By Max Lane

Executive summary

Wilpret Siagian, Jayapura – West Papua National Committee (KNPB) Chairperson Agus Kossay was arrested by a joint team from the Papua regional police on Tuesday September 17. Kossay has been declared a suspect for allegedly being the mastermind behind the riots in Jayapura on August 29.

Over 2000 West Papuan university students have returned home from Indonesian cities since last month over safety fears.

Racist harassment of Papuan students in university dormitories in Javanese cities last month sparked weeks of widespread protests and unrest in Papua.

Vanuatu and Solomon Islands have raised the issue of human rights abuses against West Papuans at the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva.

The two governments made a statement which also noted that Indonesia had not yet given access to Papua for the UN Human Rights Commissioner.

Tasha Wibawa – Indonesian police are threatening to ask Interpol to issue a red notice for pro-Papuan activist Veronica Koman, who is believed to be hiding in Australia, unless she reports to authorities by the end of today.

H. E. Joko Widodo
President of the Republic of Indonesia
Istana Merdeka
Jakarta Pusat 10110
Indonesia

18 September 2019

Re: Condemn acts of racism against Papuans, order investigation into disproportionate use of force by police

Dear President Widodo,

Marni Cordell and Ben Doherty – The Australian government has refused to rule out handing over a Sydney-based lawyer who advocates for West Papuans to Indonesian authorities.

Hipolitus Yolisandry Ringgi Wangge, Jakarta – Massive demonstrations and riots in Papua are not the only pressing issues in Papua. After nine months of armed conflict in Nduga regency, hundreds of school-age children are still in the dark about the future of their studies.

United Nations experts have urged Indonesia to protect the rights of lawyer Veronica Koman who advocates for West Papuan rights.

They also urged Indonesia to protect people's rights to peaceful protest and those reporting on protests in West Papua, and to ensure access to the internet

A group of UN human rights experts has urged the government of Indonesia to protect the rights of activists advocating for more freedom in the country's West Papua and allow unrestricted access to information from the restive eastern region as rumblings for independence continue.

Geneva – Indonesia must protect the rights of all people to peaceful protest, ensure access to the internet and protect the rights of human rights defender Veronica Koman and all others reporting on protests in Papua and West Papua, say UN human rights experts*."We call for immediate measures to ensure the protection of freedom of expression and address acts of harassment, intimida

Police in Indonesia say they have arrested the Papuan activist Steven Itlay and uncovered a plot to stage more riots.

Massive protests flared across the Indonesian occupied Papua and West Papua provinces last month, in reaction to racist treatment of Papuan students.

Demonstrators called for independence from Indonesia and some protests turned violent.

A leading Indonesian human rights advocate has noted increased intimidation of rights lawyers representing West Papuans.

This comes amid a security forces crackdown in Papua following a surge of anti-racism and pro-independence protests and related unrest which left at least ten people dead.

Indonesia has told the United Nations that it has no intention of giving in to the demands of protesters for a referendum to be held in its troubled province of West Papua.

According to a report in CNN Indonesia, Indonesian Ambassador to the UN Hasan Kleib said this during a public debate in Geneva, Switzerland.

Jakarta – Around 20 Papuan students from the Javanese cities of Bandung, Malang and Yogyakarta have met with the family of former president Abdurrahman "Gus Dur" Wahid to discuss the current situation in Papua. The meeting was held at the residence of the late Gus Dur in Ciganjur, Jakarta, on Friday September 13.

Amanda Hodge and Chandni Vasandani in Jayapura and Papua – In streets heavily secured by fresh contingents of Indonesian police and soldiers this week, those hit by recent violent protests and rioting in the provincial Papuan capital of Jayapura have begun rebuilding.

Jakarta – Papua Student Alliance (AMP) lawyer Veronica Koman has finally spoken out about being declared a suspect by the East Java provincial police for inciting an incident at the Papuan student dormitory in the East Java provincial capital of Surabaya in August.

Jakarta – Two international non-government organisations (NGOs), namely the Lawyers for Lawyers (L4L) from Holland and the Lawyers' Rights Watch Canada (LRWC) from Canada, have written to President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo in relation to the prosecution of Veronica Koman.

Nur Yasmin, Jakarta – Indonesia restated the progress it has made on human rights, especially in dealing with the security situation in Papua, during a meeting at the United Nations Office at Geneva on Wednesday.

Hasan Kleib, Indonesia's ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva, said the country had been implementing the National Action Plan on Human Rights since 1998.

The LRWC and L4L sent a joint letter calling on Indonesian authorities to withdraw criminal charges against human rights lawyer Veronica Koman, charged for disseminating information about police violence against Papuan students peacefully protesting for Papuan self-determination.

Gardi Gazarin & Telly Nathalia, Jakarta – Police say they have uncovered a plot to stage more riots in Papua and West Papua until Dec. 1, following the arrest of the head of the West Papua National Committee's (KNPB) branch in Mimika, Steven Itlay, on Wednesday.

Wahyu Setiawan, Jakarta – The Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras) says that the meeting between President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo and scores of Papuan figures at the State Palace three days ago failed to resolve the problems in Papua.

On 13 September 2019, the East Java Police announced that Veronica Koman must appear at the Indonesian Embassy in Australia to comply with a summons which was scheduled for today.

Nur Hadi, Surabaya – The East Java Police claimed to have found suspicious transactions in the bank accounts of human rights advocate Veronica Koman, a suspected spreader of provocative contents during the Papua riots. The police said there were big withdrawals in the conflicted area.

Norman Harsono, Jakarta – The Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry decided this month to increase mining company Freeport Indonesia's copper concentrate export quota to 700,000 wet metric tons (wmt), a more than threefold increase on the previous quota of 198,282 wmt.

Kylie Grey – For decades, the Indonesian government has operated with relative impunity in West Papua. Human Rights Lawyer Veronica Koman spoke with SBS in June about her mission to expose environmental vandalism and human rights violations in the Indonesian province.

Veronica Koman is living in fear.

Andita Rahma, Jakarta – Police announced that it had arrested the head of the West Papua National Committee (KNPB) in Mimika, Steven Itlay, for an alleged connection to one of the demonstrations in Papua.

Police deem Steven to be the figure behind the demonstration at the University of Cendrawasih in Jayapura, Papua Province and other similar public uprisings.

Dian Septiari, Jakarta – As Indonesia gears up for voting day at the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC), lawmakers have raised concern over the "internationalization" of the unrest that erupted in Papua in recent weeks.

Jakarta – The Jakarta Ombudsman suspects that there was maladministration in the arrest of Surya Anta and several other Papua activists by the Metro Jaya regional police last week.

Jakarta Ombudsman Chairperson Teguh Nugroho says that his office will conduct a further study into the arrests of the Papua activists following a report from Anta's lawyer.

Marni Cordell, Ben Doherty and Kate Lamb – A West Papuan independence group has accused the Indonesian police of "abducting" a leading West Papuan activist in a dramatic arrest on Monday.

Bilveer Singh – Papua has been in constant turmoil for more than 50 years, especially following the territory's incorporation into Indonesia in 1969. This includes incidences of violence where either Papuans, or Indonesian military and civilian personnel, have been killed.

Jakarta – Police have arrested the chairperson of the Mimika West Papua National Committee (KNPB), Steven Italy, for allegedly playing a role in the riots and protest actions which took place in Jayapura, Papua. Police has already declared him a suspect.

Martin Vengadesan – The Indonesia military is carrying out acts of violence and terror against an innocent and unarmed population, say West Papuan activists.

Binoy Kampmark – Like Timor-Leste, West Papua, commonly subsuming both Papua and West Papua, remains a separate ethnic entity, acknowledged as such by previous colonial powers. Its Dutch colonial masters, in preparing to leave the region in the 1950s, left the ground fertile for a declaration of independence in 1961.

A leading West Papuan independence activist has been arrested by Indonesian police in Jayapua.

Buchtar Tabuni is a member of the executive committee of the United Liberation Movement for West Papua.

Suara Papua reported that police suspected Mr Tabuni was an instigator of recent riots related to large anti-racism and pro-independence protests in recent weeks.

Karina M. Tehusijarana, Jakarta – The recent protests in Papua, West Papua and other regions have brought the issue of a Papuan referendum on self-determination to the forefront of the national debate.

Caesar Akbar and L Ahmad Faiz, Jakarta – Public Works and Public Housing Minister Basuki Hadimuljono said his office will establish a design contest of Presidential Palace in Papua. The design is planned to meet for completion this year.

Jakarta – House of Representatives (DPR) Commission I Deputy Chairperson Satya Yudha believes that efforts by United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP) Chairperson Benny Wenda to provoke the Papuan people resemble the scenario by Jose Ramos Horta when he invited the people of East Timor – now called Timor Leste – to separate from the Unitary State of the Republic of Indones

Dan McGarry, Port Vila – In the wake of a Vanuatu Daily Post investigation into what appeared to be a deliberate attempt to spread fake news targeted at the government of Vanuatu and other supporters of West Papuan independence movement, a BBC investigative journalist has found clear evidence of a concerted campaign to pollute discussions relating to West Papua.

Michael Andrew – For the past three weeks a wave of violent protest has been spreading across West Papua and Indonesia.

Jakarta – Papua has a special place in President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo's heart. Throughout his first four years in office, he visited Papua eight times, spending much of his time there at the now-famous Mama-Mama Market in Jayapura.

The governor of Papua New Guinea's capital has promised more public action regarding West Papua.

Powes Parkop led thousands of people on a march in Port Moresby yesterday to voice support for West Papuan independence.

Audrey Santoso, Jakarta – Police have arrested the deputy chairperson of the United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP), Buchtar Tabuni. Tabuni was arrested on Monday for alleged makar (treason, subversion, rebellion).

Ahmad Jilul Qurani Farid, Jakarta – The House of Representatives (DPR) Commission I has asked Foreign Affairs Minister (Menlu) Retno Marsudi to prevent the internationalisation of the Papua issue so it is not used as propaganda by the United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP) led by Benny Wenda.

Jakarta (Reuters) – Police in Papua have arrested 85 suspects since ethnic unrest erupted in Indonesia's easternmost region in mid-August, a spokesman said, accusing a separatist leader based in Britain of fomenting Papua's most serious civil strife in years.

Jakarta (Antara) – The Jakarta Legal Aid (LBH Jakarta) argues that the suspect-naming of human rights activist Veronica Koman by the Indonesian National Police (Polri) presents a threat toward other activists.

Galuh Putri Riyanto, Jakarta – The police denied claims posted to Twitter that a student in West Papua was shot by a police officer. The tweet was posted by @AfricaRepublic yesterday, 9 September.

"That's a hoax," Police Headquarters' chief of Public Information Bureau, Brig. Gen. Dedi Prasetyo said via text message on Tuesday, September 10.

Ahmad Faiz, Jakarta – President Joko Widodo or Jokowi has agreed on the provincial division (pemekaran) in Papua and West Papua as requested by Papuan figures during a meeting in the State Palace, Jakarta, on Tuesday, September 10.

Thousands of Papua New Guineans marched through Port Moresby in support of West Papuan freedom today.

This follows weeks of protests by West Papuans, as well as unrest, in the neighbouring Indonesian-ruled territory.

Tracey Shelton – A group of students from West Papua say two bags of snakes were thrown into their dormitory amid weeks of unrest and protests over racism and self-determination for Indonesia's easternmost provinces.