CoveragePost
August 29, 2025
A West Papuan independence advocate has accused Indonesia of “continuing to murder children” while escalating its military operations across the Melanesian region. United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP) interim president Benny Wenda says West Papua faces two connected crimes — ecocide and genocide. Two schoolchildren were killed by the occupying military in the build ... <a title="Wenda accuses Indonesia of killing West Papuans for ‘independence’ day" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2025/08/29/wenda-accuses-indonesia-of-killing-west-papuans-for-independence-day/" aria-label="Read more about Wenda accuses Indonesia of killing West Papuans for ‘independence’ day">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
March 19, 2025
Asia Pacific Report A West Papuan liberation advocacy group has condemned the arrest of 12 activists by Indonesian police and demanded their immediate release. The West Papuan activists from the West Papua People’s Liberation Movement (GR-PWP) were arrested for handing out pamphlets supporting the new “Boycott Indonesia” campaign. The GR-PWP activists were arrested in Sentani ... <a title="West Papua liberation group demands Indonesia releases 12 arrested activists" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2025/03/19/west-papua-liberation-group-demands-indonesia-releases-12-arrested-activists/" aria-label="Read more about West Papua liberation group demands Indonesia releases 12 arrested activists">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
December 3, 2024
Asia Pacific Report An exiled West Papuan leader has called for unity among his people in the face of a renewed “colonial grip” of Indonesia’s new president. President Prabowo Subianto, who took office last month, “is a deep concern for all West Papuans”, said Benny Wenda of the United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP). ... <a title="Wenda calls for West Papuan unity in the face of Jakarta’s renewed ‘colonial grip’" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2024/12/03/wenda-calls-for-west-papuan-unity-in-the-face-of-jakartas-renewed-colonial-grip/" aria-label="Read more about Wenda calls for West Papuan unity in the face of Jakarta’s renewed ‘colonial grip’">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
October 12, 2024
Pacific Media Watch ABC’s The Pacific has gained rare access into West Papua, a region ruled by Indonesia that has been plagued by military violence and political unrest for decades. Now, as well as the long-running struggle for independence, some say the Melanesian region’s pristine environment is under threat by the expansion of logging and ... <a title="West Papua – the war on our doorstep under The Pacific spotlight" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2024/10/12/west-papua-the-war-on-our-doorstep-under-the-pacific-spotlight/" aria-label="Read more about West Papua – the war on our doorstep under The Pacific spotlight">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
July 15, 2024
Pacific Media Watch Many platitudes about media freedom and democracy laced last week’s Pacific International Media Conference in the Fijian capital of Suva. There was a mood of euphoria at the impressive event, especially from politicians who talked about journalism being the “oxygen of democracy”. The dumping of the draconian and widely hated Fiji Media ... <a title="When media freedom as the ‘oxygen of democracy’ and hypocrisy share the same Pacific arena" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2024/07/15/when-media-freedom-as-the-oxygen-of-democracy-and-hypocrisy-share-the-same-pacific-arena/" aria-label="Read more about When media freedom as the ‘oxygen of democracy’ and hypocrisy share the same Pacific arena">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
May 3, 2024
Asia Pacific Report A West Papuan resistance leader has condemned the United Nations role in allowing Indonesia to “integrate” the Melanesian Pacific region in what is claimed to be an “egregious act of inhumanity” on 1 May 1963. In an open letter to UN Secretary-General António Guterres, Organisasi Papua Merdeka-OPM (Free Papua Organisation) leader Jeffrey ... <a title="OPM’s Bomanak accuses UN of failing to uphold decolonisation role over West Papua" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2024/05/03/opms-bomanak-accuses-un-of-failing-to-uphold-decolonisation-role-over-west-papua/" aria-label="Read more about OPM’s Bomanak accuses UN of failing to uphold decolonisation role over West Papua">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
March 25, 2024
COMMENTARY: By 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. We must confront this grim truth — what we witness is not an isolated incident but a glaring demonstation of ... <a title="West Papuan wounds of suffering – diplomatic pressure on Indonesia needed urgently" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2024/03/25/west-papuan-wounds-of-suffering-diplomatic-pressure-on-indonesia-needed-urgently/" aria-label="Read more about West Papuan wounds of suffering – diplomatic pressure on Indonesia needed urgently">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
February 17, 2024
Asia Pacific Report A West Papuan pro-independence leader has accused Indonesia of new human rights atrocities this week while the republic has apparently elected a new president with a past record of violations in Timor-Leste and West Papua. Indonesian Defence Minister Prabowo Subianto has declared victory in the presidential election on Wednesday after unofficial vote ... <a title="Wenda accuses Indonesia of more human rights atrocities in Papua" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2024/02/17/wenda-accuses-indonesia-of-more-human-rights-atrocities-in-papua/" aria-label="Read more about Wenda accuses Indonesia of more human rights atrocities in Papua">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
January 11, 2024
Asia Pacific Report The pro-independence United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP) has declared a boycott of the Indonesian elections next month and has called on Papuans to “not bow down to the system or constitution of your Indonesian occupier”. The movement’s president Benny Wenda and prime minister Edison Waromi have announced in a joint ... <a title="West Papuan call to boycott Indonesian elections and ‘reclaim sovereignty’" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2024/01/11/west-papuan-call-to-boycott-indonesian-elections-and-reclaim-sovereignty/" aria-label="Read more about West Papuan call to boycott Indonesian elections and ‘reclaim sovereignty’">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
September 8, 2023
RNZ Pacific Papua New Guinea Prime Minister James Marape has told Indonesia’s President Joko Widodo that PNG has no right to criticise Jakarta over what he calls alleged human rights abuses in West Papua. The two leaders spoke on the sidelines of the ASEAN summit in Jakarta, reaffirming commitments to maintain dialogue to build stronger ... <a title="Marape claims PNG has ‘no right’ to criticise abuses in West Papua" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2023/09/08/marape-claims-png-has-no-right-to-criticise-abuses-in-west-papua/" aria-label="Read more about Marape claims PNG has ‘no right’ to criticise abuses in West Papua">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
September 3, 2023
Pacific Media Watch Vanuatu Daily Post civil society correspondents have written in unison condemning the failure of the Melanesian Spearhead Group to admit West Papua as full members of the organisation at last month’s leaders’ summit in Port Vila. The Australia West Papua Association (AWPA) says that “it’s tragic that the MSG leaders did not ... <a title="Letters on West Papua – ‘united voices for justice will not be silenced’" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2023/09/03/letters-on-west-papua-united-voices-for-justice-will-not-be-silenced/" aria-label="Read more about Letters on West Papua – ‘united voices for justice will not be silenced’">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
August 28, 2023
Asia Pacific Report The United Liberation Movement for West Papua has responded cautiously over the Melanesian Spearhead Group’s surprise denial of full membership at its leaders summit last week, welcoming the communique while calling for urgent action over Indonesia’s grave human rights violations. In a statement released today by President Benny Wenda after the second ... <a title="Wenda calls on MSG for urgent action to back pledge over human rights" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2023/08/28/wenda-calls-on-msg-for-urgent-action-to-back-pledge-over-human-rights/" aria-label="Read more about Wenda calls on MSG for urgent action to back pledge over human rights">Read more</a>
