Verrianto Madjowa and Dian Yuliastuti, Manado – International Women’s Day (IWD), which falls on March 8, was also commemorated in Manado, North Sulawesi. Distributing leaflets, scores of women’s activists gathered at the Manado National Unity Park.

Zainal Bakri, Lhokseumawe – The National Elections Commission (KPU) in Aceh has stated that as of Saturday afternoon, March 6, no foreign election observers – either organisations or individuals – have arrived in Aceh. This is despite the fact that the election campaign will begin on March 11.

Syaiful Amin, Yogyakarta – On Friday March 5, at least 100 students from a number of schools of higher education held an action warning against the reemergence of the New Order [regime of former President Suharto].

Jakarta – There is concern that the general elections in Aceh will not be democratic if the province is still under a state of marshal law.

[The following is an abridged translation of the testimonies of six Acehnese pro-democracy activists who were either abducted or managed to evade capture during a wave of arrests carried out by the Mobile Brigade (Brimob) in Banda Aceh between February 19-23 which was compiled by the Jakarta based organisation Aceh Papua Solidarity (Solidari

Banda Aceh – Police have admitted to arresting and detaining a number of student activists in Aceh. Of the eleven activists which were arrested, three of them are still being held under charges of being involved with the Free Aceh Movement (GAM).

“The Supreme Court will deal with corrupt government officials on the sole basis they were carrying out the orders of a superior”.

Yogyakarta – Around 100 activists from the group People’s Solidarity for Aceh (Solidaritas Rakyat untuk Aceh) held a street action in Yogyakarta, Central Java, on Thursday February 26.

Sunariyah, Jakarta – The Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras) has condemned the arbitrary arrest and detention of activists in Aceh.

Jakarta – Arriving in two Metromini busses at around 11.30am, scores of demonstrators calling themselves the Alliance Against Rotten Non-Government Organisations demonstrated at the offices of the Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras) on Jalan Cisadane in Central Jakarta on Friday February 20.

Ambon – The commander of the XVI/Pattimura Territorial Military Command (Kodam), Major General Syarifudin Summah, has threatened to shoot on sight anybody to tries to disrupt the elections in the Maluku islands.

Malang – The visit by President Megawati Sukarnoputri to the city of Malang in East Java on Saturday February 14, was greeted with a demonstration by students from the University of Brawijaya (Unibraw) Student Executive Council (BEM) and the Indonesian Muslim Student United Action Front (KAMMI) in front of the Unibraw campus..

Palembang – Student activists, non-government organisations and academics held a silent protest in front of the Monument to the Mandate of the People’s Suffering in Palembang, South Sumatra, on Friday evening, February 13.

Medan-Solo-Surabaya-Malang – There have been more demonstrations by students over the Supreme Court’s verdict in the appeal by [Golkar Party chief] Akbar Tanjung [against corruption charges].

Surabaya – Around 100 students held a demonstration in front of the Grahadi State building in Surabaya, East Java, on Thursday February 12. They were demanding that the Supreme Court reject the appeal by [Golkar Party chief] Akbar Tanjung in the corruption case involving 40 billion rupiah of Bulog (State Logistics Agency) non-budgetary funds.

Jakarta – Chaos erupted at a demonstration by the Greater Jakarta and Greater Bandung Student Executive Councils while they were waiting for the Supreme Court’s verdict in the case of [Golkar Party chief] Akbar Tanjung in front of the Supreme Court building at 3.40pm.

Jakarta – According to the action coordinator from the University of Indonesia Student Executive Council, Ahmad Nur Hidayat, 15 of his friends were injured in a clash with police.

[The following is a translation of a statement issued by the Women’s Defense Alliance (Aliansi Perempuan Menggugat, APM) which was issued on February 7.]

Muhamad Fasabeni, Jakarta – Arriving in three Metro Mini Number 79 busses at 11am, around 60 people demonstrated at the offices of the Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras), the Indonesian Legal Aid Association (PBHI) and Indonesian Human Rights Watch (Imparsial) on Friday February 6 at 11am.

Jakarta – Although deliberation by the panel of judges on the case of Akbar Tanjung only began yesterday, six organisation held a demonstration in front of the supreme court in relation to the case of [the embezzlement of] non-budgetary funds by the general chairperson of the Golkar Party on Tuesday February 3.