Iqbal Fadil, Jakarta – The construction of the Muria nuclear power plant (PLTN) in Central Java continues to attract criticism from various circles who say the construction as bring a new catastrophe to the Indonesian ecology and a disaster to the environmental sustainability.

Triono Wahyu Sudibyo, Kudus – Thousands of people in the Central Java town of Kudus have again demonstrated against the contraction of the Muria nuclear power plant (PLTN) which they believe will endanger lives in the future.

Nurvita Indarini, Kudus – Indonesia is looking at using nuclear technology and the government is even planning to construct a nuclear power plant (PLTN) at Muria in Central Java. The plan has its supporters and opponents. The opponents of course are continuing to reject the construction that is planned to go into operation in 2015.

The following statement was to be presented during action by the National Liberation Party of Unity (Papernas) at the Hotel Shangri-La in Jakarta on March 29 to protest a meeting on the Millenium Development Goals and the newly passed Foreign Investment Law.

Zainal Effendi, Surabaya – Scores of protesters from the National Student Front (FMN) demonstrated at the East Java Regional Police Headquarters on Jl. Achmad Yani in the provincial capital of Surabaya on Tuesday March 20 demanding the release of recently detained farmers and condemning US agression in Iraq.

Syarif Hidayatullah, Jakarta – Jakarta Governor Sutiyoso is still a popular target of protests by victims of recent floods. Carrying children on their hips, on Wednesday February 21 hundreds of housewives rallied to call on the Number 1 person in Jakarta to resign.

Jakarta – Jakarta has been sunk by floods and the governor and deputy governor are at the salon. This was the theme taken up by scores of activists from the Indonesian Muslim Students Action Front (KAMMI) during a demonstration in Jakarta on February 9.

Jakarta – Around 200 residents who said they were flood victims protested at the House of Representatives (DPR) building in South Jakarta demanding that Jakarta Governor Sutiyoso resign from his post.

Jakarta – Hundreds of flood victims demonstrated at the House of Representatives (DPR) in Jakarta on Wednesday February 7. They were protesting a statement by the Coordinating Minister for People’s Welfare, Aburizal Bakrie, who said that reports on the floods in Jakarta are being exaggerated by the mass media.

A.J. Susmana – It has been 61 years since Indonesia declared itself as an independent nation. But the question so often asked by the cynical is: “Are we really free?”.

Jakarta – The Indonesian Environment Forum (Walhi) plans to build a green political front as an alternative political force. The environmental political block will be based on popular and organised political forces.

Yuliawati, Jakarta – The People’s Representative Assembly’s Natural Disaster Relief Monitoring Team in Aceh and North Sumatra is asking the government to reconsider the presence of foreign volunteers so that they can remain in Indonesia longer.

Pekanbaru-RoL – The Minister of Forestry, H. MS Kaban, says that level of illegal logging in Indonesia is resulting in financial losses to the state amounting to 60 trillion rupiah per year

RR Ariyani, Jakarta – A grouping of non-government organisations (NGOs) who are handling the Buyat Bay pollution case including the Indonesian Environmental Forum (Walhi) and the Mining Advocacy Network (Jatam) hope that an integrated technical team will be able to act independently.

Dadan Kuswaraharja, Jakarta – Worker and environment activists demonstrated at the PT Newmont Mining Group Jakarta office following the exposure of pollution in the Gulf of Buyat which has cased Minamata sickness. They were demanding that Newmont take responsibility.

[The following is a translation of an open appeal by the United Opposition Front (Barisan Oposisi Bersatu, BOB) which was issued in Jakarta on April 3.]

Compared to three months ago, the public’s assessment of the performance of President Megawati Sukarnoputri’s government in the ninth quarter of the government’s term is showing signs of a decline.

[The following is a translation of discussion paper presented by Indonesian labour leader and general chairperson of the People’s United Opposition Party (Popor), Dita Indah Sari, at a public meeting titled “An evaluation of three months of the military emergency in Aceh” which was held in Jakarta on August 14.