawa – The West Papuan Morning Star flag has been a point of contention across Indonesia for decades. For many West Papuans, it represents freedoms that have been taken away.

Jakarta – Indonesia's Supreme Court has rejected an appeal by a Polish tourist who was convicted of treason after meeting with Papuan independence supporters and instead increased his prison term, a lawyer says.

Jakub Skrzypski was arrested in August last year in Wamena in easternmost Papua province and was accused of plotting against the Indonesian state.

Telly Nathalia, Jakarta – Two soldiers from the Indonesian Military, or TNI, were killed in a gunfight with an armed criminal group in Sugapa in Papua's Intan Jaya district on Tuesday, a statement from the TNI said on Wednesday.

Indonesia's Supreme Court has increased the jail term for a Polish man convicted of treason over his alleged links to separatist fighters in restive Papua, raising the sentence to seven years from five, his lawyer said on Wednesday.

Two Indonesian soldiers have been shot dead in Indonesia's eastern-most province of Papua, ambushed by separatist rebels while transporting goods to a village in a remote area.

Papua has suffered a simmering conflict for decades, led by a mostly poorly armed and fractured separatist movement.

Jakarta – Coordinating Minister for Security, Politics and Legal Affairs Mahfud MD says that Indonesia is entitled to take any and all measures to hold on to Papua.

He said this in relation to demands for a referendum on self-determination for Papua in the name of international law.

Jakarta – The Central Jakarta District Court postponed the trial of six activists accused of treason relating to Papuan antiracism protests because the prosecutors had provided incomplete dossiers.

The first hearing, planned for Monday, was pushed to Thursday after the defense protested that the prosecutors had sent a complete dossier for only one suspect.

Jakarta – Five of the Papua activists taking part in the first court hearing in a treason case at the Central Jakarta District Court on Monday December 16 wore traditional kari-kari headdresses from the eastern most part of Indonesia.

Jakarta – The panel of judges at the Central Jakarta District Court have postponed the first court hearing which was to hear the reading of the charges against Surya Anta and five other Papua activists.

The 79 member states of the Africa Caribbean Pacific (ACP) group are seeking international action over human rights abuses in West Papua.

A resolution was passed by the group at its 9th ACP Summit of Heads of State and Government, calling for urgent attention to be paid to the rights situation in Indonesia-ruled Papua region.

Jakarta – Indonesian police said on Saturday they have arrested seven suspected Islamic militants in the country's easternmost Papua province as authorities beef up security ahead of Christmas and New Year's celebrations.

Seven Pacific island nations have called for a UN investigation into allegations of human rights abuses in Indonesia's West Papua and Papua provinces, where a separatist movement has simmered for decades.

Kenya – Global Pan Africanism Network leader met West Papuan Independence Leader, Mr. Benny Wenda, on 8th December in Nairobi, Kenya.

It was a defining moment for Africa-West Papua relations as West Papuan leader attended the 9th African Caribbean and Pacific Group of States summit.

Eko Wahyudi, Jakarta – People of Asmat, Papua voiced complaints about the power outage which has occurred since a month ago in the region. The blackout was reportedly caused by a damaged power plant belonged to state-owned electricity firm PLN.

Lani Diana Wijaya, Jakarta – The lawyer of six Papuan activists, Michael Hilman, considered the court's ruling rejecting the pretrial motion filed by his clients unfair. Michael said those activists named suspects of alleged treason were treated unjustly either by the police or court.

Indonesian government officials have alleged that permits underpinning a multi-billion dollar plantation project in Papua province were falsified, leading to the criminal clear-cutting of a vast area of rainforest.

Jakarta – Agus Widodo, the sole judge in a pretrial suit submitted by six Papua activists charged with treason, has rejected all of the points in the appeal saying that the plaintiff's appeal was flawed in formal and material terms.

Lani Diana Wijaya, Jakarta – A number of people staged a demonstration in front of the South Jakarta District Court building on Tuesday afternoon, December 10, 2019. They demanded the release of the six Papuan activists who are suspected of treason.

University students and human rights activists staged a rally on Sunday in West Papua demanding Indonesia's President Joko Widodo fulfil his vow to settle a human rights violation case.

Five people, including four high school students, were allegedly shot and killed by Indonesian soldiers on 8 December 2014, during a protest in Paniai.

Adi Briantika – The sole judge at the South Jakarta District Court, Agus Widodo, has rejected a pretrial suit by six Papuan political prisoners who have been charged with alleged treason.

Victor Mambor, Jayapura – Around 112 people were arrested by police in several towns of Papua and Papua Barat provinces within a week ahead to 1 December 2019 under the treason article concerning the Morning Star flag-raising.

Benny Mawel, Jayapura – University students and human rights activists staged a rally on Sunday in Sorong, West Papua, demanding that President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo fulfill his vow to settle a human rights violation case in Paniai, Papua.

James Balowski – Surya Anta Ginting, the national spokesperson for the pro-independence Indonesian People's Front for West Papua (FRI-WP) – who along with five other Papuan activists is being held in Jakarta's notorious Salemba prison awaiting trial on treason charges – is reportedly seriously ill.

Jakarta – An exhibition at Darmawangsa Residence in South Jakarta brings the art of Papua's Kamoro tribe to the capital and lets visitors place bids on sculptures and plait work from Indonesia's far east.

The list of political prisoners in Indonesia's West Papua and Papua provinces is growing higher, as at least 110 people were arrested for raising the Papuan national flag over the weekend. Police charged 20 people with treason (makar), which carries a maximum 20-year prison term.

Jakarta – On Thursday December 5 the South Jakarta District Court accepted material evidence during a pretrial suit challenging treason charges against Surya Anta and five other Papuan suspects. The evidence, which was in the form of documents, was handed over by the defendant, the Metro Jaya regional police.

Muhsidin, Rahmad Nasution, Biak, Papua – The Papuan provincial government has ordered all district and city administrations to ban sales of alcoholic drinks ahead of the Christmas and New Year's Eve celebrations, and the convening of the 2020 National Games (PON).

Victor Mambor, Jayapura – Four students were taken to Abepura Police station while attending Mass at Gembala Baik Catholic Church, Abepura on Sunday (1/12/2019). Wearing the traditional clothes of Papuan highlands, two of them decorated their faces with the pattern of Morning Star.

Victor Mambor, Jayapura – Papua Police chief Insp. Gen. Paulus Waterpauw has confirmed that two police officers are under investigation for alleged sexual harassment of a woman prisoner at the Papua Police headquarters in Jayapura.

Dozens of West Papuans have been named as treason suspects for attempts to raise the outlawed Morning Star flag.

Indonesian police arrested over 34 people in Papua province for planned activities to mark 1 December, which some Papuans consider their national day.

Adi Briantika – A pretrial hearing in a case of alleged treason by six Papuan political prisoners heard testimony from the plaintiffs on Wednesday December 4. The lawyers for the plaintiffs took the opportunity to present an expert witness.

Victor Mambor Jayapura – At least thirty-eight people in Indonesia's easternmost provinces were named treason suspects over the last week in connection with attempts to raise the Papuan flag, police and lawyers told BenarNews.

Lea Citra, Jakarta – A witness has testified that police pointed a pistol at residents during the arrest of two Papuan students, Charles Kossay and Dano Tabuni, during a raid on the Lani Jaya student dormitory in Depok, West Java, on August 30.

Jakarta – A Papuan activists has testified that the police acted violently and made racist remarks during a raid on a Papuan student dormitory in Jakarta. This was revealed by Naliana Gwijangge during a pretrial hearing in a case of alleged treason against six students and Papuan activists.

Kharishar Kahfi, Jakarta – The Jakarta State Administrative Court (PTUN) has ordered that a lawsuit against the government's decision to enforce an internet blackout during unrest in Papua and West Papua will go to trial.

The court ruled during a preliminary hearing on Monday that the suit, which was filed last week, would be handled by state administrative court judges.

Benjamin Robinson-Drawbridge – About 50 activists flew the Morning Star flag at New Zealand's Parliament on Monday to mark the 58th anniversary of the declaration of West Papuan independence.

Only one MP came out to greet the crowd which mostly comprised members of New Zealand's Pasifika communities.

Evarukdijati, Rahmad Nasution, Jayapura – Four youths in Abepura Sub-district, Jayapura, Papua, were apprehended, Sunday, over motifs of Bintang Kejora (Morning Star) flag painted over their faces indicating their support for the Free Papua Movement (OPM), a police officer stated.

Jakarta – The Jayapura municipal police have declared 20 people accused of being Free Papua sympathisers as suspects on charges of makar (treason, subversion, rebellion). The 20 are part of a group of 34 Free Papua sympathisers who were arrested by a joint team from the Jayapura municipal police on Saturday November 30.

Ans K, Merauke – Merauke Regional Police arrested four residents who were referred to as sympathizers of the West Papua National Committee (KNPB). They were accused of vandalism for painting the Morning Star symbol on walls and fences in a number of locations in the City of Merauke.

Indonesian police in Jayapura have arrested dozens of people for planning to celebrate a key West Papuan nationalist anniversary.

Yesterday was the 58th anniversary of the first official raising of the Papuan Morning Star flag, when the indigenous people of the former Dutch New Guinea declared independence.