Jakarta – A civil society coalition calling themselves the People’s Front for Human Rights Bandung (Bara Hamba) is urging the Minister for Human Rights and Justice (Kemenkumham) to revoke the Human Rights Friendly City award which was recently given to the West Java provincial capital of Bandung.

Jakarta – The Jayapura municipal police have declared 20 people accused of being Free Papua sympathisers as suspects on charges of makar (treason, subversion, rebellion). The 20 are part of a group of 34 Free Papua sympathisers who were arrested by a joint team from the Jayapura municipal police on Saturday November 30.

Rahmat Rahman Patty, Ambon – A protest action by scores of Papuan students calling themselves the Struggle Committee for Democracy and Human Rights in front of the World Peace Gong in Ambon City, Maluku, was broken up by police on Sunday December 1.

Kristian Erdianto, Jakarta – During a working meeting with the House of Representatives (DPR) Commission I, Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto explained the concept of defense and security which he will pursue over the next five years.

Jakarta – Civil freedoms under the administration of President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo are seen as having declined. Based on the results of a Saiful Mujani Research Center (SMRC) survey between May and June 2019, 43 percent of respondents said they were afraid of expressing an opinion in public.

Racism by the ruling class through the security forces and reactionary civil militia groups against the Papuan people has triggered a fight back. The siege and attack on the Papuan student dormitory in the Central Java city of Surabaya on August 16 triggered a wave of anti-racist protests in Papua and across Indonesia.

The betrayal of the mandate of reformasi – the political reform movement that began in 1998 – has angered Indonesia’s youth, students and the ordinary people.

Alfian, Makassar -- The momentum of Youth Pledge Day on Monday October 28 was used by students and local people in the South Sulawesi provincial capital of Makassar to again take to the streets to voice their demands.

Surabaya – Hundreds of workers and student from various different organisations calling themselves the United People’s Struggle Alliance (APPR) held a demonstration at the East Java governor’s office on Jl Pahlawan in the East Java provincial capital of Surabaya.

Ihsanuddin, Jakarta – Today, exactly five years ago, President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo was inaugurated as the president of the Republic of Indonesia for 2014-2019. Today, on Sunday October 20, Widodo was again inaugurated as president of Indonesia for 2019-2024.

There was a striking difference however between the two inaugurations.

Egi Adyatama, Jakarta – Administrative and Bureaucratic Reform Minister Syafruddin has emphasised that state civil servants or ASN are not allowed to criticise the government in public. If they do, he assured them that they will have to be prepared to face criminal charges.

Jakarta – Jakarta Metro Jaya regional police chief Gatot Eddy Pramono has emphasised that they will not issue permits for people wanting to hold protests in Jakarta. The ban will remain in place from Tuesday October 15 through to the inauguration of President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo and Vice President elect Ma’ruf Amin on Sunday October 20.

Jakarta – Trisakti University Student President Dino Ardiansyah is urging President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo to issue a government regulation in lieu of law (Perppu) to annul the recently revised Corruption Eradication Commission Law (UU KPK).

September 24 marks the commemoration of National Farmers Day. Every year, thousands of farmers take to the streets to demand the justice and prosperity that seems to have been forgotten by the government.

Andhika Prasetia, Pekanbaru -- A state of emergency has been declared in Riau province due to the haze from forest and land fires (karhutla). Hoping for rain to get rid of the haze, President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo has held a salat istisqa -- a prayer for rain from Allah during drought.

Leon Kastayudha – Bacharuddin Jusuf Habibie died on September 12 at the age of 83. As the third president of Indonesia, his administration straddled the upheavals of Suharto’s New Order regime and reformasi – the political reform movement that began in 1998.

Jakarta – The National Human Rights Commission (Komnas HAM) believes that the police have failed to look at the context when they declared Veronica Koman and Surya Anta suspects. Komnas HAM Deputy Chairperson Sandrayati Moniaga said that both are included in the ranks of human rights defenders.

Since the siege on the Papuan student dormitory in Surabaya, a wave of demonstrations by the Papuan people has taken place. Massive protest actions have taken place in at least 14 districts in Papua and West Papua provinces.

Jakarta – The parties taking advantage of the riots in Papua and West Papua are starting to be revealed. The Indonesian police (Polri) suspect that these groups have links with international networks.

Jakarta – The legal team representing Indonesian People’s Front for West Papua (FRI-WP) spokesperson Surya Anta has confirmed that their client was arrested by police at a shopping centre in Jakarta on the evening of Saturday August 31. Anta was arrested on charges of treason (makar).