The new policy by the Yogyakarta Islamic State University (UIN) banning students from wearing a niqab while studying on campus has attracted support and opposition from the public.

The murder of women or ‘femicide’ was one of the issues taken up by the 2018 Women’s March in Jakarta on Saturday March 3.

Priska Sari Pratiwi, Jakarta – The issue of the alleged revival of the Indonesian Communism Party (PKI) has again reared its head with President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo yet again being hit by allegations.

Abraham Utama – The Working Party (Partai Berkarya), which was initiated by former President Suharto’s youngest son Hutomo Mandala Putra alias Tommy Suharto, is aiming to occupy third place in the 2019 legislative elections.

Petunia – Students planning to convey concerns their about the commercialisation of education to President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo at the Hasanuddin University (Unhas) in the South Sulawesi provincial capital of Makassar have been blocked by fully armed soldiers and paramilitary police.

Prayudha, Makassar – Rezki Ameliyah, known by her friends as Melia, has had to swallow a bitter pill. Melia along with her friend and fellow student Mohammad Nur Fiqri have been suspended for two semesters after putting up posters reading “Campus feels like a factory” at the Hasanuddin University (Unhas) in Makassar, South Sulawesi.

A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Indonesian military (TNI) and police on the involvement of the TNI in police duties such as confronting protests and strikes has been criticised as a step back for reformasi.

Dadang Kurnia, Bambang Noroyono – The sensitive LGBT issue has become a political hot potato following a statement by People’s Consultative Assembly (MPR) Speaker Zulkifli Hasan.

Padang – Refusing to be evicted from their land, on Wednesday January 18 hundreds of local residents from Kapalo Koto in Limau Manis village, Pauh regency, Padang City, blockaded the main road in the direction of the Andalas University campus.

Yogya – Activists commemorating 44 years since the Malari Affair on January 15 again reminded people that many of the demands and hopes of that time have yet to be realised.

Bastian Tebai, Semarang – On Tuesday December 19, the Papua Student Alliance (AMP) and the Indonesian People’s Front for West Papua (FRI-WP) held simultaneous protest actions around the country against the Trikora declaration that was made on December 19, 1961, 56 years ago.

Ahmad Syarifudin, Yogya – Hundreds of students held a protest action at the Pal Putih Monument in the Central Java city of Yogyakarta on the afternoon of Sunday December 10 to commemorate International Human Rights Day.

Alpen Martinus, Tondano – Scores of Manado State University (Unima) students from the Student Struggle Centre for National Liberation (Pembebasan), the Minahasa Progressive Women and individual pro-democracy activist held a solidarity action at the Unima main gate on Monday November 27.

Friski Riana, Jakarta – Jakarta Deputy Governor Sandiaga Uno has confirmed that the Jakarta regional government will allocate grants of some 1.7 trillion rupiah from the 2018 regional budget (APBD) to several organisations.

Rinaldy Sofwan, Jakarta – Philosopher and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) professor Noam Chomsky and a group of international academics are calling on the Indonesian government to withdraw all troops from West Papua following allegations of human rights violations against civilians by security forces in the province.

AC Nielsen research shows that the recent decline in consumption is not a result of a shift to online shopping because the digital trade segment accounts for only 1 percent of consumption.

Bayu Ardi Isnanto, Solo – President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo attended the keynote event of the Pancasila Youth’s (PP) 58th anniversary in the Central Java city of Solo. The president was given the opportunity to present his greetings and close the event.

Muhammad Nur Abdurrahman, Makassar – The commemoration of Youth Pledge day on Friday October 28 at the Muhammadiyah University (Unismuh) campus in Makassar, South Sulawesi, has ended in a clash between students and police.

During the clash, students set fire to as many as six police motorcycles and threw a seventh into a water drain.

Moh Jumri, Jakarta – The Indonesia Student Union (SMI) held an action at the Ministry of Tertiary Education and Technology Research (Kemenristek-Dikti) in Jakarta on Monday October 23.

Abraham Utama – The Indonesian Military (TNI) says that it will not changes its policies or views on the September 30 Movement (G30S) in 1965 regardless of the release of 39 secret US documents that have been opened to the public and “reveal a number of new facts”.