Jakarta – Human Rights Watch (HRW) has criticised the government of President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo for its weak health response to Covid-19 which has brought Indonesia to its knees since the pandemic started in March 2020.

The Indonesian People's Front for West Papua (FRI-WP) and the Papuan Student Alliance (AMP) again launched actions in several parts of the country on December 19. This time the actions took up the theme, "Trikora: The Start of Indonesia's Colonisation of the West Papua Nation".

Jakarta

Haris Prabowo – The total number of people who used their right to vote in the December 9 election of regional heads was low in several parts of the country. In the context of Indonesian politics, those who do not vote – regardless of the motivation and reasons – can be classified as golongan putih or golput.

Nicholas Ryan Aditya, Jakarta – The head of the Southeast Asia Freedom of Expression Network's (SAFEnet) Association of Victims of the Transactions Law (UU ITE) sub-division, Muhammad Arsyad, says that ITE law lies in wait for 99 percent of internet users in Indonesia.

Jakarta – On Tuesday November 17 the Merauke district police arrested more than 50 people from the Papuan People's Council (MRP) in relation to a public hearing on Special Autonomy in Papua. They have all been indicted on charges of makar (treason, subversion, rebellion).

Police arrested 54 participants of a public hearing organised by the Papuan People's Council (MPR) at the Valentine Hotel in Merauke regency in Papua on the afternoon of Tuesday November 17.

Jakarta – Hundreds of workers from the Labour Movement with the People (Gebrak) have begun packing the area near the House of Representatives (DPR) building in Jakarta in a follow up action demanding the cancelation of the recently enacted Law Number 11/2020 on Job Creation.

Jakarta – Demonstrators from the Papuan Student Alliance (AMP) have protested the police's actions in blocking them when they wanted to hold a rally at the State Palace in Central Jakarta on Monday November 16. They have experienced the same problem during demonstrations in Papua.

Jakarta – The draft law on alcoholic beverages has again attracted public attention after the House of Representatives (DPR) Legislative Body (Baleg) revealed plans to begin deliberating the Draft Law on the Prohibition of Alcoholic Beverages (RUU Minol).

Jakarta – The head of the Jakarta provincial Education Office for junior and senior high schools, Muhamad Husin, says that as of today, Tuesday October 27, they have begun implementing lessons about the Omnibus Law on Job Creation.

"It's already come into effect", Husin told CNN Indonesia in an SMS message.

Dian Erika Nugraheny, Jakarta – Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras) Commissioner Fatia Maulidiyanti says that that they recorded 158 cases of violations against civil freedoms over the first year of President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo’s second term in office.

Veronica Koman, Sydney – In response to the recent enactment of the Omnibus Law on Job Creation and the wave of demonstrations against the law across Indonesia, trade union representatives and activists held a solidarity action opposing the Omnibus Law in front of the Consulate General of the Republic of Indonesia in Sydney between 1-2 pm local

Dian Erika Nugraheny, Jakarta – Academics from 30 tertiary education institutions have signed a statement rejecting the Omnibus Law on Job Creation which was only just enacted by the House of Representatives on Monday October 5.

Jakarta – “It’s difficult not to admit that the discourse on the revival of communism surfaces every year in lead up to September 30 or October 1. Because it emerges repeatedly at the same time every year, it’s difficult to deny that the issue is intentionally brought up for political interests”.

Jakarta – As many as 290 farmer, fisherpeople, student, labour and environmental organisations have united to reject the Draft Omnibus Law on Job Creation – which is still being deliberated by the House of Representatives (DPR).

Jakarta – The Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras) is urging National Police Chief Idham Azis to cancel the plan by the Covid-19 Task Force to employ preman (street thugs, petty criminals) to enforcing health protocols in markets.

Palupi Annisa Auliani (editor) – The threat posed by the Covid-19 pandemic has distracted public attention. In the mist of the panic among the public, many strategic decisions on public policies have been taken without public involvement or participation.

Jakarta – The Indonesian Advocacy and Justice Action Campaign (AKSI) community admits that it is disappointed by an Agriculture Ministry (Kepmentan) decision to revise a 2020 ministerial decree that lists marijuana as a medicinal plant.

Jakarta – Deputy Defense Minister Wahyu Sakti Trenggono says that the wars being waged at the moment are not always in the form of military or physical attacks.

Achmad Nasrudin Yahya, Jakarta – Indonesian Human Rights Watch (Imparsial) says that the government is overly simplifying the phrase “low level of nationalism” among young people by involving them in the National Defense Program.