NGOs in Vanuatu says the Melanesian Spearhead Group decision not to admit West Papua as a full member, but upgrade Indonesia's membership, is a…

Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama has commended the Indonesian President Joko Widodo and his government for the steps they are taking to improve…

Godwin Ligo – The Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG) has accepted the United Liberal Movement for West Papua (ULMWP) as Observer in the regional…

Honiara, Jubi – Indonesian delegation reacted strongly to a speech by the General Secretary of the United Liberation Movement of West Papua (ULMWP…

Mark Colvin: For the first time a coalition of West Papuan nationalist groups has been given formal diplomatic recognition.

The United…

The United Liberation Movement for West Papua has expressed gratitude for progress made but still intends pursuing full membership of the…

After new Indonesian president Joko Widodo appointed his self-consciously titled 'working cabinet' late last year, activist Andreas Harsono from…

Observer status has today been granted to West Papua by the Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG) sub-regional bloc.

After over 53 years of…

Michael Bachelard's – On a sunlit afternoon in the tiny village of Lolat, I ask a local school teacher, Natani Kobak, what subject he teaches. '…

Michael Bachelard – Few work harder to advocate for the Papuan people than Victor Mambor. The son of John Mambor, who was a powerful independence…

The Melanesian Spearhead Group has knocked back West Papua's bid to become a full member of the group, while elevating Indonesia's status.

…

Sydney, Australia – Indonesia has been admitted to a Melanesian intergovernment group, Papua New Guinea Prime Minister Peter O'Neill announced…

Jakarta – Indonesia has been bumped up to an associate member of the Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG), while a pro-independence coalition from…

Nic Maclellan, Honiara – In a vibrant cultural display, Solomon Islands dancers, pan pipers and customary presentations welcomed Melanesian…

Margareth S. Aritonang, Jakarta – Lawmakers want a guaranteed surrender by members the Free Papua Organization (OPM) as a precondition for giving…

The United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP) today at the invitation of the Chair of the MSG Foreign Ministers meeting, Hon. Milner…

Seven Papuan political activists have been detained as a result of their peaceful political activities. They have been charged with 'incitement'…

Michael Bachelard – 'In June last year, seven doctors were sent to this town, but five didn't want to come. In September they tried to send…

14 members of a student group have been arrested by police in the Papuan town of Abepura, as they raised funds for a probe into the shooting…

Jakarta – Indonesian Military Chief General Moeldoko said his institution was considering implementing a policy of having security personnel…

Margareth S. Aritonang, Jakarta – The House of Representatives has rejected a government proposal to pardon political prisoners in Papua, citing…

The Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG) leaders must realise by now that the umbrella organisation, The United Liberation Movement for West Papua (…

Dylan Amirio, Jakarta – Foreign Minister Retno LP Marsudi revealed that her ministry had approved eight applications for foreign journalistic…

The West Papuan independence leader, Benny Wenda, says he has still not heard why he was blocked from travelling to the United States a month ago…

One sunny November school day at a school in Tagime, hundreds of primary and secondary students are outside having a whale of a time. They're…

Dylan Amirio, Jakarta – Foreign Minister Retno LP Marsudi said the Jokowi government never restricted foreign visitors or journalists from…

Nic Maclellan, Honiara – Indonesian officials are lobbying for an upgrade to associate membership of the Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG), while a…

Jonas Cullwick – The United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP)'s Ambassador to the Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG) Secretariat, Amatus…

Gaad Piranid Tabuni grew up in a village in the Papuan highlands of Indonesia too remote for any government – colonial Dutch or Indonesian – to…

A Solomon Islands MP has questioned the government's announcement about exploring greater representation of Indonesia in the Melanesian Spearhead…

About 200 people gathered at a rally in the Solomon Islands capital, Honiara, this afternoon calling on the government to support full membership…

Contact: Patrick Griffith
pgriffith@freedom-now.org
+1 (202) 423-7925

Washington, D.C.: Today, six members of the US House of…

Jayapura, Jubi – Exports from Papua nearly doubled in May, compared to the previous month, the head of the Central Statistics Agency (BPS) of…

The Solomon Islands Government says it will not back the United Liberation Movement for West Papua as a full member of the Melanesian Spearhead…

A Dutch journalist who has been travelling in Indonesia's Papua region says the depth of local support for a West Papuan application to join the…

Robert Isidorus, Jayapura – A military court in Papua on Wednesday discharged two soldiers and ordered them imprisoned after they were found to…

Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama says Fiji will stand with Indonesia on the West Papua issue. "My stance on West Papua has never changed," he…

Samoa says it will be looking into supporting a West Papua request for membership in the Pacific Islands Forum.

The Samoa Observer reports…

Michael Bachelard – Thanks to a brutal history, an Indonesian Government that restricts journalistic access, and a group of committed activists in…

Roberth Isidorus, Jayapura – An evangelical church in Yambi, in Papua's Puncak Jaya district, was burned down by group of unknown attackers on…

Nethy Dharma Somba, Jayapura – Around 100 volunteers and social workers have been deployed to distribute free condoms in 180 known areas for sex…

There are further signs from Indonesia's government that it is willing to open up access to the Papua region.

The Minister for Women's…

The 3rd Congress of the Asia Pacific Greens Federation has adopted a resolution on the West Papuan self-determination struggle.

The congress…

Indonesia says it's quietly hopeful the change of government in Vanuatu will signal the defeat of West Papua's bid to join the Melanesian…

Nethy Dharma Somba, Jayapura – The military in Papua arrested a drunk soldier for injuring a civilian in Central Memberamo Thursday. The victim is…

Indonesia is quietly hopeful a change of government in Vanuatu will contribute to the defeat of province West Papua's bid to join a special club…

Erwida Maulia & Rangga Prakoso, Jakarta – As the government continues its negotiations with Freeport Indonesia, the local unit of US mining…

Index: ASA 21/1851/2015

Amnesty International calls on the Indonesian authorities to end arbitrary arrests of Papuan political…

Raras Cahyafitri, Jakarta – Copper-mining giant PT Freeport Indonesia has, in principle, agreed to change the company's contract of work (CoW)…

In defiance of a 1963 law forbidding foreign journalists entry to West Papua, Dutch journalist Rohan Radheya has over the past years travelled…