Man: Mr, my data will be safe won’t it? (speech bubble above house reads ‘Yes, census online successful’)

Adi Ahdiat, Jakarta – The government has a responsibility to advance public healthcare, enlighten national life and create social justice.

But in reality, over the last few years provincial governments (Pemprov) have largely spend their budges on the needs of state civil servants (PNS) rather that social assistance for the public.

Surabaya – A group of people from the Brantas River Coalition to Stop Imported Plastic Trash (Bracsip) held a protest action not far from the US Consulate General in Citra Raya Niaga, Surabaya, on Friday July 12.

They were protesting imported plastic waste which is alleged to have been illegally smuggled into Indonesia from the US.

Danang Sugianto, Jakarta – Not long ago the Central Statistics Agency (BPS) released data on working conditions in Indonesia, which is particularly interesting in terms of comparing the working conditions of female and male workers.

Kristian Erdianto, Jakarta – Amnesty International Indonesia executive director Usman Hamid believes that during the four years of President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo leadership the protection of human rights has gone backwards.

From an op-ed piece titled The Dangers of Data Illiteracy

According to the latest data from the Central Statistics Agency (BPS), the poverty rate in Indonesia has fallen to the lowest level ever recorded.

Abraham Utama – Prabowo Subianto has preempted President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo in embracing labour groups in the lead up to the 2019 presidential elections.

Sherr Rinn – The National Police (Polri) and the Indonesian military (TNI) have recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) under which Polri can request assistance from the TNI to secure protest actions and labour strikes.

Jakarta – As many as 23 workers, a student and two Jakarta Legal Aid Foundation (LBH) officials have been named suspects in relation to an October 30, 2015 action that ended with police attacking workers. Despite the assaults, the Metro Jaya regional police are instead charging the workers and activists as provocateurs.

Malaysia – Indonesian migrant workers (BMI) working in Malaysia have joined in opposing Government Regulation (PP) Number 78/2015 on Wages with posters reading, “We as workers in Malaysia reject the PP 78”.

Rochimawati, Arie Dwi Budiawati – Although the nominal wage of agricultural and urban informal workers increased in 2015, their real wages declined.

The nominal wage of agricultural workers nationally increased by 1.15 percent from 46,386 rupiah a day in May to 46,458 a day in June 2015.

Jakarta – The government is determined to stimulate investment in import substitution, a move which it says is certain to reduce demand for US dollars as a result of the high dependency on imports.

Palmerah – The number of farming households over the last 10 years has declined by 5.04 million. Over the same period, the number of agribusinesses has grown by 1,475 companies. Meaning a formalisation (formalisasi) has taken place. What is alarming however is that the number of marginal farmers is increasing.

Jakarta – The Confederation of Indonesian Trade Unions (KSPI) and several other labour associations have emphatically rejected the issuance of a presidential instruction (Inpres) on limiting wage rises in order to stimulate the economy and overcome a slump in the value of the rupiah.

Jakarta – Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) politician Rieke Diah Pitaloka has criticised President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono’s (SBY) state of the nation speech as being no different from a work of science fiction.

Jakarta – Temporary Direct Assistance to the Public (BLSM) could be ineffective because it may not be spent as intended. Using the Direct Cash Assistance (BLT) scheme in 2008 as a reference, 60 percent of the money allocated was used to pay off debts and the rest spent on cigarettes

Jakarta – In the midst of a global crisis, Indonesia’s economic growth recorded a positive result. Economic growth for the second quarter of this year reached 6.4 percent compared with the same period last year.

PT Freeport Indonesia, a subsidiary of Freeport McMoran Cooper and Gold – of which 90.64 percent of the shares are owned by Freeport CEO James R. Moffet – is the largest mining company in the world. Freeport contributes 95 percent of the entire production of gold by Freeport McMoran and a significant percentage of its copper production.

Women are not just housewives. They are not second class citizens.

Suwardiman – After nine years, support by various elements of society for special autonomy (otsus) is weakening.