Jakarta – The National Human Rights Commission (Komnas HAM) suspects that an incident in which the director of the East Kalimantan chapter of the Indonesian Forum for the Environment (Walhi) and two other activists were forcibly taken to a local hospital for isolation had no relationship with Covid-19.

Zakarias Demon Daton, Samarinda – Health officials in Samarinda, East Kalimantan, tried to force three activists to undergo isolation at a local hospital after claiming that they had tested positive for Covid-19.

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.

Budiarti Utami Putri, Jakarta – Mining Advocacy Network (Jatam) Coordinator Merah Johansyah Ismail suspects that the owners of mineral and coal (minerba) mining businesses are driving the Draft Omnibus Law on Job Creation.

Jakarta – The Indonesian People’s Faction (FRI) is urging the House of Representatives (DPR) to halt deliberations on the Draft Omnibus Law on Job Creation in the midst of the corona virus pandemic. FRI member Asfinawati is asking the DPR to focus instead on overseeing the government’s handling of the Covid-19 epidemic.

Jakarta – The Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation (YLBHI) has criticised Justice and Human Rights Minister Yasonna H. Laoly who wants to release corruption convicts on the pretext of preventing the spread of the corona virus (Covid-19) in correctional institutions and prisons.

Jakarta – The Confederation of United Indonesian Workers (KPBI) is urging the House of Representatives (DPR) and the government to halt deliberations on Draft Omnibus Law on Job Creation given the corona virus pandemic (Covid-19). If the deliberations go ahead it will be the same as provoking people take to the streets to oppose it.

Jakarta – Coordinating Minister for Security, Politics and Legal Affairs Mahfud MD says that opposition to and negative views about the Draft Omnibus Law on Job Creation are because they have been “politically cooked up” (gorengan politik).

Jakarta – Several non-government organisations (NGOs) have rejected an invitation to hold a joint meeting at the Presidential Staff Office (KSP) to discuss the Draft Omnibus Law on Job Creation.

Jakarta – The secretary general of the Pramuka Market Pharmacy Traders Association (HPFPP), Yoyon, says that there are manipulations by a cartel related to the price hike and scarcity of facemasks at the Pramuka Market in Matraman, Jakarta. The cartel is taking advantage of the Corona virus scare.

Muhajir, Jakarta – Hundreds of workers from the Indonesian Trade Union Congress Alliance Confederation (KASBI) held a protest action in front of the House of Representatives (DPR) in Jakarta coinciding with the end of the parliament’s recess period on Monday January 13.

Adi Ahdiat, Jakarta – According to a report by the Mining Advocacy Network (Jatam), regions which have a large number of mining concessions were hit by some of the worst flooding in 2019.

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.

Andhika Prasetia, Pekanbaru -- A state of emergency has been declared in Riau province due to the haze from forest and land fires (karhutla). Hoping for rain to get rid of the haze, President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo has held a salat istisqa -- a prayer for rain from Allah during drought.

Jakarta – The Indonesian Forum for the Environment (Walhi) says that the deployment of the TNI (Indonesian military) and Polri (Indonesian police) personnel to help extinguish forest and land fires (Karhutla) fails to address the root cause of the problem.

The National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) says that eighty percent of the land destroyed by forest fires in Indonesia this year will be converted into plantations, pointing the blame for the fires at unsustainable practices in the country’s agriculture industry.

Adi Ahdiat, Jakarta – The government has completed the next year’s draft budget for ministries and state institutions. The budget is set out in the government’s 2020 Macroeconomic Projection and Draft Fiscal Policy (KEM-PPKF) document which was released by the Ministry of Finance in May.

Jakarta – Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation (YLBHI) chairperson Asfinawati has drawn a comparison between the May 21 and 22 riots in Jakarta, the May 1998 riots and the 1974 Malari affair. She says that there are similarities between the three incidents.

Jakarta – According to the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) there were as many as 1,586 disasters in Indonesia between January and April 2019, an increase of 7.2 percent compared with 2018.

Jakarta – In the lead up to New Years Eve this year, a number of regional governments issued appeals warning the public not to be excessive in celebrating the New Year or to do so without fireworks or holding parties.