Jakarta – Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation (YLBHI) Chairperson Asfinawati believes that the legal aid team formed by the Coordinating Ministry for Security, Politics and Legal Affairs (Kemenko Polhukam) will accelerate the use of the maker (treason, subversion, sedition) articles in future prosecutions.

Theresia Felisiani, Jakarta – Amnesty International Indonesia has joined the debate on the formation of the national legal team by Coordinating Minister for Security, Politics and Legal Affairs (Kemenko Polhukam) Wiranto.

Dewi Nurita, Jakarta – The Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras) is urging Coordinating Minister for Security, Politics and Legal Affairs (Kemenko Polhukam) Wiranto to cancel the formation of a legal team tasked with monitoring the remarks, actions and thoughts of certain figures who are allegedly threatening state sec

Jakarta – The KUHP National Reform Alliance is demanding that the government and the House of Representatives not rush to ratify the Draft Criminal Code (RKUHP) at the next sitting of the parliament which is planned to be held on May 8.

Nur Azizah Rizki Astuti, Jakarta – The Confederation of Indonesian Trade Unions (KSPI) held its commemoration of International Labour Day or May Day 2019 at the Senayan Indoor Tennis Centre in Jakarta.

Bandar Lampung – Commemorating International Labour Day or May Day, around 600 workers from various different trade unions took to the streets of Bandar Lampung in South Sumatra on Wednesday May 1.

The workers concentrated at three points in the city: the Adipura Monument, Saburai Enggal Park and the Korpri North Teluk Betung Park.

Stepanus Purba, Medan – Hundreds of workers held a protest action in front of the North Sumatra (Sumut) governor’s office in Medan on Wednesday May 1.

Wahyu Setiawan Nugroho, Yogyakarta – At least three different groups of demonstrators joined the commemoration of International Labour Day in the Central Java city of Yogyakarta, which was centred along the Malioboro shopping district and the zero kilometre point at the central post office.

Friski Riana, Jakarta – The Confederation of Indonesian Trade Unions (KSPI) will not join other workers rallying in Jakarta during the commemoration of May Day or International Labour Day on May 1.

Manda Firmansyah – The 2019 Jakarta Women’s March, which was held on Saturday April 27, began at the Sari Pan Pasific Hotel in Central Jakarta and ended with a rally at the Aspiration Park at the National Monument. The march around the city centre began at 8 am and made 10 demands.

Denisa Tristianty, Jakarta – Hundreds of Indonesian women, who took part in the 2019 Women’s March in Jakarta, began the action by gathering at the Sari Pan Pasific Hotel on Jl. Thamrin in Central Jakarta on the morning of Saturday April 27.

Lampung Geh, Bandar Lampung – There has been support and opposition in the aftermath of the short story titled When Everyone Refuses My Presence Near Her (Ketika Semua Menolak Kehadiranku di Dekatnya), which was published on the Suara USU

The following is a statement by the Yogyakarta International Women’s Day (IWD) Committee on the University of North Sumatra’s (USU) censoring of the Suara USU (Voice of USU) student press.

Jakarta – Coordinating Minister for Security, Politics and Legal Affairs (Menko Polhukam) Wiranto says that people who invite others to golput – to abstain from voting – in the 2019 elections will be considered anarchists.

Jakarta – The Institute for Criminal Justice Reform (ICJR) is protesting a statement by Coordinating Minister for Security, Politics and Legal Affairs (Menko Polhukam) Wiranto who stated that people who encourage others to golput – to abstain from voting – in the 2019 elections can be prosecuted by law.

Muhammad Fida Ul Haq, Jakarta – The country’s peak Islamic body the Indonesian Ulama Council (MUI) has reiterated that the fatwa (edict) declaring that golput – to abstain from voting – is haram (forbidden under God’s law) that was issued at the Assembly of Islamic Scholars in Padang in 2014 is still valid.

The following is a statement by the Organisation of Socialist Youth Groups (OKMS) on the terrorist attack against worshipers performing Friday prayers in Christchurch New Zealand.

Samarinda – Scores of protesters wearing multi-coloured clothing from the Samarinda Anti-Sexism Alliance began gathering at 2 pm local time at the Samarendah Park on Friday March 8.

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.

Dewanto Samodro, Jakarta – International Women’s Day (IWD), which is commemorated every year on March 8 in Jakarta, was marked by a march from the Bank Indonesia traffic circle to the Aspiration Park in front of the State Palace in Central Jakarta.