Jakarta – The House of Representatives (DPR) for the period 2009-2014 has been deliberating a packet of three political laws, namely Law Number 22/2007 on Election Organisers, Law Number 2/2008 on Political Parties and Law Number 10/2008 on the Election of Members of the DPR, DPD and DPRD.

Jakarta – The protection of human rights in Indonesia has further deteriorated over 2010.

M Hernowo and Anita Yossihara – The Joint Secretariat (Setgab) of political parties supporting the administration of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono. This was one of the important political “breakthroughs” in 2010, and the controversy surrounding it has continued to this day.

Labour activists from the Workers Challenge Alliance (ABM), the Yogyakarta Labour Alliance (ABY), the Greater Jakarta Labour Federation of Struggle (FBPJ) and the United Indonesian Labour Movement-Security Employees Union (SPK-PPBI) explicitly opposed further labour liberalisation.

Jakarta – The Jakarta Legal Aid Foundation (LBH) along with several legal institutions have submitted a request for a judicial review with the Constitutional Court against Law Number 4/PNPS/1963 dated April 23, 1963, on the securing of printed materials whose contents could disturb public order.

M. Rizal Maslan, Jakarta – “The courts are simply an extension of the perpetrators of human rights violations”. Thus spoke the late human rights activist Munir during a speech at a demonstration at the Supreme Court in 2004. Likewise is the human rights situation at the start of 2009, including the investigation into his murder.

Bagus Kurniawan, Yogyakarta – Scores of residents in the Central Java city of Yogyakarta held an action today opposing the enactment of the Draft Anti-Pornography Law. The reason, the draft law will harm the Indonesian nation’s spirit of diversity.

Djoko Tjiptono, Jakarta – Scores of student from the Student Action Front for Reform and Democracy (Famred) have again taken to the streets to demand the government nationalise foreign-owned oil and gas companies.

M. Rizal Maslan, Jakarta – Government opposition figures gathered at the Century Park Hotel in the Senayan area of Central Jakarta on Saturday July 5 to discuss the problems of the nation, which may possibly become an arena of lobbying by the political elite in the lead up to the 2009 general elections.

M. Rizal Maslan, Jakarta – There are steps being taken by the National Human Rights Commission (Komnas HAM) that are damaging the interests of the state and even benefiting the interests of other parties.

Beginning last Monday, the National Student League for Democracy (LMND) held two-day demonstrations in Jakarta to rally the campaign for the nationalisation of oil, gas, and mining industries.

Jakarta – Over the last three years of the administration of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, the upholding of human rights has been limited to building a good image. This can be seen from the administration’s concentration on issues to maintain its power.

Rofiuddin, Sohirin, Semarang – Victims of the September 30 Movement/Indonesian Communist Party (G30S/PKI) affair will issue a summons against President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono because up until now the president has never provided rehabilitation to the victims of the 1965 affair.

[Understanding the Venezuela Revolution, a Discussion Between Hugo Chavez and Martha Harnecker. Published by Progressive Youth Alliance (AMP) and the Institute for Global Justice (IGJ), February 2007. Reviewed by Zely Ariane.]

Solo – The National Liberation Party of Unity (Papernas) has been unlucky of late. A meeting to establish a branch management board in Tanjung Anom, Grogol, Sukoharjo, was forcibly broken up by a certain group.

Surabaya – Prominent Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) cleric and the caretaker of the Langitan pesantren (traditional Islamic boarding school) in Tuban, East Java, KH Abdullah Faqih has been chosen to lead a group opposing the National Liberation Party of Unity (Papernas).

Medan (SIB) – Dozens of people from the Islamic Defenders Front (FPI) demonstrated at Regional House of Representatives (DPRD) in the North Sumatra regional capital of Medan on Tuesday April 10 against the National Liberation Party of Unity (Papernas).

[The following is a compilation of reports from Detik.com on the March 29 mass rally planned by the National Liberation Party of Unity against the ratification of the Draft Law on Capital Investment that was attacked and broken up by the Islamic Defenders Front. Translated by James Balowski.]

Ramdhan Muhaimin, Jakarta – The popularity of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and Vice President Jusuf Kalla (SBY-JK) has declined sharply over the last three years with the public’s level of dissatisfaction with their performance dropping below the psychological barrier of 50 percent.

Elistiawaty, Jakarta – Not satisfied with the Constitutional Court’s decision of only abolishing the articles on insulting the president, former political prisoners are demanding that the articles on insulting the government also be abolished.