Christoforus Ristianto, Jakarta – Centre for Innovation Policy and Governance (CIPG) researcher Klara Esti says that the political buzzer phenomena can be said to have begun during the 2012 gubernatorial (pilgub DKI) elections in Jakarta.

Audrey Santoso, Jakarta – Police have arrested the deputy chairperson of the United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP), Buchtar Tabuni. Tabuni was arrested on Monday for alleged makar (treason, subversion, rebellion).

Jakarta – House of Representatives (DPR) Commission I Deputy Chairperson Satya Yudha believes that efforts by United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP) Chairperson Benny Wenda to provoke the Papuan people resemble the scenario by Jose Ramos Horta when he invited the people of East Timor – now called Timor Leste – to separate from the Uni

Zae Baneza, Ulfia Dwi and Adi Ahdiat, Jakarta – On Sunday September 1 the police arrested a number of Papuan students in Jakarta on charges of treason (makar).

Not long after this, the Jakarta Legal Aid Foundation (LBH) issued a press release stating that the police were conducting sweeps.

May the work go well, stay optimistic...!

Writing on weights reads: Fake news, import mafia, intolerance, radicalism, maritime axis, nepotism, collusion, corruption, malnutrition, terrorism, poverty, oligarchy, and so on...

Andita Rahma, Jakarta – The deputy chairperson of the House of Representatives’ (DPR) Commission I, Golkar Party politician Satya Widya Yudha, supports a plan by the National Police (Polri) to monitor chats on WhatsApp message groups. This, he said, will be done to prevent the spread of fake news.

Jakarta – The deputy chairperson of Prabowo Subianto’s Greater Indonesia Movement Party (Gerindra), Arief Poyuono, will report US independent journalist Allan Nairn to the police who he accuses of spreading lies or fake news.

Jakarta – The Institute for Criminal Justice Reform (ICJR) is protesting a statement by Coordinating Minister for Security, Politics and Legal Affairs (Menko Polhukam) Wiranto who stated that people who encourage others to golput – to abstain from voting – in the 2019 elections can be prosecuted by law.

On the afternoon of Monday March 18, scores of people from various different groups held a protest action at the Yogyakarta Monument in the Central Java city of Yogyakarta.

Samsudhuha Wildansyah, Jakarta – Presidential candidate incumbent President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo personally attended an event on March 10 to hear a declaration of support from the Betawi Brotherhood Forum (FBR).

Fitria Chusna Farisa, Jakarta – The Alliance of Independent Journalists (AJI) is urging police to release Jakarta State University (UNJ) lecturer and human rights activist Robertus Robet who has been indicted on charges of insulting the authorities or a public agency in Indonesia.

Fitria Chusna Farisa, Jakarta – Constitutional legal expert Bivitri Susanti from the Center of Law and Policy Studies (PSHK) says that the Information and Electronic Transaction Law (UU ITE) must be reviewed.

Jakarta – The Prabowo Subianto and Sandiaga Uno election campaign team (BPN) has admitted that three housewives in Karawang, West Java, who went door-to-door telling people that “the call to prayer would be banned and same-sex marriage would be allowed if Jokowi wins” are indeed election campaign volunteers.

Jakarta – The House of Representatives (DPR) has denied rumors that they are deliberating a law to legalise Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) activities.

The denial follows rumors about the ratification of a draft LGBT Law (RUU LGBT) in a broadcast message circulated on WhatsApp groups and social media.

Devina Halim, Jakarta – The Pro-Women’s National Legislation Program Network (JKP3) is calling on the House of Representatives (DPR) and the government to straighten out fake news or hoaxes about the Draft Law on the Elimination of Sexual Violence (RUU PKS).

Jakarta – Indonesian Institute for Science (LIPI) researcher Amin Mudzakir has revealed that that based on the results of a LIPI survey in 2018, there are three regions where there is a high-level of acceptance of fake news or hoaxes.

Jakarta – Attacking each other, slander and the use of SARA (sectarian and identity politics) being accentuated by the presidential election candidates is disappointing the millennial generation. They are now threatening that if the situation does not improve, they will golput (abstain from voting) in the April 17 general elections.

Old Man: Don’t cheat, don’t play with hoaxes, be optimistic and tolerant

From an oped piece title The politics of 2018 and the 2019 Elections

Jakarta – President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo has spoken out about banners which have appeared with the writing #JokowiBersamaPKI (#JokowiSameAsPKI – Jokowi is the same as the Indonesian Communist Party, PKI). The white banners smacking of slander have been put up around the Kebon Kacang area of Tanah Abang in Central Jakarta.

Arjuna Pademme – Over the last few years the online media in Papua has grown rapidly. In concert with this, online “ghost” media sites have also emerged which appear to present journalistic reports but it is unclear who is responsible, who the journalists are or what there address is.