Jakarta – The Morning Star flag was flown by more than 100 Papuan protesters from the Student Alliance Against Racism, Capitalism, Colonialism and Militarism during a rally in front of the Presidential Palace in Central Jakarta on Thursday August 22.

Muhammad Irfan, Jakarta – Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras) Coordinator Yati Andriani is calling on President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo to learn from Indonesia’s fourth president Abdurrahman “Gus Dur” Wahid in how to deal with the problems in Papua, including the flying of the symbolic Morning Star flag.

Ghinan Salman, Surabaya – As many as 43 Papuan students were taken to the district police headquarters after police fired teargas and forced their way into a Papua student dormitory in the East Java provincial capital of Surabaya on Saturday August 17.

Jakarta – The Papuan student dormitory in the Kalasan area of the East Java city of Surabaya was besieged by hundreds of people from various ormas (mass or social organisations) on the afternoon of Friday August 16.

Jakarta – The creation of NKRI bersyariah – the Unitary Islamic State of the Republic of Indonesia – one of the recommendations of the 4th Ijtimak Ulama or assembly of Islamic clerics has attracted controversy and opposition.

Zunita Putri, Bogor – The Ijtimak Ulama IV or the 4th Assembly of Islamic Clerics has issued a number of recommendations on the current situation in Indonesia. The assembly has also invited the Islamic community to create a Unitary Islamic State of the Republic of Indonesia (NKRI Bersyariah) based on Pancasila.

Writing on T-shirts reads: “Save Nduga”, “I Love NKRI”.

According to the aid group Humanity Volunteer Team of Nduga – which has been helping communities displaced by armed conflict in Papua’s Nduga regency with food, health and education needs in Wamena – 182 civilians have died fleeing violence in the highlands.

Ichsan Emrald Alamsyah, Jakarta – Research, Technology and Higher Education Minister Mohamad Nasir says that it is acceptable to discuss ideas such as Marxism and an Islamic caliphate on campus as long as it is limited to academic study and under the guidance of a lecturer.

Denpasar – A commemoration of 21 years since the “Bloody Biak Tragedy” in West Papua by the Papua Student Alliance (AMP) in the Balinese provincial capital of Denpasar on Saturday July 6 has ended in chaos.

Haris Prabowo – It will not only be senior students and teachers who will be guiding new students during school orientation programs. Even the TNI (Indonesian military) – whose principle duty is defense and war – will now be involved.

As the 2014-2019 term was coming to an end, the House of Representatives (DPR) were persistently trying to pass through a variety of draft legal revisions.

Jakarta – Thousands of people “safeguarding” a challenge to the 2019 presidential election result at the Constructional Court by the loosing presidential ticket of Prabowo Subianto and Sandiaga Uno converged on Jl Medan Merdeka Barat in Central Jakarta on Thursday June 27.

Mochamad Zhacky, Jakarta – The Alumni Brotherhood 212 (PA 212), the National Movement to Safeguard the Indonesian Ulema Council’s Fatwa (GNPF-MUI) and a number of other Islamic groups will hold an action to safeguard the final hearing of a challenge to the presidential election result at the Constitutional Court (MK) on June 28.

Eva Mazrieva, Washington DC – In mid-April Reporters Without Borders (RSF) released its annual report and world press freedom index. Surprisingly, Indonesia was still in 124th place meaning press freedom has stagnated and there has been absolutely no progress since 2018.

Aditya Mardiastuti, Denpasar – The Papua Student Alliance (AMP) is protesting the arrest of student demonstrators at Renon Park in the Balinese provincial capital of Bali. The AMP said that it was a peaceful action rejecting the April 17 elections and they already had a police permit.

Samsudhuha Wildansyah, Jakarta – Presidential candidate incumbent President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo personally attended an event on March 10 to hear a declaration of support from the Betawi Brotherhood Forum (FBR).

Kosim Rahman – Former members of the recently banned Hizbut Tahrir Indonesia (HTI) group, which had previously campaigned for radical Islamic ideas, is believed to be supporting the 02 presidential campaign ticket (Paslon) of Prabowo Subianto and Sandiaga Uno in the 2019 elections.

Andhika Prasetia, Jakarta – Incumbent presidential candidate President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo has emphasised that the ideology of the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia (NKRI) is Pancasila. If anyone wants to replace this, he said, they will have to face the Pancasila Youth (PP).

Gita Irawan, Jakarta – Army Chief of Staff (Kasad) General Andika Perkasa and Australian Defense Force chief General Angus John Campbell have agreed to further increase military cooperation between the two countries.

Isal Mawardi, Jakarta – Prabowo Subianto’s younger brother and financial backer, Hashim Djojohadikusumo, says that they will accept any and all support for his older brother’s presidential bid. He said that they will accept all forms of support even from the children and grandchildren of the outlawed Indonesian Communist Party (PKI).