Jakarta – Indonesian military (TNI) Commander General Agus Subiyanto says they have changed the nomenclature used to refer to Terrorist Separatist Groups (KST) in Papua to again become the Free Papua Organisation or OPM because this is the name they use themselves.

Executive summary

A Russian tourist, Mr Shmatov Ivan Aleksandrovich, was arbitrarily arrested by Indonesian security forces in the town of Enarotali, Paniai Timur District, Papua Tangah Province, on 11 March 2024.

Klas Lundstrom – I know what you think," the source tells me. "That it's fake. It's not fake. It's our life."

Pizaro Gozali Idrus – A gunfight between separatist Papuan rebels and government security forces killed a 12-year-old boy and injured a 6-year-old girl who were caught in crossfire on Monday, security authorities and a rebel spokesman said.

Jayapura – Two Papuan separatist leaders were killed in a shootout between security forces and their rebel group near one of the world's largest gold mines in Indonesia's restive Papua region, police said Sunday.

Doddy Morris – It has been 60 years since Indonesia has refused humanitarian agencies and international media access to enter West Papua.

The Pacific Network on Globalisation (PANG) has declared its solidarity with civil society groups and student protesters demonstrating against the torture of a Papuan man, Defianus Kogoya, by Indonesian troops in West Papua last February.

The torture was revealed in a video that went viral across the world last month.

Jayapura – Peaceful demonstrations by the Meepago people in Nabire, the capital of Central Papua province, on the morning of Friday April 5, were forcibly broken up by officers from the Nabire district police. A number of protesters were reportedly injured, some of whom were rushed to Nabire regional pubic hospital.

Reiner Brabar, Sorong – The group Anti-Militarism and Human Rights Care People's Solidarity in the Land of Papua held a free speech forum at Remu traffic lights intersection in Sorong City, Southwest Papua, on Thursday April 4.

In response to the brutal torture of a West Papuan man, Defianus Kogoya by Indonesian troops in West Papua in early February, a number of rallies and discussions groups were held by civil society groups in West Papua over the past 2 days.

The Papuan Student and Peoples Front Against Militarism (FMRPAM) called for peaceful protests against the militarisation in West Papua in various areas across the Jayapura Regency and Jayapura City on 2 April 2024. FMRPAM called for the protests in response to a video of military members torturing an indigenous Papuan in the Puncak Regency in February 2024.

An Australian West Papuan solidarity group has condemned a brutal crackdown by Indonesian police against student protesters demonstrating against torture by the security forces.

Jakarta – Responding to a claim by the separatist West National Liberation Army (TPNPB) that aerial bombing had occurred in an area where New Zealand pilot Philip Mehrtens was taken hostage, the Indonesian Military (TNI) said it had deployed only flyby operations in Nduga regency.

David Robie – On my office wall hangs a framed portrait of Shireen Abu Akleh, the inspiring and celebrated American-Palestinian journalist known across the Middle East to watchers of Al Jazeera Arabic, who was assassinated by an Israeli military sniper with impunity.

State murder

Sharon Muller – On Friday March 22, a video circulated of TNI (Indonesian military) soldiers torturing of a civilian in Papua. In the video, the victim is submerged in a drum filled with water with his hands tied behind his back. The victim was alternately beaten and kicked by the TNI members. The victim's back was also slashed with a knife.

Sentani, Jubi – Rev. Benny Giay, the Moderator of the Papuan Church Council, has emphasized the need of a third party to investigate various cases of violence involving security forces in Papua. This third party should examine all related facts and information, including allegations that the victims were members of the West Papua National Liberation Army (TPNPB).

Jayapura – Papuan students in various cities around Indonesia along with humanitarian solidarity groups including the Indonesian People's Front for West Papua (FRI-WP) are demanding that the state be held accountable for cases of torture and violence against civilians by TNI (Indonesian military) and Polri (Indonesian police) officers against the people of the land of Papua.

Ronny Kareni – Since the atrocious footage of the suffering of an indigenous Papuan man reverberates in the heart of Puncak by the brute force of Indonesia's army in early February, shocking tactics deployed by those in power to silence critics has been unfolding.

Senator the Hon Penny Wong
PO Box 6100
Senate
Parliament House
Canberra ACT 2600

28 March 2024

Dear Foreign Minister,

I am writing to you on behalf of the Australia West Papua Association in Sydney concerning the brutal torture of a West Papuan man, Defianus Kogoyaby Indonesian troops in West Papua in early February.

The Papuan Legal Aid Institute (LBH Papua) has raised concerns over the denial of legal assistance to Melianus Baye and Benny Elopere, two minors detained by the Papua Regional Police (Polda Papua) on suspicion of involvement in an aircraft shooting incident in the Yahukimo Regency.

Andreas Harsono – The Indonesian military apologized to "all Papuan people" and detained 13 soldiers from an elite battalion in West Java who had tortured a Papuan man in Gome, Central Papua.

Geneva – The U.N. Human Rights Committee said on Thursday it was concerned by extrajudicial killings in Indonesia's Papua province, where separatists and Indonesian troops have been fighting for decades.

Jayapura, Jubi – Repeated occurrences of Indonesian Military (TNI) soldiers torturing civilians in Papua have been evident, as seen in the viral video depicting the torture of civilians in the Puncak Regency allegedly done by soldiers of Raider 300/Brajawijaya Infantry Battalion.

Jayapura, Jubi – The Fellowship of Churches in Indonesia (PGI) has called for a thorough and complete investigation into the alleged torture of three civilians in Puncak Regency by TNI soldiers from Raider 300/Braja Wijaya Infantry Battalion. Ronald Tapilatu, the Head of Papua Affairs Bureau of PGI, made this statement in Jakarta on Monday (25/3/2024).

Jakarta – It happens again and again; indigenous Papuans fall victim to Indonesian soldiers.

Defara Dhanya, Yohanes Maharso and Hendrik Yaputra, Jakarta – The Spokesperson for the West Papua National Liberation Army of the Free Papua Organization (TPNPB-OPM), Sebby Sambom, denied the allegations that the residents tortured by Indonesian Armed Forces (TNI) soldiers were members of the organization.

Yohanes Maharso and Defara Dhanya, Jakarta – Commander of the XVII/Cenderawasih Military Regional Command, Major General Izak Pangemanan, said the New Zealand Ambassador has handed over the plan for the release of his citizen to the Indonesian government.

Defara Dhanya Paramitha, Jakarta – The Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation (YLBHI) strongly condemned the torture of an indigenous Papuan man by soldiers of the Indonesian military (TNI). YLBHI Chairman Muhammad Isnur urged the National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) to immediately conduct an investigation and demand that the perpetrators be held accountable.

Jakarta – The Indonesian Army issued a rare apology on Monday and said 13 soldiers had been arrested after a video emerged showing a man being tortured by troops in Papua region, where armed separatists have clashed with security forces for years.

Sebastian Strangio – The armed forces were forced to issue a rare apology after a video showing soldiers torturing a Papuan separatist fighter was posted online.

Indonesia's military says that it has arrested 13 soldiers after the emergence of a video showing the torture of a man believed to be a member of a Papuan separatist group.

Manokwari, Jubi – The Executive Director of LP3BH Manokwari, Yan Cristian Warinussy, urged the Indonesian Military (TNI) Commander Gen. Agus Subiyanto to immediately remove the Commander of the XVII/Cenderawasih Military Command Maj. Gen.

As a result of the attack on a police post in Paniai District by the TPNPB on the 20 March, the Papuan Police have deployed 30 rangers from its elite Mobile Brigade (Brimob) to secure the post and hunt down the attackers. Two police officers died in the attack.

Bill Birtles in Jakarta – Indonesia's military has pledged to investigate after videos described as "barbaric" circulated online showing what appear to be soldiers punching, kicking and slicing a Papuan man in a steel barrel.

Ben Doherty – Footage of a West Papuan man, bound in a water-filled barrel and being beaten and cut with knives, allegedly by Indonesian soldiers, has reanimated demands for international intervention in the contested province.

Zach Hope and Karuni Rompies – The Indonesian military has detained eight of its own after disturbing videos surfaced of a group beating and slashing a young Papuan as he stood trembling in a drum of bloodied water.

Human rights groups on Monday were attempting to confirm reports from locals that the victim later died.

The Indonesian government has confirmed it is investigating a viral video showing security forces in Papua torturing a civilian.

An Australian solidarity group for West Papua today warned of a fresh "heavy handed" Indonesia crackdown on Papuan villagers with more "arrests and torture".

Julie Wark – Budi Hernawan said it ten years ago: "torture in Papua... has become a mode of governance." It hasn't stopped. It's got worse. It's got worse precisely because it's a mode of governance accepted and blessed by the international "community" whose neoliberal politics of extraction means extermination of anything and anyone getting in its way.

Jakarta – The commander of the Cenderawasih/XVII Regional Military Command (Kodam), Major General Izak Pangemanan, has revealed the chronology of the abuse committed by TNI (Indonesian military) soldiers against a member of an armed criminal group (KKB) in Central Papua.

Zach Hope and Karuni Rompies – The Indonesian military has detained 13 of its own after disturbing videos surfaced of a group beating and slashing a young Papuan trembling in a barrel of bloodied water.

Niniek Karmini, Jakarta, Indonesia – Indonesia's military said Monday it has arrested 13 elite troops accused of involvement in a video showing the torture of an indigenous Papua man believed to be a member of a separatist group.

Diamanty Meiliana, Jakarta – The Humanitarian Coalition for Papua is urging the government to hold an investigation into the torture of a Papuan civilian by members of the TNI (Indonesian military) after a video of the incident went viral on social media.

Ronny Kareni – Recent videos depicting the barbaric torture of an indigenous Papuan man by Indonesian soldiers have opened the wounds of West Papua's suffering, laying bare the horrifying reality faced by its people.

Antara, Jakarta – The Papua Police deployed 30 rangers from its elite Mobile Brigade (Brimob) to the Ndeotadi 99 police post in Paniai District, Central Papua, following a deadly attack on the post on Wednesday, March 20.

Jayapura, Jubi – The bodies of two police officers who died in an attack by the West Papua National Liberation Army (TPNPB) in Paniai Regency, Central Papua Province on Wednesday (20/3/2024) will be evacuated on Friday morning. Both bodies will be evacuated to Mimika Regency, said Paniai Police Chief Adj. Sr. Comr. Abdus Syukur Felani, on Thursday.

Jakarta – Amnesty International Indonesia is calling for an evaluation of the placement of TNI (Indonesian military) in Papua after a video of a Papuan man being tortured by several soldiers at the Gome Post in Puncak Regency, Central Papua, went viral on social media.

A West Papuan pro-independence leader has condemned the "sadistic brutality" of Indonesian soldiers in a torture video and called for an urgent United Nations human rights visit to the colonised Melanesian territory.

Videos of Indonesian soldiers torturing an indigenous Papuan have gone viral on social media and caused public outrage. Human rights defenders found hints that the video might have been taken during a security force raid in Omukia and Gome on 3 and 4 February 2024. Both districts are located in the Puncak Regency, Pegunungan Tengah Province.

Victor Mambor and Dandy Koswaraputra, Jayapura, Indonesia and Jakarta – Military officials in Indonesia's restive Papua region said Friday they were verifying the authenticity of a video that has gone viral and appears to show Indonesian servicemen beating and cutting with a bayonet a man believed to be an indigenous Papuan.