1st Man: How come we’re not making any progress?

2nd Man: Progress? We don’t even have a driver.

Parcel reads Human Rights, bus reads Reformasi (political reform).

Yudhoyono: Economise! We must tighten our belts (waist band)!

Man: But I don’t have a waist Mr!

Cop: Not in line with our national culture and morals...

Man: And this Mr? (state budget)

Yudhoyono: Restore the party’s image! Problematic members resign!

Kid: And if senior party officials are problematic?

The following is a compilation of abridged translations from the Indonesian media on commemorations held around the country to mark 19 years since the death of labour activist Marsinah. Marsinah was a women activist who led a strike at the PT Catur Putra Surya watch factory in Surabaya, East Java.

Cowboy: Ah, that’s just a rogue individual...

Ita Lismawati F. Malau, Oscar Ferri – After 19 years and 14 years of reformasi (the reform process beginning in 1998), Marsinah’s killer has still not been found. The government is being called on not to neglect the case until the 20-year statute of limitations for murder cases expires.

Rochmanuddin, Jakarta – The Marsinah FM Radio Community together with the Free Women National Committee (KNPM), the Cross-Factory Labour Forum (FBLP), the Indonesian Trade Union Congress Alliance (Kasbi), the Solidarity Alliance for Labour Struggle-United Indonesian Labour Movement (GSPB-PPBI) and the Student Struggle Center for National Liberat

Man: In this republic where so much is unverified, counterfeiting is common place Mr... false pledges, false promises, false police, false license plates, false love... and... false teeth...

Today, May 1, coinciding with the commemoration of International Labour Day, the Greater Jakarta Joint Labour Secretariat (Sekber Buruh) again took to the streets. This was done as a protest and as our responsibility to convince the majority of people that this beloved country is still living in misery.

Denpasar – Scores of workers in the Balinese provincial capital of Denpasar from the Unity for a People’s Independent Nation (Perkasa) demanded that the Bali provincial government immediately form an independent labour supervisory committee.

Adan Bakar, Lampung – A May Day action in the South Sumatra city of Lampung ended in chaos on Tuesday after scores of protesters were involved in a clash with public order agency officers (Satpol PP). As a result one student was injured.

Ismoko Widjaya, Harry Ondo Saragih, Medan – Around 2000 workers blockaded a road directly in front of the Polonia Airport in the North Sumatra provincial capital of Medan on the afternoon of Tuesday May 1. As a result traffic from the city center was paralyzed causing a 5 kilometre traffic jam in both directions.

Baban Gandapurnama, Bandung – Thousands of workers and other groups, which took to the streets to commemorate International Labour Day or May Day at the Gedung Sate governor’s office in the West Java Provincial capital of Bandung, voiced almost identical demands.

Angling Adhitya Purbaya, Semarang – Commemorating May Day, thousands of workers from the Workers Challenge Movement (Gerbang) held a protest action at the Central Java governors’ office on Jl. Pahlawan in the Central Java provincial capital of Semarang.

Jakarta – As many as 100,000 workers from an alliance of trade unions held May Day action in front of the State Palace in Central Jakarta on Tuesday May 1 demanding welfare for the working class.

Taufan Mustafa, Banda Aceh – A demonstration commemorating International Labour Day in the Achenese provincial capital of Banda Aceh on Tuesday May 1 began with a convoy from the Raya Baiturrahman Mosque to the Aceh governor’s office.

Bagus Kurniawan, Yogyakarta – Thousands of students and workers in the Central Java city of Yogyakarta commemorated International Labour Day or May Day on Tuesday May 1.

Chazizah Gusnita, Jakarta – May 1 is not just for celebrating International Labour Day. In Papua, people commemorated May as the day Papua was annexed into the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia (NKRI). More than 1300 people took to the streets.

Elin Yunita Kristanti, Banjir Ambarita (Papua) – Hundreds of Morning Star flags of various sizes were flown when thousands of Papuans held a protest action to demand national independence for Papua in Manokwari, West Papua, on Tuesday May 1.