Ramdhan Muhaimin, Jakarta – Four protest actions will enliven activities in the capital today, Tuesday March 4. Based on information from the Metro Jaya regional police Traffic Management Center, demonstrations will be taking place at four different points in the city at almost the same time.

Ibnu Rusydi/TMC, Jakarta – Protest actions will colour the capital city on Thursday January 24. The Metro Jaya regional police intelligence and security directorate has received notification of seven planned demonstrations.

Fitraya Ramadhanny, Jakarta -- Monday mornings are always a day full of hustle and bustle at the start of the week. Drivers should be the lookout for a number of demonstrations in the Jakarta area so they don’t get caught in traffic.

Jakarta – The large number of incumbent officials that have been loosing in regional elections is being caused by a number of factors, including the public’s rejection of status quo forces and a desire to vote for new leaders. The preferences for a new face is originating from the floating masses whose numbers are considerable.

Sofian, Jakarta – A number of parts of Jakarta will be congested today, Thursday October 25. One of the reasons being that seven demonstrations will rock seven points across the city.

Sultani – The public’s assessment of the performance of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono’s administration over the last year has shown progressive signs that they have had enough. The public is increasingly apathetic towards the measures being taken by government to improve the nation.

Usman Hamid – We appreciate efforts to develop the TNI’s professionalism and civil supremacy that has been undertaken through various means at legislative and institutional levels.

Ken Yunita, Jakarta – The government is being asked to be on guard against the arrival in Indonesia of human rights representatives from foreign institutions. This is related to the reemergence of separatist movements in various parts of the country.

[The following is a compellation of abridged translations from Detik.com on reactions to the establishment of the GAM Party by former members of the Free Aceh Movement in Banda Aceh on July 7.]

Banda Aceh police protest use GAM logo and flag as party symbol

Bagus Kurniawan, Yogyakarta – The Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia Defenders Front (FP-NKRI) will be conducting sweeps of people who support separatist movements in the Central Java city of Yogyakarta and surrounding areas.

Muhammad Nur Hayid, Jakarta – Foreign intelligence [agencies] are believed to be playing a significant role in the recent emergence of separatist movements. Rather, the people of Maluku and West Papua are satisfied and do not want these movements.

Arfi Bambani Amri, Jakarta – Following on the heals of the South Maluku Republic (RMS) flag-raising incident, there have been cases of the Morning Star flag being raised in West Papua. It seems like there is an effort to shape public opinion that the administration of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (SBY) is week on separatism.

Jakarta – New political parties continue to surface. After 27 new political parties registered recently with the department of justice and human rights, there is now one more party, the National Liberation Party of Unity (PPPN or Papernas), that is ready to follow suit.

AK-17, Banda Aceh – A day before the signing of the peace agreement, the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) has protested the continued presence of TNI (armed forces) controlled militia in Aceh. This was conveyed by GAM’s spokesperson Bachtiar Abdullah in a press release received by Aceh Kita on Sunday August 14.

Budi Hartadi, Surabaya – Around 300 activists from a number of groups in the East Java provincial capital of Surabaya held an action in front of the Grahadi Building and at the grounds of the provincial parliament on Friday December 10 to commemorate International Human Rights Day.

Woro Swasti, Jakarta – Two years after it was disbanded, Laskar Jihad is ready to be sent back to Ambon if the government cannot overcome the situation there.

Ambon – The commander of the XVI/Pattimura Territorial Military Command (Kodam), Major General Syarifudin Summah, has threatened to shoot on sight anybody to tries to disrupt the elections in the Maluku islands.

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.

Jakarta – Human rights violations perpetrated in 2003 cannot be separated from military control, particularly the army. The government of President Megawati Sukarnoputri has not worked as hard as its predecessors, like [former presidents] B.J. Habibie and Abdurrahman Wahid to control the TNI [Indonesian armed forces].

Jakarta – On Wednesday December 10, hundreds of students, youths and non-government organisation activists, victims of land evictions and farmers came out into the streets to commemorate world human rights day.