Summary: There were Indonesian security force attacks on Papuan civilians in August with reports of continuing assaults in Puncak Jaya and a new report from Yapen island where security forces terrorized villagers following security force murder of a tribal leader and former political prisoner. Amnesty International-recognized prisoner of conscience Filep Karma has been hospitalized after a week's delay in medical attention at the notorious Abepura prison. The Australian Senate has called for a return of the International Committee of the Red Cross to West Papua after Indonesian officials closed its offices there in the wake of an ICRC visit to Abepura prison this Spring. Despite the jailing of several Papuans alleged to have been behind July attacks in the area of the Freeport mining concession, attacks continued in August. Amnesty International has issued a public statement decrying the lack of progress in the investigation of the murder of Papuan activist Opinus Tabuni. Officials of the Home Affairs Ministry have met with Papuans in a rare dialogue. The discussion falls far short of the senior-level, internationally mediated dialogue that Papuans have been seeking for several years. More than a dozen international organizations meeting in Dili have urged an end to impunity for Indonesian security forces operating in West Papua and for a positive Jakarta response to Papuan calls for dialogue. Senior Papuans, in a late August conference, have emphasized the failure of "special autonomy" to address Papuan needs. Conservation groups have joined together to create a protected region in the waters off West Papua's "bird's head" region.

Contents:
*Security Forces Burn Homes and Churches in Puncak Jaya Region and Terrorize Civilians in Yapen Island
*Inadequate Medical Response to Illness of Papuan Prisoner of Conscience
*Australian Government Voices Concern Over Banning of ICRC in West Papua
*Attacks on Freeport Vehicles Continue in August Despite July Arrests
*Amnesty International Statement Decries Lack of Progress in Investigation of Murdered Peaceful Papuan Protester
*Low-Level Dialogue Between Papuans and Indonesian Government Officials
*At Conference in Dili International Call for End to Impunity in West Papua
*Addressing the Moribund "Special Autonomy" Policy
*Prominent NGO's Join Forces to Protect "Bird's Head" Region

Indonesia is a multiparty democracy with a population of approximately 245 million. Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono became the first directly elected president in free and fair elections in 2004. Civilian authorities generally maintained effective control of the security forces, although the fact that the Indonesian Armed Forces (TNI) continued to be partly self financed weakened this control.