Charles Maniani, Jayapura – On Wednesday August 19, officers from the Abepura sectoral police (Polsek) forcibly broke up a Papuan People’s Solidarity action collecting funds to provide financial assistance to exiled Papua activist and human rights lawyer Veronica Koman.

Jakarta – The human rights based community Papua Is Us (Papua Itu Kita) has launched a fund raising campaign to assist human rights activists and lawyer Veronica Kaman who says that the Indonesian government has asked her to return scholarship money she was given amounting to 773 million rupiah (US$52,760).

The following is a translation of a press release by 17 West Papuan organisations that have launched a Papuan People’s Petition (Petisi Rakyat Papua) to oppose the government’s discussion on renewing Papua’s Special Autonomy Law (Otsus) which expires next year.

Sorong – Four defendants charged with treason in Sorong City, West Papua province, were finally declared guilty and sentenced to eight months and 15 days jail at the Sorong District Court on Thursday May 28.

Jayapura – The public prosecutor failed to present any witnesses during the fourth court hearing at the Sorong District Court on March 12 in a case related to anti-racist protest in Papua.

Jayapura – On Tuesday March 3 the Balikpapan District Court rejected a demurer presented by seven Papuan political prisoners (tapol) who are defendants in a treason case currently being tried in Balikpapan, East Kalimantan.

Hengky Yeimo, Jayapura – Scores of Papuan Student Alliance (AMP) members in the Central Java city of Yogyakarta held a spontaneous action in front of the Yogyakarta regional police headquarters on Friday August 16.

David Sobolim, Jayapura – Papuan students from the Indonesian People’s Front for West Papua (FRI-WP) and the Semarang and Salatiga Papuan Student Alliance (AMP) Committees held a joint protest action in the Central Java city of Salatiga in Thursday August 15.

Jakarta – According to the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) there were as many as 1,586 disasters in Indonesia between January and April 2019, an increase of 7.2 percent compared with 2018.

Hans Kapisa, Manokwari – The Manokwari Papuan Women’s Forum (FPP) held a silent action on March 8 to commemorate International Women’s Day (IWD).

During the action, the protesters handed out flowers and leaflets as a sign of the grief over the injustices against Papuan women who often fall victim to violence.

Edho Sinaga, Jayapura – A child and nine West Papua National Committee (KNPB) activists in Merauke were arrested by the Merauke district police on Saturday February 23.

Five-year-old Martina Yawon was arrested as he was walking with nine KNPB members who were wearing the Morning Star (BK) flag logo on their shirts.

Jayapura, Jubi – Two West Papua National Committee (KNPB) activists have been arrested by police in Bitung City, North Sulawesi, for carrying shirts with the Morning Star logo.

Mela Arnani – Every year February 9 is commemorated as National Press Day which, it is hoped, will be an impetus to improve press freedom in Indonesia.

Arjuna Pademme – Over the last few years the online media in Papua has grown rapidly. In concert with this, online “ghost” media sites have also emerged which appear to present journalistic reports but it is unclear who is responsible, who the journalists are or what there address is.

Benny Mawel, Jayapura – Students from several tertiary institutions in the Papuan provincial capital of Jayapura have been holding actions to support efforts by Vanuatu and other Pacific countries to take the Papuan issue before the 72rd Session of the United Nations (UN) General Assembly in late September.

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.

aJayapura – Five civilians in Timika have allegedly been arrested by the newly reactivated military counter-terrorism unit for aspiring to West Papuan independence.

David Sobolim, Jayapura – Scores of students from Solidarity Against Forgetting the Student Shootings Case in Paniai Regency have held a march from the Waena hosing estate to the Imbi Park in Jayapura, West Papua.

David Sobolim, Jayapura – At least 100 people from the Papuan Student Alliance (AMP) and the Indonesian People’s Front for West Papua (FRI-WP) were arrested in Yogyakarta, Semarang and Jakarta during commemorations to mark the 55th anniversary of the New York Agreement.

Jayapura – Papuan students from the Papuan Student Alliance (AMP) and the solidarity group the Indonesian People’s Front for West Papua (FRI-WP) have held protests against the 1969 UN sponsored referendum on West Papua’s integration with Indonesia (Pepera), which took place on July 14-August 2, 1969.