Sultani – The Indonesian public’s attention of late has been focused on the actions and maneuvering of political figures who want to nominate themselves as presidential candidates for the 2009 presidential elections.

Jakarta – In the midst of the current decline in the popularity of national leaders, a potential for the emergence of new leaders is opening up.

Sultani – The positive tone of the reaction to the announcement by the United Nations and the World Bank in which they rated Suharto as the biggest corruptor of state assets in the world indicates the public’s level of anger over the deadlock in the process of investigating the former president of Indonesia.

Jakarta – Transsexuals are opposing the Jakarta regional government bylaw on public order that will soon be coming into effect. They say that the bylaw is discriminative and will criminalise the poor and particular social groups, including transsexuals.

Ramadhian Fadillah, Jakarta – Opposition to Draft Bylaw No. 8/2007 on Public Order established by the Jakarta provincial government is continuing. Around 200 buskers, beggars, transsexuals, street peddlers and 3 in 1 jockeys descended upon the Department of Home Affairs building on Monday September 24.

Jakarta – Around 50 members of the Poor People’s Alliance (ARM) demonstrated in front of the Jakarta Regional House of Representatives (DPRD) building on Friday September 21 against the imposition of bylaw on public order.

Nadhifa Putri, Jakarta – A transvestite made up in garish dress joined with buskers demonstrating at the Jakarta Regional House of Representatives (DPRD) against the draft bylaw on pubic order that has attracted so much controversy.

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.

Dikhy Sasra, Jakarta – The new bylaw on public order continues to draw protests from various groups, including from student-intellectual circles.

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.

Andi Saputra, Jakarta – The poor will be the ones who will put up the strongest resistance to the new bylaw on public order. The Jakarta Poor People’s Alliance (ARM), which is made up of scores of non-government organisations from across Greater Jakarta is calling for the bylaw to be revoked.

Sunudyantoro/Rohman Taufiq, Surabaya – Today, three years ago, human rights activist Munir died on a flight from Jakarta via Singapore to Amsterdam. A peaceful action commemorating his death was held in front of the State Grahadi Building in the East Java provincial capital of Surabaya on Friday September 7.

Welcome back to New Perspectives (Perspektif Baru), I’m Jaleswari Pramodhawardani and I’m here with Zely Ariane, an activist from the Perempuan Mahardhika National Network. Today we will be speaking about an issue that is of concern to us all, the urban poor.

“Literary history must be won back. Culture as a priority for the people must be won back.

Triono Wahyu Sudibyo, Salatiga – Around 250 students and farmers from the Central Java city of Salatiga were disappointed after being ‘removed’ before having a chance to express long list of grievances over the shooting incident in the Central Java regency Pasuruan on May 30.

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.

The national liberation of the people of Latin America, which has been inspired by the people’s struggle in Venezuela led by President Hugo Chavez, should be able to inspire similar methods and ideologies in the Indonesian national struggle.

[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.]

[The following is a compilation of abridged translations taken from Detik.com on demonstrations commemorating nine years since the fall of former President Suharto on May 21, 1998.]

'Get ready for an increase in traffic jams'

Rafiqa Qurrata A, Jakarta – The central leadership board of the National Liberation Party of Unity suspects there is a political plot to destroy them. This is taking a number forms such as terror and intimidation.