Jakarta – Even though President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono had flown to Japan, it did not lessen the spirit of hundred of housewives and children from demonstrating at the State Palace on November 26.

Jakarta – Protesters from the Preparatory Committee for the National Liberation Party of Unity (KP-Papernas) demonstrated at the offices of the Coordinating Minister for People’s Welfare in Central Jakarta on Sunday November 26.

J. Osdar – Indonesian journalists roared with laughter when they witnessed the general elections or great election in the Malaysian state of Sabah in 1985. The total number of voters was only 300,000 out of a population of 1.2 million. But more than 30 political parties had registered to contest the elections.

Yogyakarta – Scores of protesters demonstrated in front of the Agung State Place Building in the Central Java city of Yogyakarta yesterday criticising the state of the nation, particularly in relation to the foreign debt.

Bandar Lampung – The Bandar Lampung City Preparatory Committee for the National Liberation Party of Unity (KP-Papernas) plans to start socialising the new party this afternoon at the Lampung Cultural Gardens.

Jakarta – New political parties continue to surface. After 27 new political parties registered recently with the department of justice and human rights, there is now one more party, the National Liberation Party of Unity (PPPN or Papernas), that is ready to follow suit.

A.J. Susmana – It has been 61 years since Indonesia declared itself as an independent nation. But the question so often asked by the cynical is: “Are we really free?”.

Windoro Adi – It was just like the good old days when on the afternoon of Friday July 28, RMH Heroe Syswanto NS Soerio Soebagio, who is affectionately called Sys NS, appeared once again in an event at a hotel in Jakarta.

Ken Yunita, Jakarta – Thousands of workers, farmers and urban poor have started the process of forming a new political party but launching a preparatory committee for a national party of liberation.

Jakarta – In the mist criticism over the performance of the political parties, a number of elite parties have initiated a process of internal consolidation as well as using public forums – not just the parliament – to issue statements. A new political party is also started to emerge.

Jakarta – Student activists, workers, farmers and the urban poor have started planning the establishment of the National Liberation Party of Unity (Papernas) to fight for the welfare of the oppressed in the 2009 general elections.

Endang Purwanti, Jakarta – An Ad Hoc Team from the National Human Rights Commission (Komnas HAM) is currently searching for 13 pro-democracy activists that disappeared between 1997 and 1998.

Windoro Adi – “We are grateful that the government has finally acknowledged our fallen son a hero of reformasi. They did not die in vain”, said Hiratetty, the mother of Elang Mulia Lesmana at a press conference at the Trisakti University campus on Monday May 8.

Dita Indah Sari – The uproar over the planned revisions to the labour law has yet to subside. The character and process of the next round of deliberations of the revisions, which were agreed to in a meeting at the State Palace on April 7, have also been criticise by labour organisations.

After holding a meeting with trade union representatives on April 8, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono declared that the Draft Revision to Law Number 13/2003 on Labour that has already been circulating among the pubic is no longer valid.

After triggering a wave of protests, the government’s version of the draft revision of the labour law has been canceled.

On March 8, no less than 400 mostly women activists from Perempuan Mahardhika, which is made up of urban poor, worker and student organisations along with other women’s groups, marched to demand government of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono stop paying the foreign debt and use the budget to improve welfare for the poor.

Ken Yunita, Jakarta – The debate over the question of giving voting rights to the TNI (Indonesian military) and the police continues to provoke discussion. The People’s Democratic Party (PRD) agrees with members of the TNI and police participating in the 2009 general elections.

[The following is a compilation of abridged translations on demonstrations between September 16-25 against the government’s plan to increase fuel prices by as much as 60 per cent on October 1.]

Malang students oppose fuel price increases

Detik.com – September 16, 2005

 ”I did this so that we would not be a nation of coolies and a coolie among nations” – Indonesia’s founding President Sukarno