Fadiyah Alaidrus – Padang Mayor Mahyeldi Ansharullah views Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) people as a sickness that is caused by the environment and economic factors.

Yulida Medistiara, Jakarta – Attorney General Muhammad Prasetyo will discuss the resolution of gross past human rights cases with the National Human Rights Commission (Komnas HAM). He will do this so that there are no misunderstandings about how to resolve them.

Irwan Rismawan, Jakarta – The lawyer representing Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) senior investigator Novel Baswedan, Saor Siagian, believes that there are parties which are intentionally taking advantage of the 2017 acid attack against his client as a commodity for their political campaigns.

M Guruh Nuary, Jakarta – The Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras) says that the four year administration of President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo and Vice President Jusuf Kalla has failed to resolve past cases of gross human rights (HAM) violations.

Wisnoe Moerti – The Attorney General’s Office (AGO) has returned nine case dossiers on past gross human rights violations to the National Human rights Commission (Komnas HAM).

Rivki, Jakarta – On January 8 officials from the Padang public prosecutor’s office and the TNI (Indonesian military) seized several books alleged to contain the teachings of the banned Indonesian Communist Party (PKI) from a bookshop in West Padang.

Fabian Januarius Kuwado, Jakarta – Human Rights (HAM) activists in Indonesia have few expectations about the first debate between the presidential (capres) and vice-presidential (cawapres) candidates on January 17.

Fabian Januarius Kuwado, Jakarta – The coordinator of the Commission for Missing Person and Victims of Violence (Kontras), Yati Andriani, hopes that panelists will ask hard questions about human rights (HAM) during the first presidential debate which will be held on January 17.

Jakarta – The Institute for Criminal Justice Reform (ICJR) is questioning the legal grounds for the seizure of books about the banned Indonesian Communist Party (PKI) and communism in Kediri, East Java, on Wednesday December 26. The ICJR also criticised the involvement of the TNI (Indonesian military) in the raids.

Jakarta – Hundreds of workers from the Confederation of United Indonesian Workers (KPBI) held a protest march on Saturday December 8 from the Farmers Monument in Central Jakarta to the nearby State Palace. During the action, the workers highlighted the problems of corruption and the government’s failure to resolve human rights violations.

Pasti Liberti, Jakarta – We’ll just call him Teguh, who along with Hartoyo and his friends are active with Suara Kita (Our Voice), an organisation fighting against discrimination and for the rights of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) community in Indonesia.

Ristu Hanafi, Sleman – A protest by an alliance of student organisations calling themselves the Solidarity Action Alliance Against Sexual Violence at the Gajah Mada University (UGM) in the Central Java city of Yogyakarta on November 22 almost ended in chaos.

Jakarta – Prabowo Subianto’s vice presidential running mate Sandiaga Uno says that he and the Just and Prosperous Indonesian Coalition – the coalition supporting the Prabowo-Sandiaga presidential ticket – support the application of regional regulations based on religion such as syariah based bylaws in Aceh.

Jakarta – Although it was submitted 10 years ago, the Draft Law (RUU) on the Elimination of Sexual Violence has still not been enacted by the House of Representatives (DPR).

Jakarta – Since the presidential election campaign began two months ago, presidential hopefuls incumbent President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo and challenger Prabowo Subianto have yet to offer a substantial vision or program to the public. Both camps have instead largely focused on debating sensational issues.

Danang Sugianto, Jakarta – Not long ago the Central Statistics Agency (BPS) released data on working conditions in Indonesia, which is particularly interesting in terms of comparing the working conditions of female and male workers.

Kristian Erdianto, Jakarta – Amnesty International Indonesia executive director Usman Hamid says that over the four years that he has been in office, President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo has taken no significant steps to fulfill his pledge to solve past human rights violations.

Jakarta – Former Army Strategic Reserves Command (Green Berets) Chief of Staff retired Major General Kivlan Zen says that three of the political parties supporting incumbent President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo are cooperating with China to foster communist teachings.

Vindry Florentin, Jakarta – Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras) deputy coordinator Feri Kusuma says that President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo’s statement on the banned Indonesian Communist Party (PKI) at the TNI’s (Indonesian military) anniversary was inappropriate.

Jakarta – Jakarta Islamic Defenders Front (FPI) leader Muchsin Alatas has admitted that the group handed out copies of a book on the banned Indonesian Communist Party (PKI) titled The PKI: How and What (PKI Apa dan Bagaimana) during a joint prayer at the National Monument (Monas) last week.