Kid: Don't let there be any more victims (headband reads "Democracy")

Jakarta – Police asked participants at a protest action against Special Autonomy (Otsus) in Papua to take Covid-19 rapid tests at the site of the demonstration in front of the Home Affairs Ministry office in Jakarta on Wednesday February 24. The protesters however refused saying it was an attempt to silence them.

Jakarta – Virtual Police from the Bhayangkara Corps – as the Indonesian police are known – have officially begun operating. The unit, which was the idea of national police chief General Listyo Sigit Prabowo, was formed to prevent criminal actions which violate the Information and Electronic Transaction Law (UU ITE).

Jakarta – The Civil Society Coalition has criticised the appointment of a team to review the Information and Electronic Transaction Law (UU ITE) through a decree issued on February 22 by Coordinating Minister for Security, Politics and Legal Affairs Mahfud MD.

Jakarta – Exposit Strategy Political Analyst Arif Susanto has warned that the discourse on revisions to the Information and Electronic Transaction (ITE) Law which have been proposed recently are nothing more than means to improve the government's image.

Jakarta – September 2019, and Veronica Koman was enjoying her final days in Australia. Her studies at the Australian National University were almost over and all that was left was to wait for graduation day.

Jakarta – National Human Rights Commission (Komnas HAM) Commissioner Choirul Anam says that the move by Yogyakarta (DIY) Governor Sri Sultan Hamengku Buwono X to restrict demonstrations at several key locations in the Central Java city is a setback for democracy.

Jakarta – Amnesty International Indonesia is calling on President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo to release all those criminalised under the Information and Electronic Transaction (ITE) Law as a concrete step following his statement that he wants to revise the law.

Jakarta – Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation (YLBHI) Chairperson Asfinawati has responded to plans to revise the Information and Electronic Transaction (ITE) Law.

Asfinawati said that revisions to the ITE Law are indeed much needed but this is not enough to guarantee freedom of expression.

Jakarta – Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras) says revisions to the Information and Electronic Transaction (ITE) Law must be done immediately.

Achmad Nasrudin Yahya, Jakarta – President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo's statement asking the public to be more active in conveying criticism and input on government performance is not in line with the actual situation.

Jakarta – The Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation (YLBHI) has responded to President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo's statement yesterday asking the public to be more active in conveying criticism by citing the many cases of alleged criminalisation and digital attacks which have occurred over the last three years.

Adi Briantika – A group of Papuan students in front of the House of Representatives (DPR) building in Jakarta, who were planning to hold a protest action opposing the extension of Papuan Special Autonomy (Otsus), were arrested and taken to the Metro Jaya regional police headquarters on Wednesday January 27.

According to the Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation (YLBHI), there were 351 cases of civil rights violations across the country in 2020, the majority of which were violations against freedom of expression.

Nicholas Ryan Aditya, Jakarta – The Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation (YLBHI) recorded 351 cases of civil rights violations across the country in 2020. YLBHI organisational development division head Febionesta said that the cases were dominated by violations against freedom of expression and the right to convey an opinion in public.

Dian Erika Nugraheny, Jakarta – Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation (YLBHI) advocacy division head Muhammad Isnur says that the government often tends to blame the public for its poor handling of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Jakarta – Civil society organisations in the Central Java city of Yogyakarta which are part of the Yogyakarta People's Alliance for Democracy (ARDY) have sent a subpoena to Yogyakarta (DIY) Governor Sri Sultan Hamengku Buwono X over a ban on expressing opinions in public.

Jayapura – Several people from villages in Biak and Supiori, Papua, were reportedly arrested between January 4-7 by a joint unit of TNI (Indonesian military) and Indonesian police (Polri) without arrest warrants.

Irfan Kamil, Jakarta – Amnesty International Indonesia Executive Director Usman Hamid says that the government's decree banning, disbanding and halting all organisational activities by the Islamic Defenders Front (FPI) has the potential to discriminate against and violate the right of association.

Tsarina Maharani, Jakarta – Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras) Coordinator Fatia Maulidiyanti says that the government's plan to upgrade the activities of the cyber police in 2021 threatens civil freedoms, particularly freedom of expression.