Fitria Chusna Farisa, Jakarta – The Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras) says that cyber torture has become a new form of torture which is predicted to become widespread in the future. This type of torture is not carried out from up close like physical torture.

Rakhmat Nur Hakim, Jakarta – The Indonesian police (Polri) were the institution which the public reported most to the National Human Rights Commission (Komnas HAM) in 2019. As many as 744 public complaints received by Komnas HAM questioned the police’s performance.

Jakarta – The Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation (YLBHI) believes that violations against human rights (HAM) and civil freedoms have worsened in 2019. YLBHI General Chairperson Asfinawati says that the indicators on human rights protection and civil freedoms have worsened as depicted by an increase in rights violations in various sectors.

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Ahmad Bil Wahid, Jakarta – The Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras) has issued a report on the handling of human rights (HAM) issues in 2019 in Indonesia. Kontras concluded that there has been a retreat on human rights issues this year.

Ian Ahong – November 17 is the commemoration of International Student Day. This commemoration does not automatically emerge from nothing but has a history of struggle against tyrannical power.

Jakarta – The National Human Rights Commission (Komnas HAM) has criticised remarks by the new Attorney General ST Burhanuddin when he explained the obstacles to resolving cases of past human rights (HAM) violations to the House of Representatives’ (DPR) Commission III on Thursday November 7.

Jakarta – Civil freedoms under the administration of President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo are seen as having declined. Based on the results of a Saiful Mujani Research Center (SMRC) survey between May and June 2019, 43 percent of respondents said they were afraid of expressing an opinion in public.

Racism by the ruling class through the security forces and reactionary civil militia groups against the Papuan people has triggered a fight back. The siege and attack on the Papuan student dormitory in the Central Java city of Surabaya on August 16 triggered a wave of anti-racist protests in Papua and across Indonesia.

The Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation (YLBHI) recorded 78 cases of violations of freedom of expression in public between January and October 2019. These 78 cases involved 6,128 victims, 51 of which died. The data was obtained from the outcome of advocacy and complaints received by YLHHI and its 16 branch offices around Indonesia.

Lightning reads: Oligarchy

Man: I hope you’ll weather the storm.

Resky Novianto, Jakarta – Indonesia is still a country which unfriendly to minorities such as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) people. An organisation which focuses on the rights of LGBT people, Rainbow Current (Arus Pelangi), has recorded 1,840 cases of persecution against LGBT people between 2006 and 2018.

Since the siege on the Papuan student dormitory in Surabaya, a wave of demonstrations by the Papuan people has taken place. Massive protest actions have taken place in at least 14 districts in Papua and West Papua provinces.

On Friday the 21st of June 2019, the Ministry of Education and Culture resolved to work collaboratively with the Indonesian National Armed Forces in disseminating material to new students during school orientation week.

Jakarta – The Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation (YLBHI) is urging the state to carry out a substantive internal reform of the National Police (Polri). This is because according to data gathered by the YLBHI and the Legal Aid Foundation (LBH) there were 115 cases of police negligence in handling problems with civilians.

Jakarta – The head of Indonesian Police Public Relations Division Information Section, Senior Commissioner Asep Adi Saputra, says that police are currently looking into the involvement of Kopassus’ Rose Team (Tim Mawar) in the riots that took place in Jakarta on May 22.

Jakarta – A joint investigation of the May 2019 affair in Jakarta has found alleged human rights (HAM) violations against journalists, medical teams, local people and protesters in the police’s handling of the May 22 actions. In addition to this, there were also legal and procedural misconduct in dealing with the protests.

Jakarta – Lokataru Foundation Human Rights and Law Director Haris Azhar is pessimistic that the administration of President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo and Vice President Jusuf Kalla have the political will to resolve the murder of labour activist Marsinah 26 years ago.

Jakarta – National Human Rights Commission (Komnas HAM) commissioner Choirul Anam says that the Attorney General’s Office (AGO) could forcibly summon Agum Gumelar over his admission about the abduction and forced disappearances of pro-democracy activists in 1998.

Jakarta – The younger brother of missing radical street poet and labour activist Wiji Thukul, Wahyu Susilo, is urging presidential hopeful Prabowo Subianto to go to the National Human Rights Commission (Komnas HAM) and testify on the abduction and the forced disappearance of democracy activists by the Rose Team in 1997-98.