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’.

Prima Gumilang, Jakarta – A sweeping action (raid) by the Islamic Defenders Militia (Laskar Pembela Islam, LPI) has ended in a clash with residents of Pamekasan on Madura Island in East Java. Local people resisted the raid which resulted in 10 people being injured including housewives and children.

Antara, Jakarta – Indonesian President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo says that the drafting of budgets at both the ministries, state institutions and regional bodies focus more on supporting activities rather than core activities.

Rinaldy Sofwan, Jakarta – Philosopher and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) professor Noam Chomsky and a group of international academics are calling on the Indonesian government to withdraw all troops from West Papua following allegations of human rights violations against civilians by security forces in the province.

Bambang Hari, Jakarta – An employee at the PT Freeport Indonesia gold-and-copper mine in West Papua, Aser Gobai has refuted information that a PT Freeport worker has been taken hostage by an armed civilian group.

AC Nielsen research shows that the recent decline in consumption is not a result of a shift to online shopping because the digital trade segment accounts for only 1 percent of consumption.

Riva Dessthania Suastha, Jakarta – The Indonesian government will check the validity and accuracy of scores of recently declassified US documents on the September 30 Movement affair in 1965 and the army’s plan to overthrow then President Sukarno.

Martahan Sohuturon, Jakarta – Four Indonesian police (Polri) officers have been found guilty in relation to a clash that took place in Bomou village, South Tigi district, Deiyai regency, Papua, in early August. Their only punishment however is that they must issue a verbal apology and will be transferred.

Wulan Nova/Elik S, Jakarta – The Alumni 212 Presidium has held a protest march from the Sunda Kelapa Grand Mosque to the offices of the National Human Rights Commission (Komnas HAM) to lodge a complete over a case involving Indonesian Unity Party (Perindo) chairperson Hary Tanoesoedibjo.

On Monday May 8, Coordinating Minister for Politics, Security and Legal Affairs (Menkopolhukam) Wiranto, Justice and Human Rights Minister (Menkumham) Yasonna Laoly, Home Affairs Minister (Mendagri) Tjahjo Kumolo and National Police Chief (Kapolri) General Tito Karnavia issued a statement at the security affairs ministry on the dissolution of th

Arbi Sumandoyo – “Jakarta is filthy. We have to be macho. Jakarta is filthy. It must be cleaned up... must be cleaned up”, shouted a speaker through a loudspeaker from a command vehicle on May Day in front of the Jakarta City Hall.

“So make a pile. All in one place. We’ll clean the City Hall of these unclear messages...”

Timika – Thousands of workers in Mimika, West Papua, commemorated International Labour Day or May Day by demanding that the Indonesian government immediately resolve the problems at the PT Freeport Indonesia (PFI) gold and copper mine.

Ambon – Vice President M Jusuf Kalla has warned that inequality levels in Indonesia have become quite dangerous because of religious differences between the rich and the poor.

Jakarta – The owners of books related to communism have been asked to hand them over the government. According to Defense Minister retired General Ryamizard Ryacudu, prohibitions on such material also covers documents circulating on the internet.

Zuhdiar Laeis, Semarang – Research, Technology and Education Minister Muhammad Nasir has asserted that lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) groups should not be allowed into university campuses.

Karawang – Around 3,000 workers from the Karawang district branch of the Fraternity of Indonesian Muslim Workers (PPMI) organised a convoy in the West Java industrial zone on Wednesday November 11. This was a warm-up action in the lead up to a ‘stop production’ action rejecting Government Regulation Number 78/2015 (PP 78/2015) on Wages.

Jakarta – The Youth Coalition for Indonesia rejects the government’s plan to recruit 100 million state defense cadres that has been concaved by the Ministry of Defense (Kemenhan).

Parliza Hendrawan, Palembang – The bad old practices of the New Order dictatorship of former President Suharto are still being applied in some government agencies in Indonesia.

Abdul Azis, Jakarta – The editor of the magazine Lentera (Beacon), Bima Satria Putra, says that the police have asked them to recall the October 10 issue of the magazine from circulation.