Indonesia

20 people killed when flooding wipes out part of school in Indonesia

At least 11 of those who died in the flooding Friday were students, according to Sutopo Purwo Nugroho of the disaster mitigation agency. Some students are still missing. The flooding was in Mandailing Natal, North Sumatra.

Some of the students were buried under debris and mud after the Aek Saladi river overflowed, according to state media.

Seven Papuans killed in Indonesian military operation

The remote Highlands area has been the focus of efforts by the Indonesian military, or TNI, to hunt down members of the West Papua Liberation Army.

Five civilians, including two young children, were killed according to local human rights workers as the TNI mounted land and air attacks on the Liberation Army in Tingginambut District.

Two members of the Liberation Army were also reportedly killed in the incident which happened earlier this week.

How warning system failed Indonesia’s earthquake and tsunami victims

A tsunami warning was sent out - lasting just over 30 minutes - but it appears to have drastically underestimated the scale of the tsunami that would follow. So what went wrong?

A 7.5 magnitude earthquake occurred just off the island of Sulawesi at 18:03 local time (10:03 GMT) on Friday, triggering dozens of aftershocks.

Indonesia's meteorological and geophysics agency BMKG issued a tsunami warning just after the initial quake, warning of potential waves of 0.5 to three metres.

But it lifted the warning just over 30 minutes later.

Scores die as quake again hits Indonesian island

Hundreds of people have been wounded by the quake, disaster management officials added.

The 7 magnitude tremor damaged thousands of buildings and triggered power cuts.

On the neighbouring island of Bali, video footage showed people running from their homes screaming.

It comes a week after another quake hit Lombok, a popular tourist site for its beaches and hiking trails, killing at least 16 people.

The US Geological Survey said the latest quake, off the north coast of Lombok, struck 10km (6.21 miles) underground.

Indonesian influence in the Pacific grows, despite Papua disquiet

The West Papuan independence movement has significant traction in the region, where it continues to push for its self-determination aspirations to be addressed by the international community.

Considering Papua's political status as non-negotiable, Indonesia has been busy strengthening ties with a number of countries in the three Pacific Islands regions of Melanesia, Polynesia and Micronesia.

Indonesia yet to allow UN Commissioner into Papua

Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein told a meeting of the Human Rights Council he was concerned the government's invitation to visit Papua had still not been honoured.

In his global update on human rights issues, Mr Al Hussein said he had been invited to visit Papua during his visit to Indonesia in February.

There had been positive engagement by the Indonesian authorities in many other respects, Mr Al Hussein said.

 

     

Indonesia not in MSG to undermine West Papua freedom push

A war of words between Fiji and Solomon Islands has broken out over Indonesia's admission, as an associate member, to the sub-regional group in 2015.

The Solomon Islands deputy prime minister Manasseh Sogavare accused Fiji of forcing other MSG countries to accept Indonesia.

But Fiji's defence minister Ratu Inoke Kubuabola has said this is not true.

Fiji hits back over Indonesia's place in the MSG

Speaking in the Solomons parliament Monday, Manasseh Sogavare said Fiji should apologise for bringing Indonesia into the MSG.  

He said Fiji's Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama breached MSG procedure by forcing the other four full members to accept Indonesia as part of the sub-regional grouping, whose full members are Papua New Guinea, Fiji, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu and FLNKS Kanaks movement of New Caledonia.  

Indonesia was admitted to the MSG with observer status in 2011 after Bainimarama assumed the MSG's rotational chairmanship.  

Indonesia warns MSG states not to meddle in other countries' affairs

The warning was delivered by the Indonesian Foreign Ministry's Director General of Asia-Pacific and African Affairs, Desra Percaya, at this week's MSG leaders summit.

The summit was hosted by Papua New Guinea's prime minister Peter O'Neill in Port Moresby.

It was attended by leaders and officials from the other four full MSG members: Vanuatu, Solomon Islands, Fiji and New Caledonia's FLNKS Kanaks Movement.

Indonesia, which is an associate member, was represented by Mr Percaya who endorsed the MSG's plan on regional co-operation and common prosperity.

Strong earthquake strikes Indonesia; 2 dead

The 6.5-magnitude quake was centered in Cipatujah, in the western part of Java, the US Geological Survey said, at a depth of 91.9 kilometers (about 57 miles).

Residents felt the quake about 190 miles away (305 kilometers) in the capital of Jakarta, where people briefly evacuated to the ground floor of their high-rises.

Tremors were also felt in the cities of Bandung, more than 63.5 miles away (102.1 kilometers) and Yogyakarta, more than 211 miles away (339.9 kilometers), authorities said.