Jakarta – The younger brother of missing radical street poet and labour activist Wiji Thukul, Wahyu Susilo, is urging presidential hopeful Prabowo Subianto to go to the National Human Rights Commission (Komnas HAM) and testify on the abduction and the forced disappearance of democracy activists by the Rose Team in 1997-98.

Jakarta – Dionysius Utomo Rahardjo, the father of pro-democracy activist Petrus Bima Anugrah who was abducted in 1998 for challenging Suharto’s New Order regime, is pessimistic that President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo will resolve the human rights violations that took place in 1997-1998 if he is re-elected in April.

Lani Diana Wijaya, Jakarta – The government is being asked to ascertain the fate of the activists who disappeared after being abducted in 1998.

Rio Apinino – Incumbent presidential candidate President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo and running mate Ma’ruf Amin’s have indeed made many sweet promises about protecting and upholding human rights (HAM).

Jakarta – Supreme assembly member and deputy chairperson of Tommy Suharto’s Working Party, retired Major General Muchdi Purwopranjono has decided to support the presidential ticket of incumbent President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo and running mate Amin Ma’ruf.

Jakarta – Greater Indonesia Movement Party (Gerindra) Central Leadership Board Chairperson Desmond J Mahesa is convinced that presidential hopeful Prabowo Subianto will not shy away from solving the 1997-98 abductions of pro-democracy activists if he is elected as president.

Fabian Januarius Kuwado, Jakarta – Human Rights (HAM) activists in Indonesia have few expectations about the first debate between the presidential (capres) and vice-presidential (cawapres) candidates on January 17.

Fabian Januarius Kuwado, Jakarta – The coordinator of the Commission for Missing Person and Victims of Violence (Kontras), Yati Andriani, hopes that panelists will ask hard questions about human rights (HAM) during the first presidential debate which will be held on January 17.

Human rights activists and civil society groups have few expectations that the first presidential debate scheduled for January 17 between incumbent President Joko Widodo and rival Prabowo Subianto will address human rights issues in any substantial way given that neither camp has shown any commitment to protecting civil and political rights or a

Jakarta – The head of the Prabowo Subianto and Sandiaga Uno presidential election campaign team (BPN), Djoko Santoso, says that that it is better to violate human rights than allow the country to disintegrate.

Purba Wirastama, Jakarta – Two decades have passed but the whereabouts of poet-activists Wiji Thukul is still unknown after he disappeared mysteriously in 1998.

His two children, Fitri Nganthi Wani and Fajar Merah have tried to present anew the memory of the figure Wiji Thukul through their latest works.

Fabian Januarius Kuwado, Jakarta – The 552nd Kamisan (Thursday action) held on Thursday September 6 was quite different from usual.

This was because this Kamisan was commemorating 14 years since the death of renowned human rights activist Munir Said Thalib, who was assassinated on September 7, 2004.

Indonesian police chief General (Kapolri) Tito Karnavian has instructed Criminal Investigation Bureau chief (Kabareskrim) Inspector General Arief Sulistyanto to reopen the investigation into the assassination of human rights activist Munir who was poisoned in September 2004.

Andi Hartik, Malang – Genoneva Misiati (76) is now resting in peace. Her long wait to find her beloved son, Petrus Bima Anugrah or Bimo is over but without success.

Kustin Ayuwuragil & Ramadhan Rizki, Jakarta – Commemorating 49 years since the ‘Act of Free Choice’ (Pepera), the Papuan Student Alliance (AMP) and the Indonesian People’s Front for West Papua (FRI-WP) held protest actions in 13 cities across Indonesia including Jakarta, Bandung and Ambon.

Dimas Jarot Bayu – The government plans to form an integrated team to resolve cases of past human rights violations. The team will be formed to dissect the various obstacles and find a solution to resolve the cases.

Tsarina Maharani, Jakarta – Pollycarpus Budihari Priyanto, convicted of the murder of renowned human rights activist Munir Said Thalib, has joined Tommy Suharto’s new Working Party.

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.

Indonesian youth and Papuan students have protested in several cities condemning the fatal shootings in Deiyai, West Papua. The Deiyai shootings occurred on August 1 when a joint unit of Mobile Brigade (Brimob) paramilitary police shot into a crowed of civilians in Oneibo village, South Tigi, Deiyai.

Teuku Muhammad Guci Syaifudin, Yogyakarta – Seven men and three women stood in front of the entrance to the governor’s office on Jl. Malioboro in the Central Java city of Yogyakarta on Tuesday May 16.