West Papua

A longtime proponent of non-violence, Filep Karma spent years calling for "a dignified dialogue with the Indonesian government."

Six elite troops have been arrested and accused of involvement in the killing of four indigenous Papuans.

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.