Jakarta – The draft law on alcoholic beverages has again attracted public attention after the House of Representatives (DPR) Legislative Body (Baleg) revealed plans to begin deliberating the Draft Law on the Prohibition of Alcoholic Beverages (RUU Minol).

Kanavino Ahmad Rizqo, Jakarta – Indonesian Ulama Council (MUI) Secretary General Anwar Abbas has asked the Indonesian military (TNI) to take a firm position on soldiers who are lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender (LGBT). Abbas said this is simply to safeguard the TNI reputation so it is not destroyed in the eyes of the people.

Padang – The Jakarta Alliance of Independent Journalists (AJI) and the Legal Aid Institute for the Press (LBH Pers) are calling on the national police (Polri) to fully investigate the violence committed by police against journalists covering the protest actions against the recently enacted Omnibus Law on Job Creation on Thursday October 8.

Jakarta – Tabernacle Bible Church of Indonesia (GKII) Synod Chairperson Daniel Ronda admits to being disappointed that President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo has yet to respond to the shooting of Pastor Yeremia Zanambani, who was shot dead near his residence in the Hitadipa district of Intan Jaya regency in Papua on Saturday September 19.

Jakarta – The enforcement of total Large Scale Social Restrictions (PSBB, partial lockdown) in Jakarta will be an obstacle for plans by the 212 Alumni Brotherhood (PA 212) and affiliated groups to hold joint screenings (nobar) of the film The Betrayal of the 30 September Movement/Indonesian Communist Party (G30S/PKI).

Ihsanuddin, Jakarta – The Press Council has released the survey results on the 2020 Press Freedom Index (IKP) in 34 provinces throughout Indonesia.

Dian Erika Nugraheny, Jakarta – The recent hacking of the Tempo.co website has not intimidated Tempo’s editors who will continue to take a critical stand in their reporting.

Sania Mashabi, Jakarta – Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation (YLBHI) Chairperson Asfinawati has revealed several indicators that show the Indonesian government wants to return to the era of Suharto’s New Order regime.

The following is a translation of a press release by 17 West Papuan organisations that have launched a Papuan People’s Petition (Petisi Rakyat Papua) to oppose the government’s discussion on renewing Papua’s Special Autonomy Law (Otsus) which expires next year.

Jakarta – The Civil Society Coalition for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders is calling for the release of seven Papuan defendants who are being tried on treason charges at the Balikpapan District Court in East Kalimantan.

Dwi Bowo Raharjo and Yosea Arga Pramudita – The Civil Society Coalition is urging the police to arrest the perpetrators of terror threatening freedom of expression and opinion who have been attacking journalists and activists of late.

Jakarta – Former Banjarhits.id chief editor Diananta Putra has been detained at the South Kalimantan regional police (Polda Kalsel) detention centre since Monday May 4.

Jakarta – Despite supporting President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo in the 2014 and 2019 presidential elections, the Indonesian Confederation of Prosperity Labour Unions (KSBSI) opposes the Draft Omnibus Law on Job Creation.

Achmad Nasrudin Yahya, Jakarta – Three trade union confederations have agreed to revive the Indonesian Trade Union Council (MPBI) to fight the Draft Omnibus Law on Job Creation.

Dwi Bowo Raharjo and Ria Rizki Nirmala Sari – President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo is holding bilateral talks during his visit to Australia on February 8-10.

Dany Garjito and Rifan Aditya – Human Rights lawyer and activist Veronica Koman says that data on Papuan political prisoners (tapol) and the names of those who died as a result of military operations in Nduga was handed over to President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo during his visit to Canberra, Australia.

Jakarta – The director of the Andalas University Law Faculty Constitutional Studies Centre (PUSaKO), Feri Amsari, says that President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo is trying to cover up the systematic defects of the revised Corruption Eradication Commission Law (UU KPK) by choosing KPK supervisory council (dewas) members who have good backgrounds.

Ahmad Bil Wahid, Jakarta – The Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras) has issued a report on the handling of human rights (HAM) issues in 2019 in Indonesia. Kontras concluded that there has been a retreat on human rights issues this year.

Jakarta – The 2019 Press Freedom Index in Papua is still in the lowest position out of Indonesia’s 34 provinces. The Press Freedom Index for Papua stands at 66.56 or “slightly free”, or only one level above “almost free”.

Racism by the ruling class through the security forces and reactionary civil militia groups against the Papuan people has triggered a fight back. The siege and attack on the Papuan student dormitory in the Central Java city of Surabaya on August 16 triggered a wave of anti-racist protests in Papua and across Indonesia.