Sania Mashabi, Jakarta – The Institute of Research, Education and Information of Social and Economic Affairs (LP3ES) says that democracy in Indonesia is experiencing a retreat, which had already been predicted by the LP3ES in its democratic outlook report in late 2019.

Jakarta – Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation (YLBHI) Chairperson Asfinawati has cited a number of symptoms showing a rise in authoritarianism over the first year of President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo and Vice President Ma’ruf Amin’s second term in office.

Rakhmat Nur Hakim, Jakarta – Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation (YLBHI) Director Asfinawati says that there are three indications of authoritarianism which are still being displayed by the government during the era of reformasi – the political reform process that began in 1998.

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 – President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo’s first speech as president elect for the period 2019-2024 contained several words which were seen as tough. The potential for authoritarianism in the next administration was also apparent in his speech titled Indonesia Vision.

Jakarta – Coordinating Minister for Security, Politics and Legal Affairs (Kemenko Polhukam) Wiranto plans to form a national legal team to monitor statements, ideas and actions by national figures about the government and the president.

Medan, Sumut News – Students from the group Student Solidarity Speaking Out (Somber) from the North Sumatra University (USU) held a protest action in front of the USU rectorate on Thursday March 28.

Medan – The North Sumatra Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras) says it regrets a decision by the University of North Sumatra’s (USU) rector to revoke the Voice of USU’s (Suara USU) editorial board’s Student Press accreditation.

Jakarta – Indonesian Institute of Science (LIPI) political observer Hermawan Sulistyo believes that promoting the achievements of Suharto’s New Order (Orba) regime in the 2019 presidential elections will not prove attractive to the millennial generation.

Lalu Rahadian – “I don’t agree. The Jokowi-JK vision, mission and program has been socialised since May 2014, how many years is it now? Almost five years, but there hasn’t been any progress at all, instead Pak [Mr[ Wiranto has been appointed as Menko Polhukam.”

“If Jokowi and Prabowo go head to head in 2019, they almost definitely cannot, and should not, repeat the strategies they used in 2014”.

Nala Edwin, Jakarta – Prabowo Subianto’s Red and White Coalition has succeeded in returning the election of regional heads into the hands of Regional Representative Councils (DPRD) as it was under the New Order dictatorship of former President Suharto.

Jakarta – The tales of the New Order regime’s successes, which are being used as a selling point for the Golkar Party, are misleading.

Banda Aceh – The Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation (YLBHI) opposes the current discourse on the reactivation of the territorial commands (Koter) by the TNI (Indonesian military) as a response to President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono’s instruction to the TNI to assist in combating terrorism.

Meriam Debora, Jakarta – Moves to nominate Indonesia as the head of the United Nations Human Rights Commission and as a permanent member of the Security Council are presumptuous because of the many cases of human rights violations in Indonesia which have yet to be resolved.

Jakarta – In Jakarta, opposition to presidential candidates from military circles continues to be organised.

Jakarta – Although the hopes and interests of society with regard to the 2004 general elections are very positive and indicate an attitude of enthusiasm, society feels pessimistic about whether the elections will be able to change their lives.