Rahmadhani, Padang – Scores of women activists in Padang, West Sumatra, commemorated International Women’s Day (IWD) with a “silent” action at Jl. Khatib Sulaiman on Friday March 8.

Palembang – Around 100 people from the Komering ethnic group “buried themselves” in graves during an action in front of the South Sumatra governor’s office on Monday March 4.

The action was held because land they have inhabited for decades along the length of the Komering River was stolen by a company.

Jakarta – Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan expects that active TNI (Indonesian military) and Polri (National Police) officers will maintain their neutrality if they hold posts in government.

Padang – National Human Rights Commission (Komnas HAM) chairperson Ahmad Taufan Damanik says that the move by the West Sumatra (Sumbar) provincial government to wage war on the deviant sexual behaviour of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) people does not violate Human Rights (HAM).

Devina Halim, Jakarta – Syahrul Fitria, a researcher with the non-government organisation (NGO) Auriga, believes that the criminalisation of environmental activists has yet to be taken up as an issue by either of the two presidential election campaign tickets.

Taufiq Siddiq, Jakarta – Attorney General Muhammad Prasetyo is proposing that massive raids be carried out to hunt down books which contain communist teachings and banned ideologies. The proposal was made after the seizure of hundreds of books around the country allegedly containing “banned ideas”.

Jakarta – Indonesian Institute for Science (LIPI) researcher Amin Mudzakir has revealed that that based on the results of a LIPI survey in 2018, there are three regions where there is a high-level of acceptance of fake news or hoaxes.

Jakarta – An explosion of agrarian conflicts between 2014 and 2018 has resulted in many casualties including 41 people killed, 546 people assaulted and 51 people shot.

This data was outlined in the report 2018 End of Year Notes published by the Agrarian Reform Consortium (KPA) on Thursday January 3.

On December 16 President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo attended a gathering of TNI (Indonesian military) village supervisory non-commissioned officers (Babinsa) from throughout Sumatra at the Balariung Pinang Masak, Jambi University, in Central Sumatra.

Jakarta – Hundreds of workers from the Confederation of United Indonesian Workers (KPBI) held a protest march on Saturday December 8 from the Farmers Monument in Central Jakarta to the nearby State Palace. During the action, the workers highlighted the problems of corruption and the government’s failure to resolve human rights violations.

Palembang – The secretary general of Tommy Suharto’s Working Party (Partai Berkarya), Priyo Budi Santoso, says that the Prabowo Subianto and Sandiaga Uno presidential ticket will restore the country to exactly the same as it was under Tommy’s father, Indonesia’s second president Suharto.

Ray Jordan, Lampung – President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo insists that work on the Trans Papua road project will continue despite the recent shooting of construction workers in Nduga regency, Papua.

Widodo is asking that all infrastructure projects and Trans Papua workers always be accompanied by security personnel.

Jeka Kampai, Padang – The Pariaman municipal government in West Sumatra has responded swiftly to anxiety about deviant behaviour by Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) people in the city.

West Sumatra Indonesian Ulama Council (MUI) chairperson Buya Gusrizal Gazahar has forbidden (mengharamkan) the Islamic community from voting for leaders who reject bylaws (perda) based on Islamic law.

Fadiyah Alaidrus – The mayor of Padang, Mahyeldi Ansharullah, has led a declaration attended by thousands of people rejecting Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) in the West Sumatran city.

Budiarti Utami Putri, Jakarta – Indonesian Solidarity Party (PSI) chairperson Grace Natalie has been reported to the national police headquarters criminal investigation bureau (Bareskrim Mabes Polri) for alleged blasphemy against religion.

Protests against Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) groups have taken place in a number of parts of the country. Why is it difficult for society to accept the presence of the LGBT community in a more intelligent way?

Pariaman – The Pariaman municipal government (pemkot) in West Sumatra will be taking more serious measures against Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) people in the city by using customary law. The punishments could range from paying a fine in the form of cement or a buffalo.

Padang – Public Order Agency (Satpol PP) officials in Padang, West Sumatra, have hunted down and arrested 10 women for being suspected lesbians after they uploaded photographs containing homosexual content on their Facebook account.

Jeka Kampai, Padang – All elements of Payakumbuh City in West Sumatra have declared war on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) people and other types of social illnesses.