Summary: WPAT's annual "John Rumbiak Human Rights Defender's Award for 2009 has been awarded to the East Timor and Indonesia Action Network (ETAN) and its National Coordinator John M. Miller. Despite the remoteness of the area and Indonesian restrictions on access, reports are emerging of a new "sweep" operation in Puncak Jaya which has already led to mass civilian displacement and some civilian deaths. U.S. Representative Eni Faleomavaega has at the last minute pulled language from a key House of Representatives Bill. The language would have required State Department reporting to Congress about West Papua. Human Rights Watch in June issued two compelling reports: one on continued human rights violations in West Papua by Indonesia's "Special Forces' (KOPASSUS) and one on prisoner abuse in West Papua.Freeport shareholders fail in a vote to get an Environmentalist on the Freeport board but collect a significant percentage of shareholder votes. A new report implicates President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and U.S. officials in a miscarriage of justice concerning the 2002 murder and wounding of U.S. and Indonesian citizens at Timika in West Papua. An academic reviews the historic-diplomatic connection between West Papua and Africa. Indonesian academics have echoed calls by Papuans for several years for a Jakarta-Papuan dialogue.

The Shepherd Alliance Party of Vanuatu supporting the move to bring the issue of West Papuan Independence to the U. N decolonisation committee. A delegation of West Papuans and Australian supporters attended their 1st National Assembly and made this film.