Novia Chandra Dewi, Jakarta – Coinciding with five years since the death of Munir, some 300 people demonstrated at the Attorney General’s Office (AGO) demanding that investigation into the murder of the human rights activists be completed.

Ari Saputra, Jakarta – Thousands of balloons were released into the air on Monday September 7. The coloured balloons with pictures of Munir symbolised five years since the death of the human rights activists.

Rachmadin Ismail, Jakarta – The Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras) visited the Directorate General of Human Rights at the Department of Justice and Human Rights on Tuesday September 1.

Rachmadin Ismail, Jakarta – There has been no significant change in the handling of cases of missing person or human rights violations since President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has been in office. Over the next period therefore, Yudhoyono is being urged to show more courage.

E Mei Amelia R, Jakarta – The Attorney General’s Office is again being urged to immediately submit a judicial review over the Supreme Court’s verdict to release Muchdi Purwoprandjono.

Ayu Fitriana, Jakarta – Around 3 hundred people coordinated by the Solidarity Committee for Munir (Kasum) held an action in front of the Supreme Court building on Thursday July 16 to protest against the court’s decision to uphold the acquittal of former top spy Muchdi Purwopranjono for the 2004 assassination of rights activist Munir.

Novi Christiastuti Adiputri, Jakarta – Scores of people from the Indonesian Youth Front for Struggle (FPPI) demonstrated at the Hotel Indonesia roundabout in Central Jakarta on Tuesday July 7 calling for a boycott of the presidential elections. On account of not having a permit, the demonstration was forcibly disbanded by police.

Amanda Ferdina, Jakarta – Six protest actions are scheduled to mark the start of the week in Jakarta and surrounding areas. The mass actions will take place both in the morning and afternoon, so watch out for traffic jams.

Baggage on overloaded bus: Corruption, human rights, debt, unemployment, collusion. Number plate reads presidential elections.

Wanted: ‘Driver’ with vision. Not just knowing how to build coalitions!

Nurochman Arrazie, Bandar Lampung – Hundreds of workers and students from the Volunteers of the People’s Struggle for the Liberation of the Motherland or Spartan commemorated Labour Day in a protest at the Lampung regional General Election Commission (KPU) offices.

Jakarta – On Saturday afternoon, hundreds of workers from trade unions in Jakarta and the satellite cities of Bogor, Depok, Tangerang and Bekasi (Jabodetabek), held a protest action opposing the 2009 elections saying that it will not benefit the ordinary people.

The children enjoyed themselves, dancing in the rain in front of the ogres. There were none who appeared troubled, what there was, was merriment. A million drops of rain and a thousand thunderbolts could not have diminished their desire to play among the water puddles.

Indra Subagja, Jakarta – The University of Indonesia (UI) will not be giving permission for a concert event titled “Tribute to Munir” at its Depok campus in West Jakarta on February 20. Not surprisingly this has given rise to protests by the wife of the late Munir, Suciwati.

I respectfully bow my head
To all of you the victims
Because to you alone I shall bow my head
[But] to the oppressors
Never will I bow in submission
I shall always stand erect

Rizal Maslan, Jakarta – In order to discover the truth behind the murder of human rights activist Munir, the National Human Rights Commission (Komnas HAM) has formed a public examination team.

Jakarta – The slow pace of development in Papua 12 years after the implementation of special autonomy has lead observers to believe that a reevaluation of the special autonomy law is needed. They believe that the stipulations enacted in the 2001 law have lost their spirit, namely bringing prosperity to the Papuan people.

Indra Subagja, Jakarta – The United Nations will continue to monitor the case involving the murder of human rights activist Munir. UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Margaret Sekaggya has also conveyed her feelings of concern about the acquittal of Munir murder defendant Muchdi Purwoprandjono.

Indra Subagja, Jakarta – The public prosecutor handing the case of murdered human rights activists Munir has submitted a judicial review to the Supreme Court via the South Jakarta District Court. The Solidarity Committee for Munir (Kasum) hopes that the Supreme Court will allow the hearings to be open to the public.

M. Rizal Maslan, Jakarta – “The courts are simply an extension of the perpetrators of human rights violations”. Thus spoke the late human rights activist Munir during a speech at a demonstration at the Supreme Court in 2004. Likewise is the human rights situation at the start of 2009, including the investigation into his murder.

Ari Saputra, Jakarta – Feeling boxed into a corner by many circles, former National Intelligence Agency (BIN) deputy chief retired Major General Muchdi Purwopranjono ‘has poured out his heart out’ to the National Human Rights Commission (Komnas HAM).