Eva Safitri, Jakarta – Coordinating Minister for Security, Politics and Legal Affairs Mahfud Md says that Veronica Koman has gone back on her promise to the Indonesian government. He says that Koman should return Indonesia to accept her scholarship obligations.

Dian Kurniati, Jakarta – The Presidential Palace has confirmed that it plans to revive the law on a Truth and Reconciliation Commission (KKR) which was annulled by the Constitutional Court in 2006.

Rahel Narda Chaterine, Jakarta – A group of students from the Semanggi Student Action Front held a commemoration marking 21 years since the Semanggi I tragedy. They even managed to put up a huge banner demanding that the perpetrators of human rights violations be brought to trial.

Jakarta – The National Human Rights Commission (Komnas HAM) has criticised remarks by the new Attorney General ST Burhanuddin when he explained the obstacles to resolving cases of past human rights (HAM) violations to the House of Representatives’ (DPR) Commission III on Thursday November 7.

Wahyu Setiawan, Valda Kustarini, Jakarta – Amnesty International believes that resolving cases of human rights violations in Papua is more important than creating a new province. Amnesty Executive Director Usman Hamid says that this is not the right solution for Papua at the moment.

Surabaya – A protest action by the United People’s Struggle Alliance (APPR) to commemorate Youth Pledge Day at the East Timor governor’s office in the provincial capital of Surabaya was joined by various labour and student organisations as well as protesters from the Surabaya Papua Student Alliance (AMP).

The Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation (YLBHI) recorded 78 cases of violations of freedom of expression in public between January and October 2019. These 78 cases involved 6,128 victims, 51 of which died. The data was obtained from the outcome of advocacy and complaints received by YLHHI and its 16 branch offices around Indonesia.

Kevin Candra, Lea Citra, Jakarta – Newly appointed Attorney General (AG) ST Burhanuddin has promised to make past human rights (HAM) cases a priority during his first 100 days in office. Burhanuddin said that the Attorney General’s Office (AGO) is looking into the evidence.

Valda Kustarini, Jakarta – President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo has appointed constructional law expert Mahfud MD as the new Coordinating Minister for Security, Politics and Legal Affairs (Menko Polhukam).

Despite this, Mahfud’s appointment may not guarantee that the government will soon solve cases of past gross human rights violations.

Reza Gunadha, Eleonora Padmasta Ekaristi Wijana – Lawyer and human rights activist Veronica Koman has been awarded the Sir Ronald Wilson Human Rights Award by the Australian Council for International Development (ACFID).

The ACFID presented the award to Koman at its annual conference in Sydney on the evening of Wednesday October 23.