Indonesia

Indonesia rejects claims about ACP meeting

The ACP Council of Ministers in Brussels reportedly heard a joint statement on Papua from seven Pacific countries - Vanuatu, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, Nauru, Palau and the Marshall Islands.

The statement condemned Indonesian human rights violations in Papua and called for a resolution supporting the right of West Papuan political self-determination.

However, Indonesia's embassy in New Zealand says the ACP agreed in April that the group would not cover the issue of Papua in future meetings.

Pacific nations back West Papuan self-determination

Vanuatu, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, Nauru, Palau and the Marshall Islands delivered a joint statement at the ACP's Council of Ministers in Brussels.

It condemned Indonesian human rights violations in Papua, including alleged crimes against humanity and called for an eventual resolution that includes support of the right of West Papuan political self-determination.

Indonesia jail breakout: Hundreds of prisoners escape

Footage aired on local TV stations showed dozens of men rushing out of a side entrance at Sialang Bungkuk prison in Pekanbaru City, with no sign of anyone following them.

About 200 people escaped after being let out of cells for Friday prayers.

More than a third were subsequently recaptured.

Ferdinand Siagian, from the region's law ministry, said that the jail had only five or six guards on duty for nearly 1,900 inmates, in a prison supposed to hold only 300.

'Oldest human' dies in Indonesia 'aged 146'

According to his papers, Sodimedjo, also known as Mbah Ghoto (grandpa Ghoto), was born in December 1870.

But Indonesia only started recording births in 1900 - and there have been mistakes before.

Yet officials told the BBC his papers were valid, based on documents he provided and interviews with him.

He was taken to hospital on 12 April because of deteriorating health. Six days later he insisted on checking out to return home.

"Since he came back from the hospital, he only ate spoonfuls of porridge and drank very little," his grandson Suyanto told the BBC.

Freeport and Jakarta compromise over Papua mining

Reuters reports that the losses appear to be pushing the Indonesian government and Freeport to resolve the row.

Indonesian man's body found inside python - police

Akbar went missing on Sunday on the island of Sulawesi, after leaving to harvest palm oil.

In the search for the 25-year-old, police told BBC Indonesian that they had found a huge snake they suspected had swallowed the man.

The reticulated python, reported to be 7m (23ft)-long, was cut open and the man's body was found.

 

How can a snake eat a human?

Reticulated pythons are among the world's longest reptiles and suffocate their victims before swallowing them whole.

Assessment of damage to West Papua reef grim

Assessment was carried out by teams from the government and the insurance company for the British-owned Caledonian Sky, which ran aground on coral reefs in West Papua's famous Raja Ampat archipelago.

The Jakarta Post quotes Indonesia's deputy for maritime sovereignty at the Office of the Coordinating Maritime Affairs Minister, Arif Havas Oegroseno.

He said the two teams concluded the ship damaged 18,882 square meters.

The damaged area has been divided into two categories: over two-thirds were "heavily damaged" while the rest suffered "medium damage".

French journo pair deported from West Papua

The office's head Samuel Enock said Jean Pierre and Basille Longhamp were sponsored by Garuda to report on a number of stories in Indonesia, but they started their work before obtaining the necessary documents, which were still being processed

Mr Enock said as a consequence, the pair had been banned from entering Indonesia for the next six months.

The pair was deported from Timika to France via Jakarta on a Garuda flight on Friday.

Indonesia hosts MSG police heads

The meeting is being chaired by Solomon Islands, as the current holder of the MSG chairmanship.

Other full members are Papua New Guinea, Fiji, Vanuatu and New Caledonia's FLNKS Kanaks movement.

Discussions will focus on emerging trends of crime, as well as regional security issues and how MSG countries can contribute to UN operations around the world.

The meeting of police ministers is expected to discuss progress made on the Regional Police Academy initiative, for which Indonesia has offered the Pacific countries assistance.

Australia and Indonesia restore full military ties

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull made the announcement in Sydney alongside Indonesian President Joko Widodo.

Both said they were also committed to concluding a free trade deal this year.

The material allegedly ridiculed Indonesia's founding principles, known as Pancasila, and its military.

"President Widodo and I have agreed to full restoration of defence co-operation, training exchanges and activities," Mr Turnbull told a news conference.