Racism by the ruling class through the security forces and reactionary civil militia groups against the Papuan people has triggered a fight back. The siege and attack on the Papuan student dormitory in the Central Java city of Surabaya on August 16 triggered a wave of anti-racist protests in Papua and across Indonesia.

Makassar – Students living at the Papuan dormitory in the South Sulawesi provincial capital of Makassar clashed with a group of people from an ormas (social or mass organisations) this evening, Monday August 19.

Deti Mega Purnamasari, Jakarta – Democracy in Indonesia has declined for the first time since the beginning of the reformasi era – the political reform process that began in 1998. The cause of the decline in democracy is of high levels of discrimination against minorities.

Agus Setyadi, Banda Aceh – A Base Jam concert on the closing night of the 2019 Aceh Culinary Festival (ACF) has been closed down by a hardline Islamic group. The band, which gained fame through hit songs such as Not Pujangga, decided to leave the stage after the third song.

Glery Lazuardi, Jakarta – The Civil Society Coalition is calling on the government to postpone the ratification of the Draft Criminal Code (RKUHP) because it still contains articles on insulting religion and blasphemy which are open to multiple interpretations and are applied in a discriminative way.

Jakarta – Indonesian Institute for Science (LIPI) researcher Amin Mudzakir has revealed that that based on the results of a LIPI survey in 2018, there are three regions where there is a high-level of acceptance of fake news or hoaxes.

Danu Damarjati, Jakarta – The office of the Jakarta chief prosecutor (kejati) has launched a smart phone application called the Social Beliefs and Teachings Monitor (Pengawasan Aliran Kepercayaan Masyarakat) or Smart Pakem for short.

Muhammad Radityo Priyasmoro, Jakarta – The head of the Justice and Prosperity Party (PKS) faction in the House of Representatives (DPR) says that Indonesian lawmakers firmly rejected the legalisation and spread of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) at the general assembly of the 139th Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) which took place o

Ardian Fanani, Banyuwangi – The Islamic Defenders Front (FPI) says that the reason it opposes the Gandrung Sewu Dance Festival in Banyuwangi, East Java, is because of the string of recent disasters that have hit Indonesia.

The Deputy Chairperson of Prabowo Subianto’s Greater Indonesia Movement Party (Gerindra), Ferry Juliantono, says that it is natural to use identity politics in general elections because in several countries, identity politics are one of the considerations in choosing a leader.