West Papua 2020

September 2020

News
CNN Indonesia – September 16, 2020

Jakarta – The symbolic hand over of money to the Finance Ministry’s Endowment Fund for Education (LPDP) to replay scholarship funds received by human rights activist Veronica Koman by the Papuan People’s Solidarity Team was not able to go ahead because the LPDP office was closed on Wednesday September 16.

News
CNN Indonesia – September 15, 2020

Jakarta – The Papuan People’s Solidarity Team will return the scholarship funds received by human rights activists Veronica Koman to the Ministry of Finance’s Endowment Fund for Education (LPDP) tomorrow.

News
Antara News – September 7, 2020

Toyiban, Manokwari – Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto has approved a program to recruit 1,000 Special Autonomy non-commissioned officers  (Bintara Otsus) which was proposed by the West Papua/Kasuari/XVIII Regional Military Command (Kodam).

August 2020

News
CNN Indonesia – August 26, 2020

Jakarta – Papuan Traditional Council (DAP) Second Secretary John Gobay is asking President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo to quickly issue a government regulation on the mechanisms for establishing local political parties in the Land of the Cenderawasih as Papua is known.

News
Suara Papua – August 20, 2020

Charles Maniani, Jayapura – On Wednesday August 19, officers from the Abepura sectoral police (Polsek) forcibly broke up a Papuan People’s Solidarity action collecting funds to provide financial assistance to exiled Papua activist and human rights lawyer Veronica Koman.

News
CNN Indonesia – August 18, 2020

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.

News
Suara.com – August 15, 2020

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.

News
Radar Bali – August 15, 2020

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.

News
CNN Indonesia – August 14, 2020

Jakarta – Activist Veronica Koman says that she is ready to be discarded by the Indonesian government if her activities as a Papua human rights defender are deemed not to support the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia (NKRI).

News
CNN Indonesia – August 14, 2020

Jakarta – Papuan human rights activist Veronica Koman is questioning the attitude of the Endowment Fund for Education (LPDP) which she says ignored her written report to them about the death and rape threats against her.

News
CNN Indonesia – August 12, 2020

Jakarta – The human rights based community Papua Is Us (Papua Itu Kita) has launched a fund raising campaign to assist human rights activists and lawyer Veronica Kaman who says that the Indonesian government has asked her to return scholarship money she was given amounting to 773 million rupiah (US$52,760).

News
CNN Indonesia – August 12, 2020

Jakarta – Papuan activist and former political prisoner Filep Karma says there are differences in how demonstrations proceed in Papua and Jakarta. He says that in Papua, demonstrations are not as free and easy as in Jakarta.

News
CNN Indonesia – August 11, 2020

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.

July 2020

News
CNN Indonesia – July 20, 2020

Jakarta – Arbi M. Nur, a student from the Khairun University (Unkhair) in Ternate, North Maluku, who was expelled by the university after taking part in a free Papua protest action, has now been charged with treason.

News
Arah Juang – July 15, 2020

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).

News
CNN Indonesia – July 14, 2020

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.

News
Radar Bali – July 7, 2020

Denpasar – The Bali City Papuan Student Alliance (AMP) visited at the Bali Legal Aid Foundation (LBH) offices in the Balinese provincial capital of Denpasar on Tuesday afternoon, July 7.

News
Radar Bali – July 6, 2020

Denpasar – The Papuan Student Alliance (AMP) held another demonstration on Monday July 7 at around 10 am. Like earlier actions, the rally was held in the Renon area of the Balinese provincial capital of Denpasar.

Statements
Suara Papua – July 5, 2020

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.

June 2020

News
Kompas.com – June 29, 2020

Tsarina Maharani, Jakarta – House of Representatives (DPR) Commission III member Taufik Basari from the National Democratic Party (Nasdem) has criticised the sentences demanded by the Balikpapan state prosecutor in a recent case of alleged makar (treason, subversion, rebellion) over the Morning Star flag being flown by Papuans.