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.

Paniai, Jubi – Hundreds of West Papua National Committee (KNPB) activists in Nabire, West Papua, have reportedly being arrested by the Nabire district police and are now being held by the Nabarua sectoral police.

Oktovianus Pogau, Jayapura – The most saddening Christmas gift for the Papuan people this December was the death of five civilians in Paniai regency, Papua, who were shot dead by a joint unit made up of the municipal police (Polresta) and the Indonesian military (TNI) on Monday December 8 at around 10am.

Arnold Belau, Jayapura – The West Papua National Committee (KNPB) is calling on all West Papuan people from Sorong to Samarai to boycott both the legislative and presidential elections that will be held on April 9 and July 9.

Donvito Samartha dan Desa Apridini, Jakarta – A group of West Papuan students tried to block a vehicle transporting state guests from the Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG) as it was exiting the Borobudur Hotel in Central Jakarta on January 15.

Arnold Belau, Jayapura – Papuan Central Highlands Indonesian Student Association (AMPTPI) General Secretary Markus Haluk, along with scores of other Papuan activists, were arrested by police in front of the Papuan Regional House of Representatives (DPRP) as they were holding a demonstration to welcome the Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG) delegat

Victor Mambor, Jayapura – A delegation of foreign ministers from Melanesia Spearhead Group (MSG) member states will reportedly be visiting Indonesia in the next few days. The visit should have taken place last year.

Andi Saputra, Jakarta – The Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras) says that human rights violations in Papua are still high. These violations represent a threat to civil freedoms and discriminate against the Papuan people’s identity.

Jakarta – Acts of violence and human rights violations in Papua have continued throughout 2009. This situation has further complicated efforts to resolve various problems in Papua through dialogue, as desired by the majority of Papuan people.

Solo, Kompas – The disagreement between the progressive-revolutionary forces that exist in Indonesia must be ended immediately. If not, these forces will be unable to weave together the cooperation needed to generate the energy to withstand the entry of neoliberalism into Indonesia that is becoming increasingly pervasive and visible.

Jayapura – A number of political parties in Papua have established a tariff for anyone wishing to nominate themselves as a regent, deputy-regent, mayor or deputy-mayor. The provision is an internal party matter so the amount of the tariff will vary, as there are no precise regulations on the illegal collection of money by political parties.

Suwarjono, Jakarta – Opposition to presidential and vice-presidential candidates from the military are surfacing again. A coalition of West Papuan non-government organisations (NGOs) say that presidential candidates with a military background will make it difficult to uphold values of human rights in Indonesia.

M. Ilham, Jakarta – According to the government the elections in West Papua were a success, however for the people of Papua this cannot be said to be true, moreover as many as 70,000 Papuan people were not registered to vote. Identification cards are not longer used at polling stations [voters must have a separate voter registration card].

Jayapura – Two years after the implementation of the Law on Special Autonomy in West Papua, the level of human rights violations remains high. There has been no commitment from any parties to apply the Law on Special Autonomy consistently. Rather, this law is seen as disrupting the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia (NKRI).