Jayapura – On Tuesday March 3 the Balikpapan District Court rejected a demurer presented by seven Papuan political prisoners (tapol) who are defendants in a treason case currently being tried in Balikpapan, East Kalimantan.

Jakarta – Coordinating Minister for Security, Politics and Legal Affairs Mahfud MD says that Indonesia is entitled to take any and all measures to hold on to Papua.

He said this in relation to demands for a referendum on self-determination for Papua in the name of international law.

Oleh Farid M. Ibrahim – Welcoming December 1, 2019 yesterday, activists from the Free Papua Organisation (OPM) and its supporters in a number of different countries held actions in which they brought and flew the Morning Star independence flag. Several activities were coordinated on social media through the hashtag #GlobalFlagRaising.

Rahmat Rahman Patty, Ambon – A protest action by scores of Papuan students calling themselves the Struggle Committee for Democracy and Human Rights in front of the World Peace Gong in Ambon City, Maluku, was broken up by police on Sunday December 1.

Jakarta – President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo says that he doesn’t have any problems will a proposal that he meet with pro-referendum Papuan figures, including those in the United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP) and the West Papua National Committee (KNPB).

Wilpret Siagian, Jayapura – West Papua National Committee (KNPB) Chairperson Agus Kossay was arrested by a joint team from the Papua regional police on Tuesday September 17. Kossay has been declared a suspect for allegedly being the mastermind behind the riots in Jayapura on August 29.

Jakarta – Police have arrested the chairperson of the Mimika West Papua National Committee (KNPB), Steven Italy, for allegedly playing a role in the riots and protest actions which took place in Jayapura, Papua. Police has already declared him a suspect.

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.

Audrey Santoso, Jakarta – Police have arrested the deputy chairperson of the United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP), Buchtar Tabuni. Tabuni was arrested on Monday for alleged makar (treason, subversion, rebellion).

Jakarta – House of Representatives (DPR) Commission I Deputy Chairperson Satya Yudha believes that efforts by United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP) Chairperson Benny Wenda to provoke the Papuan people resemble the scenario by Jose Ramos Horta when he invited the people of East Timor – now called Timor Leste – to separate from the Uni

Valda Kustarini and Adi Ahdiat, Jakarta – The Papua representative office of the National Human Rights Commission (Komnas HAM) is urging the government to deal with the Papua conflict through dialogue with the “appropriate” parties.

Jakarta – Indonesian police chief (Kapolri) General Tito Karnavian claims that Papuan independence leader Benny Wenda, the United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP) and the pro-independence West Papua National Committee (KNPB) were behind the anarchic demonstrations in and outside of Papua and West Papua.

Jakarta – West Papua National Committee (KNPB) spokesperson Victor Yeimo says that they are calling for a national strike throughout the territory claimed to be West Papua to demand a referendum or an act of self-determination through a popular vote.

The Oxford City Council in Britain has awarded United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP) chairperson Benny Wenda the Honorary Freedom of the City accolade for his fight for West Papuan self-determination. The Indonesian government has slammed the award.

Jakarta – Indonesian Institute of Science (LIPI) researcher Aisah Putri Badriati is surprised that neither presidential candidate raised the issue of West Papua in first presidential debate on January 17.

Benny Mawel, Jayapura – Students from several tertiary institutions in the Papuan provincial capital of Jayapura have been holding actions to support efforts by Vanuatu and other Pacific countries to take the Papuan issue before the 72rd Session of the United Nations (UN) General Assembly in late September.

Benny Mawel, Jayapura – Police have arrested scores of protesters at a demonstration organised by the United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP) as they were gathering at Sentani Post 7 in Jayapura.

Ihsan Dalimunthe, Jakarta – Actions commemorating 49 years since the Papuan “Act of Free Choice (Pepera) in 1969 will be held at several different locations, one of which was in front of the State Palace in Central Jakarta on Thursday August 2.

Kustin Ayuwuragil & Ramadhan Rizki, Jakarta – Commemorating 49 years since the ‘Act of Free Choice’ (Pepera), the Papuan Student Alliance (AMP) and the Indonesian People’s Front for West Papua (FRI-WP) held protest actions in 13 cities across Indonesia including Jakarta, Bandung and Ambon.

aJayapura – Five civilians in Timika have allegedly been arrested by the newly reactivated military counter-terrorism unit for aspiring to West Papuan independence.