Hery Winarno, Jakarta – The House of Representatives (DPR) says it supports the firm actions taken by police in dealing with the Papuan People’s Congress, which they consider to be subversive and threaten the integrity of the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia (NKRI).

PT Freeport Indonesia, a subsidiary of Freeport McMoran Cooper and Gold – of which 90.64 percent of the shares are owned by Freeport CEO James R. Moffet – is the largest mining company in the world. Freeport contributes 95 percent of the entire production of gold by Freeport McMoran and a significant percentage of its copper production.

Yogyakarta – Scores of demonstrators from the People’s Mining Militia held a free-speech forum in front of the Gedung Agung Presidential Palace in the Central Java city of Yogyakarta on Thursday October 13.

Jakarta – The People’s Liberation Party (PPR) reports that a person was shot dead by security forces during a clash with thousands of PT Freeport Indonesia employees at the Gorong-Gorong bus terminal in Timika, West Papua, on the morning of Monday October 10.

We fully support the strike by PT Freeport Indonesia workers for better wages and conditions. The government must guarantee legal protection to the workers and protect them against intimidation and threats while they are on strike and conducting negotiations with the company in accordance with Law Number 13/2003 on Labour.

Jakarta – Jayapura district police have been accused of torturing 15 witnesses who were initially suspected of being members of the Free Papua Movement (OPM) in a violence related case in Abepura.

Jakarta – The government is being urged to prioritize dialogue over a militaristic approach in resolving the Papua problem. It is precisely this militaristic approach that is provoking continued violence. Because of this therefore, violations of civilian human rights must stop.

[The following essay by Surya Anta was written in response to a series of questions, I emailed him yesterday, August 4, 2011 - Max Lane]

‘I am here to give solidarity, not as a provocateur’

Surya Anta, a leading member of People’s Liberation Party (formerly KPRM-PRD), was arrested by the Metro Jaya regional police in Jakarta at 12noon on August 1.

Manokwari – Residents of Manokwari, West Papua, held a protest on Tuesday August 2 by marching through the city’s major streets.

Manokwari – Thousands of Papuan civilians in Manokwari, West Papua, took to the streets on Tuesday August 2 to demand a referendum. The participants at the action are convinced that a referendum is the middle road to resolve the political status of West Papua.

Jakarta – The People’s Liberation Party (Partai Pembebesan Rakyat, PPR) has slammed the arrest of comrade Suryanta Ginting (a PPR member) by the Metro Jaya Regional Police when he was giving a solidarity speech during an action by the West Papua National Committee (KNPB) in front of the State P

Jakarta – The government is still dealing with problems by military means (securitisation, use of extraordinary means in the name of security) in attempting to overcome problems in Papua. But instead of resolving the Papua problem, securitisation is instead the trigger for even more widespread human rights violations.

Jakarta – The institutionalisation of discrimination based on gender, ethnicity, religion and beliefs is causing women, particularly those from minority groups, to progressively lose their sense of security. The terror that they face includes threats to life.

Jakarta – The government should be more serious about controlling the rising rate of inflation. If the situation continues, people’s purchasing power, especially fixed-income labor groups, will continue to decline and impact on national consumption levels.

Yogyakarta – The special autonomy that has been in effect in Papua since 2001 is not working in accordance the hopes of the indigenous people there. There are still many infringements and even human rights violations.

Yogyakarta – A group of Papuans in the Central Java city of Yogyakarta from the Anti-Colonial Movement (Ganja) held a protest action in the Jl. Malioboro area on Thursday January 27. During the action, they called to the Home Affairs Minister to fulfill the 11 recommendations made by the Papuan People’s Council (MRP).

Jerry Omona, Jayapura – Thousands of Papuan occupied the Papua People’s Council (MRP) offices in the provincial capital of Jayapura on Wednesday January 26 demanding that the government cancel the election of council members scheduled to take place on January 31.

Jakarta – The US Central Intelligence Agency very much dominated the initial consolidation of the New Order regime of former President Suharto. US international relations historian from Princeton University, Bradley R Simpson, says that the succession of laws enacted by President Suharto was drafted with strong influence from the US.

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.