Glery Lazuardi, Jakarta – The Civil Society Coalition is calling on the government to postpone the ratification of the Draft Criminal Code (RKUHP) because it still contains articles on insulting religion and blasphemy which are open to multiple interpretations and are applied in a discriminative way.

Ray Jordan, Jakarta – Riots broke out at the Polewali Mandar Class IIB Prison in Polewali Mandar regency, West Sulawesi, on Saturday June 22 over of a requirement that inmates seeking parole must be able to read the Koran.

The Justice and Human Rights Ministry has removed Polewali Mandar prison warden Haryoto over the affair.

Junaedi, Polewali Mandar – Riots broke out at the Polewali Mandar Class IIB Prison (Lapas Polman) in Polewali Mandar regency, West Sulawesi, on Saturday June 22 after prisoners rejected a new parole policy by the prison warden.

Jakarta – The KUHP National Reform Alliance is demanding that the government and the House of Representatives not rush to ratify the Draft Criminal Code (RKUHP) at the next sitting of the parliament which is planned to be held on May 8.

Jakarta – National Human Rights Commission (Komnas HAM) Commissioner Beka Ulung Hapsara says the prosecution of past cases of gross human rights (HAM) violations is being hindered by the Attorney General’s Office (AGO) and there is nothing new in the AGO’s latest response.

Christoforus Ristianto, Jakarta – The coordinator and also a victim of the 1989 Talangsari massacre, Edi Hasadad, is asking the National Human Rights Commission (Komnas HAM) to ignore a recent peace declaration as a means to resolve the case.

Mela Arnani – Every year February 9 is commemorated as National Press Day which, it is hoped, will be an impetus to improve press freedom in Indonesia.

Surabaya – A grouping of civil society organisations calling themselves the “Surabaya Solidarity Society Against Remission for the Murderer of Journalist AA Gde Bagus Narendra Prabangsa” have sent a letter to President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo.

Jakarta – The Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras) says that the release of former Jakarta governor Basuki “Ahok” Tjahaja Purnama should become an impetus for the abolition of Article 156a of the Criminal Code (KUHP) on desecration or insulting religion in the deliberations on revising the draft Criminal Code (RKUHP).

Jakarta – The planned release of Abu Bakar Bashir has turned into a polemic with the government still vacillating about whether or not to release the leader of the Indonesian Mujahidin Council (MMI).