Wijaya Kusuma, Yogyakarta – Hundreds of women activists from the Central Java city of Yogyakarta held a peaceful action on Friday March 8 at the zero kilometer point near to the central post office to commemorate International Women’s Day (IWD).

Friends and comrades, all the people of Indonesia, are you aware of the escalating violence that has been taking place in West Papua over the last few days. Terror, violence and intimidation have become the daily face of life for the Papuan people.

Jakarta – International Women’s Day (IWD) is commemorated every year on March 8. This afternoon, scores of demonstrators from the Free Women National Committee (Komite Nasional Perempuan Mahardhika, KNPM) held a free speech forum at the Hotel Indonesia traffic circle in Central Jakarta.

David Saut, Jakarta – Around 60 people held an “Indonesia Without the FPI” protest action at the Hotel Indonesia traffic circle at 4pm this afternoon. Compared with the number of protesters however, there were more police officers on guard, numbering in the hundreds.

Prabowo, Yogyakarta – Students and people from Papua in the Central Java city of Yogyakarta commemorated 50 years of the Free Papua Organisation (OPM) in front of the Papua dormitory on Jl. Kusumanegara, Umbulharjo.

They called on the Indonesian government to acknowledge West Papua Independence day on December 1.

Hery Winarno, Jakarta – The House of Representatives (DPR) says it supports the firm actions taken by police in dealing with the Papuan People’s Congress, which they consider to be subversive and threaten the integrity of the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia (NKRI).

Hendra Saputram Banda Aceh – Commemorating International Labour Day, scores of mass media workers in the Acehnese provincial of Banda Aceh held a peaceful action condemning violence against journalists on Sunday.

Jakarta – Threats against workers, democracy and human rights activists have increased in 2010. This includes threats against journalists, which have begun to face threats to their lives. Conversely, cases of threats and violence against human rights and democracy activists are never able to be resolved.

Jakarta – Rights activists have expressed disappointment over the Cenderawasih Regional Military Command (Kodam) military tribunal’s verdict in the case of the Papuans that were tortured in Tingginambut, Puncak Jaya regency, a video of which was circulated via YouTube not long ago.

Jakarta – Earlier this month on May 3, mass media workers throughout the world commemorated World Press Freedom Day. Three Indonesian journalist organisations however, in a joint statement last week, said that press freedom in Indonesia is to this day still under threat.

Riky Ferdinanto, Jakarta – There have been many incidences of violence against journalists over the last year. “The perpetrators of violence have generally been [the participants of] mass actions”, said Eko Maryadi, the coordinator of the Alliance of Independent Journalist’s (AJI) advocacy division.

Ramdhan Muhaimin, Jakarta – Around 50 people from Humanist Solidarity for Myanmar (SKUM) held a demonstration in Bali on Sunday October 30 against the violence by the military junta in Myanmar.

Banda Aceh – United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Louise Arbour has been asked to pressure the Indonesian government to resolve cases of human rights violations that befell the people during the Aceh conflict.

Banda Aceh – The case of RCTI television reporter Ersa Siregar, who died during a fire fight between TNI (Indonesian military) soldiers and the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) during the period of martial law in Aceh has been reported to United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Louise Arbour.

Anwar Khumaini, Jakarta – The raid by New South Wales police on Jakarta Governor Sutiyoso’s hotel room in Sydney, Australia, should be considered as a routine matter.

Anwar Khumaini, Jakarta – Non-government organisations from Indonesia’s NGO Coalition for International Human Rights Advocacy (Koalisi LSM) say that Jakarta governor Sutiyoso should have been arrested because he refused a court order.

Adi W, Banda Aceh – Indonesia’s senior representative on the Aceh Monitoring Mission (AMM), Major General Bambang Darmono, has confirmed that there are no longer any illegal groups in Aceh. If there still are, then these groups must be disbanded immediately.

Iqbal Fadil, Jakarta – After arresting six activists during a demonstration at Plaza 89 in South Jakarta yesterday, police have renewed the hunt for activist they believe infiltrated the group of indigenous Papuans protesting against PT Freeport Indonesia.

Fedhly Averouss Bey, Jakarta – The government should not only focus on the disarmament of the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) but must also act firmly against civilian groups carrying arms in Aceh, which must be disarmed and disbanded.

AK-17, Banda Aceh – The Aceh Coalition of Human Rights Non-Government Organisations (Koalisi NGO HAM Aceh) believes that the shooting of foreign volunteers in Aceh is an attempt by certain parties to isolate Aceh from the international community.