Jakarta – Hundreds of protesters from the People’s Movement Alliance (ARB) have again taken to the streets to oppose the Draft Omnibus Law on Job Creation (RUU Ciptaker) during a rally on Jl Gejayan in the Central Java city of Yogyakarta on Friday August 14.

Jakarta – The election monitoring group Association for Elections and Democracy (Perludem) is predicting that there will be 31 regions where there will be sole candidates in the 2020 elections of regional heads (pilkada).

Writing on picture reads “Regional head”

Man: Before it was the father, now the mother, what next, the kids?

Kid: When do I get a go Dad?

Jakarta – West Papua province has again been recorded as having the worst democracy index. This year (2019), West Papua’s Democracy Index (IDI) was 57.62, even dropping lower from 2018 when it was 58.29 points.

Jakarta – Kalimantan Islamic University (Uniska) political observer Muhammad Uhaib As’ad says that the democratic process in Indonesia post reformasi – the political reform process that began in 1998 – is still being held hostage by the power of money.

Solo – A recommendation by the ruling Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) to back President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo’s eldest son Gibran Rakabuming Raka as a mayoral candidate in the regional elections in Solo, Central Java, has attracted criticism from student groups in the city.

Sania Mashabi, Jakarta – Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation (YLBHI) Chairperson Asfinawati has revealed several indicators that show the Indonesian government wants to return to the era of Suharto’s New Order regime.

The following is a translation of a press release by 17 West Papuan organisations that have launched a Papuan People’s Petition (Petisi Rakyat Papua) to oppose the government’s discussion on renewing Papua’s Special Autonomy Law (Otsus) which expires next year.

Jakarta – The National Commission on Violence Against Women (Komnas Perempuan) regrets the postponement of deliberations on the Draft Law on the Elimination of Sexual Violence (RUU PKS) by the House of Representatives (DPR) on the grounds that there is a Covid-19 pandemic.

Jakarta – Islamic organisations from the National Anti-Communist Alliance (Anak NKRI) protesting the Draft Law on Pancasila Ideology Guidance (RUU HIP) set fire to a hammer-and-sickle flag – with is identified with communism – during protest in front of the House of Representatives (DPR) complex in Jakarta on Wednesday June 24.

Man in boat: Can they still hear our voices?

According to two recent surveys, most Indonesians disagree with the government’s decision to hold the 2020 simultaneous regional elections (Pilkada) on December 9 as uncertainty remains over when the Covid-19 pandemic will end.

Jayapura – On Friday June 12 the group Papuan People and Student Solidarity (SMRP) went to the Papua chief public prosecutor's office in Jayapura carrying a coffin.

Dwi Bowo Raharjo and Yosea Arga Pramudita – The Civil Society Coalition is urging the police to arrest the perpetrators of terror threatening freedom of expression and opinion who have been attacking journalists and activists of late.

[The following is a translation of a press release issued by the Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras) following the release of five Papuan political prisoners on May 27.]

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.

Markus You, Nabire – It is hoped that a new policy by Justice and Human Rights Minister (Menkumham) Yasonna Laoly to release thousands of convicted criminals from prisons across Indonesia will not discriminate against Papuan political prisoners (tapol) who are still incarcerated in jail that were arrested in related to the wave of mass actions a

Jakarta – The House of Representatives (DPR) agreed to proceed with deliberating the Draft Omnibus Law on Job Creation during a plenary meeting in Jakarta on Thursday April 2. The decision is seen as taking advantage of the corona virus pandemic to accelerate the deliberation of the controversial draft law (RUU).

Jakarta – Confederation of United Indonesian Workers (KPBI) Deputy Chairperson Jumisih has criticised the plan to carry out rapid tests for the corona virus (Covid-19) on 575 members of the House of Representatives (DPR) and their families this week.

Ilyas Istianur Praditya, Jakarta – The Indonesian Trade Union Council (MPBI) has confirmed it will postpone mass actions against the Draft Omnibus Law on Job Creation.

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).