Jakarta – Natural disasters have hit several parts of Indonesia at the start of 2021. The series of distressing calamities began on Saturday January 9 when landslide claimed 32 lives in Sumedang, West Java.

Jakarta – Civil society organisations in the Central Java city of Yogyakarta which are part of the Yogyakarta People's Alliance for Democracy (ARDY) have sent a subpoena to Yogyakarta (DIY) Governor Sri Sultan Hamengku Buwono X over a ban on expressing opinions in public.

Jakarta – The Indonesian Forum for the Environment (Walhi) is urging President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo to summon companies which have business permits covering forest areas and land in South Kalimantan.

Feybien Ramayanti, Jakarta – Greenpeace Indonesia suspects that the flash floods which have inundated South Kalimantan are because watershed areas lost around 304,225 hectares of forest cover between 2001 and 2019. Most of this has been converted into palm oil plantations.

Jakarta – Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation (YLBHI) Chairperson Asfinawati says that Presidential Regulation Number 7/2021 which was signed by President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo earlier this month has the potential to give rise to conflicts in society.

Jakarta – Human Rights Watch (HRW) has criticised the government of President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo for its weak health response to Covid-19 which has brought Indonesia to its knees since the pandemic started in March 2020.

Reiner Brabar, Kota Sorong – On Monday January 11, hundreds of protesters from the Papuan People's Front (FRP) who oppose the extension of Special Autonomy (Otsus) held a long-march from Kilometre 9 to the Sorong City Regional House of Representatives (DPRD) carrying a coffin with the message "Th

Maria Baru, Kota Sorong – The Papuan people in greater Sorong reject all attempts by the Papuan political elite to extend Special Autonomy (Otsus) in Papua. This opposition was expressed during a march on the Sorong City Regional House of Representatives (DPRD) on Monday January 11.

Jayapura – Several people from villages in Biak and Supiori, Papua, were reportedly arrested between January 4-7 by a joint unit of TNI (Indonesian military) and Indonesian police (Polri) without arrest warrants.

Jakarta – The non-government organisation (NGO) Green Papua claims that 654,561 Papuans have signed a petition opposing the extension of Special Autonomy (Otsus) for Papua.

Ardito Ramadhan, Jakarta – Researcher Zaenur Rohman from the Gajah Mada University's (UGM) Anti-Corruption Study Centre says that the trend by the Supreme Court of cutting sentences at the judicial review level could eliminate the deterrent effect for corruption convicts.

Ardito Ramadhan, Jakarta – The Agrarian Reform Consortium (KPA) recorded 241 cases of agrarian conflicts in Indonesia throughout 2020.

Haryanti Puspa Sari, Jakarta – The results of a survey conducted by the Vox Populi Research Center on the electability of political parties at the start of 2021 has found that the electability of the ruling Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) and the Greater Indonesia Movement Party (

Irfan Kamil, Jakarta – Amnesty International Indonesia Media and Campaign Manager Nurina Savitri has highlighted Government Regulation Number 70/2020 which was recently signed by President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo.

Padang – Tan Malaka's heirs want the historical struggle of one of the Indonesian Republic's initiators to be included in school history lessons.

Jakarta – Opposition by Tambrauw regency residents in West Papua province against the establishment of the Tambrauw 1810 District Military Command (Kodim) has attracted support from a number of different parties.

Jakarta – The press community is calling on Indonesian police chief (Kapolri) General Idham Azis to revoke Article 2d of Kapolri Decree Number: Mak/1/I/2021 on Obeying the Prohibition on Activities, the Use of Symbols and Attributes and Halting the Activities of the Islamic Defenders Front (FPI).

Haryanti Puspa Sar, Jakarta – The Anti-Sexual Violence Civil Society Coalition (Kompaks) says that the distribution of intimate video content involving singer and actor Gisella 'Gisel' Anastasia (GA) demonstrates that gender based cyber violence does indeed exist.

Irfan Kamil, Jakarta – Amnesty International Indonesia Executive Director Usman Hamid says that the government's decree banning, disbanding and halting all organisational activities by the Islamic Defenders Front (FPI) has the potential to discriminate against and violate the right of association

Jakarta – Indonesian military (TNI) service personnel who commit immoral acts with the same sex or homosexuals shall be subject to a maximum sentence of 28 months in prison and dismissal from the service.