Dian Erika Nugraheny, Jakarta – Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras) Commissioner Fatia Maulidiyanti says that that they recorded 158 cases of violations against civil freedoms over the first year of President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo’s second term in office.

Man: Confused huh? (writing on book mark reads "transparency")

The highly contentious and unpopular Omnibus Law on Job Creation was passed into law on October 5. In response tens of thousands of people took to the streets across Indonesia in a series of angry and sometimes violent protests.

Dipo Negoro and Leon Kastayudha – The Draft Omnibus Law on Job Creation was finally enacted into law by the House of Representatives (DPR) on October 5.

Veronica Koman, Sydney – In response to the recent enactment of the Omnibus Law on Job Creation and the wave of demonstrations against the law across Indonesia, trade union representatives and activists held a solidarity action opposing the Omnibus Law in front of the Consulate General of the Republic of Indonesia in Sydney between 1-2 pm local

Ardito Ramadhan, Jakarta – Academics from scores of tertiary education institutions across the country have expressed their opposition to the Draft Omnibus Law on Job Creation which was passed into law by the House of Representatives on Monday October 5.

Jakarta – The head of the Jakarta Legal Aid Foundation’s (LBH) advocacy for democracy team, Aprilia Lisa, says that the public’s voices and wishes were ignored by the government and the House of Representatives (DPR) in the process of deliberating the Draft Omnibus Law on Job Creation, which the DPR passed into law yesterday.

Jakarta – The House of Representatives (DPR) officially passed the Draft Omnibus Law on Job Creation into law during a plenary meeting on Monday October 5. The House accelerated the scheduled ratification – which had been planned for October 8 – on the grounds that the number of Covid-19 cases is continuing to rise.

Dian Erika Nugraheny, Jakarta – Association for Elections and Democracy (Perludem) researcher Heroik Pratama says that the increase in the number of sole candidate tickets (paslon) this year represents a strategy being used by the political parties to ensure victory in the 2020 election of regional heads.

Tsarina Maharani, Jakarta – Coordinating Minister for Politics, Security and Legal Affairs Mahfud MD has responded to the polemic about political dynasties in the 2020 election of regional heads (Pilkada).

Rakhmat Nur Hakim, Jakarta – Coordinating Minister for Security, Politics and Legal Affairs Mahfud MD says that democracy, which has developed rapidly in the public realm, has resulted in the government feeling that it is wrong whatever it does.

Palupi Annisa Auliani (editor) – The threat posed by the Covid-19 pandemic has distracted public attention. In the mist of the panic among the public, many strategic decisions on public policies have been taken without public involvement or participation.

Jakarta – Arif Susanto, a political analyst from the think tank Exposit Strategic, has criticised Presidential Chief of Staff Expert Donny Gahral Adian who said recently that buzzers are an unavoidable part of democracy.

Achmad Nasrudin Yahya, Jakarta – The Labour Movement with the People (Gebrak) has asserted that there will be no compromise with the government or the House of Representatives (DPR) over their opposition to the Draft Omnibus Law on Job Creation (RUU Cipta Kerja).

Irfan Kamil, Jakarta – National Human Rights Commission (Komnas HAM) Commissioner for Study and Research, Sandrayati Moniaga, says that the commission is recommending that deliberations on the Draft Omnibus Law on Job Creation (RUU Cipta Kerja) not be continued.

Jakarta – Papuan activist and former political prisoner Filep Karma says there are differences in how demonstrations proceed in Papua and Jakarta. He says that in Papua, demonstrations are not as free and easy as in Jakarta.

Jakarta – The election monitoring group Association for Elections and Democracy (Perludem) is predicting that there will be 31 regions where there will be sole candidates in the 2020 elections of regional heads (pilkada).

Writing on picture reads “Regional head”

Man: Before it was the father, now the mother, what next, the kids?

Kid: When do I get a go Dad?

Achmad Nasrudin Yahya, Jakarta – The Civil Society Coalition for Security Sector Reform is urging the government and the House of Representatives (DPR) to be transparent in its deliberations on the Draft Presidential Regulation (Perpres) on the Role of the Indonesian Military in Tackling Terrorism.

Jakarta – West Papua province has again been recorded as having the worst democracy index. This year (2019), West Papua’s Democracy Index (IDI) was 57.62, even dropping lower from 2018 when it was 58.29 points.

Zakarias Demon Daton, Samarinda – Health officials in Samarinda, East Kalimantan, tried to force three activists to undergo isolation at a local hospital after claiming that they had tested positive for Covid-19.