1st Man: White-collar crime, the judicial mafia, shady conglomerates, or a corruptor?

2nd Man: A robber!

Politicians: Don’t try anything stupid or I’ll spill the beans on your rotten dealings too!

Headline reds: Big cases

Jakarta – The government is still dealing with problems by military means (securitisation, use of extraordinary means in the name of security) in attempting to overcome problems in Papua. But instead of resolving the Papua problem, securitisation is instead the trigger for even more widespread human rights violations.

Jakarta – The number of floating voters is tending to increase. This can be seen not just from the decline in participation levels in elections between 1999 and 2009, but the political parties in general would be unable to hold on to their constituents if an election was held today.

Jakarta – The tales of the New Order regime’s successes, which are being used as a selling point for the Golkar Party, are misleading.

Jakarta – Foreign penetration through multi-national companies in the food sector is increasing and spreading.

Jakarta – Foreign domination of strategic economic sectors is spreading and deepening. It has been suggested that the government reorganised strategic economic development so the benefits are more evenly felt by the ordinary people and greater competitiveness in the face of global competition.

Man: The only thing left is foreign fish (ikan – fish, asin – salty, asin(g) – foreign)

Yet another round of political squabbling has broken out within the government’s ruling coalition – this time over Golkar Party politician Nurdin Halid’s leadership of the beleaguered Football Association of Indonesia (PSSI) – which is being used as a political football by President Yudhoyono’s Democrat Party to weaken Golkar’s hold over the PSS

Bakti Buwono Budiastyo, Bantul – Scores of people from Parangkusumo beach in Bantul district, south of the Central Java city of Yogyakarta, besieged the Bantul regent’s office on the early hours of Thursday May 19. At around 1.30am they gave speeches and conveyed their demands in front of the office of the Number 1 person in Bantul.

Dear comrades,

Let us extend our very warm regards to your 13th congress. We hope this year’s congress will strengthen PSM’s struggle politically, organizationally and ideologically at national and international level.

Kid: Yogya gudeg (a traditional Yogyakarta dish) is delicious Mr... how come you’re rummaging about in it again!

Man: They’re just creating new problems for themselves...

M Hernowo – Case of human rights violations that took place around the time of the fall of the New Order regime have still not been fully resolved. Moreover President Suharto’s decision on May 21, 1998 to release his grip on the reigns power, which he held for 32 years, has been taken advantage of by some groups.

1st Man: Is it being intentionally forgotten or just ignored?

2nd Man: Or being allowed to happen instead?

Novi Christiastuti Adiputri, Jakarta – The Nusantara Marijuana Circle (LGN) held a long-march through the Farmers Monument area in Central Jakarta on Saturday May 7 to commemorate the Global Marijuana March (GMM).

E Mei Amelia R, Jakarta – Indonesian police arrested three Malaysian citizens in relation to the 18th ASEAN Summit in Jakarta on May 7-8. The three were questioned for allegedly taking part in a demonstration at the ASEAN Secretariat on Jl. Sisingamangaraja in South Jakarta on May 5.

Man: Give us an example of model behaviour Mr...

Politician: There’s that example of corruption, collusion and nepotism.

Yohan Wahyu – If we look at the still sidelined state of workers and employees, the need to unite and organise oneself should be a big one. The historical facts in Indonesia however show the reverse, with political parties claiming to be based among workers not in fact “selling well” in the eyes of the voting public.

Laurencius Simanjuntak, Jakarta – Even though its occupants are in recess, the House of Representatives (DPR) building in Central Jakarta was the target of around 150 protesters commemorating Labour Day.

Suci Dian Firani, Jakarta – In addition to demonstrating at the State Palace and House of Representatives (DPR) building, hundreds of workers also commemorated May Day by descending on the Department of Labour and Transmigration (Kemenakertrans) offices demanding welfare improvements.