Oleh Farid M. Ibrahim – Welcoming December 1, 2019 yesterday, activists from the Free Papua Organisation (OPM) and its supporters in a number of different countries held actions in which they brought and flew the Morning Star independence flag. Several activities were coordinated on social media through the hashtag #GlobalFlagRaising.

Jakarta – The Jayapura municipal police have declared 20 people accused of being Free Papua sympathisers as suspects on charges of makar (treason, subversion, rebellion). The 20 are part of a group of 34 Free Papua sympathisers who were arrested by a joint team from the Jayapura municipal police on Saturday November 30.

Jakarta – The Jayapura district police (Polres) have arrested 34 people for allegedly planning to celebrate the Free Papua Movement’s (OPM) anniversary on Sunday December 1.

Bangun Santoso – The secretary of the Islamic-based United Development Party (PPP) faction in the House of Representatives, Achmad Baidowi or Awiek supports the Attorney General’s Office (AGO) ban on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) people applying as candidate state civil servants or CPNS.

Jakarta – Greater Indonesia Movement Party (Gerindra) Executive Board Deputy Chairperson Sufmi Dasco Ahmad has clarified that a speech delivered by the Defense University rector during a discussion on the Indonesian Communist Party (PKI), which was given on behalf of Defense Minister (Menhan) and Gerindra chairperson Prabowo Subianto, was done s

Eva Safitri, Jakarta – Coordinating Minister for Security, Politics and Legal Affairs Mahfud Md says that cases of human rights (HAM) violations are still being used as a political commodity and his ministry is serious about resolving them through a non-judicial mechanism.

Dian Kurniati, Jakarta – The Presidential Palace has confirmed that it plans to revive the law on a Truth and Reconciliation Commission (KKR) which was annulled by the Constitutional Court in 2006.

Jakarta – Civil freedoms under the administration of President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo are seen as having declined. Based on the results of a Saiful Mujani Research Center (SMRC) survey between May and June 2019, 43 percent of respondents said they were afraid of expressing an opinion in public.

Jakarta – Pancasila Youth (Pemuda Pancasila, PP) Deputy General Chairperson, Bambang Soesatyo, has stated that the organisation will take a tough stand against anyone who intends to disrupts the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia (NKRI), the state ideology Pancasila or President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo.

Valda Kustarini, Jakarta – President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo has appointed constructional law expert Mahfud MD as the new Coordinating Minister for Security, Politics and Legal Affairs (Menko Polhukam).

Despite this, Mahfud’s appointment may not guarantee that the government will soon solve cases of past gross human rights violations.

Ihsanuddin, Jakarta – President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo has cancelled a meeting with student representatives who have been holding protest actions against the Draft Criminal Code (RKUHP) and the revised Corruption Eradication Commission Law (UU KPK).

Leon Kastayudha – Bacharuddin Jusuf Habibie died on September 12 at the age of 83. As the third president of Indonesia, his administration straddled the upheavals of Suharto’s New Order regime and reformasi – the political reform movement that began in 1998.

Wahyu Setiawan, Jakarta – The Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras) says that the meeting between President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo and scores of Papuan figures at the State Palace three days ago failed to resolve the problems in Papua.

Jakarta – Inter-faith religious leaders have called on the government to be careful in dealing with the problems in Papua.

Valda Kustarini and Adi Ahdiat, Jakarta – The Papua representative office of the National Human Rights Commission (Komnas HAM) is urging the government to deal with the Papua conflict through dialogue with the “appropriate” parties.

Jakarta – Indonesian police chief (Kapolri) General Tito Karnavian claims that Papuan independence leader Benny Wenda, the United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP) and the pro-independence West Papua National Committee (KNPB) were behind the anarchic demonstrations in and outside of Papua and West Papua.

Dian Kurniati and Adi Ahdiat, Jakarta – The Draft Criminal Code (RKUHP) has been widely criticised as being undemocratic.

Zae Baneza, Ulfia Dwi and Adi Ahdiat, Jakarta – On Sunday September 1 the police arrested a number of Papuan students in Jakarta on charges of treason (makar).

Not long after this, the Jakarta Legal Aid Foundation (LBH) issued a press release stating that the police were conducting sweeps.

Jakarta – The parties taking advantage of the riots in Papua and West Papua are starting to be revealed. The Indonesian police (Polri) suspect that these groups have links with international networks.

Jakarta – The Jakarta Legal Aid Foundation (LBH) has accused President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo’s government of being undemocratic after police blocked a protest action by trade unions near the House of Representatives (DPR) and People’s Consultative Assembly (MPR) building in Jakarta on Friday August 16.