Jakarta – After holding a demonstration to commemorate International Labour Day at the Hotel Indonesia roundabout and the State Palace in Central Jakarta, protesters from the Indonesian Metal Trade Workers Federation (FSPMI) and several other trade unions continued the action at the House of Representatives (DPR) building in Senayan.

Nurochman Arrazie, Bandar Lampung – Hundreds of workers and students from the Volunteers of the People’s Struggle for the Liberation of the Motherland or Spartan commemorated Labour Day in a protest at the Lampung regional General Election Commission (KPU) offices.

Medan – The North Sumatra Union for the Politics of the Poor Front (FPPRM) believes that the administration of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has failed. Because of this therefore, they are opposing the 2009 general elections.

First Man: It’s the rainy season, so how come it’s so hot?

Second Man: Local warming...

Writing on umbrella: Crisis

Clockwise from top: Sri Sultan Hamengkubuwono X, Megawati Sukarnoputri, Prabowo Subianto, Wiranto, Hidayat Nur Wahid, Jusuf Kalla, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.

The children enjoyed themselves, dancing in the rain in front of the ogres. There were none who appeared troubled, what there was, was merriment. A million drops of rain and a thousand thunderbolts could not have diminished their desire to play among the water puddles.

Muhammad Taufiqqurahman, Jakarta – Students demonstrating against US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Thursday February 19 ‘forced’ police to help them trample on US flags. The police were left smiling resentfully.

I respectfully bow my head
To all of you the victims
Because to you alone I shall bow my head
[But] to the oppressors
Never will I bow in submission
I shall always stand erect

M. Rizal Maslan, Jakarta – “The courts are simply an extension of the perpetrators of human rights violations”. Thus spoke the late human rights activist Munir during a speech at a demonstration at the Supreme Court in 2004. Likewise is the human rights situation at the start of 2009, including the investigation into his murder.

Ari Saputra, Jakarta – Feeling boxed into a corner by many circles, former National Intelligence Agency (BIN) deputy chief retired Major General Muchdi Purwopranjono ‘has poured out his heart out’ to the National Human Rights Commission (Komnas HAM).

Oppose the 2009 elections of the political elite – an election of the human rights violators, capitalists, corruptors and opportunist!

Denpasar – The signing of the Anti-Pornography Law by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has attracted protests in the Indonesian resort island of Bali, with two of the students planning to demonstrate against the law being arrested by police.

Andi Saputra, Jakarta – Hundreds of environmental activists from several different non-government organisations held an action at the Hotel Indonesia roundabout in Central Jakarta on December 6 in which they painted a miniature globe on a 20 metre length of white cloth symbolising a bomb that is about to explode.

Jakarta – Around 100 people held a protest action in front of the United States Embassy in Central Jakarta on November 15 demanding that a G20 ministerial level meeting in Washington be dissolved. The protesters, who came from the People’s Struggle Front (FPR), said that the meeting would not solve the problems facing ordinary people.

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.

Kompas – The families of missing activists hope that President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono will not take conventional measures in completing the investigation of the forced disappearance of activists that occurred in 1997-98. Particularly given that 13 of those who disappeared have to this day still not returned.

Novia Chandra Dewi, Jakarta – The Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras) believes that plan to summon former generals by the House of Representatives’ (DPR) Special Committing for Missing Persons is ridden with political motivations.

Jakarta – In the lead up to the 2009 general elections, the House of Representatives (DPR) Special Committee on the 1997/1998 Abduction of Activists has been revived again.

Jakarta – The Talangsari incident in Lampung regency in February 1989 is threatened with the same fate as other cases of gross human rights violations.

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The Supertoy HL2 rice hoax linked to the presidential office has revealed nepotism and cronyism among President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono’s inner circle.

Didi Syafirdi, Jakarta – Around 20 West Papuans from the United West Papua Popular Struggle Front (Pepera) held an action at the Hotel Indonesia roundabout in Central Jakarta on Friday August 22.