Jakarta – The Jakarta provincial government’s (Pemprov DKI) decision to issue 932 building permits (IMB) for land reclamation project islets in the Jakarta Bay is aimed at providing political certainty to developers to pursue their business activities.

Writing on tree trunk reads “deforestation”, word from elephant’s mouth reads “help”

Chaidir Anwar Tanjung, Pekanbaru – Environmental activists in Riau province held a theatrical action in protest over the construction of a ring road in Duri City, Bengkalis regency. They said that the ring road would destroy the last remaining elephant habitat.

Wahyu Setiawan, Jakarta – Civil society organisation activists held a protest action in front of the offices of the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM).

Jakarta – The Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation (YLBHI) is accusing Coordinating Minister for the Economy (Menko) Darmin Nasution of breaking the law by using his authority to restrict public access to data on land use rights (HGU).

Jakarta – An online petition titled “Stop Ijin FPI” (No Permit for the Islamic Defenders Front) has appeared on the change.org website.

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 – The Palm Oil Workers Coalition (KBS) has criticised the government for not involving workers in efforts to resolve the crude palm oil (CPO) dispute between Indonesia and the European Union. Yet the government frequently uses palm oil plantation works as a “shield” in the dispute.

Jakarta – Responding to the naming of state-owned electricity company PLN president director Sofyan Basir as a suspect by the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) in a case involving the Riau-1 Coal Fired Power Station (PLTU), the Indonesian Forum for the Environment (Walhi) is calling for the relationship between dirty energy and corrupt pra

On the afternoon of March 23 around 70 people from various different organisations which are part of the People United Front (FPR) and the Anti-Militarism Students Against Military Operations in Nduga held a protest action in the Simpang Lima district of the East Java provincial capital of Semarang.

Kristian Erdianto, Jakarta – The Islamic based Justice and Prosperity Party (PKS) faction in the House of Representatives (DPR) has rejected the Draft law (RUU) on the Elimination of Sexual Violence.

Devina Halim, Jakarta – Syahrul Fitria, a researcher with the non-government organisation (NGO) Auriga, believes that the criminalisation of environmental activists has yet to be taken up as an issue by either of the two presidential election campaign tickets.

Fadiyah Alaidrus – Padang Mayor Mahyeldi Ansharullah views Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) people as a sickness that is caused by the environment and economic factors.

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.

Jakarta – Hundreds of people from the Indonesian Forum for the Environment (Walhi) and other regional based groups held a protest action next to the State Palace in Central Jakarta on Tuesday December 11.

On November 19 a team from Wakatobi National Park found 5.9 kilograms of plastic garbage inside the stomach of a dead sperm whale that had beached on Kapota Island, Southeast Sulawesi.

Fadiyah Alaidrus – The mayor of Padang, Mahyeldi Ansharullah, has led a declaration attended by thousands of people rejecting Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) in the West Sumatran city.

Ardian Fanani, Banyuwangi – The Islamic Defenders Front (FPI) says that the reason it opposes the Gandrung Sewu Dance Festival in Banyuwangi, East Java, is because of the string of recent disasters that have hit Indonesia.

Raymond Samuel – Despite being embroiled in an economic crisis and even being depicted as a “failed state” by the Western media, Venezuela is still able to show empathy and solidarity with the victims of the earthquake in Central Sulawesi.

The tsunami that hit Central Sulawesi on Friday – where walls of water up to 6 metres and a magnitude 7.5 earthquake killed at least 832 people in the cities of Palu and Donggala – has highlighting the weaknesses of the existing warning system and low public awareness about how to respond to warnings.