Jakarta – People’s Consultative Assembly (MPR) Deputy Speaker and ruling Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) Deputy General Secretary Ahmad Basarah has asserted that Pancasila is not just important as a state ideology but also to ward off liberal campaigns such as those supporting Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) people.

Jakarta – Coordinating Minister for Security, Politics and Legal Affairs (Menko Polhukam) Mahfud MD has clarified his statement about documents being “rubbish”.

Jakarta – Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation (YLBHI) Chairperson Asfinawati has criticised a statement by Coordinating Minister for Security, Politics and Legal Affairs Mahfud MD who said that data on political prisoners and people killed in Nduga, Papua, was “rubbish”.

Jakarta – President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo plans to build an underground tunnel connecting the Istiqlal Mosque and the Cathedral Church in Central Jakarta which are located adjacent to each other. The proposed construction will be carried out during renovations to the Istiqlal Mosque which were reviewed by Widodo on Friday February 7.

Banda Aceh – Banda Aceh Mayor Aminullah Usman has banned residents from celebrating Valentine’s Day or the day of love on February 14.

Jakarta – Special Presidential Staff member for legal affairs, Dini Shanti Purwono, has denied a statement by human rights lawyer Veronica Koman who claimed that she handed over a document containing the names of Papuan political prisoners to President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo.

Jakarta – The Women’s Movement Alliance held a silent protest against sexual violence on campus at the Ministry of Education and Culture in South Jakarta on Monday February 10.

Aceh Besar – The Greater Aceh regency government in Aceh province has again banned people from celebrating Valentine’s Day because it is deemed to conflict with Syariat Islam (Islamic law).

Jakarta – The secretary general of the Pramuka Market Pharmacy Traders Association (HPFPP), Yoyon, says that there are manipulations by a cartel related to the price hike and scarcity of facemasks at the Pramuka Market in Matraman, Jakarta. The cartel is taking advantage of the Corona virus scare.

Jakarta – A number of protesters opposing Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) people in the Jakarta satellite city of Depok held an audience at the Public Order Agency (Satpol PP) offices at the Depok town hall on Friday January 31.

Jakarta – As many as 40 people’s organisations and civil society groups from the Indonesian People’s Faction (Fraksi Rakyat Indonesia, FRI) have expressed their opposition to the Draft Omnibus Law on Job Creation or RUU Cilaka.

Surabaya – One of the Papuan students in the East Java provincial capital of Surabaya who was the target of racist abuse last year believes that the five month jail sentence handed down against the defendant Syamsul Arifin was too light.

Jakarta – The Civil Society Coalition has provided a report on the resolution of cases of human rights violations during the first 100 days of President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo’s second term in office.

Jakarta – The panel of judges has rejected a demurrer or note of objection by Surya Anta and five other Papuan activists charged with treason. The ruling was read out by presiding judge Agustinus Setya Wahyu Triwiranto at the Central Jakarta District Court on Monday January 27.

Jakarta – The Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation (YLBHI) and the Civil Society Coalition have highlighted the government’s bias towards employers and business in the Draft Omnibus Law on Job Creation.

Jakarta – The public prosecutor says that the lawyers representing six Papua activists indicted on charges of treason and criminal conspiracy do not understand legal classifications after they questioned the failure to include Article 87 of the Criminal Code (KUHP) in the indictment.

Jakarta – The lawyer representing Surya Anta Ginting and five other Papuan activists, Mike Himan, has confirmed that two of his clients will continue to wear traditional Papuan penis gourds (koteka) during a hearing at the Central Jakarta District Court today, Monday January 20.

Jakarta – The online petition website change.org recorded that petitions related to the democracy and anti-corruption movement were the most popular in 2019. Eight petitions on these two issues received some 2.3 million votes or signatures.

Jakarta – Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras) Coordinator Yati Andriyani has slammed a statement by Attorney General ST Burhanuddin who declared that the Semanggi I and II student shootings in 1998 were not gross human rights (HAM) violations.

Jakarta – The Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation (YLBHI) believes that violations against human rights (HAM) and civil freedoms have worsened in 2019. YLBHI General Chairperson Asfinawati says that the indicators on human rights protection and civil freedoms have worsened as depicted by an increase in rights violations in various sectors.