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.

Lightning reads: Oligarchy

Man: I hope you’ll weather the storm.

Ihsanuddin, Jakarta – President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo refused to answer a question from a journalists about progress in solving the acid attack against senor Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) investigator Novel Baswedan. Widodo instead responded the question by talking about the makeup of the next cabinet.

Adi Ahdiat, Jakarta – The Papua Legal Aid Foundation (LBH) says that since the beginning of Indonesian independence up until now, the country has never been free of racist practices.

Jakarta – The Indonesian Forum for the Environment (Walhi) says that the deployment of the TNI (Indonesian military) and Polri (Indonesian police) personnel to help extinguish forest and land fires (Karhutla) fails to address the root cause of the problem.

Adam Prireza, Jakarta – The number of people signing an online petition titled Revoke Rizieq Shihab’s Indonesian citizenship (Cabut Status WNI Rizieq Shihab) continues to grow.

Matius Alfons, Jakarta – Loosing presidential candidate Prabowo Subianto visited the Cendana residence – the private home of the Suharto family – where he was greeted by Suharto’s daughter Siti Hardijanti Rukmana (Tutut Suharto).

Jakarta – Scores of people in black T-shirts calling themselves the ‘98 Activists National Consolidation (RNA 98) shouted “arrest Prabowo” during a protest action in front of the National Police Criminal Investigation Bureau (Bareskrim Polri) in Jakarta on the afternoon of Wednesday May 29.

Jakarta – The Jakarta Metro Jaya regional police have named Greater Indonesia Movement Party (Gerindra) chairperson and presidential hopeful Prabowo Subianto as one of those reported in a case of makar (treason, subversion, sedition, rebellion) in the makar case against Eggi Sudjana.

Muhammad Radityo Priyasmoro, Jakarta – The Coordinating Spokesperson for the Prabowo Subianto-Sandiaga Uno election campaign team (BPN), Dahnil Anzar Simanjuntak, has revealed that Prabowo did in fact go to Brunei Darussalam on May 16 explaining that the visit was simply to hold a friendly meeting with the Sultan of Brunei.

Fabian Januarius Kuwado, Jakarta – The Ministry of Law and Human Rights (Kemenkumham) Directorate General of Immigration has confirmed that presidential candidate Prabowo Subianto briefly visited Brunei Darussalam on Thursday May 16.

Jakarta -- Attorney General Muhammad Prasetyo has denied accusations that law enforcement officials are using the makar (treason, sedition, subversion, rebellion) article like a “fire sale” (obral). Prasetyo believes that the use of the makar article in several recent cases are in accordance with the facts.

Rakhmat Nur Hakim, Jakarta – The Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras) and the Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation (YLBHI) have reported the Bandung police to the National Human Rights Commission (Komnas HAM) for alleged violence committed at a May Day rally in the West Java provincial capital of Bandung.

Jakarta – The Civil Society Coalition representing the families of the victims of the May 1998 tragedy is calling on the president elect not to include cronies and alleged perpetrators of gross human rights violation in 1998 in the next cabinet.

Farih Maulana S, Jakarta – The Trisakti University has commemorated 21 years since the tragedy which took place on May 12, 1998. The commemoration was held by retracing the footsteps of those killed in the incident and scattering flowers on the Trisakti campus grounds.

Jakarta – The Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation (YLBHI) is accusing Coordinating Minister for the Economy (Menko) Darmin Nasution of breaking the law by using his authority to restrict public access to data on land use rights (HGU).

Jakarta – The deputy chairperson of the Islamic based Justice and Prosperity Party (PKS), Hidayat Nur Wahid, says that he doesn’t agree with the petition against the Islamic Defenders Front’s (FPI).

Jakarta – An online petition titled “Stop Ijin FPI” (No Permit for the Islamic Defenders Front) has appeared on the change.org website.

Klojen (Surya Malang) – Journalists in the East Java city of Malang held a peaceful action at the Freedom Square to commemorate International Press Freedom Day on Friday May 3. This year’s action was different from those held in previous years.

Jakarta – The mayor of the Acehnese provincial capital Banda Aceh, Aminullah Usman, has prohibited coffee shops from serving customers during shalat tarawih (evening prayers) during the holy fasting month of Ramadan.