Jakarta – President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo plans to build an underground tunnel connecting the Istiqlal Mosque and the Cathedral Church in Central Jakarta which are located adjacent to each other. The proposed construction will be carried out during renovations to the Istiqlal Mosque which were reviewed by Widodo on Friday February 7.

Jakarta – The director of the Setara Institute for Democracy and Peace, Hendardi, believes that there is no basis for the claim by Islamic Defenders Front (FPI) “Great Leader” Rizieq Shihab that there was manipulation by Indonesia in the installation of an ISIS flag on his house.

Ambon – Vice President M Jusuf Kalla has warned that inequality levels in Indonesia have become quite dangerous because of religious differences between the rich and the poor.

Safari Sidakaton – International Women’s Day (IWD) was commemorated by a variety of different women’s communities and organisations that united under the International Women’s Day Action Committee (KAHPS), which presented a “Claim for Payment” to government institutions and agencies on Friday March 8.

Banda Aceh – Victims of the Aceh conflict being assisted by the group Fraternal Solidarity for Victims of Human Rights Violations (SPKP HAM) will hold their second congress in Saree in the Lembah Seulawah sub-district of Greater Aceh on July 20-23.

Radzie, Banda Aceh – The Preparatory Committee for the Acehnese People’s Party (Komite Persiapan Partai Rakyat Aceh, KP-PRA) will hold its first congress between February 27 and March 2. Following the congress, the party will be declared as the first local political party in Aceh.

[The following is a compilation of abridged translations of protests between November 10-14 against US President George W. Bush's planned visit to the West Java city of Bogor on November 20. Translated by James Balowski.]

Makassar student demonstrate a mall, hotel against Bush visit

Luhur Hertanto, Jakarta – Support for the government on the draft agreement with the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) is growing. The National Deliberative Council VII of the Indonesian Ulamas Council (MUI) [Ulama – Islamic religious leader] has declared it support the results of the Helsinki negotiations.

Jakarta – Human rights activists who’s names have been proposed by a number of non-government organisations (NGOs) to sit on the Commission of Truth and Reconciliation are concerned about the selection process at the People’s Representative Assembly (DPR).

Jakarta – Old names are still dominating the candidate members for the People’s Representative Assembly (DPR) in the lists submitted on Monday, December 29, to the General Election Commission (KPU) by the political parties who will participate in the 2004 general elections.

Based on Law Number 31/2002 on Political Parties, no less than 209 political parties in the country – including those who already had the status of a legal body and those who did not – have had their status annulled. As a result, there are now 50 recorded political parties in the country.