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.

The Timber and Forestry Trade Union (SPKahut) is demonstrating at the House of Representatives (DPR) demanding the payment of back wages and severance pay from a pulp and paper company owned by Prabowo Subianto.

Datuk Haris Maulana, Aceh – Since the armed conflict broke out up until a peace agreement was reached, to this day Aceh still does not have any cinemas. People from Tanah Rencong – as Aceh is known – who want to watch the latest films have to leave Aceh or wait until they are released on movie websites.

Elise Dwi Ratnasari, Jakarta – There were still traces left over from the rain earlier in the morning. Although it was cloudy, it still felt hot under the intense heat of the sun.

Not many protesters had gathered yet but the enthusiasm shown by the women from various different organisations and backgrounds was already ablaze.

Jayapura – Mimika District Police Chief Assistance Superintendent Victor Dean Mackbon has denied that residents of the Kimbely and Banti villages are being held hostage by an Armed Criminal Group (KKB).