Marsinah was a woman worker who was militant and courageous.

Anung Wendyartaka – To this day there has yet to be any visible sign of a breakthrough in the improvement of workers’ standard of living. On the one hand, the basic rights possessed by the working class are still felt to be inadequate and on the other, workers themselves appear to fail to appreciate their existence.

Vivi W – Commemorating May Day, 5,000 workers from the Workers Challenge Alliance (ABM) held a protest action in Jakarta today against the pro-capitalist administration of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and Vice President Boediono (SBY-Boediono), which have consistently brought suffering to the Indonesian working class.

Khairul Ikhwan, Medan – Commemorating May Day today, thousands of students, workers and social organisations held a long-march through the main streets of the North Sumatra provincial capital of Medan on Saturday May 1.

Bagus Kurniawan, Yogyakarta – Scores of women activists in the East Java city of Yogyakarta commemorated International Women’s Day on Monday March 8 by calling for equality and freedom for Indonesian women.

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

Surabaya – During the colonial era communism flourished in Indonesia. One of the reasons was the behaviour of the native elite (elite bumiputra) who failed to defend the ordinary people. This however is unlikely to be repeated now.

The following is a compilation of abridged translations of the January 28 protest actions held around the country to commemorate the first 100 days of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's second administration. The reports are ordered alphabetically by city.

A new alliance or united front organization was formed in January in Indonesia to fight the current neo-liberal policies of the Indonesian government. Its leaflet calling for a January 28 protest action lists 17 organisations.

Yogyakarta – Scores of protesters from the National Student League for Democracy-Politics of the Poor (LMND-PRM) held a protest action at the Gajah Mada University traffic circle on Friday September 4.

Reno Nugraha, Cirebon – Scores of workers and students took to the streets in the West Java city of Cirebon on May 1 to commemorate International Labour Day, blockading the Jakarta-Cirebon northern coast road at Jl. Brigjen Darsono.

Wisnu Aji Dewabrata, Palembang – A International Labour Day demonstration in Palembang, South Sumatra on Friday May 1 took place without the presence of workers.

Ari Saputra, Jakarta – Around 40 workers from the Workers Challenge Alliance (ABM) held a demonstration on April 24 calling on the political elite – who are in middle of fighting over the presidency and vice presidency – to pay more attention to the people.

“... although legislation represents an important start, its role cannot be more than just a beginning.

Arm band reads: Global capitalism.

Jakarta – The minimum wage is still not enough to fulfil the daily needs of workers in the major cities of Medan, Bandung, Jakarta and Surabaya. Many workers are making up the difference by falling into debt while job security levels remain low.

Agus Rakasiwi – The 1998 reform movement finished the task of removing Suharto from the Indonesian presidency. But have Indonesia’s problems now ended?

Hariyanto Kurniawan, Jakarta – President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono’s speech stating other economic systems have failed and so they have chosen an open economic system that incorporates social justice is nothing more than political rhetoric.

Dara, Banda Aceh – International Labour Day, which is known as May Day, was also commemorated in Aceh on May 1. Hundreds of representatives of labour organisations in the provincial capital of Banda Aceh held a peaceful rally on the grounds of the Acehnese Regional House of Representatives (DPRD) and at the Simpang Lima roundabout.