A new alliance or united front organization was formed in January in Indonesia to fight the current neo-liberal policies of the Indonesian government. Its leaflet calling for a January 28 protest action lists 17 organisations.

Wicak Hidayat, Jakarta – The Indonesian Communist Party (PKI), an organisation banned in Indonesia, has again resurfaced. This time on Facebook.

Wisdom cannot be measured by how long one has lived...

Irwan Nugroho, Jakarta – The Indonesian Film Society (MFI) believes that the banning of a film about the deaths of five Australian journalists in East Timor or the Balibo Five makes no sense, saying it was surprised over why the government is so afraid of the film being seen by the Indonesian public.

Bagus Kurniawan, Yogyakarta – Hundreds of students from various groups in the Central Java city of Yogyakarta held an action opposing the inauguration of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (SBY) and Vice President Boediono on October 20. The protest was marked by the burning of T-shirts with pictures of Yudhoyono and Boediono.

Yogyakarta – Scores of protesters from the National Student League for Democracy-Politics of the Poor (LMND-PRM) held a protest action at the Gajah Mada University traffic circle on Friday September 4.

Rachmadin Ismail, Jakarta – Hundreds of demonstrators from the Workers Challenge Alliance (ABM) held an protest action on May 21 opposing the candidates running for the July 8 presidential elections because none of the candidates are pro-people.

Jakarta – The people’s political movement should not just be directed towards taking power, but it would be preferable if the movement is also direct towards building the economy. In Indonesia such a measure is extremely important because from the start Indonesia has not had the power of capital.

Yogyakarta – On Sunday April 6, around 40 students from the United People’s Committee (KRB) demonstrated at the Gadjah Mada University roundabout in the Central Java city of Yogyakarta. The protesters were opposing the 2009 general elections and calling for the immediate creation of an anti-imperialist government.

Medan – The North Sumatra Union for the Politics of the Poor Front (FPPRM) believes that the administration of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has failed. Because of this therefore, they are opposing the 2009 general elections.

Palu, Central Sulawesi – On April 5, scores of activists from the Central Sulawesi Union for the Politics of the Poor (PPRM Sulteng) declared their opposition to the 2009 general elections saying they are undemocratic and only involve the wealthy elite.

Muhammad Nur Abdurrahman, Makassar – On March 31 the Concern for the Nation Functional Party (PKPB) held an election campaign rally in the South Sulawesi provincial capital of Makassar. Speaking before around one thousand sympathisers, PKPB General Chairperson R. Hartono promised the rebirth of former President Suharto’s New Order regime.

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

Chazizah Gusnita, Jakarta – Thirty-four years after the Malari affair – short for The January 15 Disaster – a student actions opposing foreign capital, particularly Japanese capital on January 15, 2974, demands for the foreign debt to be written off are now being articulated again.

M. Rizal Maslan, Jakarta – “The courts are simply an extension of the perpetrators of human rights violations”. Thus spoke the late human rights activist Munir during a speech at a demonstration at the Supreme Court in 2004. Likewise is the human rights situation at the start of 2009, including the investigation into his murder.

Jakarta (Dtc/Lampost) – The Star Reform Party (PBR) is continuing to select presidential candidates who are suitable for support at its convention.

Oleh Ahmad Arif – The global financial crisis, which began far away in the United States, appears to have also become a bugbear for workers in Indonesia. Starting with national industries that are dying because global markets are stagnating, millions of workers are faced with the threat of dismissal.

Oppose the 2009 elections of the political elite – an election of the human rights violators, capitalists, corruptors and opportunist!

[The following is a statement from (the temporary) National Collective of National Student League For Democracy-The Politics of The Poor (Liga Mahasiswa Nasional untuk Demokrasi-Politik Rakyat Miskin, LMND-PRM), Indonesia, about the capitalist crisis now and the solutions being taken by our government, the Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono-Jusuf Kalla re

Suwardiman – Young voters, particularly first time voters, are a potential vote base that political parties should consider targeting in the 2009 legislative and presidential elections.