Nurochman Arrazie, Bandar Lampung – Hundreds of workers and students from the Volunteers of the People’s Struggle for the Liberation of the Motherland or Spartan commemorated Labour Day in a protest at the Lampung regional General Election Commission (KPU) offices.

I respectfully bow my head
To all of you the victims
Because to you alone I shall bow my head
[But] to the oppressors
Never will I bow in submission
I shall always stand erect

Rizal Maslan, Jakarta – In order to discover the truth behind the murder of human rights activist Munir, the National Human Rights Commission (Komnas HAM) has formed a public examination team.

Jakarta – The increasing use of contract labour is undermining the strength of national trade unions and making it difficult for workers to struggle for decent working conditions.

Ari Saputra, Jakarta – Feeling boxed into a corner by many circles, former National Intelligence Agency (BIN) deputy chief retired Major General Muchdi Purwopranjono ‘has poured out his heart out’ to the National Human Rights Commission (Komnas HAM).

Jakarta – The National Statistics Agency (BPS) has announced that in comparison with the second quarter of 2008, in nominal terms the average wage of industrial workers in the third quarter of 2008 has declined by 8.74 percent. In real terms, the wages of industrial workers over the same period have declined by as much as 11.30 percent.

Jakarta – Although admitting that they may contains some truth, statements by a number of public officials on human rights violations during the National Human Rights and State Defense Seminar at the Department of Defence on Thursday December 18 are believed to be incomplete have the potential to mislead the public.

Jakarta – Some 2,000 public complaints lodged with the National Human Rights Commission (Komnas HAM) in 2008 have still not been settled. This year, the commission received around 7,000 complaints of rights violations. Around 75 percent were rights violations in the economic, social and cultural fields.

Jakarta – The threat of a wave of dismissals as a consequence of the global crisis is beginning to be concretely felt by the manufacturing sector. As of Thursday November 20, the government has received requests from several companies that plan to dismiss 12,600 workers and lay of at least 1,200 more.

Kompas – The families of missing activists hope that President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono will not take conventional measures in completing the investigation of the forced disappearance of activists that occurred in 1997-98. Particularly given that 13 of those who disappeared have to this day still not returned.

Novia Chandra Dewi, Jakarta – The Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras) believes that plan to summon former generals by the House of Representatives’ (DPR) Special Committing for Missing Persons is ridden with political motivations.

Jakarta – In the lead up to the 2009 general elections, the House of Representatives (DPR) Special Committee on the 1997/1998 Abduction of Activists has been revived again.

Jakarta – The Talangsari incident in Lampung regency in February 1989 is threatened with the same fate as other cases of gross human rights violations.

Reza M., Jakarta – A number of main thoroughfares in the capital city of Jakarta will be enlivened by protest actions this morning, Wednesday July 16.

Jakarta – Workers in the 1-3 million rupiah per month wage group will be further squeezed if the planned fuel price increases come into effect. This is not just because real wages are steadily declining, but also because workers face the possibility of being dismissed due to the economic pressures confronting industry.

Sutarto, Jakarta – Lawyers and human rights activists went to the National Human Rights Commission (Komnas HAM) offices on Tuesday April 29 to declare their support for the commission’s continued investigation into cases of gross human rights violations, particularly the Talangsari case.

M. Rizal Maslan, Jakarta – Scores of people from the East Java Alliance to Combat New Style Communism (SPKGB) protested at the offices of the National Human Rights Commission (Komnas HAM) on Tuesday April 29.

M. Rizal Maslan, Jakarta – There are steps being taken by the National Human Rights Commission (Komnas HAM) that are damaging the interests of the state and even benefiting the interests of other parties.

Rafiqa Qurrata A, Jakarta – Jakarta and nearby Bekasi will be coloured by protest actions today, Wednesday April 16, with six different groups of protesters voicing their aspirations between 7am and 5pm.

Jakarta, Kompas – Increases in the inflation rate is putting increasing pressure on workers’ real wages. Because of this therefore, the government must, as soon as possible, realise intervention programs that can indirectly improve workers’ welfare, such as the construction affordable housing for workers.