Supriatin – Coordinating Minister for Security, Politics and Legal Affairs Mahfud MD has refuted news that the United Nations Human Rights Council recently highlighted human rights violations in Indonesia, including the current situation in Papua.

Fajar Pebrianto, Jakarta – Amnesty International Indonesia has responded to a protest action held by the Jakarta Red-and-White Militia (Laskar Merah Putih, LMP) in front of its offices. The protest was held in relation to recent problems which are occurring in Papua.

Jakarta – The United Nations (UN) Human Rights Council has written to the Indonesian government asking for data and clarification related to alleged forced disappearances, the use of excessive force, torture and forced relocation in Papua and West Papua provinces for the period 2021.

Jakarta – The Papua Council of Churches says that the Indonesian government is still choosing the path of violence in dealing with the armed conflict in Papua.

Jayapura – The International Coalition for Papua (ICP) has released its latest report on human rights violations in Papua between July and September 2021.

Jakarta – The Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras) says that seven international non-government organisations (NGOs) have highlighted the recent criminalisation by government officials of four human rights activists in Indonesia.

Rahel Narda Chaterine, Jakarta – Amnesty International Indonesia says it is disappointed over the Indonesian government's position of opposing discussions on the Responsibility to Protect (R2P) resolution during a vote at the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday May 18.

Aria Cindyara, Jakarta – The youth activists movement network the Milk Tea Alliance in Indonesia is pushing the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the United Nations (UN) to take firm measures in relation to the situation which is developing in Myanmar following the February 1 military coup.

Jakarta – Papuan students from the Action Committee Against Special Autonomy demonstrated in front of the Home Affairs Ministry offices in Jakarta on Tuesday July 14 against Special Autonomy (Otsus). The students said that the policy is not needed by the people of the land of the Bird of Paradise as Papua is known.

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.

Dwi Bowo Raharjo and Ria Rizki Nirmala Sari – President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo is holding bilateral talks during his visit to Australia on February 8-10.

Dany Garjito and Rifan Aditya – Human Rights lawyer and activist Veronica Koman says that data on Papuan political prisoners (tapol) and the names of those who died as a result of military operations in Nduga was handed over to President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo during his visit to Canberra, Australia.

Eva Safitri, Jakarta – Coordinating Minister for Security, Politics and Legal Affairs Mahfud Md says that Veronica Koman has gone back on her promise to the Indonesian government. He says that Koman should return Indonesia to accept her scholarship obligations.

Surabaya – A protest action by the United People’s Struggle Alliance (APPR) to commemorate Youth Pledge Day at the East Timor governor’s office in the provincial capital of Surabaya was joined by various labour and student organisations as well as protesters from the Surabaya Papua Student Alliance (AMP).

Reza Gunadha, Eleonora Padmasta Ekaristi Wijana – Lawyer and human rights activist Veronica Koman has been awarded the Sir Ronald Wilson Human Rights Award by the Australian Council for International Development (ACFID).

The ACFID presented the award to Koman at its annual conference in Sydney on the evening of Wednesday October 23.

Ahmad Jilul Qurani Farid, Jakarta – The House of Representatives (DPR) Commission I has asked Foreign Affairs Minister (Menlu) Retno Marsudi to prevent the internationalisation of the Papua issue so it is not used as propaganda by the United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP) led by Benny Wenda.

Jakarta – The National Human Rights Commission (Komnas HAM) believes that the police have failed to look at the context when they declared Veronica Koman and Surya Anta suspects. Komnas HAM Deputy Chairperson Sandrayati Moniaga said that both are included in the ranks of human rights defenders.

Hanna Azarya Samosir, Jakarta – The Indonesian government says that the statement by the United Nations’ High Commissioner for Human Rights, Zeid Raad Al Hussein, on the government’s invitation to visit Papua is illogical and excessive.

Hanna Azarya Samosir, Jakarta – The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Zeid Raad Al Hussein, has questioned the invitation from the Indonesian government to visit West Papua which has still not been realised.

Diah Harni Saputri, Maria Rita, Jakarta – Human rights activists, academics and journalists have initiated the formation of a people’s tribunal into the 1965 mass killings. The tribunal is planned to be held in the Den Haag, Netherlands, in November 11-13.