On Tuesday July 15 a protest action against Papuan Special Autonomy (Otsus) Chapter II was held at the zero kilometre point in the Central Java city of Yogyakarta. The joint action was initiated by the Papuan Student Alliance (AMP) and the Indonesian People’s Front for West Papua (FRI-WP).

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.

Jakarta – Indonesian Human Rights Watch group Imparsial is asking the government to review the planned involvement of active TNI (Indonesian military) and Polri (Indonesian police) officers in the Agency for Pancasila Ideology Education (BPIP).

Ali Umar – President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo must change the government’s approach in resolving the Papua problem. At the start of his first term in office, Widodo managed to offer a new hope in efforts to find a dignified solution in Papua. He granted amnesty to Papuan political prisoners and guaranteed the upholding of human rights there.

Jakarta – The Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation (YLBHI) is urging the government to halt the involvement of the TNI (Indonesian military) in disciplining people for violating Covid-19 health protocols at crowded locations. The presence of TNI members shows that the government intends to handle the Covid-19 pandemic with a security approach.

Jakarta – The panel of judges in the Central Jakarta District Court have handed down jail sentences against Surya Anta and five other Papuan activists charged with treason. The Five other defendants are Charles Kossay, Ambrosius Mulait, Isay Wenda, Anes Tabuni and Arina Elopere.

Tsarina Maharani, Jakarta – The Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras) is calling on the government to establish an independent team to investigate the fatal shooting of two people in Mimika, Papua, on April 13.

Jakarta – The public prosecutor has demanded that six Papuan activists each be sentenced to one year and five months in jail. The prosecutor said that the six defendants had been proven to have violated Article 106 of the Criminal Code (KUHP) in conjunction with Article 55 Paragraph 1 of KUHP 1 on treason.

Jakarta, CNN Indonesia – Indonesian Human Rights Watch Imparsial is warning the government that military training for civilians in the Reserve Component (Komcad) will create new problems, one of which is horizontal conflicts between communities.

Jakarta – Coordinating Minister for Security, Politics and Legal Affairs Mahfud MD has scolded non-government organisations (NGOs) who frequently cite the TNI (Indonesian military) and Polri (Indonesian police) for creating problems and committing human rights (HAM) violations in conflict prone areas.

Bagus F, Bandung – Coinciding with International Women’s Day (IWD) 2020, protesters from the Wanoja Ngalawan Assembly (KAWAN) held a protest action at the Gedung Sate building (the governor’s office) in the West Java provincial capital of Bandung on Sunday March 8.

Kristian Erdianto, Jakarta – During a working meeting with the House of Representatives (DPR) Commission I, Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto explained the concept of defense and security which he will pursue over the next five years.

Jakarta – A representative of the Islamic-based Justice and Prosperity Party (PKS), Jazuli Juwaini, has asked Defense Minister (Menhan) Prabowo Subianto to pay more attention to missionaries or religious leaders in Papua.

The betrayal of the mandate of reformasi – the political reform movement that began in 1998 – has angered Indonesia’s youth, students and the ordinary people.

Jakarta – Trisakti University Student President Dino Ardiansyah is urging President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo to issue a government regulation in lieu of law (Perppu) to annul the recently revised Corruption Eradication Commission Law (UU KPK).

Jakarta – Inter-faith religious leaders have called on the government to be careful in dealing with the problems in Papua.

On Friday the 21st of June 2019, the Ministry of Education and Culture resolved to work collaboratively with the Indonesian National Armed Forces in disseminating material to new students during school orientation week.

Jakarta – The Morning Star flag was flown by more than 100 Papuan protesters from the Student Alliance Against Racism, Capitalism, Colonialism and Militarism during a rally in front of the Presidential Palace in Central Jakarta on Thursday August 22.

Guruh Permadi, Jakarta – The coordinator of the Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras), Yati Andriyani, believes that the statement by President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo on the riots in Papua was totally inadequate.

Muhammad Irfan, Jakarta – Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras) Coordinator Yati Andriani is calling on President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo to learn from Indonesia’s fourth president Abdurrahman “Gus Dur” Wahid in how to deal with the problems in Papua, including the flying of the symbolic Morning Star flag.