The following is a statement by the Yogyakarta International Women’s Day (IWD) Committee on the University of North Sumatra’s (USU) censoring of the Suara USU (Voice of USU) student press.

Jakarta – The Indonesian People’s Front for West Papua (FRI-WP) and the Papuan Student Alliance (AMP) say that the West Papuan people will not take part in the 2019 presidential and legislative elections.

Devina Halim, Jakarta – The Pro-Women’s National Legislation Program Network (JKP3) is calling on the House of Representatives (DPR) and the government to straighten out fake news or hoaxes about the Draft Law on the Elimination of Sexual Violence (RUU PKS).

Ibnu Hariyanto, Jakarta – In the lead up to the 2019 presidential and legislative elections in April a movement has emerged promoting golput or white movement, meaning those who do not vote for any one of the candidates. Does this violate the law?

Jakarta -- Civil society organisations grouped under the Civil Society Coalition have declared that not casting a vote or golput (white movement) in elections is a right and not a crime. Jakarta Legal Aid Foundation (LBH) Director Arif Maulana asserts that not voting or golput is a political choice in a society.

Fadiyah Alaidrus – Padang Mayor Mahyeldi Ansharullah views Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) people as a sickness that is caused by the environment and economic factors.

Jakarta – Participants of the Kamisan (Thursday) actions in Jakarta are pessimistic that either presidential candidate (capres) is willing to resolve cases of past gross human rights (HAM) violations.

Because of this, they are thinking about going to the polling stations (TPS) but not voting for either one of the candidates.

Jakarta – Commemorating 90 years since the first Women’s Congress in the Central Java city of Yogyakarta on December 22, 1928, activists have highlighted the problems facing women workers.

Reza Deni, Jakarta – Protesters from an alliance of rights groups held a rally in front of the National Human Rights Commission (Komnas HAM) offices during a commemoration of the 70th International Human Rights Day on Tuesday December 11.

Jakarta – Police stopped hundreds of activists from the Indonesian Front for West Papua (FRI-WP), the Papuan Student Alliance (AMP) and the Papuan Central Highlands Indonesian Student Association (AMPTPI) from leaving the Jakarta Legal Aid Foundation (LBH) offices in Menteng, Central Jakarta, on Saturday December 1.

Jakarta – National Commission on Violence Against Women (Komnas Perempuan) chairperson Azriana R Manalu says that the government has “circumcised” at least 100 articles in the Draft Law (RUU) on the Elimination of Sexual Violence.

According to Manalu, the 100 articles that have been cut out contain the very “soul” of the RUU.

Rio Tuasikal – Raids conducted without legal grounds have again occurred against Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) people. Three transgender women in Lampung province, North Sumatra, were hosed down with water from a fire truck in an action which has been slammed as “inhuman” and “arbitrary”.

Arief Ikhsanudin, Jakarta – The Jakarta Legal Aid Foundation (LBH) says that Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan is still carrying out forced evictions one year after his campaign promise not to do so. The evictions were carried out by force without prior consultation with communities.

Indonesian police chief General (Kapolri) Tito Karnavian has instructed Criminal Investigation Bureau chief (Kabareskrim) Inspector General Arief Sulistyanto to reopen the investigation into the assassination of human rights activist Munir who was poisoned in September 2004.

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.

20 years of reformasi: A reminder of the need to win what has yet to be achieved by reformasi – freedom, equality and prosperity.

Long live the workers! Long live the people!

May 1 is symbolic of our struggle against the tyranny of capital and employers who oppress the working class.

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

Moh Nadlir, Jakarta – The Labour Movement for the People (Gebrak) will call for the formation of a political alternative at May Day demonstrations or the commemoration of International Labour Day on May 1.

Elise Dwi Ratnasari, Jakarta – There were still traces left over from the rain earlier in the morning. Although it was cloudy, it still felt hot under the intense heat of the sun.

Not many protesters had gathered yet but the enthusiasm shown by the women from various different organisations and backgrounds was already ablaze.