Banda Aceh – A number of residents from the Aceh People's Alliance have opposed and challenged the establishment of Territorial Development Battalions in five areas and have asked the Indonesian Army (TNI AD) to return the management of the Blang Padang land donated for religious use (wakaf) to the Baiturrahman Grand

Jakarta – The mass rapes during the May 1998 riots in Jakarta accompanying the wave of demands for reformasi or political reform that that brought down the New Order regime (Orba) of former president Suharto,

An advocate for victims of sexual violence against ethnic Chinese women during the May 1998 tragedy, Ita Fatia Nadia, says she has suffered repeated incidents of intimidation after criticising a statement by the Minister of Culture, Fadli Zon, in which he said there was no e

In a joint statement the Civil Society Coalition Against Impunity, which is made up of a number of civil society organisations and individuals, strongly condemned a statement made by the Minister of Culture of the Republic of Indonesia, Fadli Zon, regarding the May 1998 affair.

Firda Janati, Dani Prabowo, Jakarta – Amnesty International Indonesia Executive Director Usman Hamid says that the statement by Minister of Culture Fadli Zon that there were no rapes during the May 1998 riots in Jakarta is a fatal error.

Nicholas Ryan Aditya, Danu Damarjati, Jakarta – The Civil Society Coalition for the Security Sector Reform has criticised the Army's (TNI AD) plan to recruit 24,000 privates (tamtama) as a move that injures the spirit of reformasi – the political reform process that began in 199

Adhyasta Dirgantara, Jessi Carina, Jakarta – People's Justice and Prosperity Party (Prima) Chairperson Agus Jabo Priyono has stressed the commitment of his party to support the administration of President Prabowo Subianto and Vice President

Jayapura – The struggle of the Papuan people to determine their own future as an independent and sovereign nation has been going on for a long time, since the Indonesian government unilaterally claimed the territory of West Papua through the manipulation of the UN sponsored Pepera ref

Ervana Trikarinaputri, Devy Ernis, Jakarta – A number of '98 activists gathered at the JS Luwansa Hotel in South Jakarta on Wednesday May 21 for a cross-generation activist workshop titled From political democracy to the transformation of economic democracy.

The commemoration of 27 years of reformasi – the political reform process that began in 1998 – was marked by the erosion of human rights through the ignoring of past human rights violations and their repetition in the present due to authoritarian policies and practices that undermine civil liberties, politi

Hendrik Khoirul Muhid, S. Dian Andryanto – The monetary crisis in 1997 and the people's weariness with the New Order government made activists speak out for reform. These vocal efforts however were silenced repressively for the sake of maintaining president Suharto's position.

Hendrik Khoirul Muhid, S. Dian Andryanto, Jakarta – The realisation of the 1998 reforms did not happen suddenly. Efforts to overthrow the authoritarian New Order regime of President Suharto had to be paid for with gross human rights violations.

Ishvar – According to Law Number 20/2009 on Titles, Services and Honours, the requirements to be named a national hero include having moral integrity and setting an exemplary example, a service to the nation and state and/or being loyal to and not betraying the nation and state.

Ardhike Indah, Jogja – Heavy rain showered the Gajah Mada University (UGM) campus in the Central Java city of Yogyakarta on the afternoon of Thursday May 15.

Miswanto – International Workers' Day (May Day) was born from the embers of resistance. It was not a compassionate gift from the ruling class, but the result of a long struggle by the international working class demanding the most basic rights: eight hours of work, eight hours of rest and eight hours of human e

Jakarta – Minister of Culture Fadli Zon said that an official project to rewrite Indonesian history would not change the history of the 1965 massacre, often referred to as the G30S/PKI (September 30 Movement/Indonesian Communist Party) or the 1st October Movement (

Nawir Arsyad Akbar, Jakarta – Human Rights Minister Natalius Pigai will propose that the military education program initiated by West Java Governor Dedi Mulyadi to the Minister of Primary and Secondary Education (Mendikdasmen) Abdul Mu'ti.

[The following is a translation of a statement by the Labour Movement with the People (GEBRAK) welcoming International Labour Day, National Education Day, Marsinah Day and 27 Years of Reformasi 1998.]

Singgih Wiryono, Faieq Hidayat, Jakarta – Indonesian Human Rights Watch (Imparsial) senior researcher and chairperson of Centra Initiative, Al Araf, says that the phenomenon of the military (TNI) entering campuses occurred

Jayapura – Papua Justice and Human Integrity Foundation (YKKMP) Director Theo Hesegem has acknowledged the increasing number of victims of human rights violations in Papua over the past few years.