Makereta Komai (PACNEWS News), Nauru – The Indonesian Government is keen to engage more with Pacific Island Countries as its steps up its presence in the region.

Indonesia's government is proposing $US4 million in funding towards influencing Pacific Island countries to change their position on Papua.

The Kompas newspaper reports the country's top security minister, Wiranto, who like many Indonesians goes by only one name, saying the money would be used to finance soft diplomacy efforts in the South Pacific.

Godwin Ligo – "It is high time for the international community and the United Nations (UN) to call on Indonesia to stop mass killings of innocent West Papuan Melanesians. It is an unthinkable and inhumane act by Indonesia to continue the genocide practices it is carrying out on indigenous Melanesians in West Papua. It must be stopped."

Makereta Komai, PACNEWS, Nauru – The government of Vanuatu is pursuing bilateral discussions with Leaders of the Pacific Islands Forum in Nauru this week to seek their support for its proposed resolution to the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) to relist West Papua on the UN Decolonisation committee.

Kristian Erdianto, Jakarta – Coordinating Minister for Security, Politics and Legal Affairs Wiranto is proposing an additional budget of 60 billion rupiah to fund diplomatic efforts related to the Papua problem.

Dozens of West Papuans were arrested by Indonesian police in Jayapura yesterday for staging a demonstration for self-determination.

According to local media reports, as many as 79 people were arrested after holding a peaceful demonstration in the capital of Papua province.

Friski Riana, Jakarta – Papua Governor Lukas Enembe ensures three millions of the Papuans will vote for the incumbent Presidential Candidate Joko Widodo (Jokowi) in the 2019 presidential election.

"There is no doubt that three million people will vote for Jokowi," Lukas said at the State Palace, Jakarta, Wednesday, September 5.

Jakarta – Gold and copper mining company PT Freeport Indonesia (PTFI) has been given a one-month special mining permit (IUPK) extension, which is required for the company to import its copper concentrates.

Ryan Dagur, Jakarta – Rights activists in the restive Indonesian province of Papua have expressed concern over the fate of a student arrested on treason charges.

Simon Carlos Magal, 26, was arrested in Timika district on Sept. 1 after leaving the office of the Anti-Violence and Human Rights Foundation, a local human rights group.

Benny Mawel, Jayapura – Police have arrested scores of protesters at a demonstration organised by the United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP) as they were gathering at Sentani Post 7 in Jayapura.

"Forty-five of us are [being held] at the Jayapura Polres [district police] in Doyo", Sentani regional action coordinator Samuel Wenda told Jubi on Tuesday September 4.

A total of 79 protesters from the United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP) were arrested for engaging in a non-violent protest in Jayapura, Papua, Indonesia, on Tuesday, 4 September 2018.

AWPA calls on the Pacific Islands Forum leaders to condemn the arrest of 80 West Papuan activists by the Indonesian security forces.

The activists were holding a rally in support of the Pacific Islands Forum urging the PIF leaders to support Vanuatu's call to bring the issue of West Papua to the UN.

Bastian Tebai, Jayapura – This morning, on Monday September 3, 14 participants of a peaceful action organized by the Papuan People's Democratic Movement (Garda Papua) were arrested by police.

Hengky Yeimo, Jayapura – Jayapura Municipal Police Chief the Adjunct Senior Police Commissionaire Gustav R. Urbinas said, four students of STIKOM (Communication College), Muhammadiyah Jayapura are still be interrogated about the morning star 'noken' (Papuan traditional bag) in their campus.

Jakarta – Police say a Polish man detained in Indonesia's troubled Papua region on suspicion of links to separatists will be tried there instead of being deported.

Pacific Island civil society says the Pacific Island Forum leaders must support Vanuatu's effort to take the issue of West Papua to the UN.

A New Zealand-based West Papua advocacy group has appealed to Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and other leaders meeting at the Pacific Islands Forum in Nauru next week to support Vanuatu's United Nations initiative.

Four West Papuan students were arrested on Tuesday for showing the Morning Star flag, as Indonesian universities crack down on pro-independence displays.

Antara News reported the students in Jayapura were carrying bags on campus displaying the symbol.

Nethy Dharma Somba, Jayapura – A Polish citizen is currently in custody with police in Papua over his alleged attempt to film what the Indonesian Military (TNI) claims was a planned "ammunition trade" between two armed groups in the restive province.

A West Papua support group in New Zealand is calling on Pacific leaders to support Vanautu's push for the Indonesian region to be included on the UN's decolonisation list.

West Papua Action Auckland said leaders attending next week's Pacific Islands Forum summit in Nauru must back Vanuatu's draft resolution when it is raised by prime minister Charlot Salwai.

New Zealand Foreign Affairs Minister, Winston Peters says his country recognizes West Papua as a part of Indonesia.

He made this comment when asked about New Zealand's stand on the West Papua issue where Vanuatu is spearheading efforts in support of West Papua, during his recent visit to Port Vila.

Jakarta – The Mimika Police in Papua have arrested AY, a worker at gold and copper miner PT Freeport Indonesia, for making a video that police have described as "hate speech against Indonesia" and distributing it on social media.

On Saturday 25th August at 12:20, Polish tourist Jakob Fabian was arrested by the Indonesian military at the Napua military post in Wamena, West Papua.

Fiji's Opposition Leader Ro Teimumu Kepa has called on the government of Fiji to "stop its betrayal" of the people of West Papua.

She said the government should strongly support the inclusion of the territory in the United Nation's Decolonisation List at next year's UN General Assembly.

A congratulatory letter has been sent to Vanuatu Prime Minister, Charlot Salwai and to Vanuatu's special envoy on decolonisation for West Papua, Lora Lina.

West Papua Action Auckland
PO Box 68419
Auckland, New Zealand
25 August 2018

Dear Prime Minister/President,

Jane Joshua – Since her appointment as the Special Envoy on Decolonization of West Papua to the Pacific Island States, Lora Lini spoke exclusively to the Daily Post about how she sees her role and the importance of the position entrusted upon her by the Vanuatu Government.

Indonesia is deploying 450 military personnel to Papua in a bid to crackdown on drug smuggling on the Papua New Guinea border.

Antara news agency reported the forces would travel to Merauke province on Sunday, before deploying across 16 border posts.

Benny Mawel, Jayapura – Dozens of Indonesian former workers of U.S.-based PT Freeport-McMoRan, parent company of PT Freeport Indonesia, staged a rally on Aug. 21 to seek legislators' intervention in their case.

They represented more than 8,000 contractors and workers who were laid off by the giant gold and copper company more than 14 months ago following a strike.

Nethy Dharma Somba, Jayapura – The Cendrawasih Military Command (Kodam) in Papua beefed up security following an encounter between armed civilians and military personnel in Puncak Jaya regency, Papua, on Sunday which resulted in the deaths of two military personnel.

Jayapura (Antara) – Two officers of the Indonesian Defense Forces (TNI) were killed by armed separatist group members in Tigginambut, Papua Province. The assailants equipped with guns and arrows.

Ivany Atina Arbi and Nethy Dharma Somba, Jakarta/Jayapura – The 73rd celebration of Indonesia's Independence Day was tinged with reports on actions from some Papuans outside and inside the provinces, which upset authorities over their perceived refusal to celebrate Indonesia's independence from the Dutch.

Vanuatu's government could be alone among regional administrations in its bid to have West Papua inscribed on the United Nations de-colonisation list.

The Charlot Salwai-led government plans to submit a draft resolution to the Pacific Islands Forum, calling for Indonesian-ruled Papua to be inscribed on the list at next year's UN General Assembly.

All 49 West Papuan university students taken in for police questioning in the Indonesian city of Surabaya have been released, according to a legal aid group.

The incident on Wednesday night came on the anniversary of the transfer of administration over West Papua to Indonesia.

Gorethy Kenneth – Papua New Guinea will not and does not support the issue of West Papua now being pushed by Vanuatu at the United Nations.

Bastian Tebai, Semarang – The Papuan Student Alliance (AMP) and the Indonesian People's Front for West Papua (FRI-WP) have called on all Papuan students through their city committees in Java and Bali to declare that the 1962 New York Agreement was illegal.

Bastian Tebai, Surabaya – As many as 49 Papuan students who reside at the Kamasan Papuan Dormitory in the East Java provincial capital of Surabaya were arrested by police this evening and are being held at the Surabaya district police headquarters (Polrestabes).

There were two reasons for this according to information gathered by Suara Papua.

Arnold Belau, Jayapura – A peaceful action that was to be held by the Indonesian People's Front for West Papua (FRI-WP) in Ternate, North Maluku, was forcibly broken up by local police on August 15.

Vanuatu presented its draft UN Resolution for West Papua at the recent Pacific Islands Forum Officials Committee (FOC) Meeting and the Forum Foreign Ministers Meeting held at the Taumeasina Resort in Apia, Samoa from 7 to 10th August 2018.

Nethy Dharma Somba, Jayapura – Papuan authorities have closed a gold mine in Korowai in the southern part of Papua, following uproar among residents who protested the hiring of newcomers over local tribe members.

Hengky Yeimo, Jayapura, Jubi – Jayapura City, Tuesday, 7 August 2018, visitors crowded in Lokabudaya Expo Museum Waena, Heram sub-district to attend the Papua Film Festival held by a film community Papuan Voice for three days from 7 to 9 August 2018.

Alexander Rheeney, Apia – Vanuatu has asked Pacific Islands Forum member states to support its resolution to the United Nations General Assembly next year to grant West Papuans self-determination.

The Vanuatu government has appointed Laura Lini as special envoy for West Papua. Ms Lini is the daughter of Walter Lini, who is known as the founding father of the Pacific nation.

Nethy Dharma Somba, Jayapura – An armed group returned on Tuesday four firearms it seized from the Indonesian Military (TNI) in a recent incident in Wagemuga village in Paniai, a restive regency in Papua's central highlands.

"Why am I now on the Indonesian government blacklist? For how long? For what reason? For going to Papua? This is devastating for me."

An Australian doctoral researcher whose honeymoon plans in Indonesia included a cultural festival in the insecure Papua region has been deported after Indonesian officials accused her of being a journalist, a news agency reports.

Belinda Lopez, a Bahasa speaker, is back in Australia with a week left of her holiday but her plans ruined.

Dyaning Pangestika, Jakarta – An Australian graduate student studying Indonesia and planning to visit Papua said she was devastated after being barred from entering the Southeast Asian country.

Indonesia has denied entry and will deport an Australian graduate student who was travelling via Bali to Indonesia's easternmost province of Papua on holiday.

Hans Arnold Kapisa, Jayapura – Manokwari, Yang Christian Warinussy, the Executive Director of the Legal Aid Study and Research (LP3BH) Manokwari, asserted President Joko Widodo, known as Jokowi, not to 'sell' the issue of human rights violations in Papua in regards to his candidacy in the Presidential Election 2019.

Johnny Blades – Indonesia's influence in the Pacific Islands is growing, but is shadowed by disquiet over its region of Papua, known widely as West Papua.

The West Papuan independence movement has significant traction in the region, where it continues to push for its self-determination aspirations to be addressed by the international community.

Kustin Ayuwuragil, Jakarta – A group called the NKRI Volunteers (Relawan NKRI) attempted to disrupt an action by the Papuan Student Alliance (AMP) and the Indonesian People's Front for West Papua (FRI-WP) in front of the State Palace on Thursday August 2.