Jakarta – The younger brother of missing radical street poet and labour activist Wiji Thukul, Wahyu Susilo, is urging presidential hopeful Prabowo Subianto to go to the National Human Rights Commission (Komnas HAM) and testify on the abduction and the forced disappearance of democracy activists by the Rose Team in 1997-98.

Jakarta – Dionysius Utomo Rahardjo, the father of pro-democracy activist Petrus Bima Anugrah who was abducted in 1998 for challenging Suharto’s New Order regime, is pessimistic that President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo will resolve the human rights violations that took place in 1997-1998 if he is re-elected in April.

Lani Diana Wijaya, Jakarta – The government is being asked to ascertain the fate of the activists who disappeared after being abducted in 1998.

Dimas Jarot Bayu – A recent survey by Concept Indonesia (Konsepindo) shows that only four political parties will gain seats in the national parliament in the 2019 general election (pemilu).

M Iqbal, Jakarta – Victims of forced land evictions at the Cikuasa Beach and Kramat Raya in Cilegon City, Banten province, have declared that they will golput or abstain from voting in the 2019 elections. The total number of voters in the two areas amounts to some 3,000 people.

International Women’s Day (IWD) was commemorated in the East Java provincial capital of Semarang on Friday March 8 by the Equality Alliance Front (Aliansi Barisan Kesetaraan, ABK) – an alliance of several organisations and individuals in Semarang fighting for women’s liberation and other oppressed groups.

Indah Mutiara Kami, Jakarta – The deputy chairperson of Prabowo Subianto’s Greater Indonesia Movement Party (Gerindra), Fadli Zon, has again met with fugitive Islamic Defenders Front (FPI) leader Habib Rizieq Shihab in Mecca where they posed together making the two-finger salute.

Samsudhuha Wildansyah, Jakarta – Presidential candidate incumbent President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo personally attended an event on March 10 to hear a declaration of support from the Betawi Brotherhood Forum (FBR).

At least 16 civil society groups in the West Java provincial capital of Bandung commemorated International Women’s Day (IWD) with a march on Friday March 8 demanding equality for women.

The group, calling itself the Clamber Alliance, focused on demanding rights for women workers, women’s farmers and women working in education.

Dewanto Samodro, Jakarta – International Women’s Day (IWD), which is commemorated every year on March 8 in Jakarta, was marked by a march from the Bank Indonesia traffic circle to the Aspiration Park in front of the State Palace in Central Jakarta.