Jakarta – The Indonesian Forum for the Environment (Walhi) says that the deployment of the TNI (Indonesian military) and Polri (Indonesian police) personnel to help extinguish forest and land fires (Karhutla) fails to address the root cause of the problem.

Haris Prabowo – It will not only be senior students and teachers who will be guiding new students during school orientation programs. Even the TNI (Indonesian military) – whose principle duty is defense and war – will now be involved.

Jakarta – In the lead up to the commemoration of International Labour Day or May Day on May 1, the Palm Oil Workers Coalition (KBS) has again called on the government and companies to fulfill the rights of workers employed in the palm oil sector.

Jakarta – An independent team called the Nduga Case Investigation Team has reported a number of alleged human rights violations (HAM) during the military operations conducted by the TNI (Indonesian military) and Polri (Indonesian police) in Nduga regency, West Papua.

From an oped piece titled The Sugar Industry’s Economic Rentierism

Indonesia is the world’s second-largest sugar importer behind China and imports have doubled over the last 10 years. Last year, less than half the sugar consumed in Indonesia was grown domestically.

Jakarta – Indonesian Institute of Science (LIPI) political observer Hermawan Sulistyo believes that promoting the achievements of Suharto’s New Order (Orba) regime in the 2019 presidential elections will not prove attractive to the millennial generation.

Kid: How come all we do is import rice?

Farmer: Yes, well, if we didn’t we’d be dead (scarecrow reads “rice data hoax”)

A polemic has erupted over the importation of rice verses self-sufficiency with supporters of presidential challenger Prabowo Subianto using the issue to attack incumbent President Joko Widodo.

Bulukumba – Hundreds of farmers from the Bulukumba People’s Struggle Front (FPR) in South Sulawesi commemorated National Farmers Day (HTN) with a protest action in front of the Bulukumba regent’s office on Monday September 24.

Rabul Sawal, Ternate – The Ternate Student Struggle Centre for National Liberation (Pembebasan) collective commemorated National Farmers Day (HTN) which falls on September 24 by organising activities at several higher education campuses in North Maluku.

Jakarta – Protesters commemorating National Farmers Day (HTN) in Jakarta on September 24 have succeeded in holding an action in front of the State Palace in Central Jakarta after an earlier demonstration was blocked by police.

Puti Aini Yasmin, Jakarta – The Jakarta provincial government (DKI) through the company PT Food Station Tjipinang Jaya is importing garlic from China. Approximately how much will this garlic cost by the time it reaches the Indonesian market?

Tsarina Maharani, Jakarta – The Food and Drug Monitoring Agency (BPOM) has ordered the withdrawal of several brands of canned mackerel because they contain tapeworms.

Health Minister Nila F Moeloek however says that the tapeworms are not a big problem for the human body as long as they are cooked properly.

Shorts read ‘broker’, wave reads ‘Salt Imports’

Man (right): No Sir, not food imports... what’s important is our candidates are local

Arm bands read ‘Success Team (election campaign team)’, list reads ‘Presidential election candidate formulation’.

Alpen Martinus, Tondano – Scores of Manado State University (Unima) students from the Student Struggle Centre for National Liberation (Pembebasan), the Minahasa Progressive Women and individual pro-democracy activist held a solidarity action at the Unima main gate on Monday November 27.

Jayapura – The Papua provincial government has explicitly refuted a statement by the Papua regional police chief that residents have been taken hostage by an Armed Criminal Group (KKB) in the villages of Banti and Kimbely near the PT Freeport Indonesia mine in Tembagapura district, Mimika regency.

Erwin Dariyanto, Jakarta – Following the September 30 Movement (G30S) movement in 1965 there were tensions between the military and then Indonesian President Sukarno.

In mid-October the issue of an army coup d’etat emerged and became the subject of serious discussions within foreign embassy circles in Jakarta at the time.

Arif Hulwan Muzayyin, Jakarta – Efforts by the Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation (YLBHI) and the Jakarta Legal Aid Foundation (LBH) to set history straight with regard to the alleged September 30 Movement-Indonesian Communist Party (G30S-PKI) coup in 1965 are being seen by some as resurgence of communist ideas and a violation of the law.

Teacher: Now children, this is what used to be called a farmer (plaque reads: already threatened with extinct)

With only around 10% of government spending being allocated to maintain and repair the country's dilapidated irrigation systems and improve farmers' capacity by providing farm equipment, seed and fertilizers, President Widodo's much touted goal of making Indonesia self-sufficient in food production and end its dependency on imports (Impor) is fa