Jakarta – Scores of Papuans from the group #SaveNduga Solidarity (Soladiritas #SaveNduga) held a candle lit vigil at the Aspiration Park in front of the State Palace in Central Jakarta on Wednesday December 26 to mark the violence perpetrated by the TNI (Indonesian military) and Polri (national police) in Nduga regency, Papua.

Corry Ap is the widow of assassinated West Papuan cultural leader, musician, and anthropologist Arnold Ap. She is also the mother of Ordek Ap, Chairperson of the United Liberation Movement for West Papua EU, and Raki Ap, Spokesperson for the Free West Papua Campaign. Now living in exile in the Netherlands, we recently sat down with Mrs.

Ganug Nugroho, Apriadi Gunawan, Fadli, Rizal Harahap and Aman Rochman, Jakarta, Surakarta, Pekanbaru, Malang, Batam, Medan – Religious figures in the predominantly Christian Papua have joined the provincial government's calls for the central government to withdraw security troops from Nduga regency ahead of Christmas, arguing that the presence of security forces and potential armed

Jakarta – Following the divestment deal and the 20-year contract extension, gold and copper miner PT Freeport Indonesia (PTFI) plans to focus on develop a smelter and the underground mine at its Grasberg facility in Papua.

New Zealand's government says it's seeking information on reports the Indonesian military dropped chemical weapons in Highlands villages.

Australia's Saturday Paper reported over the weekend on the suspected use of white phosphorus weapons, which are banned under international law, in Nduga regency.

Azizah Fitriyanti, Jakarta – The Indonesian Foreign Ministry said it will take steps against "irresponsible and misleading" report by Australia's The Saturday Paper about recent Papua's Nduga incident in which tens of Indonesian construction workers had been killed by "armed criminals" believed to be separatists.

David Lipson – Indonesia's Military has dismissed "ridiculous" claims it used a banned chemical weapon to subdue separatist forces in West Papua.

Photos published by The Saturday Paper yesterday show a man with a gaping wound to his leg and severe burns.

Dian Septiari, Jakarta – The government has denied a report in The Saturday Paper, an Australian weekly, about the alleged use of chemical weapons in a military operation in Nduga, Papua, calling it "totally baseless, nonfactual and gravely misleading".

John Martinkus and Mark Davis – There are burns around the wounds. The flesh appears to have been torn open or burrowed into, the victims' clothing melted or cut away. At least seven are dead. Thousands more have fled into the hills.

The latest reports from West Papua reveal a shocking escalation of violence in West Papua. Incendiary weapons – possibly white phosphorous – are being used to bomb villages in the Nduga area of the Highlands.

Andita Rahma, Jakarta – A joint-team consisting of members of the Indonesian Military and the Indonesian National Police continued to chase the armed group that attacked PT Istaka Karya workers in Nduga, Papua. During the operation, the team found three bodies of the armed group members in the mountains.

Jakarta – The governor of Indonesia's Papua province has called for an end to a hunt for separatist rebels who killed at least 16 workers this month, saying villagers were being traumatized and should be allowed celebrate Christmas in peace.

Jayapura – Leaders of Indonesia's easternmost Papua region are calling on President Joko Widodo to order the withdrawal of troops and national police from an area where separatists earlier this month carried out one of their deadliest attacks.

Jakarta – Kodam XVII/Cenderawasih Regional Military Command (Kodam) public relations head Infantry Colonel Muhammad Aidi says that Papuan Governor Lukas Enembe (LE) and the Papuan Regional House of Representatives (DPRP) should not be calling for the withdrawal of TNI-Polri (Indonesian military-national police) troops from Nduga regency in Papua.

Stefanno Reinard Sulaiman, Jakarta – President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo announced on Friday that Indonesia became the majority owner of PT Freeport Indonesia (PTFI) after increasing its share ownership from 9.36 percent to 51.23 percent through a US$3.85 billion deal.

There have been more arrests of West Papuans in Indonesian cities for demonstrating on an historical date.

Yesterday's demonstrations were to mark the day in 1961 when Indonesia launched a military campaign to take over the former Dutch New Guinea.

Jakarta – A joint unit of TNI (Indonesian military) and police intercepted scores of activists from the Indonesian People's Front for West Papua (FRI-WP), the Papuan Student Alliance (AMP) and the Papuan Central Highlands Indonesian Student Association (AMPTPI) at the North entrance to the National Monument (Monas) in Central Jakarta on Wednesday December 19.

Benny Mawel, Jayapura – The president of Papua Baptism Churches Dr Socrates Sofyan Yoman said the Indonesian Government's reaction on the murder of 16 people in Nduga Regency on 2 December is truly explicit and unfair.

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

18 December 2018

Dear Foreign Minister,

Bishops from the Anglican Church of Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia (ANZP) have expressed their "deep disappointment" at what they say is the continued suppression of the first people of West Papua.

A Polish man who faces a 15-year prison sentence if convicted for alleged links to Papuan separatists is scheduled to appear in court Monday for the start of his trial, an Indonesian official said.

Jakub Fabian Skrzypski was detained and charged in August for intending to film an arms deal between rebels in Indonesia's restive province of Papua, a prosecutor said.

National Capital District Governor Powes Parkop is renewing his call on the government to review its position on West Papua.

He wants it to support a legally supervised referendum for local Papuans to decide to remain part of Indonesia or become an independent state.

The Governor of Papua New Guinea's national capital has called for the government to review its policy on West Papua.

The newspaper The National reported that Powes Parkop wants PNG to push for a legitimate independence referendum for West Papuans

The government is maintaining its security focused approach as it hunts down members of an armed rebel group believed to have been responsible for the killing of dozens of construction workers on Dec. 1 in Nduga Regency, Papua, despite local figures' plea for the government to end the armed conflict in the easternmost province.

Jakarta – At least 300 villagers are hiding in a forest in Indonesia's Papua province on Friday after they fled fighting between soldiers and separatists who killed a group of workers building a bridge in the area this month.

They are cold and hungry after 11 days in the forest, Pastor Benny Giay, the head of Papua's Gospel Tabernacle Church, told Reuters by telephone.

Wamena (Antara) – Indonesian Armed Forces (TNI) planned to take over the development project of Trans Papua in Yal and Yigi District, Nduga, following the shooting incident by armed groups against workers of PT Istaka Karya.

Indonesia's military will take over construction of a massive infrastructure project in Papua after a massacre of workers earlier this month.

At least 16 employees from state-owned company Istaka Karya were killed by fighters from the West Papua Liberation Army, who accused them of being military spies.

Katharina R. Lestari, Jakarta – Obed Gobay, a 50-year-old Papuan from the Mee ethnic group, couldn't stop tears falling as he spoke – in his native language – of his son who was killed four years ago.

Jakarta – House of Representatives (DPR) Speaker Bambang Soesatyo from the Golkar Party is asking the government to urge the United Nations to designate the Free Papua Movement (OPM) as a terrorist organisation.

Taufiq Siddiq, Jakarta – Head of Papua Police's community guidance task force, Grand Commissioner Eko Sutardo, shared his heart-wrenching experience while blending in with children that live within areas prone to conflict.

He recalled to the moment children expressing eagerness upon growing up to be a soldier for the Free Papua Organization (OPM).

Stefanno Reinard Sulaiman, Jakarta – Education will become another focus of the government's development plans in Indonesia's easternmost provinces of Papua and West Papua after it managed to open up part of the isolated areas with its Trans-Papua flagship infrastructure project.

Stefan Armbruster – Indonesia has rejected renewed West Papuan separatists' demands for independence and the deployment of United Nations peacekeepers as the death toll mounts after almost two weeks of fighting in the Papuan province.

Friski Riana, Jakarta – Vice President Jusuf Kalla firmly stated that the option upon engaging in a dialogue with Papuan separatist groups is off the table since the Indonesian government had always granted Papua with economic eminence.

Human Rights Watch is calling on Papuan militants to stop unlawful killings, after a massacre of Indonesians took place in the Highlands region.

The West Papua Liberation Army has claimed responsibility for the murders of at least 16 construction workers and a soldier this month. The Liberation Army said the workers were Indonesian military in disguise.

Reports from Indonesia indicated as many as 90 Papuans were taken in by police in Timika after holding a public event to support human rights. A lawyer representing Papuans, Veronica Koman, said another 41 were arrested in Merauke.

Indonesia's military (TNI) has given an ultimatum to the West Papua Liberation Army to surrender.

The Liberation Army claimed responsibility for killing up to 31 Indonesians, mainly road construction workers, this month in the Highlands of Papua province.

Jakarta – Separatist rebels in Indonesia's Papua province who killed a group of workers building a bridge this month have rejected government calls to surrender and instead demanded a referendum to decide the future of the area.

Jakarta – West Papua National Committee (KNPB) spokesperson Ones Suhuniap says that security forces arrested 132 people during the commemoration of International Human Rights Day in West Papua on Tuesday December 10. Ninety people were arrested in Timika and another 42 in Merauke.

Jakarta – Vice President Jusuf Kalla says that the government has done all kind of things to reconcile with Papua including providing facilities as well as special policies for Indonesia's Eastern-most region.

He made the statement following the recent fatal shooting of Trans Papua road project construction workers and TNI (Indonesian military) personnel in Nduga, Papua.

Auckland – West Papua Action Auckland is calling on the New Zealand Government to cut all military ties to the Indonesian security forces. Violence cannot solve the problems in West Papua.

Four civillians have reportedly been killed in Papua province as Indonesian security forces continue their pursuit of the West Papua Liberation Army.

The Liberation Army claimed responsibility for killing as many as 31 Indonesians, mainly road construction workers, earlier this month in the Highlands region.

West Papuan rights to freedom of speech and peaceful assembly have been defended by the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) in a response to the mass arrests of Papuan protesters during flag raising ceremonies earlier this month.

The bodies of 16 people were retrieved from the Highlands region last week, after a group of Indonesian construction workers were massacred. The West Papua Liberation Army, which has claimed responsibility for the killings, has claimed the workers were Indonesian military in disguise.

In response to the latest shooting in the Yall District, Nduga Regency, in West Papua, the Indonesian security forces are undertaking a military operation to find those deemed responsible

Jakarta – A spokesperson for the Indonesian Military's (TNI) Cendrawasih Military Command, Lt. Col. Dax Sianturi, denied reports that a joint team of military and police personnel involved in a rescue mission to save victims of recent mass shootings in Nduga, Papua, had carried explosives or fired guns during the process.

Jakarta – Indonesian police should investigate a Papuan armed group's killing of at least 17 people, including a soldier, at a construction area in Nduga in Papua's densely forested Central Highlands on December 2, 2018, Human Rights Watch said today.

Philip Jacobson – The Indonesian government must put an immediate halt to land clearing in the Tanah Merah project, a vast stretch of land in Papua earmarked to become the world's biggest oil palm plantation, environmental advocates and anti-graft watchdogs say.

Taufiq Siddiq, Jakarta – Former commissioner of National Human Rights Commission (Komnas HAM), Natallius Pigai, opined the Joko 'Jokowi' Widodo's administration did not have thoughtful planning to carry out the Trans Papua project in the conflict-prone area. Thus, he added, it became one of the conflict triggers that caused casualties.

Jakarta – Rebels in Indonesia's troubled Papua province demanded that the government hold negotiations on self-determination for the province and warned of more attacks.

Ray Jordan, Lampung – President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo insists that work on the Trans Papua road project will continue despite the recent shooting of construction workers in Nduga regency, Papua.

Widodo is asking that all infrastructure projects and Trans Papua workers always be accompanied by security personnel.