Politicians: My job is to make policy, my job is to procure canisters... my job is this, my job is that...

Man holding gas canister: My job... is to accept my fate...

Man: The rice-reform order (era) huh? – report nasi (difficulties buying rice), a play on the word reform[n]asi (political reform).

Signs read: Going up. Going up.

Kid: So where’s your commitment to the ideal of serving the people’s interests?

Lawmaker: In spite of not turning up for work, falling asleep during hearings, using my position to earn extra on the side, throwing bribes around... nevertheless I do represent the prosperity of the ordinary people...

Rheza Andhika Pamungkas, Jakarta – Around 80 workers from the Indonesian Labour Movement Union (PPBI) held a demonstration today demanding the cancellation of basic electricity rate (TDL) hikes that came into effect on July 1.

Man: Going sightseeing Mr?

Legislator: It’s a working visit don’t you know!

Kid: There are may roads to Rome, but when will we get there Dad?

Signs: Police St, AGO St, Judiciary St, Finance St, Corruption Eradication Commission St, Judicial Mafia Task Force St, Commission XYZ St, Road Without End St. Damaged road!

Man: His conscious is in there... (arm band reads candidate regional head)

With the cost of campaign spending for regional elections reaching into the millions of dollars, candidate regional heads see running for public office as financial investment rather than a chance to serve the public.

Toto Suryaningtyas – Efforts by certain politicians to pull the military back into the political arena has tended to receive little public agreement. This disagreement however has in fact been expressed at time when the public’s sense of satisfaction with the performance of the Indonesian military (TNI) has improved.

Alie Usman, Jakarta – Scores of demonstrators from the group Solidarity for Papua (SUP) that had gathered at the Hotel Indonesia traffic circle in Central Jakarta on Monday June 28, ended up stopping at several points along the length of Jl. Medan Merdeka Barat on their way to the State Palace.

Man: As I’ve said, it’s porno if it’s done openly... if it’s secret it’s not porno!

Kid: So we live in the Republic of Pornography right Dad?

Busker: Have a long and glorious life... a long and glorious life...

Ever the opportunist, at its national congress on June 16-20 the Islamic based Justice and Prosperity Party (PKS) – known for its anti-US stance – announced it was seeking stronger links with the US to counter its exclusive image and broaden its political base.

Yogyakarta – Scores of Papuans from the group Solidarity for Papua (SUP) held a protest action at the Yogyakarta monument in the Central Java city of Yogyakarta on Monday June 21.

Kid: The Republic of Clowns League welcomes the world cup!

Jakarta – The handling of foreign refugees that enter Indonesia, which are often referred to as illegal immigrants, is still of concern. This is because Indonesia has still not ratified the 1951 United Nations Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees and the 1967 Protocol.

Jakarta – The law that serves as a basis for the Attorney General’s Office (AGO) to ban the circulation of books is no longer contextual or relevant under the current situation.

Man: Don’t forget them (TV reads ‘South Africa 2010’)

For most Indonesians, the allegations of bribery and corruption surrounding South Africa’s hosting of the 2010 World Cup are all to familiar.

Yogyakarta – Activists from the Student Struggle Centre for National Liberation (Pembebasan, formerly LMND-PRD) opposing planned increases to the basic electricity rate (TDL) next July held an action in the Central Java city of Yogyakarta on Wednesday June 16.

Mojokerto – Scores of activists from the Independent Indonesian National Front for Labour Struggle (FNBPI-Independent) held a protest action and distributed leaflets in front of the Mojokerto municipal government offices in East Java on Tuesday June 15.

Jakarta – The government does not feel that it needs to get concerned about military cooperation with the United States, including over assurances about continued restoration of joint training between the two country’s special forces.