Rallies commemorating International Labour Day in Indonesia were not just held in Jakarta. In Karawang, West Java, it was also the case except there the commemorations were joined by farmers.

Rezki Alvionitasari, Jakarta – Thousands of workers commemorated International Labour Day today, Monday May 1, by gathering in front of the National Monument (Monas) gates on Jl. Medan Merdeka Selatan and Jl. M. H. Thamrin in Central Jakarta and at the nearby Hotel Indonesia (HI) traffic circle.

Sukoharjo (Okezone) – President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo says that politics and religion should be connected in the right context, not be totally separated.

Makassar – Scores of student from the Student Solidarity Concern Forum for the Papuan People (FSMPRP) held a rally this morning under the Jl. Urip Sumoharjo flyover in the South Sulawesi city of Makassar on Friday April 7.

Ade Irmansyah, Jakarta – The Papuan Student Alliance (AMP) and the Indonesian People’s Front for West Papua (FRI West Papua) are supporting efforts by seven Pacific countries to take the Papuan problem before the United Nations Human Rights Council.

As King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud of Saudi Arabia visited the House of Representatives (DPR) followed by a visit to the Istiqlal Mosque and State Palace in Central Jakarta, a number of activists holding a protest action in front of the Saudi Embassy were arrested by police.

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.

Yuliawati, Jakarta – Scores of police have blocked Papuan student in the Central Java city of Yogyakarta who planned to hold a demonstration today. Around 70 or so students were prevented from leaving the Kamasan student dormitory on Jl. Kusumanegara, Yogyakarta.

Jakarta – As many as 240 workers from nine trade unions took part in a group viewing of a film about Wiji Thukul titled “Let the Words Rest” (Istirahatlah Kata-Kata) at the Cineplex 21 film theater, Taman Ismail Marzuki cultural centre, Jakarta.

Jakarta Gubernatorial candidate Basuki “Ahok” Tjahaja Purnama occupied his weekend watching the film Let the Words Rest (Istirahatlah Kata-Kata). Ahok said that the film about poet Wiji Thukul is an important part of the history of Suharto’s New Order regime.

Armed Forces (TNI) chief General Gatot Nurmantyo says that the TNI is still looking into whether or not the Islamic Defenders Front (FPI) can be categorised as a social organisation (Ormas) that is anti-Pancasila.

Isyana Artharini – Islamic Defenders Front (FPI) leader Rizieq Shihab delivered a sermon during Friday prayers at the National Monument in Central Jakarta on December 2.

Mehulika Sitepu, Indonesia – Police used water cannons to disperse a rally by Papuan near the Hotel Indonesia traffic circle in Central Jakarta on Thursday December 1.

Political and intelligence observer Boni Hargens claims there was a flow of funds for the protest action in Jakarta last week that originated from the proceeds of corruption during former President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono’s (SBY) two terms in office.

M Andika Putra, Jakarta – Some 27 victims of human rights violence from the ‘65 Forum visited the Social Affairs Ministry (Kemensos) to convey their opposition to former President Suharto being made a national hero.

Surya Anta – Increasingly broad mobilisations by the Papuan people in recent years shows that there must be a new assessment of West Papuan as an entity. An entity that should be, must be, recognised as a nation.

Silvanus Alvin, Jakarta – President Joko Widodo or Jokowi attended a fast breaking event with TNI (Indonesian military) officers at the TNI’s headquarters in Cilangkap, Jakarta, where he took the opportunity to reaffirm that he will not apologies to former members of the Indonesian Communist Party (PKI).

Jakarta, Indonesia – The government sponsored national symposium on 1965 was held in April although reverberations over the forum, which for the first time brought together victims and perpetrators of the bloody 1965 tragedy, are still being felt to this day.

Dieqy Hasbi Widhana – Following the 1965 International People’s Tribunal (IPT65) in The Hague and the National Symposium on the 1966 Tragedy in Jakarta, there has been widespread arrests of people for using hammer-and-sickle symbols.

Jakarta – Setara Institute for Democracy and Peace chairperson Hendardi believes that the recent spate of propaganda about the rise of the Indonesian Communist Party (PKI), which is being linked to activities such as film screenings, discussions and book publications, is in fact aimed at creating a negative influence on government efforts to res