Jayapura – Lawyer and human rights activist Veronica Koman has spoken out about the worsening health of Papua activist Victor F Yeimo who has being detained at the Mobile Brigade command headquarters detention centre (Rutan Mako Brimob) for the last three months.

Reza Gunadha and Chyntia Sami Bhayangkara – Journalist and editor of the Papuan based Tabloid Jubi, Victor Mambor, has become the victim of a terrorist act.

Jakarta – September 2019, and Veronica Koman was enjoying her final days in Australia. Her studies at the Australian National University were almost over and all that was left was to wait for graduation day.

Jakarta – Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation (YLBHI) Chairperson Asfinawati has responded to plans to revise the Information and Electronic Transaction (ITE) Law.

Asfinawati said that revisions to the ITE Law are indeed much needed but this is not enough to guarantee freedom of expression.

Jakarta – The Mining Advocacy Network (Jatam) says that the presence of retired Indonesian military (TNI) and police generals in mining companies is ridden with conflicts of interest. It is suspected that their presence also results in favouritism in the handling of conflicts between the mining industry and local communities.

Ardito Ramadhan, Jakarta – The Agrarian Reform Consortium (KPA) recorded 241 cases of agrarian conflicts in Indonesia throughout 2020.

Jakarta – Labour, farmer and student groups opposing the Draft Omnibus Law on Job Creation (RUU Cipta Lapangan Kerja) held a protest action on the left side of the House of Representatives (DPR) building’s front gates on Thursday July 16. The groups said that the government and the DPR have failed to grasp the public’s wishes.

Jakarta – The Papuan Coalition for Upholding the Law and Human Rights is urging the police to stop criminalising the Papuan people through the makar (treason, subversion, rebellion) articles if they do not want the term political prisoner (tapol) to be used anymore in Indonesia.

[The following is a translation of a press release issued by the Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras) following the release of five Papuan political prisoners on May 27.]

From an op-ed piece titled Social Media Paradox.

A growing number of people are falling foul of Indonesia’s Information and Electronic Transaction Law (ITE), which is notorious for being used to criminalise political dissidents.

Lea Citra, Adi Ahdiat, Jakarta – A gender activists from the group Indonesian Queer Feminist Activist, Lini Zurlia, says that the public should be critical of the Draft Law Against Sexually Deviant Propaganda (RUU Anti-Propaganda Penyimpangan Seksual).

Jakarta – Amnesty International is urging the Depok municipal government to immediately revoke a call for raids on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) groups in Depok city.

Resky Novianto, Adi Ahdiat, Jakarta – Throughout 2019, most of the violence against journalists in Indonesia was committed by police. This was revealed in the Alliance of Independent Journalists’ (AJI) 2019 End of Year Report which was released on Monday December 23.

Jakarta – The Secretary General of the Nusantara Traditional Community Alliance (AMAN) Rukka Sombolinggi says that traditional communities are desperately waiting for the ratification of the Draft Law on Traditional Communities in order to bring down the level of criminalisation.

Jakarta – The Institute for Public Research and Advocacy (Elsam) says that freedom of expression and opinion in Indonesia has declined since 2014. Citing data from the Freedom House website, Elsam said that for the last five years freedom of expression in Indonesia has been rated as no longer free.

Resky Novianto, Jakarta – Indonesia is still a country which unfriendly to minorities such as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) people. An organisation which focuses on the rights of LGBT people, Rainbow Current (Arus Pelangi), has recorded 1,840 cases of persecution against LGBT people between 2006 and 2018.

September 24 marks the commemoration of National Farmers Day. Every year, thousands of farmers take to the streets to demand the justice and prosperity that seems to have been forgotten by the government.

Jakarta – The Social Alliance for Democratic Justice (AMUKK) held a protest action opposing the first stage in the enactment of the Draft Criminal Code (RKUHP) in front of the House of Representatives (DPR) building in Jakarta on Monday September 16.

Jakarta – Papua Student Alliance (AMP) lawyer Veronica Koman has finally spoken out about being declared a suspect by the East Java provincial police for inciting an incident at the Papuan student dormitory in the East Java provincial capital of Surabaya in August.

Valda Kustarini, Astri Septiani and Adi Ahdiat, Jakarta – The Institute for Criminal Justice Reform (ICJR) and the Institute for Human Rights Studies and Advocacy (ELSAM) have criticised the arrest of six Papuan students on charges of makar (treason, subversion, rebellion).