Abdul Khalik, Jakarta – Deaths from cholera increased to 173 in Papua as of Saturday, with lawmakers and civil society groups accusing the local administration and central government of neglecting to prevent the disease from spreading.

Closer to home, and it's emerged that Indonesian embassy officials tried to invoke a security treaty with Australia early this month to try to stop a gathering in Canberra.

A diarrhoea outbreak in a remote area of Indonesia's easternmost province of Papua has killed at least 156 people and sickened hundreds of others, media reports say.

Local church leaders feared the toll would rise because of limited drugs and medical personnel and the possibility the outbreak would spread to other areas.

Jakarta – At least 172 villagers have died in a cholera outbreak that has triggered unrest in Indonesia's remote eastern Papua province, church authorities said Tuesday.

Church aid workers in the Kamuu valley confirmed the victims had died from severe diarrhoea and vomiting caused by cholera, said Catholic brother Budi Hermawan from the Jayapura archdiocese.

Jayapura – A group of demonstrating students from the Coalition of Students and the Community Concerned about the Land of Papua (KMMPTP) were ordered to disband by police units in Abepura for failing to comply with procedures stipulated in Law 9/1998 about expressing views in public. They were intending to hold a peaceful demonstration outside the office of the MRP.

Tom Wright, Jakarta – The global resource boom is threatening one of the world's last tropical-forest frontiers: the Merauke region of Indonesia's remote Papua province.

Jayapura – The military commander of XVII/Cenderawasih, Major General Haryadi Soetanto issued a warning on Saturday to remind all adat councils in Papua, including the Dewan Adat Papua (Papuan Traditional Council) that they should not use these institutions for political purposes, or still worse intervene in any way in affairs of State that could undermine the Unitary Republic of In

The National Commission on Human Rights will launch an investigation into alleged human rights violations in Papua, despite protests from the Attorney General's Office (AGO).

Jakarta – Indonesian police have detained six people for raising up separatist flag in easternmost province of West Papua in Indonesia at the weekend, National police spokesman Sulistyo said Monday.

Reports from Fakfakstate that 6 West Papuans involved in a flag raising ceremony, with the banned Morning Star flag, on early Saturday morning, will be charged under the Indonesian Criminal code for crime of 'subversion'.

Indonesia – Police have detained 41 people in Fakfak, 890 kilometers west of Jayapura, for allegedly hoisting the Bintang Kejora (Morning Star) flag on Saturday.

Papua Police spokesman Sr. Comr. Agus Rianto said three of detainees hoisted the flag in front of the former people's self-determination vote (Pepera) office. All 41 are former political prisoners.

Jakarta – The separatist conflict in Indonesia's Papua region – formerly known as Irian Jaya and once one of the world's great liberal causes – has become relatively quiet in recent years. Small groups of protesters still occasionally gather to wave the Morning Star independence flag and get arrested for it.

Jakarta – Greenomics Indonesia, an NGO conducting studies on the environment, says 60.42 percent of forestry companies in Papua and West Papua perform poorly on local community empowerment and investment in sustainable forest development.

West Papua National Coalition for Liberation expressed alarm over border violation and discretion of border marker in Vanimo, Sandaun Province by the Indonesian Military.

Nethy Darma Somba and Angela Flassy, Jayapura – At least 16 have died of HIV/AIDS in Puncak Jaya regency, in Papua, and millions more are at risk in the country with the world's highest rate of spread of the disease.

The disease has spread to the country's coastal regencies, including Jayapura, Sorong, Mimika and Merauke.

Jayapura – A local religious leader said the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) has so far not paid any attention to or touched suspected corruption cases involving serving and former office-holders in Papua's executive and legislative branches at provincial and district or municipal levels, creating the impression the KPK was "discriminative" in carrying out its mission.

Andra Jackson – As they settle into their new life in Melbourne, tomorrow brings a poignant reminder for a group of West Papuans of why they fled their country.

It is the 10th anniversary of what they call the Biak massacre, when Indonesian soldiers shot and injured 200 islanders after they raised the Morning Star, symbolising West Papuan independence aspirations.

Richard Brunton – Concern has been raised about the poor living conditions among a group of Papuan refugees squatting in a public park in Papua New Guinea's capital.

The group of about 100 is currently camped at Boroko's Apex Park after being evicted from four different public locations over the past nine months.

Angela Flassy, Jayapura – President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has breached a 2001 on special autonomy for Papua by issuing a 2008 government decree to amend the law, Papuan People's Assembly (MRP) chairman Agus Alue Alua said Thursday.

Dr. H Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono
President of the Republic of Indonesia
Istana Merdeka
Jakarta 10110
Indonesia

Your Excellency,

Jakarta – All factions in the House of Representatives have agreed to pass legislation giving a legal basis for the implementation of special autonomy in the new province of West Papua.

"We agreed to pass the bill during a plenary session Tuesday," lawmaker EE Mangindaan, head of House Commission II overseeing home affairs, said here Monday.

Jakarta – Papuans have demanded a halt to all new forestry and plantations deals until the region's Special Autonomy Law protects indigenous rights with dedicated implementing regulations, a coalition of local organisations said today.

Jakarta – An Indonesian plan to build a highway through the forests of Papua risks opening the door to massive deforestation in the jungle-clad half-island, environment groups said Wednesday.

The Hon Kevin Rudd MP
Prime Minister
Parliament House
Canberra
ACT 2600

23 June 2008

Re Health Concerns in West Papua

Dear Prime Minister,

I am writing to you on behalf of the Australia West Papua Association (Sydney) about the health of the West Papuan people.

Nethy Dharma Somba, Jayapura – The 2001 law on special autonomy has been implemented over last seven years in Papua, but its journey has lacked clear direction, a discussion concludes.

Antara, Wamena, Papua – Home Affairs Minister Mardiyanto officiated Saturday five new regencies in Papua as well as installing five temporary regents.

The five new regencies were Central Mamberamo regency with five districts with Kobakma as the regental seat. Created by the Law No. 3/2008, the first regent is David Pagawak.

Jakarta – Anglo-Australian giant BHP Billiton and an Indonesian firm announced Thursday a massive nickel mining partnership that has environmentalists raising concerns about a protected island paradise.

The 50-50 joint venture between BHP and state-owned Antam in eastern Indonesia has raised fears for marine life in the rich waters off Gag Island in West Papua province.

Jayapura, Papua – In a bid to curb the spread of HIV/AIDS, the National AIDS Commission (KPAD) in Merauke has marked red light districts and entertainment centers employing workers infected with HIV/AIDS with red flags.

Jakarta – The International Crisis Group (ICG) has warned Indonesia of potential communal conflict in the country's easternmost province due to strained relations between Muslims and Christians.

Mark Forbes, Jakarta – Rising tensions between hardline Islamic groups moving into Indonesia's Papuan and Christian communities could erupt into violent conflict, the International Crisis Group warns.

Jakarta/Brussels – Conflict between Muslim and Christian communities in Papua could erupt unless rising tensions are effectively managed.

Brig. Gen. Pramono Edhie Wibowo, now appointed chief of the Indonesian Army's notorious Special Forces (Kopassus) by his father-in-law, President Yudhoyono, is accused of training and directing pro-Indonesian militias in East Timor in 1999.

Hamish McDonald – Senior Indonesian political leaders are looking to Kevin Rudd to restore the warmth in bilateral relations felt under the previous Labor prime ministers Gough Whitlam and Paul Keating, but they expect Canberra to keep repeating the mantra that Papua is an intrinsic part of the Indonesian Republic.

Prime Minister Rudd should raise the issue of West Papua with the Indonesian Government as he did the issue of Tibet with the Chinese Government.

Explain Yourself to Cameron Broadhurst

Environmental Papuan activist Septer Manufandu in New Zealand last week to highlight West Papuan deforestation. He also met Maori Party members to forge links between the indigenous people. Times photo Cameron Broadhurst.

Jakarta – Papua, a region called Dutch New Guinea in the colonial era, has been 'controlled' by 10 big plantation companies in the last two years.

Lincoln Tan – Septer Manufandu, from Indonesia, is a man on a mission – he wants to stop Kiwis from buying kwila.

At a public meeting in Ponsonby tonight, the campaigner against deforestation in Indonesia's West Papua region is hoping to win over Aucklanders to join his fight to preserve the culture of his people by boycotting the illegally logged timber.

Port Vila, Vanuatu – West Papua National Coalition for Liberation expressed disappointment that its application to become observer of the Melanesian Spearhead Group was not granted. The Coalition was encouraged by the initiative taken by Vanuatu's Minister for Foreign Affairs and External Trade on behalf of the Vanuatu Government by putting the case on the agenda.

Step Vaessen, Papua – While much of Indonesia has moved on to become a vibrant democracy, the province of Papua in the far east of the archipelago has been left behind.

Suharto, Indonesia's former strongman president, stepped down 10 years ago, but the legacy of his often harsh rule continues to be felt here.

Ratu Epeli Nailatikau – The push by Vanuatu to have West Papuans granted observer status at the Melanesian Spearhead Group is being blocked by Papua New Guinea.

Speaking at the MSG Foreign Ministers' meeting in Port Vila, PNG's Foreign Minister Sam Abal says his country will not allow Indonesia's Papua region to be an MSG matter.

A report emerging from Indonesia's Papua region claims a Papuan man was forced to rape his fiancee by 8 Indonesian Navy marines in Jayapura.

The Elsham Human Rights group in Papua says the incident has been detailed in a report from a church group.

Greenpeace says that without good governance, Indonesia's plans to utilise millions more hectares in its Papua region are unlikely to be sustainably managed.

Indonesia's agriculture ministry says that since Sumatra and Kalimantan have become too dense for new palm oil plantations, the only land available is in Papua.

Jakarta – The government of Indonesia, the world's largest palm oil producer, is now looking at its vast easternmost provinces in Papua to expand its palm oil plantations, a senior official said Wednesday.

Chaz Muth, Washington – Indigenous residents of Indonesia's Irian Jaya region suffer a multitude of injustices, from rape and murder to the pilfering of riches extracted from their island, said representatives of an Indonesian Catholic diocese.

The Australia West Papua Association has called on the leaders of the Melanesian Spearhead Group to grant observer status to West Papuans at their upcoming meeting in Vanuatu.

The Association's spokesman Joe Collins says granting the Melanesian people of Indonesia's Papua region observer status would be in accordance with a founding principle of the MSG.

Nethy Dharma Somba, Jayapura – The controversial Morning Star flag has again created tension between the central government and Papuans, who are now at loggerheads over the province's proposed flag.

It is the duty of the State security forces to anticipate any expression of any aspiration for independence or any rejection of special autonomy which has shown greater development now as the separatist movement has crystalised within the community leading to a demand to separate from the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia.

The Hon Stephen Smith MP
Minister for Foreign Affairs
Parliament House
Canberra
ACT 2600

4 May 2008

Dear Mr Smith,

45 years ago on the 1st May 1963, the United Nations Temporary Executive Authority (UNTEA) transferred responsibility for West New Guinea to Indonesia.