Jakarta – The Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras) says that the issue of past human rights violations are turned into a political commodity every time there is a presidential election. Yet, after one of the candidates is elected as president, human rights issues are simply ignored.

Vindry Florentin, Jakarta – Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras) deputy coordinator Feri Kusuma says that President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo’s statement on the banned Indonesian Communist Party (PKI) at the TNI’s (Indonesian military) anniversary was inappropriate.

Jakarta, CNN Indonesia – The banned Indonesian Communist Party (PKI) is like a ghost which every year is resurrected towards the end of September.

Lalu Rahadian – “I don’t agree. The Jokowi-JK vision, mission and program has been socialised since May 2014, how many years is it now? Almost five years, but there hasn’t been any progress at all, instead Pak [Mr[ Wiranto has been appointed as Menko Polhukam.”

Jakarta – Attorney General Muhammad Prasetyo is pessimistic about the chances of resolving past gross human rights violations through legal channels.

Jakarta – Coordinating Minister for Security, Politics and Legal Affairs, former General Wiranto, did not attend a meeting between President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo and the families of victims and survivors of past human rights violations.

Jakarta – Maria Catarina Sumarsih, the mother of Wawan, a victim of the Semanggi I student shootings, has demanded that President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo fulfill his promise to resolve past human rights cases and have the courage to end impunity.

On April 19-20, representatives from some 42 organisations gathered in Jakarta to take part in the People’s Movement Conference (KGR).

Robertus Belarminus, Jakarta – The Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras) has expressed its appreciation to the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein for raising human rights issues during his visit to Indonesia, including the issue of LGBT rights.

Ahmad Rafiq, Surakarta – A People’s Ceremonial Stage to remember the May riots in the Central Java city of Solo was unable to show the documentary film “The May 1998 Tragedy” after police requested that the organising committee cancel the event planned for the evening of May 26.

Arkhelaus W., Jakarta – Around 500 protesters from the Indonesian Trade Union Congress Alliance (KASBI) and members of the Social Movement for Democracy (Gema Demokrasi) have begun enlivening the National Monument area in the vicinity of the Arjuna Wijaya statue in front of the Indosat building on Jl. Merdeka Barat in Central Jakarta.

Dieqy Hasbi Widhana – Following the 1965 International People’s Tribunal (IPT65) in The Hague and the National Symposium on the 1966 Tragedy in Jakarta, there has been widespread arrests of people for using hammer-and-sickle symbols.

Jakarta – Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras) coordinator Haris Azhar has invited the government to examine its findings on mass graves of the victims of the 1965 affair.

Jakarta – The Indonesian Women’s Parade of Struggle held an action in Central Jakarta on March 8 to commemorate International Women’s Day (IWD).

Jakarta – The Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras) has slammed the disbanding of meeting of victims of human rights violations in West Sumatra on Sunday February 22.

Anang Zakaria, Yogyakarta – Ten non-government organisations (NGOs) and student groups in the Central Java city of Yogyakarta are demanding the annulment of the recently enacted law on regional elections (UU Pilkada) that abolished the direct election of regional heads.

Rio Kuswandi, Jakarta – Former army Special Forces (Kopassus) commander Prabowo Subianto is being urged to give an immediate clarification on the abduction of 13 activists abducted in 1997/98 that are still missing to this day.

Rizka Diputra, Jakarta – The Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras) is calling on official state institutions such as the National Human Rights Commission (Komnas HAM), the Attorney General’s Office (AGO) and even the president to act upon a statement by former Army Strategic Reserves Command (Kostrad, Green Berets) Chi

Yermias Degei, Jayapura – Jayapura municipal police arrested two West Papuan students, Alfares Kapisa (25) and Yali Wenda (20) at a peaceful demonstration by the Papua Student Solidarity with Political Prisoners (SMPTN-Papua) in front of PT Gapura Angkasa at the Cenderawasih University (Uncen) in Waena, Jayapura, on Wednesday April 2.

Admin MS, Jayapura – Today on Wednesday April 2, Papua Student Solidarity with Political Prisoners (SMPTN-Papua), which is made up of students from various universities in the West Papuan provincial capital of Jayapura, held a peaceful demonstration calling for the release of Papuan political prisoners in jails throughout Indonesia.