Pekanbaru-RoL – The Minister of Forestry, H. MS Kaban, says that level of illegal logging in Indonesia is resulting in financial losses to the state amounting to 60 trillion rupiah per year

M. Rizal Maslan, Jakarta – Following the death of renowned human rights activist Munir on September 7, non-government organisations have been urging the government to sign the United Nations 1998 Declaration on the Protection of Human Rights Defenders.

M. Rizal Maslan, Jakarta – The TNI (armed forces) says that it will give up its military business provided that its funding through the state budget is realised. This is because soldiers are educated to fight not conduct business.

M. Rizal Maslan, Jakarta – So that there is no repeat of the Munir case, the Jakarta Legal Aid Institute (LBH) is distributing a circular containing a warning to all human rights activists to be careful in carrying out their work.

Nala Edwin, Jakarta – Around 20 Bojong residents from the Bogor regency demonstrated at the Jakarta national police headquarters demanding the release of 17 colleges who were arrested in relation to a recent clash at the Bojong Integrate Rubbish Dump.

Jakarta – Non-government organisations (NGOs) are concerned about Indonesia’s nomination to chair the United Nations Human Rights Commission because it will actually silence the human rights movement in Indonesia itself.

Suwarjono, Jakarta – TNI (armed forces) chief Endriartono Sutarto is asking that the death of human rights activist Munir not be turned into a political issue. Munir’s case is a criminal one and must be resolved legally.

M. Rizal Maslan, Jakarta – Threats in the form of a package containing a rotting chicken carcass which were sent to the wife of Munir were also been sent to the offices of Indonesian Human Rights Watch (Imparsial) on Jalan Diponegoro at around 1.15pm on Tuesday November 23.

Indra Darmawan, Jakarta – Leading non-government organisation (NGO) figures are urging the government to form an independent team to investigate Munir’s murder.

Arin Widiyanti, Jakarta – Indonesian Human Rights Watch (Imparsial) and the Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras) are urging the government and police to investigate threats which have been made against the family of the late Munir.