Ika Ningtyas, Banyuwangi – Heri Budiawan alias Budi Pego, an activist opposing a gold mine in Banyuwangi, East Java, has been indicted under the draconian anti-communist articles.

Avit Hidayat, Jakarta – Jakarta governor elect Anies Baswedan hopes that the Islamic Defenders Front (FPI) can shed its negative image which is so often associated with the organisation.

Jakarta – Jakarta Legal Aid Foundation (LBH) Executive Director Alghiffari Aqsa says that Government Regulation in Lieu of Law Number 2/2017 on Revisions to Law Number 17/2013 on Social Organisations or Perppu Ormas is prone to misuse by the government.

Wulan Nova/Elik S, Jakarta – The Alumni 212 Presidium has held a protest march from the Sunda Kelapa Grand Mosque to the offices of the National Human Rights Commission (Komnas HAM) to lodge a complete over a case involving Indonesian Unity Party (Perindo) chairperson Hary Tanoesoedibjo.

Danang Firmanto, Jakarta – Culture and Education Minister Muhadjir Effendy has a way to change the state of the national education system. Effendy claims that after being a minister for around one year he now has a method to improve the education sector.

Jakarta – President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo says that the government is currently studying the banning of several social organisations which are not in line with the state ideology Pancasila, threaten public order and the unity of the state or cause intolerance.

Ahmad Rafiq, Surakarta – A People’s Ceremonial Stage to remember the May riots in the Central Java city of Solo was unable to show the documentary film “The May 1998 Tragedy” after police requested that the organising committee cancel the event planned for the evening of May 26.

Fabian Januarius Kuwado, Jakarta – President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo has reaffirmed that the state ideology of Pancasila is the one and only ideology that is acceptable in Indonesia.

Ahmad Fikri, Bandung – Actions by a variety of groups celebrating Labour Day or May Day on May 1 in the West Java provincial capital of Bandung were centred on Jl. Diponegoro in front of the Sate Building, the West Java governor’s office.

Rezki Alvionitasari, Jakarta – Thousands of workers commemorated International Labour Day today, Monday May 1, by gathering in front of the National Monument (Monas) gates on Jl. Medan Merdeka Selatan and Jl. M. H. Thamrin in Central Jakarta and at the nearby Hotel Indonesia (HI) traffic circle.

Ahmad Fauzan, Bandung (Kabar Kampus) – Opening a free library without prior authorisation in the vicinity of the Telkom University (Tel-U) parking area in Bandung, West Java, has it appears become a serious problem for the Tel-U rectorate. Never mind that leftist books deemed to endanger the Tel-U campus were discovered at the book stall.

Ambon – Vice President M Jusuf Kalla has warned that inequality levels in Indonesia have become quite dangerous because of religious differences between the rich and the poor.

Confederation of Indonesian Trade Unions (KSPI) President Said Iqbal says that hundreds of thousands if not a million workers affiliated with the KSPI are ready to take part in the Action to Defend Islam by holding a national strike.

Shinta Maharani, Yogyakarta – Students and activists at the Papuan student dormitory in the Central Java city of Yogyakarta have been besieged by hundreds of security personnel from the Yogyakarta regional police and the Mobile Brigade (Brimob) paramilitary police.

Selfy Momongan (Magang), Jakarta – The recent raids against Indonesian Communist Party (PKI) related paraphernalia and books have attracted the special attention of the National Library (Perpusnas) with acting Perpusnas head Dedi Junaedi supporting the censorship of books containing leftist ideas.

Jakarta – The owners of books related to communism have been asked to hand them over the government. According to Defense Minister retired General Ryamizard Ryacudu, prohibitions on such material also covers documents circulating on the internet.

Jakarta – Retired Indonesian military (TNI) officers are planning to organise an anti-PKI (Indonesian Communist Party) symposium on July 2. The anti-PKI symposium is aimed at countering the government sponsored symposium on the 1965 tragedy in April.

Pito Agustin Rudiana, Shinta Maharani, Yogyakarta – Yogyakarta Sultan Hamengku Buwono X has defended the Yogyakarta metropolitan police for shutting down an event commemorating International Press Freedom Day held by the Alliance of Independent Journalists (AJI) in Yogyakarta on the evening of Tuesday May 3.

Shinta Maharani, Yogyakarta – Hundreds of informal sector workers from the Yogyakarta People’s and Worker Alliance (ARPY) called for the protection to ensure the rights of home-based and domestic workers and the fulfillment social guarantees by the Social Security Management Agency (BPJS).

Tia Agnes, Jakarta – A monolog performance titled Tan Malaka: I am a Red Haired Deer should have been held by a theater group from the West Java provincial capital of Bandung at the Main Theater at the Bandung Francaise D’Indonesie Institute (IFI) on Jl. Purnawarman Bandung on March 23-24.