The Solomon Islands government says its official position on West Papua won't be made until after provincial consultations.

Consultations follow the submission of a report to government by a Solomons delegation which visited Indonesia last month.

A leading foreign affairs official from the Solomon Islands government says it's now seeing a balanced picture on Indonesia's Papua region.

Abeth You, Jayapura, Jubi – Papuan Voices will promote indigenous Papuans through Papua Film Festival II (FFP II) which is running in Jayapura City on 7-9 August 2018.

Papuan Voices established in 2011 and now has stations in six regions of Papua, namely Biak, Jayapura, Keerom, Wamena, Merauke, Sorong and Raja Ampat.

John Mcbeth, Jakarta – Protracted contract negotiations between the Indonesian government and US-owned mining giant Freeport McMoRan Copper & Gold over the fate of one of the world's most profitable mines just got a lot more difficult.

There should have been more transparency around a government-led delegation's visit to West Papua last month, a leader of Solomon Islands civil society says

The Solomon Star reports Development Service Exchange (DSE) spokesperson Jennifer Wate made the comment while rejecting any involvement in the trip.

A Solomon Islands civil society worker says a delegation from his country which visited Indonesia sought a balanced view on West Papua human rights issues.

Wilfred Luiramo was one of several civil society people selected by the government to visit Indonesia, including West Papua and Papua provinces, last week.

Bambang Muryanto – A Dutch freelance journalist, Rohan (a pen name), had been interested in the political turmoil in Papua for years. In 2015, his application for a journalistic visa was denied. The 32-year-old then decided to embark on an undercover reporting assignment in the country's easternmost province.

The SI delegation that traveled to West Papua arriving into Sentani Airport in Indonesia's Papua province on 24 April 2018.

Development Service Exchange (DSE) has rejected claims that it is "officially represented" in a government delegation that visited West Papua last week.

Once again West Papuan independence activists have been arrested and brutalized to prevent them meeting international delegates to Indonesia's Melanesian colony; this time a delegation from the Solomon Islands visiting Jayapura and Manokwari on 24-25 April 2018, the United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP) reports.

Nethy Dharma Somba and Evi Mariani, Jayapura/Jakarta – A car belonging to mining company PT Freeport Indonesia employee Moren Francis Ras was shot up by an unidentified shooter at his house in the Hidden Valley housing complex at Mile 66 in Tembagapura, Mimika, in Papua on Friday morning, the police report.

A programme called 'Bright Indonesia' has been launched by the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources to increase the electrification rate in the country's eastern provinces.

Antara News reported that through the programme, Indonesia aimed to boost its electrification rate to 97 per cent of the country's total population by 2019.

James Massola & Karuni Rompies, Jakarta – The Indonesian government has hit back at suggestions that tough new environmental regulations imposed on the giant Grasberg copper mine are politically motivated, or related to the partial-nationalisation of the mine.

Facebook has censored a West Papuan image by a Vanuatu-based photojournalist for the second time in less than four days – this time "within one minute" after the photograph was posted.

Johnny Blades – Nine West Papuans were arrested by Indonesian police in Jayapua today for a small protest over a visit by a Solomon Islands delegation.

The government-led delegation travelled to Papua's provincial capital at the invitation of Indonesia's government, but the way it slipped into Papua province largely under the radar has raised questions.

Andreas Harsono – A Christian group in Jayapura, the capital of Papua province, recently issued a stark 14-day ultimatum to municipal authorities: Dismantle the minaret of the city's Al-Aqsa mosque by the end of February or the group would "take their own action."

Jakarta – Vote distortions may occur in the upcoming simultaneous regional elections in Papua if the noken system is used, an official from the General Elections Commission (KPU) has said.

Aprila Wayar this month published her third novel, "Sentuh Papua", which covered human rights issues and the effects of Indonesian transmigration in Papua.

Transmigration refers to movement of landless people from densely populated areas of Indonesia to less populous parts of the country.

Abeth You, Paniai, Jubi – Students from Kampung Waa, Tembagapura Sub-district, who are currently studying in Australia request the Indonesian Military and Police officers to release the arrested villagers. They argued that those people are civilians and have no connection with the separatist movement.

Nethy Dharma Somba, Jayapura, Papua – Supporters of regent and deputy regent candidates in Central Mamberamo regency have allegedly protested violently over a Constitutional Court (MK) ruling that an independent pair is not eligible to participate in the upcoming regional elections.

A group of people set fire to the residence of the head of Pegunungan Bintang regency in a riot in Indonesia's Papua province yesterday.

The crowd involved in the riot in Oksibil town also blockaded the local airport in the remote regency abutting the border with Papua New Guinea.

Friski Riana, Jakarta – President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) told the people of Papua to maintain the peace and unity in the region, especially heading towards the regional head elections (Pilkada).

"Don't let any rifts spark between us all during the democratic process (Pilkada)," he said Wednesday, April 11.

Nethy Dharma Somba, Jayapura, Papua – Hundreds of female vendors at the Mama-mama Market in Jayapura, Papua, shouted hysterically when President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo and First Lady Iriana entered the market at 6:15 p.m. local time on Wednesday.

A West Papuan group says it wants the money it collected for a public donation to Papua New Guinea earthquake victims returned by Indonesian police.

West Papua Solidarity for Earthquake Disaster in Papua New Guinea said 16 of its group were arrested over two days last week in Jayapura.

Indonesian police have denied claims that they arrested a group of people in Papua province for a public action to collect funds for victims of Papua New Guinea's recent earthquake.

A Papuan group was taken in by Indonesian police on 7 April 2018 after holding a public collection for donations to a relief fund for earthquake victims in neighbouring Papua New Guinea.

Denpasar – The Papuan Student Alliance (AMP) has again spoken out against the PT Freeport Indonesia gold-and-copper mine in West Papua.

Yesterday afternoon they went to the US Consulate General on Jl. Hayam Wuruk in the Balinese provincial capital of Denpasar where AMP Bali spokesperson Gilo said that Freeport's presence has been a disaster for West Papua.

Helen Davidson – Indonesian authorities have released most of the large group of students and activists arrested on Wednesday at a West Papua university.

Gunfire exchanges between Indonesian military forces and West Papuan guerillas in Mimika regency have left three people dead since Sunday.

The death of a soldier with the Indonesian army, or TNI, prompted renewed fighting in the mountainous area around the Freeport mine in Papua province.

Jakarta – The recent clash between Indonesian Military (TNI) personnel and a local armed group at the Sinai Opitawak Church in Tembagapura, Papua, has forced hundreds of villagers into hiding in nearby forests. One person was killed while three parishioners were injured in the violence.

Nethy Dharma Somba, Jayapura, Papua – At least eight residents of Keerom and Lanny Jaya regencies in Papua died of consuming unlicensed alcohol (oplosan) in the past week.

A leading West Papuan pro-independence organisation suspects the arrests of dozens of its supporters by Indonesian police was a diversion tactic.

Yesterday, police raided the office of the West Papua National Committee, or KNPB, in Waena, a sub-district of Jayapura, the capital of Indonesian-ruled Papua province.

Jerome Wirawan – The case of the alleged abduction of 1,300 people in Mimika, West Papua last year is apparently not over yet. This week, as many as three people were shot dead by the TNI (Indonesian military) in an incident that the TNI claims was a shootout with an armed group.

The problem is that one of those killed is believed to be a civilian.

Jayapura – Five activists from the Independent Student Forum (FIM) who were involved in a solidarity action to collect to funds for victims of an earthquake in Papua New Guinea were reportedly arrested by police in Jayapura on Thursday April 5.

Niniek Karmini and Stephen Wright, Jakarta, Indonesia – A commander of rebels in Indonesia's easternmost Papua region said Tuesday that as many as 100 villagers have taken shelter with them in a mountainous jungle following an Indonesian military attack.

Nethy Dharma Somba and Evi Mariani, Jayapura/Jakarta – A clash between the Indonesian Military (TNI) in cooperation with the National Police and the Papua National Liberation Army (TPN-OPM), a Papuan independence group, resulted in at least one fatality in Tembagapura district, Mimika regency in Papua on Wednesday, near the copper mine operated by Freeport.

Prima Gumilang, Jakarta – As many as 44 members of the West Papua National Committee (KNPB) and several other organisations were arrested on Wednesday April 4 and are now being detained at the Jayapura municipal police headquarters (Mapolres).

They were arrested for allegedly planning to hold a West Papua independence declaration on Thursday March 5.

Helen Davidson – Dozens of students and activists have been detained by Indonesian security forces at a West Papua university. It comes amid fatal shootouts in the region and the release of a high-profile activist from prison.

A member of the pro-independence West Papua National Committee has been freed from prison having completed his jail term. Yanto Awerkion was given a ten-month sentence for treason by an Indonesian court.

Mr Awerkion was arrested in May 2017 in Timika because of his involvement with a petition calling for West Papuan independence from Indonesia.

Evi Mariani, Sita Dewi and Nethy Dharma Somba, Jakarta/Jayapura – The Papua National Liberation Army (TPN-OPM), which is linked to the Free Papua independence movement, said on Wednesday morning over 1,000 civilian lives were at risk amid Indonesian Military (TNI) and liberation group armed conflicts in Tembagapura district, Mimika regency, Papua, near copper mine Freeport.

Nethy Dharma Somba, Jayapura, Papua – Members of the Indonesian Military's (TNI) Cendrawasih Military Command XVII are hunting down an armed group of civilians in Tembagapura, Mimika regency, Papua, following an attack that claimed a soldier's life.

Many Papuans face severe racism and discrimination throughout the rest of Indonesia, especially Papuan students in other parts of the country who often have to face completely unfounded suspicions of radicalism – so much so that they can't even have a simple movie night without attracting the attention of the police.

Tony Firman – Calls for West Papuan self-determination were prominent during a demonstration in front of the offices of PT Freeport Indonesia in the Kuningan area of South Jakarta on Thursday March 29.

Nethy Dharma Somba, Jayapura, Papua – Thousands of voters in Papua have yet to have their identities registered under the electronic identification (e-ID), which could strip them of their voting rights in the upcoming elections.

Papua New Guinea's Foreign Minister has downplayed signs of tensions in the Melanesian Spearhead Group.

Leaders from MSG members states Solomon Islands and Fiji have been engaged in a war of words this month over Indonesia's involvement in the group.

Nur Hadi, Surabaya – Scores of police were deployed to secure a discussion and screening of the film "The First Grader" organised by the Papuan Student Alliance (AMP) in Surabaya.

The event was held at the Papuan Kamasan III Dormitory on Jl. Kalasan in the East Java provincial capital of Surabaya on the evening of Tuesday March 27.

Andreas Harsono – There are multiple accounts of how Rico Ayomi, a 17-year-old student, died in Sorong, in Indonesia's West Papua province, after 24 hours in police detention.

An environmental NGO has accused a major palm oil company in Indonesia's Papua province of failing to honour the spirit of a moratorium on new forest clearing.

Korindo, a South Korean-Indonesian joint venture, implemented a moratorium on forest clearing last year in its oil palm concessions, after international pressure applied to it over burning rainforests in Papua.

Jakarta (Antara) – Papua Police Chief Ins.Gen. Boy Rafli said there are still armed gangs of criminals seeking to create trouble for US mining company PT Freeport Indonesia.

Freeport, which has large copper and gold mine in Tembagapura, Papua, is still facing threat to security in mining operation, Boy said on Monday.

Indonesia's place in the Melanesian Spearhead Group has come under scrutiny from regional leaders and experts after allegations were made by Solomon Islands' deputy prime minister Manasseh Sogavare earlier this month that Fiji pressured other countries to accept Jakarta's bid to join the sub-regional group.

Benny Mawel, Jayapura – The height of a minaret at a Muslim mosque in Indonesia's predominantly Christian Papuaprovince has Protestants and Catholics hot under the collar as they claim it is being built to deliberately overshadow nearby churches.

Nethy Dharma Somba, Jayapura – Indigenous communities from Airu Hulu village in Jayapura regency, Papua, have accused Greenpeace of "interfering" with the management of customary forests in the region and scaring off investor.

Airu youth figure Soleman Waibara said the locals had been facing difficulties in developing their forestry and farming business potential.