Manado – In the lead up to International Women’s Day (IWD) on March 8, a number of organisations in Manado, North Sulawesi, have joined together in the Civil Society Coalition Against Sexual Violence (KMSAKS) to hold actions supporting the Draft Law on the Elimination of Sexual Violence (RUU PKS).

Jakarta – Former Army Strategic Reserves Command (Green Berets, Kostrad) chief of staff retired Major General Kivlan Zen has spoken out about a request for money from Wiranto in 1998. Zen claimed that he asked Wiranto for money to cover the cost of setting up Pam Swakarsa.

Indra Komara, Jakarta – Air force chief of staff (KSAU) Air Martial Yuyu Sutisna has attended the Avalon Air Show in Melbourne, Australia. During a break in the visit, Sutisna met with the Commander General of the US 1st Marine Aircraft Wing, Major General Thomas D Weidley.

Indonesian Institute of Science (LIPI) senior researcher Siti Zuhro has spoken out about the plan for active TNI (Indonesian military) officers to be placed in strategic posts in ministries and government institutions.

Jakarta – Military observer Khairul Fahmi from the Institute for Security and Strategic Studies (ISESS) says that the plan to place active TNI (Indonesian military) officers in strategic positions in ministries and government institutions goes against the mandate of reformasi.

Jakarta – The Prabowo Subianto and Sandiaga Uno election campaign team (BPN) has admitted that three housewives in Karawang, West Java, who went door-to-door telling people that “the call to prayer would be banned and same-sex marriage would be allowed if Jokowi wins” are indeed election campaign volunteers.

Farrah AM/ADV – House of Representatives (DPR) Commission XI member Heri Gunawan from Prabowo Subianto’s Greater Indonesia Movement Party (Gerindra) says that his party wants to focus on the protection and rehabilitation of sexual violence victims.

Mulia Ramdhan Fauzani – The word golput or white group – to abstain from voting – has been heard more frequently in concert with the approach of the 2019 legislative and presidential elections. The general narrative that is most often heard is that golput is that it is irresponsible.

On February 20 the International Women’s Day Joint Committee alliance held an action at the Gajah Mada University (UGM) in the Central Java city of Yogyakarta. The action was launched in response to developments in a case of sexual violence against a female UGM student known as Agni by fellow student HS in 2017.

Gita Irawan, Jakarta – Army Chief of Staff (Kasad) General Andika Perkasa and Australian Defense Force chief General Angus John Campbell have agreed to further increase military cooperation between the two countries.