Vincentius Jyestha, Jakarta – National Police Public Information Bureau Head Brigadier Dedi Prasetyo says that people inviting others to golput – to abstain from voting – in the April 17 presidential and legislative elections could be prosecuted.

Ikhsan Abdul Hakim – The actions by North Sumatra University (USU) Rector Runtung Sitepu in closing down the student press publication Suara USU (Voice of USU) has been criticised by many parties.

Medan, Sumut News – Students from the group Student Solidarity Speaking Out (Somber) from the North Sumatra University (USU) held a protest action in front of the USU rectorate on Thursday March 28.

Jones Gultom, Medan – A number of student organisations from the North Sumatra University (USU) which are part of the group Student Solidarity Speaking Out (Somber) held a peaceful protest at the USU campus on Thursday March 28.

Jakarta – Coordinating Minister for Security, Politics and Legal Affairs (Menko Polhukam) Wiranto says that people who invite others to golput – to abstain from voting – in the 2019 elections will be considered anarchists.

Jakarta – Indonesia Corruption Watch (ICW) says there are 1,466 state civil servants (PNS) who have been proven guilty of corruption but have yet to be dismissed. The state is also suffering financial losses because they are still receiving wages.

Jakarta – The Institute for Criminal Justice Reform (ICJR) is protesting a statement by Coordinating Minister for Security, Politics and Legal Affairs (Menko Polhukam) Wiranto who stated that people who encourage others to golput – to abstain from voting – in the 2019 elections can be prosecuted by law.

Dwi Andayani, Jakarta – The country’s peak Islamic body the Indonesia Ulama Council (MUI) has declared that taking a position of golput – to abstain from voting – in the elections is haram (forbidden under the Islamic law).

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.

Medan – The North Sumatra Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras) says it regrets a decision by the University of North Sumatra’s (USU) rector to revoke the Voice of USU’s (Suara USU) editorial board’s Student Press accreditation.

Human Rights Watch (HRW) says that the growing number of people being jailed for sending WhatsApp messages critical of the government and private companies is having a a disastrous and chilling effect on free speech and the government should repeal criminal provisions that restrict peaceful free expression online.

Jakarta – The country’s peek religious body, the Indonesian Ulama Council (MUI), is calling on the Indonesian public to use their right to vote on voting day in the 2019 presidential and legislative elections on April 17. Taking a position of not voting or golput is haram – forbidden under Islamic law.

On the afternoon of March 23 around 70 people from various different organisations which are part of the People United Front (FPR) and the Anti-Militarism Students Against Military Operations in Nduga held a protest action in the Simpang Lima district of the East Java provincial capital of Semarang.

On the afternoon of Monday March 18, scores of people from various different groups held a protest action at the Yogyakarta Monument in the Central Java city of Yogyakarta.

Prayugo Utomo – The fate of the North Sumatra University (USU) Student Press Institute’s Voice of USU (Suara USU) is on the “horns of a dilemma”.

Despite new mechanisms introduced to allow businesses to process permits for export and import activities under one roof, dwell times at the country’s ports remains stubbornly high – weighed down by corruption, red tape and overlapping regulations.

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).

From an oped piece titled The Sugar Industry’s Economic Rentierism

Indonesia is the world’s second-largest sugar importer behind China and imports have doubled over the last 10 years. Last year, less than half the sugar consumed in Indonesia was grown domestically.

Agus Bebeng, Bandung – Commemorating the Global Day of Solidarity with Venezuela, a group of protesters from the Solidarity Committee for Venezuela (KSV) held a protest action in West Java provincial capital of Bandung on the afternoon of Monday March 18.

Ahmad Fauzan, Bandung – Scores of youth activists from the Solidarity Committee for Venezuela (KSV) held a protest action in the West Java provincial capital of Bandung on Monday March 19 to express the solidarity of Bandung youth with the economic crisis being suffered by the people of Venezuela.