Jakarta – The legal team representing Surya Anta Ginting and three other Papua defendants charged with treason and criminal conspiracy submitted a demurrer (eksepsi) or note of objection against the public prosecutor’s indictment during a hearing at the Central Jakarta District Court on Monday January 6.

Jakarta – The advocacy team representing Novel Baswedan is urging the police to immediately reveal the intellectual actor behind the acid attack on the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) senior investigator two years ago. The call follows revelations that the perpetrators of the attack are two active police officers.

Leon Kastayudha – Indonesia celebrates National Mother’s Day on December 22nd. As in other countries, Mother’s Day is a mainstream commemoration filled with gestures of appreciation to mothers, flowers, and or other commercial gifts.

Jakarta – Surya Anta and five other Papua activists heard the formal charges against them during the first hearing at the Central Jakarta District Court on Thursday December 19. Following their arraignment, Anta and the other defendants presented emotional speeches to the court.

Jakarta – The public prosecutor charged six Papua activists, Surya Anta, Charles Kossay, Dano Tabuni, Isay Wenda, Ambrosius Mulait and Arina Elopere with makar and criminal conspiracy during their formal arraignment at the first hearing at Central Jakarta District Court on Thursday December 19.

Jakarta – A civil society coalition calling themselves the People’s Front for Human Rights Bandung (Bara Hamba) is urging the Minister for Human Rights and Justice (Kemenkumham) to revoke the Human Rights Friendly City award which was recently given to the West Java provincial capital of Bandung.

Jakarta – The Secretary General of the Nusantara Traditional Community Alliance (AMAN) Rukka Sombolinggi says that traditional communities are desperately waiting for the ratification of the Draft Law on Traditional Communities in order to bring down the level of criminalisation.

Oleh Farid M. Ibrahim – Welcoming December 1, 2019 yesterday, activists from the Free Papua Organisation (OPM) and its supporters in a number of different countries held actions in which they brought and flew the Morning Star independence flag. Several activities were coordinated on social media through the hashtag #GlobalFlagRaising.

Jakarta – The Jayapura municipal police have declared 20 people accused of being Free Papua sympathisers as suspects on charges of makar (treason, subversion, rebellion). The 20 are part of a group of 34 Free Papua sympathisers who were arrested by a joint team from the Jayapura municipal police on Saturday November 30.

Jakarta – The Jayapura district police (Polres) have arrested 34 people for allegedly planning to celebrate the Free Papua Movement’s (OPM) anniversary on Sunday December 1.

Bangun Santoso – The secretary of the Islamic-based United Development Party (PPP) faction in the House of Representatives, Achmad Baidowi or Awiek supports the Attorney General’s Office (AGO) ban on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) people applying as candidate state civil servants or CPNS.

Jakarta – Greater Indonesia Movement Party (Gerindra) Executive Board Deputy Chairperson Sufmi Dasco Ahmad has clarified that a speech delivered by the Defense University rector during a discussion on the Indonesian Communist Party (PKI), which was given on behalf of Defense Minister (Menhan) and Gerindra chairperson Prabowo Subianto, was done s

Eva Safitri, Jakarta – Coordinating Minister for Security, Politics and Legal Affairs Mahfud Md says that cases of human rights (HAM) violations are still being used as a political commodity and his ministry is serious about resolving them through a non-judicial mechanism.

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.

Jakarta – Civil freedoms under the administration of President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo are seen as having declined. Based on the results of a Saiful Mujani Research Center (SMRC) survey between May and June 2019, 43 percent of respondents said they were afraid of expressing an opinion in public.

Jakarta – Pancasila Youth (Pemuda Pancasila, PP) Deputy General Chairperson, Bambang Soesatyo, has stated that the organisation will take a tough stand against anyone who intends to disrupts the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia (NKRI), the state ideology Pancasila or President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo.

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.

Ihsanuddin, Jakarta – President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo has cancelled a meeting with student representatives who have been holding protest actions against the Draft Criminal Code (RKUHP) and the revised Corruption Eradication Commission Law (UU KPK).

Leon Kastayudha – Bacharuddin Jusuf Habibie died on September 12 at the age of 83. As the third president of Indonesia, his administration straddled the upheavals of Suharto’s New Order regime and reformasi – the political reform movement that began in 1998.

Wahyu Setiawan, Jakarta – The Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras) says that the meeting between President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo and scores of Papuan figures at the State Palace three days ago failed to resolve the problems in Papua.