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.

Eva Safitri, Jakarta – Women activists from a number of different organisations commemorated International Women’s Day (IWD) with demands for equality and opposing discrimination, violence, intolerance and poverty.

Muhammad Genantan Saputra – Protesters calling themselves the Civil Society Alliance Against the Draft Criminal Code held a rally at the front gate of the House of Representatives (DPR) building on Jl. Gatot Subroto in Central Jakarta on Monday February 12 saying that the RKUHP will trample on democratic principles.

Jakarta (BM) – Protesters calling themselves the Civil Society Alliance Against the Draft Criminal Code (RUU KUHP) held a rally on Monday February 12 in front of the House of Representatives (DPR) rejecting the draft law which they say is anti-democratic.

Gibran Maulana Ibrahim, Jakarta – This afternoon the House of Representatives (DPR) enacted revisions to the Legislative Institutions Law (UU MD3) which contains several controversial articles, one of which is that anyone who criticise the DPR can be prosecuted under law.

Yogya – Activists commemorating 44 years since the Malari Affair on January 15 again reminded people that many of the demands and hopes of that time have yet to be realised.

Jakarta – Using the momentum of Youth Pledge Day on Friday October 28, the Student Struggle Center for National Liberation (Pembebasan) held commemorations to mark the historic day in Jakarta and other cities around the country.

Jakarta action

Poso – The Central Sulawesi Indonesian People’s Center for Struggle (PPRI) held a free speech forum at the Clock traffic circle in Poso city on Wednesday October 19.

Jakarta – The presence of activists and academics within Presidential Palace circles are often considered an opportunity to push for democratic reform in the bureaucracy.

Ahmad Mustaqim, Yogyakarta – Pro-democracy activists in the Central Java city of Yogyakarta have called for a campaign against militarism during a commemoration of 18 years since the fall of former President Suharto’s New Order dictatorship.