Atamus Kepno, Jayapura – The preliminary court hearing against West Papua National Committee (KNPB) international spokesperson Victor Yeimo was held at the Jayapura District Court in Abepura, Papua, on Monday February 21.
Documents containing the term 'hate speech'


Yance Agapa, Jayapura – Responding to the United Nation's 2021 annual report, Indonesia has launched a criticism of the UN in relation to cases of human rights violations in Papua.

Haryanti Puspa Sari, Jakarta – Greenpeace Indonesia global forest campaign head Kiki Taufik says they regret that their criticisms of the data on deforestation conveyed in President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo's speech at the COP26 climate change conference in Glasgow have ended in them being reported to the police.

Jakarta – The secretary general of the Legal Mafia Eradication Committee, Husin Shahab, has reported two Greenpeace activists to the Jakarta Metro Jaya regional police using the Information and Electronic Transaction Law (ITE Law).

Jakarta – Jakarta State University (UNJ) sociologist Ubedilah Badrun has criticised the actions of authorities in removing murals containing social criticisms of the government such as a mural depicting President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo with the message "404: Not Found" in Tangerang and a mural reading "Forced to be well in a country that is sick"

Charles Maniani, Manokwari – The group Papua People's Solidarity (SRP) in Manokwari, West Papua province, have demonstrated to demand the immediate and unconditional release of West Papua National Committee (KNPB) international spokesperson Victor Yeimo.

Dian Erika Nugraheny, Jakarta – The Southeast Asia Freedom of Expression Network (SAFEnet) recorded 147 digital attacks in 2020, the majority of which targeted groups that are often critical of the government such as academics, journalists and activists.

Erfan Maaruf, Jakarta – The State Intelligence Agency (BIN) is conducting 24 hour patrols for hate speech and hoaxes on social media (medsos). And they are not just patrolling cyberspace, BIN will also go into the field to act against those spreading negative content.

Jakarta – The Southeast Asia Freedom of Expression Network (SAFEnet) – an institution concerned with freedom of expression in the digital world – has criticised the newly established virtual police (VP) unit formed under the national police headquarters that is tasked with monitoring the activities of netizens.

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

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 – 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 – 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.

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.

Jakarta – Hundreds of Papuan students from the East Java cities of Malang and Surabaya held an action on Tuesday August 18 commemorating the racist incident that befell them one year ago.

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.

Achmad Nasrudin Yahya, Jakarta – The Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation (YLBHI) recorded 38 cases of religious blasphemy between January and May, 2020.
YLBHI Chairperson Asfinawati revealed that there were three pieces of legislation which were used to indict people in these cases.

Surabaya – One of the Papuan students in the East Java provincial capital of Surabaya who was the target of racist abuse last year believes that the five month jail sentence handed down against the defendant Syamsul Arifin was too light.

Muhammad Ridwan – The administration of President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo and Vice President Ma’ruf Amin has now been working for 100 days of Widodo’s second term in office.

Muhammad Ridwan – Amnesty International Indonesia has responded to a case involving an interfaith activist from West Sumatra, Sudarto, who has been charged with hate speech. Amnesty believes that Sudarto was in fact defending religious minorities’ right to worship.