A series of economic policy (kebijakan ekonomi) initiatives launched by the administration of President Joko Widodo (left) and Vice-President Jusuf Kalla (right) aimed at boosting economic growth, none of which address the fundamental problems plaguing the country such as corruption, dependency on raw material exports, foreign domination of the

Man: How come they’re all singing a different tune? (Song sheet reads ‘Work’)

Jakarta – The Youth Coalition for Indonesia rejects the government’s plan to recruit 100 million state defense cadres that has been concaved by the Ministry of Defense (Kemenhan).

Parliza Hendrawan, Palembang – The bad old practices of the New Order dictatorship of former President Suharto are still being applied in some government agencies in Indonesia.

Abdul Azis, Jakarta – The editor of the magazine Lentera (Beacon), Bima Satria Putra, says that the police have asked them to recall the October 10 issue of the magazine from circulation.

Jakarta – Defense Minister Ryamizard Ryacudu has reaffirmed his commitment to realising a national defence movement.

Kid: Money has become the ideology right Dad!

Shinta Maharan, Yogyakarta – A book discussion on the works by Professor Saskia Eleonora Wieringa from the University of Amsterdam has attracted sympathy from many circles at the Sunan Kalijaga State Islamic University (UIN) Student Centre building on the evening of October 9.

Abraham Utama, Jakarta – A new life begins after 50. This is what has been the case for a number of retired Indonesian military (TNI) generals, because shedding their official military uniforms has not necessarily meant ending their careers.

Muhammad Kemal Macharani, Jakarta – Scores of activists from the movement Indonesia Without Militarism (ITM) held a protest action in front of the State Place in Central Jakarta.

Riky Ferdianto, Jakarta – The Palu municipal government in Central Sulawesi will issue an official apology to families of the victims of the 1965 mass killings. The move is being taken to resolve the process of reconciliation for families of victims.

Jakarta – President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo is certain that past incidents such as the rebellion by the Indonesian Communist Party (PKI) will not be repeated in Indonesia. Nevertheless, he is calling on all parties to be on guard against the emergence of movement groups such as this.

Despite repeated pledges by the government that it will put an end to the massive forest fires sweeping across Riau, Kalimantan and Sumatra, which have been widely blamed on big and usually politically connected wood pulp and palm oil companies clearing land ahead of the planting season, the choking haze blanketing a large swathe of South-East A

Hari Tri Wasono, Blitar – Thousands of members of the Islamic mass organisation Nahdlatul Ulama’s (NU) paramilitary youth wing Barisan Ansor Serbaguna (Banser) demonstrated in front of the Blitar regent’s office in East Java on Wednesday September 30 to commemorate the bloody September 30, 1965 affair

Jakarta – Former Army Strategic Reserves Command (green berets) Chief of Staff (Kaskostrad) Kivlan Zen claims that the Indonesian Communist Party (PKI) is trying to rebuild its forces in order to reestablish a presence in Indonesia.

Disgraced tax official Gayus Tambunan, serving a 30-year sentence for bribery, money-laundering and passport forgery, made waves yet again this week when a photo circulated online purporting to show him dining at a restaurant with two unidentified women in Jakarta.

Kid: Dad can I have more travel allowance money?

Man: Why don’t you just ask Mr Donald Trump...

Environmental activists say that in order to avoid legal liability for the massive forest fires sweeping across Riau, Sumatra and Kalimantan, big palm oil and wood pulp companies pay local people to start fires that conveniently spread onto their concession areas providing a cheap way to clear land ahead of the planting season.

Lani Pujiastuti, Bogor – Currently there are 10,922 companies holding Mining Business Permits (IUPs) in Indonesia. Of this total, only 29 percent pay tax.

Government official: For the sake of a prosperous future!

Man: And me right now Mr? (Paper reads help, sympathetic care)