Julian Howay, New York – Papuan and South Maluku Republic (RMS) activists have again held a joint peaceful action. This time the action was held outside the Indonesian Consulate General in New York on Monday April 12.

Reiner Brabar, Sorong – Scores of activists from the Papua People's Solidarity Against Racism (SPMR) held a free speech forum in front of the Elin traffic light intersection in Sorong city, West Papua province.

Achmad Nasrudin Yahya, Jakarta – Indonesian military (TNI) Commander Marshal Hadi Tjahjanto has revealed that Papuan separatists are using social media (medsos) as a propaganda tool.

Jakarta – The non-government organisation (NGO) Green Papua claims that 654,561 Papuans have signed a petition opposing the extension of Special Autonomy (Otsus) for Papua.

The Indonesian People's Front for West Papua (FRI-WP) and the Papuan Student Alliance (AMP) again launched actions in several parts of the country on December 19. This time the actions took up the theme, "Trikora: The Start of Indonesia's Colonisation of the West Papua Nation".

Jakarta

Jakarta – The fissure in relations between the West Papua National Liberation Army-Free Papua Organisation (TPNPB-OPM) and the United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP) began to sharpen in 2017.

Jakarta – The Presidential Staff Office says it regrets the raising of the Morning Star flag – which is identified with Papuan independence – at the Indonesian Consulate General (KJRI) in Melbourne, Australia, on Tuesday December 1.

Jakarta – On December 1, United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP) Chairperson Benny Wenda declared Papuan independence. He did not make the declaration on Papuan soil but rather through a press release on the ULMWP's official website.

Protest actions took place in several cities around Indonesia on December 1 including in Jakarta, Yogyakarta (Central Java), Ternate (North Maluku) and Sinjai (South Sulawesi). The actions were launched to commemorate West Papua Independence Day.

Surabaya – Protesters from the Papua Student Alliance (AMP) held a demonstration commemorating the declaration of West Papuan independence at the Negara Grahadi building in the East Java provincial capital of Surabaya on Tuesday December 1.

Jakarta – Scores of Papuans held a protest action in front of the Arjuna Wiwaha (Horse) statue on Jalan Medan Merdeka Barat in Central Jakarta on Tuesday December 1. The action coincided with the day which is often linked to the commemoration of Papuan independence, December 1.

Adi Briantika – Police have arrested 15 demonstrators from the Indonesian People's Front for West Papua (FRI-WP) during a protest action at the Bamboo Monument in Sinjai, South Sulawesi.

Jakarta – Hundreds of Papuan students from the East Java cities of Malang and Surabaya held an action on Tuesday August 18 commemorating the racist incident that befell them one year ago.

Chandra Iswinarno and Adie Prasetyo Nugraha – The Indonesian People’s Front for West Papua (FRI-WP) and the Papuan Student Alliance (AMP) held actions at two locations in Jakarta on Saturday August 15 to commemorate 58 years since the 1962 New York agreement.

Denpasar – The Bali chapter of the Papuan Student Alliance (AMP) held a protest action at the Renon traffic circle in the provincial capital of Denpasar on Saturday August 15 to commemorate 58 years since the 1962 New York agreement.

Jakarta – Human Rights activist and lawyer, Veronica Koman, says that the Indonesian government has asked her to return scholarship money amounting to 773 million rupiah (US$52,760) which she received to pursue her master’s degree in Australia in 2016.

On Monday July 27 in the Central Java city of Yogyakarta, SOLIDER (People’s Solidarity for Democracy) held a commemoration of the Kudatuli affair (the July 1996 riots), which was a manifestation of the conflict between the ordinary people and the New Order regime of former president Suharto.

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).

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.