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

M. Rizal Maslan, Jakarta – The state, through President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (SBY), should issue an immediate apology and rehabilitate the names of the pro-democracy activists and the families of the victims of the forced abduction in 1997-1998. This is necessary in order to solve the impasse in the legal proceedings into the case.

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.

Jakarta – The murder of human rights activists Munir will be one of the cases taken up in the annual report on human rights in Indonesia, which will be presented to the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva in April. This is being done as a means to accelerate a resolution of the case.

Jakarta – Non-government organisations are pessimistic and concerned about the prospects for upholding human rights and solving past human rights violation. They say they hold little hope that there will be any improvements or progress in 2008.

Nusa Dua, Bali – Activists from the Civil Society Forum or CSF are calling for a fairer world in order to overcome the impact of climate change. Without resolving global injustices first, climate change will only increase the burden on billions of poor around the world.

Jakarta – Although efforts to develop the Indonesian military or TNI and civil supremacy are continuing, the process of reform is seen as being too slow. The obstacle being encountered is that civil institutions such as the Department of Defense and the political parties are not yet prepared to implement reform within the TNI.

M. Rizal Maslan, Jakarta – Jreng... jreng.... Dung... dung... dung... Buskers and street children strumming guitars and pounding drums. The buskers in front of the office of the National Human Rights Commission (Komnas HAM) were not there to protest the commission, but to call for the bylaw on public order to be revoked.

Iqbal Fadil, Jakarta – The construction of the Muria nuclear power plant (PLTN) in Central Java continues to attract criticism from various circles who say the construction as bring a new catastrophe to the Indonesian ecology and a disaster to the environmental sustainability.

Iqbal Fadil, Jakarta – The raid on Jakarta Governor Sutiyoso’s room at the Shangri-La Hotel in Sydney, Australia, is related to his past when as a officer of the Indonesian military (TNI) he served in East Timor. The Commander in Chief of the TNI even sees the incident as an effort to slander the TNI.

Anwar Khumaini, Jakarta – Non-government organisations from Indonesia’s NGO Coalition for International Human Rights Advocacy (Koalisi LSM) say that Jakarta governor Sutiyoso should have been arrested because he refused a court order.

Arfi Bambani Amri, Jakarta – The investigation into the assassination of human rights defender Munir has reached a dead end even though former Garuda Airlines pilot Pollycarpus Budihari Priyanto has been convicted for the murder.

Jakarta – A number of Islamic social organisations from the Islamic Community Forum (FUI) have visited the offices of the Ministry for Political, Legal and Security Affairs to ask that the government be on guard against foreign intervention that could divide the nation.

Chazizah Gusnita, Jakarta – At lease six non-government organisations (NGOs) have declared their full support for 259 PT Securicor Indonesia employees who’s future’s are now uncertain. This support is necessary because the employees are confronting a large foreign owned company.

Chazizah Gusnita, Jakarta – Non-government organisations (NGOs) are urging the government to immediately acknowledge the existence of militia groups in Aceh. Without such an acknowledgement, the reintegration process in Aceh will be obstructed.

M. Rizal Maslan, Jakarta – Defense Minister Juwono Sudarsono says that he has the names of six to seven non-government organisations (NGO) that are manipulating the Papua issue. Sudarsono is asking the NGOs to be transparent about their funding sources. If not, they will be audited.

Iqbal Fadil, Jakarta – The accusations by Syamsir Siregar, the head of the National Intelligence Agency (BIN), that local West Papuan non-government organisations (NGOs) in Papua sponsored the Abepura incident are intended to discredit NGOs in Papua as a whole.

Jakarta – The National Intelligence Agency (BIN) has accused non-government organisations (NGOs) of sponsoring the bloody incident in Abepura, West Papua. But NGOs are pointing the finger at conflicts over the provision of security businesses by the TNI (Indonesian military) and national police (Polri).

Jakarta – Commemorating International Women’s Day which falls on March 8, today, thousands of women in Jakarta held an action at the State Palace and the House of Representatives (DPR).

Heru Margianto – A number of non-government organisations (NGO) have questioned the performance of the State Intelligence Agency (BIN) and the Indonesian police following the bombing in Bali and are calling for a policy audit of the two institutions.