Melki Pangaribuan, Jakarta – Through an unpretentious press conference at the offices of the Legal Aid Foundation (LBH) in Jakarta on Thursday November 29, the Indonesian People’s Front for West Papua (FRI-West Papua) declared its support for self-determination for the people of Papua, which they refer to as the West Papuan nation.

Ternate – Police claim that demands raised by the Pro-Democracy Social Movement (Gema Pro-Demkrat) during a rally in Ternate, North Maluku to commemorate Youth Pledge Day on October 28 were an act of treason.

Aditya Mardiastuti, Nusa Dua – Defense Minister Ryamizard Ryacudu has emphasised that the sovereignty of the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia (NKRI) cannot be challenged.

Ryacudu made the remark at a meeting with Australian government representatives during the 2+2 Meeting in Bali on Friday October 28.

Jakarta – Using the momentum of Youth Pledge Day on Friday October 28, the Student Struggle Center for National Liberation (Pembebasan) held commemorations to mark the historic day in Jakarta and other cities around the country.

Jakarta action

Surya Anta – Increasingly broad mobilisations by the Papuan people in recent years shows that there must be a new assessment of West Papuan as an entity. An entity that should be, must be, recognised as a nation.

Anggi Kusumadewi, Jakarta – Animal names and racist insults could be heard shouted at midday on Friday July 15. The shouts originated from members of social organisations besieging the Kamasan I Papua student dormitory on Jalan Kusumanegara in the Central Java city of Yogyakarta.

Shinta Maharani, Yogyakarta – Students and activists at the Papuan student dormitory in the Central Java city of Yogyakarta have been besieged by hundreds of security personnel from the Yogyakarta regional police and the Mobile Brigade (Brimob) paramilitary police.

Bastian Tebai, Yogyakarta – Every year July 1 is commemorated by Papuans as West Papua proclamation day. The proclamation was read out at the Victoria Headquarters in Waris Village, Jayapura, in 1971.

Arnold Belau¸ Jayapura – As many as 101 Mobile Brigade (Brimob, paramilitary police) personnel from the East Java regional police (Polda) were sent to West Papua on Monday May 16. The blue-beret troops were deployed with the primary duty of protecting the Freeport gold mine from all types of disturbances.

Jakarta, Indonesia – The government sponsored national symposium on 1965 was held in April although reverberations over the forum, which for the first time brought together victims and perpetrators of the bloody 1965 tragedy, are still being felt to this day.

Jakarta – The owners of books related to communism have been asked to hand them over the government. According to Defense Minister retired General Ryamizard Ryacudu, prohibitions on such material also covers documents circulating on the internet.

Jakarta – Retired Indonesian military (TNI) officers are planning to organise an anti-PKI (Indonesian Communist Party) symposium on July 2. The anti-PKI symposium is aimed at countering the government sponsored symposium on the 1965 tragedy in April.

Siswanto, Welly Hidayat – Islamic demonstrators have protested against the 3rd Asean Literary Festival (ALF) 2016 which is to be held today Thursday May 5 at the Ismail Marzuki Cultural Centre in Central Jakarta.

Arnold Belau, Jayapura – The Jakarta Legal Aid Foundation (LBH Jakarta) reports that 63 people have been arrested over the last nine days in West Papua. Most of those arrested are activists from the West Papua National Committee (KNPB) and the Regional People Parliament (PRD).

Arnold Belau, Jayapura – The West Papua National Committee (KNPB) reports that on April 12 district police arrested 15 KNPB activists and vandalised the KNPB secretariat in Kaimana district, West Papua.

Jakarta – Defense Minister Ryamizard Ryacudu believes that the emergence of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people in Indonesia is part of a “proxy war” to take over a country without needing to send military troops.

Yogyakarta – Coinciding with the anniversary of the Free Papua Movement (OPM), some 29 mass organisations (ormas) in the Central Java city of Yogyakarta declared the formation of the Jogya Anti-Separatist Front (Front Jogja Anti Separatis, FJAS) on the grounds of the Yogyakarta Regional House of Representatives (DPRD DIY).

Jakarta – On Tuesday December 1 police blocked protesters from the Papua Student Alliance (AMP) who had come from throughout Java and Bali to demonstrate at the Hotel Indonesia (HI) traffic circle in Central Jakarta.

Luqman Rimadi, Jakarta – Police have broken up a rally by the Papuan Student Alliance (AMP) who were protesting at the Hotel Indonesia traffic circle in Central Jakarta on December 1. As a result, a clash broke out between the protesters and police.

Jakarta – The Jakarta Legal Aid Foundation (LBH Jakarta) has condemned the forced disbursing and arrest of protesters from the Papuan Student Alliance (AMP) by Metro Jaya police in Jakarta on December 1.