Abraham Utama – The Working Party (Partai Berkarya), which was initiated by former President Suharto’s youngest son Hutomo Mandala Putra alias Tommy Suharto, is aiming to occupy third place in the 2019 legislative elections.

Iwan Supriyatna, Depok – The Depok municipal government is working to anticipate the spread of socially deviant lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) behaviour among youth in the Depok city area.

Petunia – Students planning to convey concerns their about the commercialisation of education to President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo at the Hasanuddin University (Unhas) in the South Sulawesi provincial capital of Makassar have been blocked by fully armed soldiers and paramilitary police.

Fabian Januarius Kuwado, Jakarta – Presidential chief-of-staff Moeldoko has mooted an increasing in the number of non-commissioned officers (Babinsa) and police (Babinkamtibmas) assigned to villages in Indonesia.

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.

The Muhammadiyah Youth Greater Aceh regional board (PDPM) in cooperation with the Indonesian National Youth Committee (KNPI) held a seminar on the theme The Dangers of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) in Society on Saturday February 10 at the Aceh Library Archives auditorium.

government has banned beauty salons from being run by or employing transgender women (waria).

The ban was issued in Regency Instruction Number 1/2018 on the control and licensing of barbers, salons and beauty parlors that are managed and inhabited by lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) groups in the Greater Aceh regency.

Depok – The Depok city Indonesian Underground Social Movement (GMBI) has held a rally in front of the Depok Regional House of Representatives (DPRD) opposing the legalisation of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) relations.

Prayudha, Makassar – Rezki Ameliyah, known by her friends as Melia, has had to swallow a bitter pill. Melia along with her friend and fellow student Mohammad Nur Fiqri have been suspended for two semesters after putting up posters reading “Campus feels like a factory” at the Hasanuddin University (Unhas) in Makassar, South Sulawesi.

Denpasar – It is estimated that economic disruption will result in the loss of between 45-50 million jobs in Indonesia in the near future.

This was revealed by National Development Planning Board (Bappenas) chief Bambang PS Brodjonegoro when quoting from the results of research by the international consulting group McKinsey.

Robertus Belarminus, Jakarta – The Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras) has expressed its appreciation to the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein for raising human rights issues during his visit to Indonesia, including the issue of LGBT rights.

The North Aceh regional police recently arrested 12 transgender women (waria) and forced them to become normal men again.

Aceh Governor Aceh Irwandi Yusuf has spoken at a rally by Islamic organizations (ormas) supporting the actions of North Aceh regency police chief Assistant Superintendent Untung Sangaji who ‘retrained’ 12 transgender women (waria) in North Aceh recently.

Protesters from some 147 organisations (ormas) held a protest action at the Baiturrahman Grand Mosque in the Acehnese provincial capital of Banda Aceh on Friday February 2.

A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Indonesian military (TNI) and police on the involvement of the TNI in police duties such as confronting protests and strikes has been criticised as a step back for reformasi.

Rusdy Nurdiansyah, Depok – The Indonesian Ulama Council (MUI) is paying serious attention to efforts to combat the spread of deviant sexual behaviour such as lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT).

M. Ahsan Ridhoi – A working committee meeting on January 29 between the House of Representatives (DPR) Commission I, TNI (Indonesian military) chief Air Marshal Hadi Tjahjanto and Defense Minister Ryamizard Ryacudu has discussed the issue of Papuan independence.

Mukhlis, Lhoksukon, Aceh – Early on Sunday police and wilayatul hisbah (WH, sharia police) detained 12 transgender women (waria) from a number of beauty salons in North Aceh regency in a ‘Community Disease Operation’.