Friski Riana, Jakarta – The Confederation of Indonesian Trade Unions (KSPI) will not join other workers rallying in Jakarta during the commemoration of May Day or International Labour Day on May 1.

Jakarta – President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo held a meeting with trade unions leaders in the Garuda Room at the Bogor Presidential Palace in West Java on Friday April 26. Widodo was accompanied by Labour Minister Hanif Dhakiri and Presidential Chief of Staff Moeldoko.

Jakarta – The Jakarta Legal Aid Foundation (LBH) has launched a report on an investigation into the human rights track record of the presidential and vice presidential candidates contesting the 2019 presidential elections (pilpres).

Jakarta – The deputy chairperson of Prabowo Subianto’s Greater Indonesia Movement Party (Gerindra), Arief Poyuono, will report US independent journalist Allan Nairn to the police who he accuses of spreading lies or fake news.

Jakarta – The Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras) and the Mining Advocacy Network (JATAM) have again warned that both presidential tickets – incumbent President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo and running mate Ma’ruf Amin as well as rival Prabowo Subianto and Sandiaga Uno – have close ties with retired TNI (Indonesian military)

Marlinda Oktavia Erwanti, Jakarta – Presidential hopeful Prabowo Subianto has a simple way of detecting ‘intel’ (intelligence agents) claiming that he can differentiate between intel and supporters at his campaign rallies.

Pradito Rida Pertana, Bantul – Taking place at the offices of the Indonesian Legal Aid and Human Rights Association (PBHI) in the Central Java city of Yogyakarta, a group of activists have declared that they will golput – or abstain from voting – in the 2019 presidential election.

Jakarta – Election Campaign Team (BPN) Communication and Media Director Hashim Djojohadikusumo has spoken about the agreement between the Justice and Prosperity Party (PKS) and the National Mandate Party (PAN) on the allocation of ministerial seats if presidential hopeful Prabowo Subianto and vice presidential running mate Sandiaga Uno win the 2

Surabaya – Dangdut singer Rhoma Irama touched on the Draft Law on the Elimination of Sexual Violence (RUU PKS) in a speech at a campaign rally for presidential hopeful Prabowo Subianto and running mate Sandiaga Uno at the Delta Sidoarjo Sports Stadium in the East Java provincial capital of Surabaya on Sunday March 31.

Muhammad Fida Ul Haq, Jakarta – The country’s peak Islamic body the Indonesian Ulama Council (MUI) has reiterated that the fatwa (edict) declaring that golput – to abstain from voting – is haram (forbidden under God’s law) that was issued at the Assembly of Islamic Scholars in Padang in 2014 is still valid.

Jakarta – A survey by the Voxpol Center found that the majority of Indonesians don’t care about or aren’t interested in the promises made by the presidential (capres) and vice presidential (cawapres) candidates in the 2019 presidential elections (pilpres).

The following is a statement by the Organisation of Socialist Youth Groups (OKMS) on the terrorist attack against worshipers performing Friday prayers in Christchurch New Zealand.

Lisye Sri Rahayu, Jakarta – Presidential candidate Prabowo Subianto is known to hold land use rights (HGU) over thousands of hectares of land in Aceh and East Kalimantan. Prabowo has promised to return the land to the state within 10 days after being inaugurated as president.

Jakarta – National Human Rights Commission (Komnas HAM) commissioner Choirul Anam says that the Attorney General’s Office (AGO) could forcibly summon Agum Gumelar over his admission about the abduction and forced disappearances of pro-democracy activists in 1998.

Jakarta – The younger brother of missing radical street poet and labour activist Wiji Thukul, Wahyu Susilo, is urging presidential hopeful Prabowo Subianto to go to the National Human Rights Commission (Komnas HAM) and testify on the abduction and the forced disappearance of democracy activists by the Rose Team in 1997-98.

Jakarta – Dionysius Utomo Rahardjo, the father of pro-democracy activist Petrus Bima Anugrah who was abducted in 1998 for challenging Suharto’s New Order regime, is pessimistic that President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo will resolve the human rights violations that took place in 1997-1998 if he is re-elected in April.

Lani Diana Wijaya, Jakarta – The government is being asked to ascertain the fate of the activists who disappeared after being abducted in 1998.

Dimas Jarot Bayu – A recent survey by Concept Indonesia (Konsepindo) shows that only four political parties will gain seats in the national parliament in the 2019 general election (pemilu).

Indah Mutiara Kami, Jakarta – The deputy chairperson of Prabowo Subianto’s Greater Indonesia Movement Party (Gerindra), Fadli Zon, has again met with fugitive Islamic Defenders Front (FPI) leader Habib Rizieq Shihab in Mecca where they posed together making the two-finger salute.

Kosim Rahman – Former members of the recently banned Hizbut Tahrir Indonesia (HTI) group, which had previously campaigned for radical Islamic ideas, is believed to be supporting the 02 presidential campaign ticket (Paslon) of Prabowo Subianto and Sandiaga Uno in the 2019 elections.