Yura Syahrul – According to the World Bank, inequality levels in Indonesia have steadily increased over the last 15 years. The rate at which this inequality has risen is the fastest among countries in the East Asia region.

This situation could create negative impacts by slowing economic growth and having the potential for social conflict.

Yogyakarta – Coinciding with the anniversary of the Free Papua Movement (OPM), some 29 mass organisations (ormas) in the Central Java city of Yogyakarta declared the formation of the Jogya Anti-Separatist Front (Front Jogja Anti Separatis, FJAS) on the grounds of the Yogyakarta Regional House of Representatives (DPRD DIY).

Jakarta – On Tuesday December 1 police blocked protesters from the Papua Student Alliance (AMP) who had come from throughout Java and Bali to demonstrate at the Hotel Indonesia (HI) traffic circle in Central Jakarta.

AMP spokesperson Abby Douw said he regretted the police’s actions because they had already submitted a notification of the rally with the Jakarta Metro Jaya police.

Luqman Rimadi, Jakarta – Police have broken up a rally by the Papuan Student Alliance (AMP) who were protesting at the Hotel Indonesia traffic circle in Central Jakarta on December 1. As a result, a clash broke out between the protesters and police.

Jakarta – The Jakarta Legal Aid Foundation (LBH Jakarta) has condemned the forced disbursing and arrest of protesters from the Papuan Student Alliance (AMP) by Metro Jaya police in Jakarta on December 1.

The AMP protest action was held in the context of expressing the identity of the Papuan people that is celebrated every year on December 1.

Bekasi – On the second day of the national strike, Tuesday November 25, the United People’s Committee (KPR) conducted sweeps of factories, held a convoy and a solidarity action for workers who have been dismissed.

Karawang

Bekasi – Thousands of workers who were gathered at the East Jakarta Industrial Park (EJIP) in Cikarang in the Bekasi regency of West Java were forcibly disbursed by police on Wednesday November 25.

Bekasi City – Responding to the call for a national strike on November 24-27, on Tuesday November 24 thousands of workers in the city of Bekasi, West Java, held a convoy opposing Government Regulation Number 78/2015 on Wages.

Malaysia – Indonesian migrant workers (BMI) working in Malaysia have joined in opposing Government Regulation (PP) Number 78/2015 on Wages with posters reading, “We as workers in Malaysia reject the PP 78”.

In a photograph dated November 24 migrant workers could also be seen declaring their support for a national strike in Indonesia organised for November 24-27.

Jakarta – Rejecting Government Regulation (PP) Number 78/2015 on Wages, the Fraternity of Indonesian Muslim Workers (PPMI) together with the United People’s Committee (KPR) launched a national resistance movement on Tuesday November 24, which was marked by a convoy action.

Adi Marsiela/PCN, Bandung – At least 200 workers from the West Java Labour Alliance (Al-Jabar) began marching from the West Java provincial capital of Bandung to Jakarta on Monday November 16.

Karawang – Around 3,000 workers from the Karawang district branch of the Fraternity of Indonesian Muslim Workers (PPMI) organised a convoy in the West Java industrial zone on Wednesday November 11. This was a warm-up action in the lead up to a ‘stop production’ action rejecting Government Regulation Number 78/2015 (PP 78/2015) on Wages.

Rebecca Henschke – Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs Luhut Padjaitan has accused the organisers of the International People’s Tribunal on 1965 (IPT 65) of being “kurang kerjaan” [someone with not enough work to do so they make things up to keep busy] and juveniles lacking nationalism, says that democracy must have limits, and

Anas Apriyadi, Bantul – Scores of sets of children’s toy miniature soldiers in Bantul, Yogyakarta, were seized from a number of toy shops by TNI (Indonesian military) soldiers from the Bantul 0729 district military command (Kodim) because they contained communist symbols – pictures of the hammer-and-sickle.

KoPi – The Indonesian Forum for the Environment (Walhi), a social organisation concerned with the environment, has released a list of big companies causing the forest and land fires in Indonesia.

The list from Walhi represents the results of an analysis of forest and land fires in regions hit by the haze disaster including Riau, Jambi, South Sumatra, West and Central Kalimantan.

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.

This time round they came down hard on the South Sumatra Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG), which plays a vital role in forest and land fires.

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.

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.