Jakarta – The caretaker of the Darut Tauhid pesantren [traditional Islamic boarding school], Abdullah Gymnastiar or Aa Gym, has asked that the advertisement on fuel price increases in which he starred and which were sponsored by the department of communication and information be taken off the air.

Ahmad Yunus, Bandung – It is indeed appropriate for Bandung to be called a sea of factory outlets. But, did you know that some of the buildings that have magically become factory outlets are actually official military residences? That is what has happened in the city of blossoms.

Anton Aliabbas, Jakarta – The plan to reactivate the TNI’s (Indonesian military) territorial commands has been greeted by condemnation.

Heru Margianto – A number of non-government organisations (NGO) have questioned the performance of the State Intelligence Agency (BIN) and the Indonesian police following the bombing in Bali and are calling for a policy audit of the two institutions.

Henri Salomo Siagian, Jakarta – Although political parties are expected to exploit demonstrations against fuel price hikes, as a whole the atmosphere in the lead up to the price increases is conducive.

Shanties, Jakarta – Indonesian police have identified the presence of infiltrators in social groups who will demonstrate against fuel price increases on October 1. It is suspected the infiltrators will provoke the pubic during demonstrations and incite them into anarchistic acts.

Riswan, Banda Aceh – The Acehnese people are calling on the Aceh Monitoring Mission (AMM) to disarm the militia in Aceh during the period of demilitarisation. If they are not disarmed and their organisations disbanded it could threaten the peace process in Aceh.

Miswar, Banda Aceh – The chairperson of the Acehnese Popular Democratic Resistance Front (FPDRA), Thamrin Ananda, is calling on all parties not behave in a counter-productive manner and threaten the ideals of the peace process in Aceh.

Veronika Kusuma Wijayanti, Jakarta – The ineptness of the investigation into the murder of human rights activist Munir is being questioned. The reason being that up until now police have yet to arrest the masterminded behind the murder and or to name any new suspects aside from Pollycapus Budihari Priyanto.

Shanty, Jakarta – On Thursday September 22, the Munir Solidarity Committee (Komite Solidaritas Untuk Munir, Kasum) went to the police headquarters’ criminal investigation bureau to ask about developments in the investigation of the Munir murder case.

[The following is a compilation of abridged translations on demonstrations between September 16-25 against the government’s plan to increase fuel prices by as much as 60 per cent on October 1.]

Malang students oppose fuel price increases

Detik.com – September 16, 2005

Fedhly Averouss Bey, Jakarta – The government should not only focus on the disarmament of the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) but must also act firmly against civilian groups carrying arms in Aceh, which must be disarmed and disbanded.

Muhammad Nur Hayid, Jakarta – The destruction of weapons belonging to the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) has received a warm welcome. The House of Representatives (DPR) is asking GAM to be consistent and surrender weapons on time.

Bagus Kurniawan, Yogyakarta – Around 700 members of the Islamic mass organisation Hizbut Tahrir Indonesia (HTI) in Yogyakarta, Central Java, held an action opposing the legalisation of abortion though amendments to Law Number 23/1992 on Healthcare.

Ant/Edj, Jakarta – The Indonesian National Front for Labour Struggle (FNPBI) believes that the government of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and Vice President Jusuf Kalla (SBY-Kalla) are pursuing economic polices that support foreign interests and which fail to side with the interests of workers.

AK-42, Bireuen – The public flogging of nine convicted gamblers, which took place on the grounds of the Bireuen Grand Mosque on Friday September 9, failed to attract spectators.

Sunariah, Jakarta – Former army chief of staff, General Ryamizard Ryacudu, has warned that there is a potential threat that could undermine the integrity of the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia (NKRI) being posed by a number of neighbouring countries such as Australia, Singapore and Malaysia.

AK-38, Jakarta – TNI (armed forces) chief Endriartono Sutarto says that the TNI does not want to be blamed if the peace process in Aceh fails. “Even if it fails, I don’t want the failure to be caused by the TNI’s side.

Dimas, Jakarta – The surrender of Free Aceh Movement (GAM) weapons that will begin on September 15 will be done in three stages. Before being destroyed, the weapons will be verified by the TNI (armed forces).

Triono Wahyu Sudibyo, Semarang – Old, young and even the children of Semarang gathered to commemorate a year since the death of human rights activist Munir. Calling themselves the People Against State Violence (Masyarakat Anti Kekerasan Negara, Makna) they held a ‘music performance’.