Steve Rushton – Indigenous people in West Papua face systematic murder and destruction of their lands. They were colonised by Indonesia in the 1960s. West Papua is the western part of the island of New Guinea – home to the world's third largest rainforest.

Jakarta – Security forces in Papua reported that a civilian turbine engine aircraft was shot by members of an armed criminal group upon landing at the Sinak Airport in Puncak regency, Central Papua, on Monday.

Members of the Indonesian Navy (TNI AL) have been accused of intimidating journalists while covering activities in Jalan Bubara, Klaligi Village, Sorong City, on 9 July 2024.

Pes Yanengga, Jayapura – Papuan students have called on President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo to immediately withdraw TNI (Indonesian military) and Polri (Indonesian police) troops from Puncak regency, Central Papua Province. According to the students, the presence of non-organic troops has triggered an increase in violence against civilians.

Jayapura – Zakarias Talaty, the sole judge at the Jayapura District Court, has rejected a pretrial motion on behalf of senior Papuan journalist Victor Mambor against an Order to Stop Investigation (SP3) issued by the North Jayapura Sectoral Police (Polsek) on the grounds that the SP3 was legitimate due to the lack of witnesses who saw the bomb attack on Mambor's home in March 2023.

The 6th July marks 26 years since the Biak Massacre when 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.

Makassar – Police have admitted to seizing Free Papua Organisation (OPM) flags from a Papua student dormitory in Makassar, South Sulawesi.

"We have conducted a seizure of Morning Star flags at the dormitory", said Makassar Metropolitan District Police Chief (Kapolrestabes) Senior Commissioner Mokhamad Ngajib when sought for confirmation on Friday July 5.

On 30 June 2024, military members allegedly arrested Mr Atinus Kum (see photo on top), a member of the West Papua National Liberation Army (TPNPB), in the Intan Jaya Regency, Papua Tengah Province. According to the information received, Mr Kum was unarmed and on the way to the town to buy some necessities. The military members reportedly tortured and executed Mr Kum.

On 14 June 2024, Mr Pilemon Gobai, 42, was unlawfully killed, and Mr Melkias Yatipai,47, a tribal leader, sustained a bullet injury on the left heel as security force members raided the area around the Odiyai Village.

Hengky Yeimo, Nabire – A number of Papuan pro-independence organisations commemorated the 53rd anniversary of the proclamation of West Papuan independence at several locations inside and outside of Papua on Monday July 1.

From information gathered by Jubi.id, commemorations were held in at least six different locations, from morning through to the evening.

The Indigenous Peoples Movement for Self Determination and Liberation, as one of the movements endorsing the Permanent Peoples Tribunal Session on Environmental Destruction and State Repression in West Papua on June 27 to 29, welcomes the success of the recently concluded Tribunal.

Tempo.Co, Jakarta – Papua is a province known as the land of gold with its natural riches containing beautiful fauna. The word Papua comes from Malay, this word represents the original native physique where people have curly hair.

Responding to the final statement of Permanent Peoples' Tribunal on Papua in London, Amnesty International Indonesia's executive director Usman Hamid said:

"The final statement truly mirrors the deteriorating developments in Papua. Their historic findings signal the depth of the human rights violations and environmental destruction in the region.

Elisa Sekenyap, Jayapura – The United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP), which has observer status at Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG), says it was not informed of a visit by two MSG officials who came to Jayapura, Papua, last week.

Jayapura – Papuan journalists held a solidarity action to support the struggle by senior Papuan journalist Victor Mambor who is seeking justice over a terror bomb attack near his home on March 23, 2023. This solidarity was shown during a pretrial hearing at the Jayapura Class 1A District Court in Papua on Friday June 28.

Long-standing tensions in Timika have escalated, resulting in the significant destruction of local community plantations. The conflict began in 2017 and has reached alarming levels in 2024 with repeated incidents of violence, destruction, and threats. The person behind these actions is an individual known by the initials YG.

Timeline of Events:

The Indonesian government's plan to transform Merauke town, South Papua (Papua Selatan) Province, into a major centre for sugarcane plantations and bioethanol production has sparked significant controversy and legal disputes.

The Ministry of Agrarian Affairs and Spatial Planning/National Land Agency (BPN) and the government of Sorong Regency, Southwest Papua (Papua Barat Daya) Province, are being urged to review the permits and impose strict sanctions on PT Inti Kebun Sejahtera (IKSJ) following recent trespassing on customary land.

Stefan Armbruster, Victor Mambor and BenarNews staff – An unheralded visit to Indonesia's Papuan provinces by a leading Pacific diplomat has drawn criticism for undermining a push for a United Nations human rights mission to the region where pro-independence insurgents have fought Indonesian rule for decades.

The Permanent Peoples' Tribunal (PPT), established in 1979 on the basis of the Universal Declaration of Peoples' Rights, and in compliance with its Statute, has opened a procedure to investigate the environmental impacts of development in West Papua and the human rights violations linked to those practices.

The president of the United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP) has welcomed the launch of a new political front, urging support for this new initiative on the "roadmap to liberation".

Benny Wenda said the launch of the West Papua People's Liberation Front (GR-PWP) was a new popular movement formed to execute the national agenda of the ULMWP.

Jayapura – The Papua Human Rights Lawyer Association (PAHAM Papua) believes that the Indonesian Military (TNI) police headquarters (Puspom) appears to be covering up and has been silent about the legal process involving the 13 suspects in the torture of three Papuan civilians in Puncak Regency, Central Papua Province.

Duncan Graham – There's nothing profound about the Biblical quote; variations are embedded in many religions and cultures.

So it needs no prophet, seer or conman to make this prediction: After a war like the current one in Gaza has cooled, the survivors will be bent on revenge.

Livia K, Tegar Nurfitra, Jakarta – The Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG) visited Indonesia's Papua and observed that the easternmost region of the country is generally in a stable and conducive region, allowing its people's socio-economic activities run properly.

Advist Khoirunikmah, Jakarta – The leader of the West Papua National Liberation Army-Free Papua Movement or TPNPB-OPM Egianus Kogoya plans to release the Susi Air pilot Philip Mark Mehrtens without political demands, a Tempo source said. The time for the release, however, remain unknown.

All parties, including Papuan rebels who took Phillip Mehrtens hostage, want the New Zealand pilot released but freeing him is "complicated".

In February 2023 Mehrtens, a husband and father from Christchurch, was working for Indonesian airline, Susi Air, when he landed his small Pilatus plane on a remote airstrip in Nduga Regency in the Papua highlands.

The Centre for Climate Crime and Justice at Queen Mary University of London will host a Permanent Peoples' Tribunal on State and Environmental Violence in West Papua later this month.

Victor Mambor and Pizaro Gozali Idrus, Jayapura and Jakarta – Hundreds of residents in Indonesia's restive Papua region have sought shelter in a church after clashes between security forces and West Papua independence fighters left two insurgents, a soldier and a civilian dead.

Hans Nicholas Jong, Sarjan Lahay, Jakarta – The Indonesian government plans to establish 2 million hectares, or nearly 5 million acres, of sugarcane plantations in the eastern region of Papua, home to the last great expanse of rainforest in Southeast Asia.

Caleb Fotheringham – West Papua pro-independence supporters are calling Indonesia's condemnation of Israel hypocritical considering its occupation in Papua for 61-years.

The Indonesian government, through the Minister of Foreign Affairs and the President, has condemned the Israeli government's handling of the conflict in Gaza.

AWPA condemns the latest Indonesian security force operation in the Bibida District, Paniai Regency which has resulted in more than 5,000 people from 15 villages in Bibida and Paniai fleeing their villages.

Djibril Muhammad, Timika, Papua – An army deserter who became a mercenary for a rebel group in Papua has been shot to death during a recent security operation, authorities said on Monday.

Denis Murib was killed after a joint operation of the military and the police raided a rebel stronghold in the Papua regency of Paniai.

Jayapura – On June 14 the West Papua National Committee (KNPB) held a candlelight vigil in memory of the shooting and death of KNPB General Chairperson Musa Mako Tabuni at the site of the shooting at the Waena III State Housing Company (Perumnas) in Jayapura city.

Ardito Ramadhan, Jakarta – The Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras) is urging President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo to fully resolve the 2001 gross human rights (HAM) violations case in Wasior, Papua, which have been languishing for 23 years.

On 10 June 2024, the Papua Bali Student Community Student Association, in collaboration with IMMAPPA Bali and AMP KK Bali, organised a peaceful demonstration in Denpasar to support the indigenous Awyu and Moi tribes in their struggle to protect their customary lands and forests. The event was marked by a series of significant confrontations with local police forces.

Agus Pabika, Jayapura – The Papua Indonesian Forum for the Environment (Walhi) has condemned the repressive actions by police against a peaceful protest by the Bali Papua Community Student Association (IMMAPA) and the Bali city committee of the Papua Student Alliance (AMP) on Monday June 10.

The recent slogan "All Eyes on Papua" emerged in response to the viral "All Eyes on Rafah" campaign on Instagram. Indigenous communities and the youth in Papua hope that this movement will foster real solidarity with Papuan issues.

Meirto Tangkepayung, Paniai, Papua – A group of Papua rebels fatally shot and burned a pickup truck driver in Paniai Regency on Tuesday, police said.

The joint security team known as the Cartenz Peace Operation Task Force attributed the attack to a local rebel cell known for launching deadly assaults on civilian and military targets in recent years.

Elisa Sekenyap, Jayapura – Over the last two weeks, social media has been flooded with the humanitarian call embodied in the phrase "All Eyes On Rafah".

Larius Kogoya, Jayapura – Hundreds of protesters from the Central West Papua National Committee (KNPB) together with KNPB Sentani and KNPB Port Numbay held a solidarity action supporting a referendum and the liberation of Kanaky, New Caledonia, from French colonialism.

Jakarta – Alleged human rights violations in Papua that were among the commission's nine priority issues throughout 2023 continued to be a priority in 2024, National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) Chairperson Atnike Nova Sigiro stated.

While delivering the 2023 Komnas HAM Annual Report, Sigiro remarked that the issue is still a priority in 2024.

Reiner Brabar, Sorong – Indonesian social media has been enlivened by the call "All Eyes on Papua" which has gone viral over the last few days and attracted an extraordinary amount of attention.

Antara, Jakarta – Army Chief of Staff General Maruli Simanjuntak said that the Indonesian Military's (TNI) decision to revert to the original term "OPM" (Free Papua Movement) from "armed criminal groups" (KKB) in calling the separatist group would impact their peacekeeping strategy. The military would not hesitate to take action if they see an armed person in Papua.

The local Government of Sorong Selatan Regency has officially recognized the indigenous peoples and customary territories of four sub-tribes in Konda District through a Regent Decree. The decree was presented by Regional Secretary on behalf of the Regent, Mr Samsudin Anggiluli.

Jayapura – Solidarity and support against the expropriation and destruction of customary forests in the land of Papua is broadening, with several groups, including soccer players joining in supporting the movement to save Papua's forests.

Jakarta – People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) Speaker Bambang Soesatyo urged the Defense Forces (TNI) and the National Police (Polri) to catch members of the Armed Criminal Group (KKB) who shot a soldier in Yahukimo, Papua Highland.

Bambang expressed his condemnation of the shooting incident and urged the TNI and Polri to take firm action against the KKB.

Hans Nicholas Jong, Jakarta – A campaign calling for the protection of Indigenous peoples' customary forests in Indonesia's easternmost region of Papua has gone viral, with the campaign's poster shared nearly 3 million times on Instagram.

Ni Kadek Trisna Cintya Dewi, Jakarta – The African Swine Fever (ASF) virus has been detected in pigs in Indonesia. Antara reported that the Papuan government, through the local Livestock and Plantation Office, has declared an emergency status for an outbreak affecting pigs in the local area.

Indigenous communities in Kapiraya district, Deiyai Regency, Papua Tengah (Central Papua) Province, are actively protesting the operations of PT Zoomlion, a Chinese company, which entered the area in 2023 to extract gold with heavy machinery (excavators) without obtaining permits from either the customary right owners or the relevant government authorities.

Intan Setiawanty, Jakarta – The 'All Eyes on Papua' campaign has been trending on social media amid rampant land confiscation from indigenous peoples in Papua. A number of environmental activists from the Awyu tribe in Boven Digoel and the Moi tribe in Sorong came to the Supreme Court building in Jakarta.