Agus Sigit, Yogya – The Papua Student Alliance (AMP) held an action at the zero kilometre point in the Central Java city of Yogyakarta on the afternoon of Monday October 13. During the action, scores of students called for the release of the two French journalists being detained in West Papua.

Jakarta – The Draft Law on Regional Elections (RUU Pilkada), which abolishes the direct election of regional heads and was successfully enacted into law (UU Pilkada) by the parties backing Prabowo Subianto’s Red and White Coalition (KMP) is a threat to democracy.

Kartika Virgianti, Jakarta – One hundred and thirty-two civil society and non-government organisations (NGOs) have expressed their concern over Indonesian democracy which will soon return to the era of the New Order dictatorship.

Anang Zakaria, Yogyakarta – Ten non-government organisations (NGOs) and student groups in the Central Java city of Yogyakarta are demanding the annulment of the recently enacted law on regional elections (UU Pilkada) that abolished the direct election of regional heads.

Jakarta – Jakarta – President elect Joko “Jokowi” Widodo has called on the Indonesian people not to forget the G30S/PKI (30 September Movement/Indonesian Communist Party) affair that ending in the murder of seven generals in 1965.

Anne Maria, Batam – The momentum of a friendly gathering with Indonesian Employers Association (Apindo) general chairperson Sofyan Wanandi at the inauguration of Apindo’s Riau Islands provincial leadership board (DPP) was used by the new DPP chairperson Cahya to introduce the Bima Sakti Guard.

Rendra Saputra, R. Jihad Akbar – Army chief of staff (Kasad) General Gatot Nurmantyo says that communist ideas are continuing to grow in the fatherland. This, he said, is because Indonesia is going through a period of development that creates space for the spread of such ideas.

Tri Susanto Setiawan, Febriana Firdaus, Prihandoko, Jakarta – After abolishing the direct election of regional heads by the people, Prabowo Subianto’s Red and White Coalition has initiated a discourse on returning to a system by which the president is elected by the People’s Consultative Assembly (MPR, upper-house).

Solo – A document detailing the division of parliamentary leadership positions allegedly agreed to by members of Prabowo Subianto’s Red and White coalition and the Democrat Party has been circulating on Twitter.

Muhammad Muhyiddin, Jakarta – The walkout by 129 members of the Democratic Party faction just prior to the House of Representatives (DPR) vote on the Draft Law on Regional Elections (RUU Pilkada), which abolished the direct election of regional heads, appears to have been a political maneuver or game.