Jakarta – Former Banjarhits.id chief editor Diananta Putra has been detained at the South Kalimantan regional police (Polda Kalsel) detention centre since Monday May 4.

Jakarta – The Civil Society Coalition from the Indonesian People’s Faction (FRI) is asking the government to evaluate the performance of the police during the corona virus (Covid-19) epidemic. According to the FRI, a number of activists have been intimidated and terrorised.

Jakarta – Three students have been declared suspects after spray painting graffiti on several walls in the East Java city of Malang reading “Tegalrejo in Motion” and calling for resistance against greedy investors or capitalists.

Jakarta – The House of Representatives (DPR) agreed to proceed with deliberating the Draft Omnibus Law on Job Creation during a plenary meeting in Jakarta on Thursday April 2. The decision is seen as taking advantage of the corona virus pandemic to accelerate the deliberation of the controversial draft law (RUU).

Protests against the Draft Omnibus Law on Job Creation have also come from international labour organisations. Trade unions affiliated with the International Trade Union Confederation Asia Pacific (ITUC-AP) are urging the Indonesian government to scrap the draft law which has already been submitted to parliament.

Jakarta – The Civil Society Coalition is calling on President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo to withdraw the Draft Law on Job Creation (RUU Cipta Kerja) which has been submitted to the House of Representatives (DPR). The Coalition is also asking the DPR to halt the deliberations into the draft submitted by the government.

Jakarta – The Legal Aid Foundation (LBH) office in the East Java capital of Surabaya was besieged by scores of people wearing black safari suits from the mass organisation (ormas) Pancasila Youth (PP) and other affiliated groups.

Jakarta – A number of civil society groups which reject the Draft Omnibus Law on Job Creation (RUU Ciptaker) have been intimidated by people from different groups.

Jakarta – As many as 40 people’s organisations and civil society groups from the Indonesian People’s Faction (Fraksi Rakyat Indonesia, FRI) have expressed their opposition to the Draft Omnibus Law on Job Creation or RUU Cilaka.

Jakarta – The Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation (YLBHI) and the Civil Society Coalition have highlighted the government’s bias towards employers and business in the Draft Omnibus Law on Job Creation.

Sania Mashabi, Jakarta – Jakarta Legal Aid Foundation (LBH Jakarta) Director Arif Maulana believes that the Omnibus Law will only benefit the oligarchy or the interests of the government which is being run by a handful of people from the elite. Because, he says, the regulation will largely sides with investors.

Jakarta – The online petition website change.org recorded that petitions related to the democracy and anti-corruption movement were the most popular in 2019. Eight petitions on these two issues received some 2.3 million votes or signatures.

Bambang Noroyono, Jakarta – The level of violence against journalists has remained high throughout 2019. The Legal Aid Institute for the Press (LBH Pers) revealed that it recorded 85 cases of violence against media workers in 2019. LBH Pers Director Ade Wahyudin says that these cases have claimed as many as 79 victims.

Jakarta – Three farmers were arrested by police after holding a protest action opposing an oil refinery which coincided with a visit by President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo to the construction site of the PT Trans Pacific Petrochemical Indotama (TPPI) refinery in Jenu, Tuban, East Java, on Saturday December 21.

Jakarta – A civil society coalition calling themselves the People’s Front for Human Rights Bandung (Bara Hamba) is urging the Minister for Human Rights and Justice (Kemenkumham) to revoke the Human Rights Friendly City award which was recently given to the West Java provincial capital of Bandung.

Jakarta – The 2019 selection of candidate state civil servants (CPNS) has created a polemic related to a special requirement which is being applied by the Attorney General’s Office (AGO) that applicants not have a deviant sexual orientation.

The Labour Movement With the People (GEBRAK) strongly condemns the coup d’etat in Bolivia against the government of Evo Morales.

Walda Marison, Jakarta – The first pre-trial suit hearing involving Indonesian People’s Front for West Papua (FRI-WP) spokesperson Surya Anta Ginting and five other Papua activists charged with raising the Morning Star flag in front of the State Palace in late August has been postponed.

Jakarta – Civil freedoms under the administration of President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo are seen as having declined. Based on the results of a Saiful Mujani Research Center (SMRC) survey between May and June 2019, 43 percent of respondents said they were afraid of expressing an opinion in public.

Jakarta – The announcement and inauguration of the new Advance Indonesia Cabinet members by President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo and Vice President Ma’ruf Amin has attracted a variety of responses. There are some who are happy because they have long awaited such a lineup. There are others however who are disappointed and dissatisfied.