Medan – A protest action commemorating International Labour Day or May Day in Medan, North Sumatra ended with the Medan metropolitan district police (Polrestabes) arresting 14 protesters from the People's Resistance Alliance for the Destruction of Tyranny on Saturday May 1.

Jakarta – The Setara Institute for Peace and Democracy recorded 180 incidents and 412 acts which violated freedom of religion and belief (KBB) in Indonesia in 2020. The majority were committed by state actors.

Jakarta – The Mining Advocacy Network (JATAM) has accused the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) of becoming a tool of big business over is recommendation that coal waste – fly ash and bottom ash or FABA – be removed from the list of toxic and hazardous materials (B3).

Inang Jalaludin Shofihara – More than 50 individuals and organisations have initiated a petition through the platform change.org urging President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo to immediately declare a climate emergency.

Nicholas Ryan Aditya, Jakarta – Indonesian Forum for the Environment (Walhi) political desk head, Khalisa Khalid, says that they were concerned from the start that the enactment of the Job Creation Law would impact on environmental protection.

Rizky Suryarandika and Nawir Arsyad Akbar, Jakarta – The executive director of Voxpol Center Research and Consulting, Pangi Syarwi Chaniago, suspects that there is a hidden agenda behind attempts to take over the Democrat Party leadership.

Novia Harlina, Padang – Women community members from the Women's Concern Network (JPP) held a peaceful action at the traffic circle in front of the West Sumatra Regional House of Representatives (DPRD) in Padang on Monday March 8. The action was held to commemorate International Women's Day (IWD) 2021.

Zakki Amali – The accusations by Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono (AHY) have been proven true after the passing of several weeks. The former infantry major accused Moeldoko, a retired TNI (Indonesian military) general, of meeting with leading Democrat Party members and prepared a coup d'etat to take over his leadership of the party.

Jakarta – Scores of Papuan students held a protest action in front of the Home Affairs Ministry office in Jakarta on Wednesday February 24 expressing their opposition to the extension of Special Autonomy (Otsus) in the land of the Cenderawasih as Papua is known.

Medan – Scores of students from the Papuan Student Association (IMP) in Medan, North Sumatra, held a protest action in front of the North Sumatra University (USU) Rectorate Bureau Building on Tuesday February 2 protesting racism allegedly committed by USU Professor Yusuf Leonard Henuk.

According to the Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation (YLBHI), there were 351 cases of civil rights violations across the country in 2020, the majority of which were violations against freedom of expression.

Nicholas Ryan Aditya, Jakarta – The Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation (YLBHI) recorded 351 cases of civil rights violations across the country in 2020. YLBHI organisational development division head Febionesta said that the cases were dominated by violations against freedom of expression and the right to convey an opinion in public.

Jakarta – Natural disasters have hit several parts of Indonesia at the start of 2021. The series of distressing calamities began on Saturday January 9 when landslide claimed 32 lives in Sumedang, West Java.

Sack reads: Imported soybeans, No 1 quality soybeans.

Famer's hat reads: self-sufficiency

In early January tempeh and tofu disappeared from the market as producers went on strike to protest the soaring price of soybean, the primary ingredient of the popular food, which is mostly imported.

Padang – Tan Malaka's heirs want the historical struggle of one of the Indonesian Republic's initiators to be included in school history lessons. They are making this request of the government as one way for the nation's next generation to know the role that Tan Malaka played in the national independence struggle.

Irwan Syambudi & Mohammad Bernie – There were 68 independent or individual candidates who contested the December 9 election of regional heads (Pilkada), but according to the General Elections Commission (KPU) only six won.

Haris Prabowo – The total number of people who used their right to vote in the December 9 election of regional heads was low in several parts of the country. In the context of Indonesian politics, those who do not vote – regardless of the motivation and reasons – can be classified as golongan putih or golput.

Padang – The family of Tan Malaka want more roads named after him in areas which were once a basis for his struggle. Not just in West Sumatra, but also in other parts of Indonesia.

Banda Aceh – the Aceh Ulema Consultative Council (MPU) – an assembly of religious leaders in Aceh – have issued a sticker prohibiting people from playing online gambling and the game Player Unknown's Battle Grounds (PUBG). The stickers will be put up on all coffee shops (warkop) and cafes in the provincial capital of Banda Aceh.

Jakarta – Environmental organisation Greenpeace says that corporations in the palm oil sector have begun to venture into forests in Papua in concert with diminishing land availability in Kalimantan and Sumatra.