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.

Oki Raimundos, Dili – Nobel Peace Prize laureate Jose Ramos-Horta has urged Indonesia's government to hold talks with the Papuan independence movement to help end a decades-long insurgency in the country's easternmost region.

Fears are growing among the West Papua National Committee, or KNPB, as the group faces a crackdown on its offices by Indonesian authorities.

The KNPB said its headquarters in Jayapura and Asmat were shuttered by military and police in December.

Eight activists with the West Papua National Committee, or KNPB, have been questioned by Indonesian police in Timika in relation to alleged subversion or treason.

This comes after members of the pro-independence organisation were forced out of their secretariat by dozens of police last Thursday in the southern Papuan city.

Jakarta (Antara) – High rainfalls in the past few days have caused floods and landslides in several parts of Jayapura city, Papua Province, on Saturday night.

Jakarta (Antara) – The Director General of Mineral and Coal (Minerba) of the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM) Bambang Gatot Ariyono estimated that PT Freeport Indonesia's (PTFI) revenues would fall in 2019.

Jakarta – On Saturday January 5 the Mimika district police (Polres) in Papua questioned eight West Papua National Committee (KNPB) activists in relation to a case of alleged subversion (maker).

Jakarta – National Committee for West Papua (KNPB) head Agus Kosay sent a legal notice to the Mimika Police precinct chief, requesting that the latter withdraw security forces from the yard of the KNPB headquarters in Mimika, Papua, arguing that the police had violated the law, the Constitution and legal procedures when dispersing a congregation holding a service at the site recent

Evarukdijati, Jayapura, Papua – Armed Papuan rebels would likely remain a serious security threat in certain areas of the central mountain range of the Indonesian province of Papua, Papua Police Chief Inspector General Martuani Sormin stated.

Stefanno Reinard Sulaiman, Jakarta – The government has been fending off criticism questioning its recent deal with United States mining giant Freeport-McMoRan (FCX) to acquire majority shares in its subsidiary PT Freeport Indonesia's (PTFI) Grasberg copper and gold mine in Papua for US$3.85 billion since the deal was signed on Dec. 21.

Jakarta – The Indonesian Military (TNI) and National Police have taken over the West Papua National Committee headquarters in Timika, Mimika Baru district, Papua to use it as a joint military-police post.

Andita Rahma, Jakarta – The TNI-Polri (Indonesian Military-National Police) joint personnel were accused of holding hostage to an entourage of Nduga regional administration, Papua, in Yigi district. The accusation was stated by a spokesman for the National Liberation Army of West Papua/Free Papua Movement (TPNPB/OPM) Sebby Sambom.

Jakarta – Home Affairs Ministry (Kemendagri) director general for politics and public administration, Soedarmo, has stated that the West Papua National Committee (KNPB) is not registered with the ministry as an ormas (social or mass organisation).

AWPA has written to the Australian Foreign Minister concerning the security force operation in the Nduga region and also concerning the ongoing intimidation of KNPB activists.

Jakarta – West Papua National Committee (KNPB) Secretary General Ones Nesta Suhuniap has accused a joint task force of Mimika district police and Indonesian military (TNI) in Timika, Papua, of acting immorally and illegally.

Nurul Fitri Ramadhani, Jakarta – A human rights group has condemned the banning of a protest by Jayapura Police in Papua on Thursday. The so-called kamisan is a peaceful, silent protest held every Thursday to call on the government to resolve cases of past human rights abuses.

Since the shooting incident which took place in Nduga Regency in early December 2018, joint police and military forces have been carrying out a 'military operation' with the stated aim of evacuating victims and searching for the TPNPB (West Papua National Liberation Army), who have been accused of carrying out the shooting.

Jakarta – Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati has assured that no backdoor deal was made in the negotiation to close the divestment agreement with Freeport-McMoRan, the US mining giant and parent company of gold and copper miner PT Freeport Indonesia (PTFI).

Jakarta – National Police chief Gen. Tito Karnavian has called on his personnel to tone down for the Christmas and New Year celebrations a security crackdown in Nduga regency, Papua, that was initially aimed at pursuing an armed group with ties to the Free Papua Movement (OPM)

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

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.

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.

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,

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.