CoveragePost
October 23, 2025
By Caleb Fotheringham, RNZ Pacific journalist The United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP) claims more than a dozen civilians have been killed in the Papuan highlands, including three men who were allegedly tortured and a woman who was allegedly raped. However, the Indonesian government claims the accusations “baseless”. ULMWP president Benny Wenda said 15 ... <a title="ULMWP alleges 15 civilians killed in West Papua military operation" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2025/10/23/ulmwp-alleges-15-civilians-killed-in-west-papua-military-operation/" aria-label="Read more about ULMWP alleges 15 civilians killed in West Papua military operation">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
May 12, 2025
By Caleb Fotheringham, RNZ Pacific journalist The escalation of violence in West Papua is on par with some of the most intense times of conflict over the past six decades, a human rights researcher says. The United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP) claims that Indonesia killed at least one civilian and severely injured another ... <a title="‘Fighting more frequent now’ – researcher warns of escalating West Papua conflict" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2025/05/12/fighting-more-frequent-now-researcher-warns-of-escalating-west-papua-conflict/" aria-label="Read more about ‘Fighting more frequent now’ – researcher warns of escalating West Papua conflict">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
November 1, 2024
SPECIAL REPORT: By Andreas Harsono in Jakarta In December 2008, I visited the Abepura prison in Jayapura, West Papua, to verify a report sent to the United Nations Special Rapporteur on torture alleging abuses inside the jailhouse, as well as shortages of food and water. After prison guards checked my bag, I passed through a ... <a title="Filep Karma: A political prisoner who fought racism in West Papua" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2024/11/01/filep-karma-a-political-prisoner-who-fought-racism-in-west-papua/" aria-label="Read more about Filep Karma: A political prisoner who fought racism in West Papua">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
September 20, 2024
By Caleb Fotheringham, RNZ Pacific journalist Racism, torture and arbitrary arrests are some examples of discrimination indigenous Papuans have dealt with over the last 60 years from Indonesia, according to a new report by Human Rights Watch. The report, If It’s Not Racism, What Is It? Discrimination and other abuses against Papuans in Indonesia, said ... <a title="Discrimination faced by indigenous Papuans ‘isn’t something new’, says disturbing new rights report" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2024/09/20/discrimination-faced-by-indigenous-papuans-isnt-something-new-says-disturbing-new-rights-report/" aria-label="Read more about Discrimination faced by indigenous Papuans ‘isn’t something new’, says disturbing new rights report">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
March 28, 2023
By Finau Fonua, RNZ Pacific journalist, and Koroi Hawkins, RNZ Pacific editor Indonesian security forces in Papua last week launched an offensive against the West Papua National Liberation Army (TPNPB) command holding New Zealand pilot Philip Mehrtens hostage, RNZ Pacific can confirm. The operation was launched at 1am local time on Thursday, March 23, in ... <a title="Indonesian security forces attack West Papuan rebels holding NZ pilot" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2023/03/28/indonesian-security-forces-attack-west-papuan-rebels-holding-nz-pilot/" aria-label="Read more about Indonesian security forces attack West Papuan rebels holding NZ pilot">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
February 9, 2023
RNZ News An Indonesian human rights researcher has condemned the Papuan rebels who have taken a New Zealand pilot hostage and gone into hiding in a remote mountainous region. Andreas Harsono of Human Rights Watch urged the rebels to release the pilot, named as Captain Philip Mehrtens of the Indonesian airline Susi Air. “It is ... <a title="Indonesian rights researcher slams kidnapping – efforts to free NZ pilot" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2023/02/09/indonesian-rights-researcher-slams-kidnapping-efforts-to-free-nz-pilot/" aria-label="Read more about Indonesian rights researcher slams kidnapping – efforts to free NZ pilot">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
November 3, 2022
RNZ Pacific The daughter of West Papuan human rights advocate Filep Karma who died on Tuesday aged 63 has confirmed that he died in a diving accident. Andrefina Karma said she followed the external post-mortem process of Filep Karma’s body. The results showed that Filep Karma had died from drowning while diving. Andrefina Karma asked ... <a title="Papua activist’s daughter happy with post-mortem, but suspicions linger" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2022/11/03/papua-activists-daughter-happy-with-post-mortem-but-suspicions-linger/" aria-label="Read more about Papua activist’s daughter happy with post-mortem, but suspicions linger">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
May 7, 2021
RNZ Pacific Human Rights Watch is urging the Indonesian government to rethink its classification of rebels in West Papua as terrorists. Indonesia has formally designated Papuan independence fighters as “terrorists”, in a move expected to expand the military’s role in civilian policing in Papua. But the NGO has warned that the new designation under counter-terrorism ... <a title="Terrorist tag in West Papua could worsen racism, says rights group" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2021/05/07/terrorist-tag-in-west-papua-could-worsen-racism-says-rights-group/" aria-label="Read more about Terrorist tag in West Papua could worsen racism, says rights group">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
February 1, 2020
By Andreas Harsono in Jakarta Mongabay environmental editor Phil Jacobson was deported from Indonesia last evening, flying from Jakarta to New York after he was ordered not to leave Palangka Raya, Central Kalimantan, for 45 days. It is tragic that an American environmentalist who dedicated his energies to protecting Indonesia’s rain forests and indigenous people ... <a title="Andreas Harsono: Jakarta punishes journalists – leaves them in limbo" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2020/02/01/andreas-harsono-jakarta-punishes-journalists-leaves-them-in-limbo/" aria-label="Read more about Andreas Harsono: Jakarta punishes journalists – leaves them in limbo">Read more</a>
