Valda Kustarini and Adi Ahdiat, Jakarta – The Papua representative office of the National Human Rights Commission (Komnas HAM) is urging the government to deal with the Papua conflict through dialogue with the “appropriate” parties.

Since the siege on the Papuan student dormitory in Surabaya, a wave of demonstrations by the Papuan people has taken place. Massive protest actions have taken place in at least 14 districts in Papua and West Papua provinces.

Zae Baneza, Ulfia Dwi and Adi Ahdiat, Jakarta – On Sunday September 1 the police arrested a number of Papuan students in Jakarta on charges of treason (makar).

Not long after this, the Jakarta Legal Aid Foundation (LBH) issued a press release stating that the police were conducting sweeps.

Jakarta – West Papua National Committee (KNPB) spokesperson Victor Yeimo says that they are calling for a national strike throughout the territory claimed to be West Papua to demand a referendum or an act of self-determination through a popular vote.

Jakarta – Coordinating Minister for Security, Politics and Legal Affairs Wiranto says that the government is open to dialogue with all parties to improve the situation in Papua, but it will not discuss a referendum or Papuan independence.

Guruh Permadi, Jakarta – The coordinator of the Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras), Yati Andriyani, believes that the statement by President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo on the riots in Papua was totally inadequate.

Muhammad Irfan, Jakarta – Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras) Coordinator Yati Andriani is calling on President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo to learn from Indonesia’s fourth president Abdurrahman “Gus Dur” Wahid in how to deal with the problems in Papua, including the flying of the symbolic Morning Star flag.

Jakarta – The TNI’s (Indonesian military) information centre has verified that @Puspen_TNI uploaded a comic strip on its Twitter account explaining the risks of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) practices.

Siti Sadida Hafsyah, Jakarta – Indonesian Institute of Science (LIPI) researcher Cahyo Pamungkas says that the Trans Papua Highway has yet to bring any benefits to the Papuan people.

The commemoration of Labour Day or May Day in the Central Java city of Yogyakarta was centred at the Zero Kilometre point in front of the Central Post Office. Along with the hundreds of protesters, students from the Papuan Student Alliance (AMP) used the rally to call for independence.

Chitra Paramaesti, Jakarta – The director of the film Memories of My Body (Kucumbu Tubuh Indahku), Garin Nugroho, has spoken out about an on-line petition rejecting his film which is currently being shown on the big screen.

Jakarta – An independent team called the Nduga Case Investigation Team has reported a number of alleged human rights violations (HAM) during the military operations conducted by the TNI (Indonesian military) and Polri (Indonesian police) in Nduga regency, West Papua.

Jakarta – Attacking each other, slander and the use of SARA (sectarian and identity politics) being accentuated by the presidential election candidates is disappointing the millennial generation. They are now threatening that if the situation does not improve, they will golput (abstain from voting) in the April 17 general elections.

Jakarta – Scores of Papuans from the group #SaveNduga Solidarity (Soladiritas #SaveNduga) held a candle lit vigil at the Aspiration Park in front of the State Palace in Central Jakarta on Wednesday December 26 to mark the violence perpetrated by the TNI (Indonesian military) and Polri (national police) in Nduga regency, Papua.

Jakarta – The Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras) says that the issue of past human rights violations are turned into a political commodity every time there is a presidential election. Yet, after one of the candidates is elected as president, human rights issues are simply ignored.

Jakarta – The closeness of Presidential Candidate Number 02, Prabowo Subianto, with the “Great Leader” of the Islamic Defenders Front (FPI) Rizieq Shihab, can no longer be denied. The “intimacy” between the pair has been noted since the 2017 Jakarta gubernatorial elections.

Audrey Santoso, Jakarta – There seems to be no end of surprises when it comes to President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo’s ruling Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P).

Ria Apriyani, May Rahmadi, Jakarta – Presidential spokesperson Johan Budi says that President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo had long wanted to meet the families of victims of past gross human rights violations.

Imam Saputro, Solo – Workers in the Central Java city of Solo (Surakarta) chose to commemorate International Labour Day on Tuesday morning with a health walk instead of a demonstration.

Budi Warsito – The commemoration of Labour Day or May Day in the Central Java city of Yogyakarta was marked with a demonstration centred at the zero kilometre point in the centre of the city.