Jakarta – The Indonesian Forum for the Environment (Walhi) says that the claim by Environment and Forestry Minister (LHK) Siti Nurbaya Bakar that deforestation is acceptable for the sake of constructing roads is difficult to accept.

Jakarta – As many as 714,066 Papuans and 112 organisations which are part of the Papuan People's Petition (PRP) are said to reject the enactment into law of revisions to Law Number 21/2001 on Papua Special Autonomy (Otsus). They believe that special autonomy is not the answer to resolving the problems in the land of Papua.

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.

Sack reads: Imported soybeans, No 1 quality soybeans.

Famer's hat reads: self-sufficiency

In early January tempeh and tofu disappeared from the market as producers went on strike to protest the soaring price of soybean, the primary ingredient of the popular food, which is mostly imported.

Jakarta – As many as 290 farmer, fisherpeople, student, labour and environmental organisations have united to reject the Draft Omnibus Law on Job Creation – which is still being deliberated by the House of Representatives (DPR).

Jakarta – Papuan activist and former political prisoner Filep Karma says there are differences in how demonstrations proceed in Papua and Jakarta. He says that in Papua, demonstrations are not as free and easy as in Jakarta.

Jakarta – West Papua province has again been recorded as having the worst democracy index. This year (2019), West Papua’s Democracy Index (IDI) was 57.62, even dropping lower from 2018 when it was 58.29 points.

Man: Mr, my data will be safe won’t it? (speech bubble above house reads ‘Yes, census online successful’)

Adi Ahdiat, Jakarta – The government has a responsibility to advance public healthcare, enlighten national life and create social justice.

But in reality, over the last few years provincial governments (Pemprov) have largely spend their budges on the needs of state civil servants (PNS) rather that social assistance for the public.

Surabaya – A group of people from the Brantas River Coalition to Stop Imported Plastic Trash (Bracsip) held a protest action not far from the US Consulate General in Citra Raya Niaga, Surabaya, on Friday July 12.

They were protesting imported plastic waste which is alleged to have been illegally smuggled into Indonesia from the US.

Danang Sugianto, Jakarta – Not long ago the Central Statistics Agency (BPS) released data on working conditions in Indonesia, which is particularly interesting in terms of comparing the working conditions of female and male workers.

Kristian Erdianto, Jakarta – Amnesty International Indonesia executive director Usman Hamid believes that during the four years of President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo leadership the protection of human rights has gone backwards.

From an op-ed piece titled The Dangers of Data Illiteracy

According to the latest data from the Central Statistics Agency (BPS), the poverty rate in Indonesia has fallen to the lowest level ever recorded.

Abraham Utama – Prabowo Subianto has preempted President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo in embracing labour groups in the lead up to the 2019 presidential elections.

Sherr Rinn – The National Police (Polri) and the Indonesian military (TNI) have recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) under which Polri can request assistance from the TNI to secure protest actions and labour strikes.

Jakarta – As many as 23 workers, a student and two Jakarta Legal Aid Foundation (LBH) officials have been named suspects in relation to an October 30, 2015 action that ended with police attacking workers. Despite the assaults, the Metro Jaya regional police are instead charging the workers and activists as provocateurs.

Malaysia – Indonesian migrant workers (BMI) working in Malaysia have joined in opposing Government Regulation (PP) Number 78/2015 on Wages with posters reading, “We as workers in Malaysia reject the PP 78”.

Rochimawati, Arie Dwi Budiawati – Although the nominal wage of agricultural and urban informal workers increased in 2015, their real wages declined.

The nominal wage of agricultural workers nationally increased by 1.15 percent from 46,386 rupiah a day in May to 46,458 a day in June 2015.

Jakarta – The government is determined to stimulate investment in import substitution, a move which it says is certain to reduce demand for US dollars as a result of the high dependency on imports.

Palmerah – The number of farming households over the last 10 years has declined by 5.04 million. Over the same period, the number of agribusinesses has grown by 1,475 companies. Meaning a formalisation (formalisasi) has taken place. What is alarming however is that the number of marginal farmers is increasing.