CoveragePost
February 28, 2026
Asia Pacific Report A West Papuan leader has accused the Indonesian government of lying over its operations and “masking” the military role of some civilian aircraft. Disputing an Indonesian government statement about reported that TPNPB fired upon an aircraft in Boven Digoel, killing both the pilot and copilot, United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP) ... <a title="Papuan activist leader Wenda accuses Jakarta of ‘lying’ over shot down plane" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2026/02/28/papuan-activist-leader-wenda-accuses-jakarta-of-lying-over-shot-down-plane/" aria-label="Read more about Papuan activist leader Wenda accuses Jakarta of ‘lying’ over shot down plane">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
February 20, 2026
Asia Pacific Report A West Papuan leader has accused the Indonesian government of lying over its operations and “masking” the military role of some civilian aircraft. Disputing an Indonesian government statement about reported that TPNPB fired upon an aircraft in Boven Digoel, killing both the pilot and copilot, United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP) ... <a title="Papuan activist Wenda accuses Jakarta of ‘lying’ over shot down plane" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2026/02/20/papuan-activist-wenda-accuses-jakarta-of-lying-over-shot-down-plane/" aria-label="Read more about Papuan activist Wenda accuses Jakarta of ‘lying’ over shot down plane">Read more</a>
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
June 11, 2025
By Caleb Fotheringham, RNZ Pacific journalist Further reports of civilian casualties are coming out of West Papua, while clashes between Indonesia’s military and the armed wing of the Free Papua Movement continue. One of the most recent military operations took place in the early morning of May 14 in Sugapa District, Intan Jaya in Central ... <a title="More deaths reported out of Sugapa in West Papua clashes with military" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2025/06/11/more-deaths-reported-out-of-sugapa-in-west-papua-clashes-with-military/" aria-label="Read more about More deaths reported out of Sugapa in West Papua clashes with military">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
June 3, 2025
Asia Pacific Report An escalation in fighting between Indonesian security forces and Papuan pro-independence fighters in West Papua has seriously threatened the security of the largely indigenous population, says Human Rights Watch in a new report. The human rights watchdog warned that all parties to the conflict are obligated to abide by international humanitarian law, ... <a title="Human Rights Watch warns renewed fighting threatens West Papua civilians" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2025/06/03/human-rights-watch-warns-renewed-fighting-threatens-west-papua-civilians/" aria-label="Read more about Human Rights Watch warns renewed fighting threatens West Papua civilians">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
February 2, 2025
By Victor Mambor and Tria Dianti The Indonesian government’s proposal to grant amnesty to pro-independence rebels in West Papua has stirred scepticism as the administration of new President Prabowo Subianto seeks to deal with the country’s most protracted armed conflict. Without broader dialogue and accountability, critics argue, the initiative could fail to resolve the decades-long ... <a title="Indonesia’s amnesty plan for West Papua independence fighters greeted with scepticism" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2025/02/02/indonesias-amnesty-plan-for-west-papua-independence-fighters-greeted-with-scepticism/" aria-label="Read more about Indonesia’s amnesty plan for West Papua independence fighters greeted with scepticism">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
October 23, 2024
By Victor Mambor in Jayapura With Prabowo Subianto, a controversial former general installed as Indonesia’s new president, residents in the disputed Papua region were responding to this reality with anxiety and, for some, cautious optimism. The remote and resource-rich region has long been a flashpoint for conflict, with its people enduring decades of alleged military ... <a title="Prabowo’s presidency sparks fear and faint hope in Indonesia’s contested Papua" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2024/10/23/prabowos-presidency-sparks-fear-and-faint-hope-in-indonesias-contested-papua/" aria-label="Read more about Prabowo’s presidency sparks fear and faint hope in Indonesia’s contested Papua">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
September 18, 2024
RNZ Pacific Pro-independence fighters in the Indonesian-ruled West Papua region have proposed the terms of release for the New Zealand pilot taken hostage almost 18 months ago. The armed faction of the West Papua National Liberation Army (TPNPB) kidnapped Phillip Merhtens, a 38-year-old pilot working for the Indonesian internal feeder airline Susi Air, in February ... <a title="West Papuan fighters who kidnapped Kiwi pilot propose terms of release" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2024/09/18/west-papuan-fighters-who-kidnapped-kiwi-pilot-propose-terms-of-release/" aria-label="Read more about West Papuan fighters who kidnapped Kiwi pilot propose terms of release">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
July 21, 2024
Asia Pacific Report A brutal killing of three Papuan civilians in Puncak Jaya reveals that occupied West Papua is a ticking time bomb under Indonesian President-elect Prabowo Subianto, claims the leader of an advocacy group. And United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP) Benny Wenda says the Melanesian region risks becoming “another East Timor”. The ... <a title="Latest Puncak Jaya massacre reveals West Papua ‘is a time bomb’, claims Benny Wenda" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2024/07/21/latest-puncak-jaya-massacre-reveals-west-papua-is-a-time-bomb-claims-benny-wenda/" aria-label="Read more about Latest Puncak Jaya massacre reveals West Papua ‘is a time bomb’, claims Benny Wenda">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
June 20, 2024
By Caleb Fotheringham, RNZ Pacific journalist All parties, including West Papuan pro-independence fighters who took Phillip Mehrtens hostage, want the New Zealand pilot released but freeing him is “complicated”. In February 2023, Mehrtens, a husband and father from Christchurch, was working for Indonesian airline, Susi Air, when he landed his small Pilatus plane on a ... <a title="No breakthrough in hostage Kiwi pilot talks held by West Papuan rebels" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2024/06/20/no-breakthrough-in-hostage-kiwi-pilot-talks-held-by-west-papuan-rebels/" aria-label="Read more about No breakthrough in hostage Kiwi pilot talks held by West Papuan rebels">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
April 13, 2024
RNZ Pacific More videos appear to have been released by the West Papua National Liberation Army (TPNPB) showing New Zealand hostage Phillip Mehrtens. The New Zealander was taken hostage more than a year ago on February 7 in Paro in the highlands of the Indonesian-ruled region of West Papua while providing vital air links and ... <a title="More videos of Kiwi hostage in Papua – warning over Indonesian air strikes" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2024/04/13/more-videos-of-kiwi-hostage-in-papua-warning-over-indonesian-air-strikes/" aria-label="Read more about More videos of Kiwi hostage in Papua – warning over Indonesian air strikes">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
March 11, 2024
ANALYSIS: By Ali Mirin Papua New Guinea and Indonesia have formally ratified a defence agreement a decade after its initial signing. PNG’s Foreign Minister Justin Tkatchenko and the Indonesian ambassador to the Pacific nation, Andriana Supandy, convened a press briefing in Port Moresby on February 29 to declare the ratification. The agreement enables an enhancement ... <a title="Question for PNG foreign minister Tkatchenko – what does the defence pact mean for West Papua?" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2024/03/11/question-for-png-foreign-minister-tkatchenko-what-does-the-defence-pact-mean-for-west-papua/" aria-label="Read more about Question for PNG foreign minister Tkatchenko – what does the defence pact mean for West Papua?">Read more</a>
