Elvan Dany Sutrisno, Jakarta – At a time when the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) is in a precarious position with hundreds of pro-KPK activists calling on the ordinary people to unite and safeguard the fight against corruption, it is ironic that efforts by the ordinary people to save the KPK have in fact drawn criticism from government

Kartika Virgianti, Jakarta – One hundred and thirty-two civil society and non-government organisations (NGOs) have expressed their concern over Indonesian democracy which will soon return to the era of the New Order dictatorship.

Anang Zakaria, Yogyakarta – Ten non-government organisations (NGOs) and student groups in the Central Java city of Yogyakarta are demanding the annulment of the recently enacted law on regional elections (UU Pilkada) that abolished the direct election of regional heads.

Rizka Diputra, Jakarta – The Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras) is calling on official state institutions such as the National Human Rights Commission (Komnas HAM), the Attorney General’s Office (AGO) and even the president to act upon a statement by former Army Strategic Reserves Command (Kostrad, Green Berets) Chi

According to a recent survey by a coalition of NGOs, no matter which legislative candidates (caleg) people vote for in today’s general election, corrupt, lazy and incompetent politicians are set to dominate national and regional parliaments, with only 95 out of more than 200,000 candidates having clean records and reasonable levels of competency

Fitri Mey Budianto, Surabaya – Around 100 or so people from various non-government organisations (NGOs) commemorated Anti-violence Against Women Day, which falls on November 25, at the Bungkul Park in the East Java provincial capital of Surabaya.

Khairul Ikhwan, Jakarta – Around one hundred women from a number of non-government organisations (NGOs) held a demonstration at the Jl Gatot Subroto traffic circle in the North Sumatra provincial capital of Medan this afternoon. The action is part of a 16 day campaign on violence against women and children.

Jakarta – The enactment of the Intelligence Law by the House of Representatives (DPR) on Tuesday afternoon was greeted by protests by several different groups around the country. In Jakarta and Solo, opposition was expresses by street demonstrations.

Liliek Dharmawan, Purwokerto – At least 150 people from the People’s Struggle Front (FPR) held a demonstration to commemorate International Labour day at the Purwokerto town square in Central Java on Sunday.

Mursalin Yasland, Bandar Lampung – Hundreds of activists and workers in the Lampung provincial capital of Bandar Lampung took to the city’s street on International Labour Day.

Man: Are you evacuating too Mr?

Legislator: A comparative study!

Iwan, Jakarta – The evil conspiracy to increase the basic electricity rate (TDL) will impact on the price of basic commodities, particularly food, further burdening the lives of the poor.

Jakarta – The Jakarta Legal Aid Foundation (LBH) along with several legal institutions have submitted a request for a judicial review with the Constitutional Court against Law Number 4/PNPS/1963 dated April 23, 1963, on the securing of printed materials whose contents could disturb public order.

The North Sumatra Pro-Democracy Movement says that the administration of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (SBY) and Vice President Boediono, as well as the rotten political elite, have failed to implement the mandate to end the Indonesian people’s suffering.

Jakarta – A coalition of non-government organisations (NGOs) have expressed their opposition to the appointment of Lieutenant General Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin as Deputy Minister of Defense saying that he was involved in many cases of gross human rights crimes when he was an active member of the Indonesian military (TNI).

Jakarta – Like previous years, 2008 was marked by a variety of actions by students who took to the streets opposing government policies that they believe harm the people.

Only, in concert the approach of the 2009 legislative and presidential elections, so too has the tendency for these student actions to end in clashes and violence.

Wisnu Aji Dewabrata, Palembang – A International Labour Day demonstration in Palembang, South Sumatra on Friday May 1 took place without the presence of workers.

M. Rizal Maslan, Jakarta – The state, through President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (SBY), should issue an immediate apology and rehabilitate the names of the pro-democracy activists and the families of the victims of the forced abduction in 1997-1998. This is necessary in order to solve the impasse in the legal proceedings into the case.

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.

Jakarta – The murder of human rights activists Munir will be one of the cases taken up in the annual report on human rights in Indonesia, which will be presented to the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva in April. This is being done as a means to accelerate a resolution of the case.