Indonesia

Karma is serving a 15-year jail sentence for treason after he raised the banned Morning Star flag at a political rally in 2004.

The former public servant was told he could be freed from Abepura prison on Indonesia's Independence Day, August 17, due to usual remissions in a sentence for good behaviour.

But Karma rejected the package of release on the national holiday.

He said he would be happy to walk free the day after, if his release was “unconditional”.

A boy was killed and around eleven people injured in the shootings in the Tolikara centre of Karubaga, amid unrest in which shops and a small mosque were burnt.

Religious leaders signed a peace treaty following the incident a month ago.

The Jakarta Post reports Papua's police chief Paulus Waterpauw has said closure resulting from the treaty would not last long as it would not be accepted by certain groups.

He says the incident must be legally processed and not just dealt with by customary settlement.

A local military commander said the search for bodies has ended.

The dead included all 122 on the plane, including military personnel and family members, and people in a residential area of Medan city where the C-130 Hercules crashed shortly after takeoff on Tuesday, North Sumatra police Maj. A. Tarigan told TVOne station.

The final death toll may not be determined for some time. Body parts were also retrieved from the rubble and transported to a hospital in two body bags.

He said this after the MSG group granted Indonesia application to be an Associate member and gave the United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP) Observer Status.

“As a Melanesian Group, it is important that we hear what our communities are demanding,” O’Neill told leaders at the closing of the MSG meeting.

He says the decision to include Indonesia and ULMWP is one that is very historic.

“As everyone else in the region, we want the same things. We want peace, we want security and we want better standards of living for our families.” Says O’Neill

In a break from tradition where announcement of the MSG Leaders decision is supposed to be made by its chair, host of the summit, Prime Minister Mannaseh Sogavare of Solomon Islands, O’Neill’s office announced that Indonesia is an associate member of the MSG and that the United Liberation Movement of West Papua has been granted observer status.
 
“Today is very a important day for peace and goodwill for our brothers and sisters living in Indonesia’s Melanesian provinces,” said O’Neill’s press announcement.