Democracy in South-East Asia is currently under attack. After the Thai Embassy in Jakarta was the target of a demonstration on June 27 because the Thai government arrested Red Shirt activist leaders, today it was the turn of the Malaysian Embassy on Jl. HR Rasuna Said in Kuningan, South Jakarta, to be the target of demonstrators.

Ari Saputra, Jakarta – The Malaysian Embassy in Jakarta has been ‘attacked en masse’ by scores of labour and youth activists condemning the arrest of 30 Malaysian Socialist Party (PSM) activists by the Malaysian government.

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.

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.

Yogyakarta – Scores of demonstrators from the North Maluku-Yogyakarta Special Province Student Alliance for Weda held a protest action at the zero point intersection in the heart of the Central Java city of Yogyakarta on Monday April 4.

Siti Ruqoyah, Jakarta – Thirty or more people from the Indonesian Association of the Families of Missing Persons (Ikohi) and the Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras) who were arrested and taken to the Central Jakarta municipal police station yesterday evening are still being questioned.

Willy Widianto, Jakarta – Thirty or more demonstrators from the Indonesian Association of the Families of Missing Persons (Ikohi) were arrested by police this afternoon for exceeding the agreed limit allowed for a demonstration at the State Palace.

Jakarta – The National Human Rights Commission (Komnas HAM) supports the idea of amnesties for political prisoners with a specific criterion from Papua. Such a step would be even more effective in creating a safer and more peaceful situation if accompanied by intensive dialogue with the Papuan community.

Attention and concern. Something ordinary people hope for from their leaders. Such hopes were clearly apparent when Justice and Human Rights Minister Patrialis Akbar visited the Abepura Penitentiary in Papua on Saturday May 15.

Nala Edwin, Jakarta – The Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras) is urging the government to investigate the beating of Buchtar Tabuni, a prisoner at the Abepura jail near the Papuan provincial capital of Jayapura. The beating triggered a riot at the jail on November 26.