CoveragePost
August 17, 2023
Asia Pacific Report A chilling new report by a German-based human rights watchdog has exposed indiscriminate attacks by Indonesian security forces on indigenous West Papuan villages, highlighting an urgent need for international action. The 49-page report, “Destroy Them First . . . Discuss Human Rights Later”, is an investigation of the Indonesian forces in the ... <a title="‘Harrowing’ details of Indonesian crackdown on Papuan villages exposed by new report" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2023/08/17/harrowing-details-of-indonesian-crackdown-on-papuan-villages-exposed-by-new-report/" aria-label="Read more about ‘Harrowing’ details of Indonesian crackdown on Papuan villages exposed by new report">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
July 14, 2023
RNZ Pacific A West Papua pro-independence leader says Indonesia is ramping up its repression of peaceful activists while people mobilise in favour of the province gaining full membership of the Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG). Benny Wenda said 10 activists were arrested earlier this week while handing out leaflets advertising a peaceful rally to support his ... <a title="Wenda slams ‘grave abuses’ against Papuan activists at MSG demos" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2023/07/14/wenda-slams-grave-abuses-against-papuan-activists-at-msg-demos/" aria-label="Read more about Wenda slams ‘grave abuses’ against Papuan activists at MSG demos">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
July 6, 2023
Asia Pacific Report An Australian human rights author and poet has accused successive federal governments of “deliberately aiding and abetting” the 1969 annexation of West Papua by Indonesia and enabling the “stifling” of the Melanesian people’s right to self-determination. In reaffirming his appeal last May for a royal commission into Australia’s policies over West Papua, ... <a title="Author condemns Canberra ‘collusion’ with Jakarta on West Papua atrocities" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2023/07/06/author-condemns-canberra-collusion-with-jakarta-on-west-papua-atrocities/" aria-label="Read more about Author condemns Canberra ‘collusion’ with Jakarta on West Papua atrocities">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
May 24, 2023
Asia Pacific Report An Australian advocacy group has called for West Papua to be reinscribed on the United Nations list of “non self-governing territories”, citing the “sham” vote in 1969 and the worsening human rights violations in the Indonesian-ruled Melanesian region. The UN Special Committee on Decolonisation began its 2023 Pacific Regional Seminar in Bali, ... <a title="Protesters call for West Papua to be included on UN ‘decolonisation’ list" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2023/05/24/protesters-call-for-west-papua-to-be-included-on-un-decolonisation-list/" aria-label="Read more about Protesters call for West Papua to be included on UN ‘decolonisation’ list">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
May 20, 2023
Jubi News in Jayapura Esther Haluk, a women’s rights activist from GARDA Papua, is among West Papuan activists who have condemned a declining state of freedom of speech in the Melanesian region. Speaking in a recent online discussion on “Status and Trends of Freedom of Expression, Assembly, and Digital Rights in West Papua”, she said ... <a title="Papuan activists accuse Jakarta over mounting ‘brutal’ repression, arrests" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2023/05/20/papuan-activists-accuse-jakarta-over-mounting-brutal-repression-arrests/" aria-label="Read more about Papuan activists accuse Jakarta over mounting ‘brutal’ repression, arrests">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
May 17, 2023
Jubi News A West Papuan leader, defending himself against treason charges, has denounced “systemic racism” by Indonesian authorities in the Melanesian region in a court hearing. Viktor Yeimo, the international spokesperson of the West Papua National Committee (KNPB), presented his defence statement — pledoi — in a hearing at the Jayapura Class 1A District Court ... <a title="Viktor Yeimo denounces Jakarta’s ‘systemic racism’ in Papua in his treason case defence" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2023/05/17/viktor-yeimo-denounces-jakartas-systemic-racism-in-papua-in-his-treason-case-defence/" aria-label="Read more about Viktor Yeimo denounces Jakarta’s ‘systemic racism’ in Papua in his treason case defence">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
May 17, 2023
Asia Pacific Report Free Papua Organisation (OPM) leader Jeffrey Bomanak has appealed to US President Joe Biden for a “proactive role” in ending Indonesia’s “unlawful military occupation and annexation” of West Papua. He claims this illegal occupation led to the subsequent US “foreign policy failure” in protecting six decades of crimes against humanity. Bomanak made ... <a title="OPM leader calls on Biden to take proactive role in ending West Papuan ‘holocaust’" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2023/05/17/opm-leader-calls-on-biden-to-take-proactive-role-in-ending-west-papuan-holocaust/" aria-label="Read more about OPM leader calls on Biden to take proactive role in ending West Papuan ‘holocaust’">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
May 15, 2023
Asia Pacific Report A New Zealand advocacy group has appealed to the government to heed the call of West Papuan church leaders for Indonesia to withdraw security forces and impose a “humanitarian pause” while negotiating for the release of captive pilot Philip Merhtens. Mehrtens, a 37-year-old New Zealander working for the Indonesian local airline Susi ... <a title="Open letter plea for NZ to back West Papua peaceful hostage plan" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2023/05/15/open-letter-plea-for-nz-to-back-west-papua-peaceful-hostage-plan/" aria-label="Read more about Open letter plea for NZ to back West Papua peaceful hostage plan">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
May 9, 2023
Jubi News A West Papuan leader, defending himself against treason charges, has denounced “systemic racism” by Indonesian authorities in the Melanesian region in a court hearing. Viktor Yeimo, the international spokesperson of the West Papua National Committee (KNPB), presented his defence statement — pledoi — in a hearing at the Jayapura Class 1A District Court ... <a title="Viktor Yeimo denounces Jakata’s ‘systemic racism’ in Papua in his treason case defence" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2023/05/09/viktor-yeimo-denounces-jakatas-systemic-racism-in-papua-in-his-treason-case-defence/" aria-label="Read more about Viktor Yeimo denounces Jakata’s ‘systemic racism’ in Papua in his treason case defence">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
April 26, 2023
RNZ Pacific New Zealand hostage Phillip Mehrtens, who is being held by pro-independence fighters in West Papua, appears well in a newly-released video. It comes as concerns were expressed for the pilot as fighting between Indonesian security forces and his captors, the West Papua National Liberation Army (TPNPB), intensified last week. New Zealand Prime Minister ... <a title="‘I’m alive, healthy . . . stop the bombs,’ says kidnapped NZ pilot in new West Papua video" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2023/04/26/im-alive-healthy-stop-the-bombs-says-kidnapped-nz-pilot-in-new-west-papua-video/" aria-label="Read more about ‘I’m alive, healthy . . . stop the bombs,’ says kidnapped NZ pilot in new West Papua video">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
April 21, 2023
By Finau Fonua, RNZ Pacific journalist The United Kingdom’s commitments to upholding human rights have come under question this week over the West Papua issue, resulting in a heated exchange between a government representative and five members of the House of Lords. The exchange occurred on Monday after the Minister of State for the United ... <a title="UK minister grilled on West Papua human rights in House of Lords" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2023/04/21/uk-minister-grilled-on-west-papua-human-rights-in-house-of-lords/" aria-label="Read more about UK minister grilled on West Papua human rights in House of Lords">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
April 14, 2023
Asia Pacific Report A West Papuan leader has accused Indonesia of imposing a “martial law” on the Melanesian region in response to the kidnapping of a New Zealand pilot by rebels fighting Jakarta’s contested rule. “It is clear that Indonesia is using the kidnap of New Zealand pilot Philip Mehrtens as a pretext to strengthen ... <a title="Wenda accuses Indonesia of imposing ‘martial law’ abuses on West Papua" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2023/04/14/wenda-accuses-indonesia-of-imposing-martial-law-abuses-on-west-papua/" aria-label="Read more about Wenda accuses Indonesia of imposing ‘martial law’ abuses on West Papua">Read more</a>
