Banda Aceh – Residents of Kuta Alam in the Acehnese provincial capital of Aceh have caught a gay couple having same-sex relations at a boarding house. The possible existence of a wider gay community is also being investigated.

Jakarta – The head of the Jakarta provincial Education Office for junior and senior high schools, Muhamad Husin, says that as of today, Tuesday October 27, they have begun implementing lessons about the Omnibus Law on Job Creation.

"It's already come into effect", Husin told CNN Indonesia in an SMS message.

Irfan Kamil, Jakarta – Southeast-Asia Freedom of Expression Network (SAFEnet) Executive Director Damar Juniarto says that a phenomenon of deflating democracy is occurring at the moment through digital attacks against groups critical of the government.

Tsarina Maharani, Jakarta – Freedom House has released the latest research on internet freedom in 65 countries around the world titled “Freedom on the Net 2020”.

The research shows that Indonesia is ranked as partly free. Indonesia was given this category after obtaining an internet freedom score of 49 out of 100.

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.

Elza Astari Retaduari, Jakarta – The Indonesian military (TNI) has reasserted that it will firmly punish soldiers who are lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender (LGBT). Violators will be tried in military courts and dishonorably discharged from the military.

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.

Jakarta – Protests against the Omnibus Law on Job Creation have spread to almost all parts of the country since it was passed into law during a House of Representatives (DPR) plenary session on Monday October 5.

Jakarta – Opposition by the parties or the political parties outside of the administration against legislation which does not side with the people is seen by many as a joke. The reason being that they have taken an inconsistent position on deliberations at the House of Representatives (DPR) and have not fully mobilised this opposition.

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.

Jakarta – Police forcibly dispersed a student protest near the Cendrawasih University (Uncen) in Jayapura, Papua, on Monday September 28. The students were protesting against an extension of Special Autonomy (Otsus) for Papua.

Jakarta – The Indonesian Communion of Churches (PGI) is urging President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo open the curtain on the shooting of Pastor Yeremia Zanamban in the Intan Jaya regency of Papua on Saturday September 19.

Jakarta – The Tabernacle Bible Church of Indonesia (GKII) suspects that Reverend Yeremia Zanambani from the Intan Jaya regency in Papua was shot dead by members of the TNI (Indonesian military) on Saturday September 19. As a result of the shooting, the church’s congregation has fled to the forests in fear.

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.

Dian Erika Nugraheny, Jakarta – The recent hacking of the Tempo.co website has not intimidated Tempo’s editors who will continue to take a critical stand in their reporting.

Jakarta – Deputy Defense Minister Wahyu Sakti Trenggono says that the wars being waged at the moment are not always in the form of military or physical attacks.

Agus Rahmat and Eduward Ambarita – Postings by artists and influencers on social media supporting the Draft Omnibus Law on Job Creation (RUU Cipta Kerja) have attracted lively debate. Suspicions have emerged that they are being mobilised by the government.

Jakarta – The human rights based community Papua Is Us (Papua Itu Kita) has launched a fund raising campaign to assist human rights activists and lawyer Veronica Kaman who says that the Indonesian government has asked her to return scholarship money she was given amounting to 773 million rupiah (US$52,760).

Jakarta – National Human Rights Commission (Komnas HAM) Commissioner Choirul Anam says that the government’s narrative on lifestyles under the “new normal” has in fact complicated the handling of the coronavirus (Covid-19) epidemic in Indonesia.

Jakarta – Papuan activists and former political prisoner (tapol) Surya Anta has revealed that his first upload from a series of tweets (thread) on conditions at the Salemba prison in Central Jakarta posted on his Twitter social media account has suddenly disappeared.