West Papua

The killings came amid protests over an Indonesian government plan to create new provinces in the eastern region.

A plan to create three new provinces in the Papua region highlights how Jakarta's development approach has failed to resolve a long-running conflict.

The plan to break Papua and West Papua into five provinces has spurred widespread protests in the eastern region.

The attack came on the same day that a group of U.N. experts called out Indonesia's "shocking abuses" in the eastern province.

Human rights specialists noted a deterioration in the security situation since the assassination of a high-ranking Indonesian intelligence officer last April.

Rights groups claim that the revised law could lead to “further marginalization and militarization in the region.”

The reports follows Indonesian government promises of a crackdown on separatist fighters in the eastern region.

Labeling the West Papua National Army-Free Papua Organization a terrorist outfit complicates future conflict resolution efforts.

The uneasy region seems set for another cycle of military crackdowns and separatist counter-attacks.

Attacks by rebels in several districts in Papua have increased over the past year.

Benny Wenda has been a fierce advocate for the West Papuan cause. Why is it, then, that the proclamation of his presidency has been met with marked skepticism within West Papua?