Jakarta – Indonesian Human Rights Watch (Imparsial) says that violations against freedom of religion and belief (KBB) occur because the law is bias towards the majority. Imparsial researcher Amelia says that several regulations guarantee the right to freedom of religion and worship but others threaten this freedom.

Ian Ahong – November 17 is the commemoration of International Student Day. This commemoration does not automatically emerge from nothing but has a history of struggle against tyrannical power.

Jakarta – Indonesian Human Rights Watch (Imparsial) has found scores of violations against freedom of religion and worship (KBB) or intolerance in Indonesia over the last year.

Imparsial Program Coordinator Ardimanto Adiputra said that the violations against freedom of religion and worship occurred in a variety of forms.

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 Indonesian Survey Institute (LSI) says that civil freedoms under the administration of President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo have tended to worsen. LSI Executive Director Djayadi Hanan said that the worsening of civil freedoms has occurred in concert with a decline in several other democratic indictors.

Racism by the ruling class through the security forces and reactionary civil militia groups against the Papuan people has triggered a fight back. The siege and attack on the Papuan student dormitory in the Central Java city of Surabaya on August 16 triggered a wave of anti-racist protests in Papua and across Indonesia.

Wahyu Setiawan, Valda Kustarini, Jakarta – Amnesty International believes that resolving cases of human rights violations in Papua is more important than creating a new province. Amnesty Executive Director Usman Hamid says that this is not the right solution for Papua at the moment.

Wahyu Setiawan, Jakarta – IndonesiaLeaks has questioned the national police headquarters’ decision to halt the criminal investigation into alleged evidence tampering in the case of beef imports, better known as the Red Book case.

Jakarta – Amnesty International Indonesia Director Usman Hamid says that it will be difficult to stop the current attempt to weaken the fight against corruption by crippling the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK).

Jakarta – Alliance of Independent Journalists (AJI) Chairperson Abdul Manan predicts that violence against journalists by security forces will still represents a real threat under the next administration of president and vice president elect Joko “Jokowi” Widodo and Ma’ruf Amin.

Ihsanuddin, Jakarta – President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo has cancelled a meeting with student representatives who have been holding protest actions against the Draft Criminal Code (RKUHP) and the revised Corruption Eradication Commission Law (UU KPK).

Jakarta – House of Representatives (DPR) Commission III Deputy Chairperson Herman Hery from the ruling Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) faction is leaving it entirely up to President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo on whether to issue a Government Regulation in Lieu of Law (Perppu) to replace the revised Corruption Eradication Commission Law

Jakarta – Students are on the move again! Today and yesterday, students in several parts of the country took to the streets to reject the revisions to the Corruption Eradication Law (UU KPK) and the Draft Criminal Code (RKUHP).

Yulida Medistiara, Jakarta – The Draft Law in the Elimination of Sexual Harassment (RUU-PKS) is still being deliberated by the House of Representatives (DPR). Women’s Solidarity Chairperson Dinda Nur Annisa Yura believes that this shows character of DPR members who are tolerant of sexual violence.

Jakarta – Indonesian Legal Aid Institute (YLBHI) Chairperson Asfinawati has questioned why President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo did not intervene in the deliberation and enactment of other crucial laws as he did with the Draft Criminal Code (RKHUP).

Jakarta – The Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras) says that President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo’s move to postpone the enactment of the Draft Criminal Code (RKUHP) will not resolve the problem.

Jakarta – The Social Alliance for Democratic Justice (AMUKK) held a protest action opposing the first stage in the enactment of the Draft Criminal Code (RKUHP) in front of the House of Representatives (DPR) building in Jakarta on Monday September 16.

Leon Kastayudha – Bacharuddin Jusuf Habibie died on September 12 at the age of 83. As the third president of Indonesia, his administration straddled the upheavals of Suharto’s New Order regime and reformasi – the political reform movement that began in 1998.

Jakarta – President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo’s approval of revisions to the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) Law has disappointed many – from political observers to academics – who have voiced their disagreement with the planned revisions.

Jakarta – Inter-faith religious leaders have called on the government to be careful in dealing with the problems in Papua.