Taufiq Siddiq, Jakarta – Book traders operating at Blok M Square in Jakarta say that raids on books containing banned ideas will be pointless because the works are a product of ideas. “So, people can just reprint and circulate them again, said Block M book trader Alil on Thursday January 24.

Taufiq Siddiq, Jakarta – Attorney General Muhammad Prasetyo is proposing that massive raids be carried out to hunt down books which contain communist teachings and banned ideologies. The proposal was made after the seizure of hundreds of books around the country allegedly containing “banned ideas”.

Gibran Maulana Ibrahim, Jakarta – Attorney General Muhammad Prasetyo has spoken out about hundreds of books on communism that were seized last year in Kediri, East Java. According to Prasetyo, more raids need to be carried out if indeed these books contain communist teachings.

Rivki, Jakarta – On January 8 officials from the Padang public prosecutor’s office and the TNI (Indonesian military) seized several books alleged to contain the teachings of the banned Indonesian Communist Party (PKI) from a bookshop in West Padang.

Bagus Prihantoro Nugroho, Jakarta – A book written by a politician from President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo’s ruling Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) Budiman Sudjatmiko titled Children of the Revolution has been seized in a raid by a team of TNI (Indonesian military) and the Padang public prosecutor’s office after it was deeme

Jeka Kampai, Padang – The owner of the Nagare Boshi bookshop in Padang, Yanto Tjahaja, says he has been left deeply traumatised by the raid by a team from the TNI (Indonesian military) and the Padang public prosecutor’s office who seized books deemed to contain ‘communist’ ideas from his place of business on Tuesday January 8.

Jeka Kampai, Padang – A joint team from the District Military Command (Kodim) and the Padang Attorney General’s Office have seized a number of books alleged to contain communist ideas.

Chaerul Umam, Jakarta – The 212 Reunion organising committee has held a “212 Award” for media and individuals that have consistently championed the 212’s patriotic spirit by reporting on their polite, orderly and peaceful events.

Jakarta – The Institute for Criminal Justice Reform (ICJR) is questioning the legal grounds for the seizure of books about the banned Indonesian Communist Party (PKI) and communism in Kediri, East Java, on Wednesday December 26. The ICJR also criticised the involvement of the TNI (Indonesian military) in the raids.

Indonesia is becoming less and less safe for journalists despite the fact that they are protected under Law Number 40/1999 on the Press.

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.

Whisnu Mardiansyah, Jakarta – Presidential hopeful Prabowo Subianto claims that the majority of journalists are publishing lies. He even claims that the media are lackeys of those who want to destroy the [Unitary State of the] Republic of Indonesia (NKRI).

M Guruh Nuary, Jakarta – The 212 Reunion is over and proceeded in an orderly fashion. Presidential hopeful Prabowo Subianto however has criticised the media over its coverage of the event at the National Monument (Monas) on December 2.

Mohammad Bernie – A group of protesters from the Papuan Student Alliance (AMP) and the Indonesian People’s Front for West Papua (FRI-WP) have demanded that West Papua be free from Indonesian colonialism.

20 years of reformasi: A reminder of the need to win what has yet to be achieved by reformasi – freedom, equality and prosperity.

Long live the workers! Long live the people!

May 1 is symbolic of our struggle against the tyranny of capital and employers who oppress the working class.

Elise Dwi Ratnasari, Jakarta – There were still traces left over from the rain earlier in the morning. Although it was cloudy, it still felt hot under the intense heat of the sun.

Not many protesters had gathered yet but the enthusiasm shown by the women from various different organisations and backgrounds was already ablaze.

Lalu Rahadian, Jakarta – Vertical and horizontal conflicts in Papua province will not be resolved until the Indonesian government provides the Papuan people with an opportunity to determine their future through an international forum.

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.

Ambaranie Nadia Kemala Movanita, Jakarta – Setara Institute for Democracy and Peace chairperson Hendardi believes that efforts to uncover the history of the 1965 affair are often used as an excuse by certain parties to blow up the issue of an alleged revival of the Indonesian Communist Party (PKI).

Dwi Andayani, Noval Dwinuary Antoni, Jakarta – Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation (YLBHI) advocacy head Muhammad Isnur says that retired Major General Kivlan Zen and Presidium 313 member Rahmat Himran were behind the attack on the LBH Jakarta offices yesterday evening.