Taufiq Siddiq, Jakarta – Attorney General Muhammad Prasetyo is proposing that massive raids be carried out to hunt down books which contain communist teachings and banned ideologies. The proposal was made after the seizure of hundreds of books around the country allegedly containing “banned ideas”.

Gibran Maulana Ibrahim, Jakarta – Attorney General Muhammad Prasetyo has spoken out about hundreds of books on communism that were seized last year in Kediri, East Java. According to Prasetyo, more raids need to be carried out if indeed these books contain communist teachings.

Ibnu Hariyanto, Jakarta – In the lead up to the 2019 presidential and legislative elections in April a movement has emerged promoting golput or white movement, meaning those who do not vote for any one of the candidates. Does this violate the law?

Jakarta -- Civil society organisations grouped under the Civil Society Coalition have declared that not casting a vote or golput (white movement) in elections is a right and not a crime. Jakarta Legal Aid Foundation (LBH) Director Arif Maulana asserts that not voting or golput is a political choice in a society.

Fadiyah Alaidrus – Padang Mayor Mahyeldi Ansharullah views Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) people as a sickness that is caused by the environment and economic factors.

Jakarta – The planned release of Abu Bakar Bashir has turned into a polemic with the government still vacillating about whether or not to release the leader of the Indonesian Mujahidin Council (MMI).

Yulida Medistiara, Jakarta – Attorney General Muhammad Prasetyo will discuss the resolution of gross past human rights cases with the National Human Rights Commission (Komnas HAM). He will do this so that there are no misunderstandings about how to resolve them.

Jakarta – The Nusantara Traditional Community Alliance (AMAN) has accused President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo as the head of state of being neoliberal because his policies are always orientated towards the economic sector.

Andhika Prasetia and Rachmadi Rasyad, West Bandung – President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo’s vice presidential running mate Ma’ruf Amin says that he proposed the release of Al-Mu’min Islamic boarding school leader Abu Bakar Bashir back in 2018. But at the time, Bashir still had to submit an appeal for clemency with President Widodo.

Putra Ramadhani Astyawan, Jakarta – The lawyer for President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo and vice presidential running mate Ma’ruf Amin’s election campaign team, Yusril Ihza Mahendra, says that Widodo’s release of Abu Bakar Bashir is evidence that head of state does not criminalise ulama (Islamic clerics).

Denpasar – Scores of people from the People’s United Forum (FPR) and the Papuan Student Alliance (AMP) held a rally in and around the Renon area in the Balinese provincial capital of Denpasar on Friday January 18.

Jakarta – Indonesian Institute for Science (LIPI) researcher Amin Mudzakir has revealed that that based on the results of a LIPI survey in 2018, there are three regions where there is a high-level of acceptance of fake news or hoaxes.

Amid a series of arrests of high-profile politicians in sting operations by the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK), many voters were eagerly awaiting the first live presidential debate scheduled for tomorrow evening between incumbent President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo (left) and vice presidential running mate Ma’ruf Amin and rival Prabowo Subia

Rizal Bomantama, Jakarta – Indonesian military (TNI) commander Air Martial Hadi Tjahjanto says that the TNI’s new Special Operational Command (Koopsus) will be involved in combating terrorism and play a direct role in surveillance and close-quarter observation.

Irwan Rismawan, Jakarta – The lawyer representing Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) senior investigator Novel Baswedan, Saor Siagian, believes that there are parties which are intentionally taking advantage of the 2017 acid attack against his client as a commodity for their political campaigns.

Jakarta – Attacking each other, slander and the use of SARA (sectarian and identity politics) being accentuated by the presidential election candidates is disappointing the millennial generation. They are now threatening that if the situation does not improve, they will golput (abstain from voting) in the April 17 general elections.

Jakarta – Greater Indonesia Movement Party (Gerindra) Central Leadership Board Chairperson Desmond J Mahesa is convinced that presidential hopeful Prabowo Subianto will not shy away from solving the 1997-98 abductions of pro-democracy activists if he is elected as president.

M Guruh Nuary, Jakarta – The Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras) says that the four year administration of President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo and Vice President Jusuf Kalla has failed to resolve past cases of gross human rights (HAM) violations.

Wisnoe Moerti – The Attorney General’s Office (AGO) has returned nine case dossiers on past gross human rights violations to the National Human rights Commission (Komnas HAM).

Jakarta – The Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras) hopes that the candidates who will fight it out in the 2019 presidential election can explain their views on what they will do with regard to the Ahmadiyah, the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) community and the families of former Indonesian Communist Par