Solidarity Message for the 14th Congress of PSM

Dear comrades,


First of all: congratulation and long live for your struggle for democracy and welfare in Malaysia.  


One year in the series of repression as well as democratic resurrection is a year of fight back and hope. PSM is an important component of the fight back. You had given us a good example of how the struggle of democratic rights shapes the struggle for socialism. You had inspired us by the politic of independent mass movement in every level of political struggle as a key for a kind of socialism we would like to create.

Solidarity to Free Hunza and Faisalabad Political Prioners in Jakarta

Today, 24th May 2012, more than fifty workers and pro democracy activists from Joint Labor Secretariat (Sekber Buruh) – Greater Jakarta paid visit to Ambassador of Pakistan, Mr. Sanaullah, in Jalan Mega Kuningan Barat Blok E.3.9 Kav. 5-8, Jakarta, Indonesia. Workers and activists  with posters, banner, and mostly red t-shirts came to demand the release of Baba Jan and all Hunza and Faisalabad Political Prisoners. One of the staffs of the Embassy, who didn’t want to mention his name, ‘welcomed’  and received a protest letter from Sekber Buruh and promised to deliver the demands to the Ambassador and Pakistan government. Unfortunately he didn’t want to say it in front of the loudspeaker, as he considered it as improper things to do.

Hope dims for woman raped doing 1998 riots

May '98 Tragedy: Dont Forget!

Jakarta Post - May 14, 2012

Jakarta -- The National Commission on Violence against Women (Komnas Perempuan) called for an amendment to the Criminal Code to help the cause of dozens of who had been raped in the May 1998 riots in the capital.

Komnas Perempuan commissioner Sri Nurherwati said on Sunday that none of the provisions in the Criminal Code (KUHP) or the Criminal Code Procedures (KUHAP) could bring legal action against what she called the "systemic massive rape of 1998" and provide protection for its victims.

The hazy state of the Indonesian military's land

Land owned by Indonesian army

Jakarta Globe - May 14, 2012

Samantha Michaels & Ulma Haryanto -- In 2009, more than a decade after the fall of Suharto, a presidential and ministerial decree ordered the Indonesian military to restructure the way it uses the vast array of state assets under its control.

This meant changing the way the Indonesian Military (TNI) used hundreds of buildings and about 2,500 square kilometers of land it had been controlling and renting out for more than half a century.

The week in review: Unfree democracy

Jakarta Post - May 13, 2012

Meidyatama Suryodiningrat -- This country continuously touts itself as being among the world's largest democracies -- a pluralist nation with a diversity of cultures, ethnicities and faiths living in harmony with one another. Proof on the ground, however, has shown otherwise.

Fueled by opportunism and an uncourageous government not willing to stand firm on difficult issues, entrenched intolerance is seemingly advancing farther and deeper with every passing day.

The unchecked emergence of narrow-mindedness seems more evident with each passing week. On the contrary, groups promoting conservativeness seem to be emboldened as their ruthlessness remains unchallenged.

Who is minding the Indonesian military's business ties?

Jakarta Globe - May 13, 2012

Samantha Michaels & Ulma Haryanto -- The government says it has reformed the military's once-extensive network of businesses, but it has failed to ensure that military organizations with indirect business ties are not breaking the law, top ministry officials suggested.

Military cooperatives and foundations, which can raise money by owning shares in companies, were among many profit-making entities that came under scrutiny when the government began divesting the military of its business holdings in 2004. The government was hoping to bolster civilian control over the armed forces, which have a history of corruption and rights abuses. Military-owned businesses, critics argued, allowed soldiers to earn money outside their state salaries, making them less dependent on the government and less accountable.

19 years after Marsinah's murder, activists demand justice

Challenge 19 years of the dead of Marsinah

Indoleft New Service - May 10, 2012
The following is a compilation of abridged translations from the Indonesian media on commemorations held around the country to mark 19 years since the death of labour activist Marsinah.

Marsinah was a women activist who led a strike at the PT Catur Putra Surya watch factory in Surabaya, East Java. On May 8, 1993, three days after the strike, her body was found in a remote hut. The medical examination found that she had died as a result of injuries inflicted during torture. Although there was considerable circumstantial evidence that she had been kidnapped and killed by the military, in 1994 nine managerial personnel and security guards from the factory were tried and convicted of the murder. All of the defendants claimed that they had been tortured in order to extract confessions. On May 5, 1995, all nine were released.

Evidence of ‘systematic killings’ in 1965

Margareth S. Aritonang, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Wed, 05/09/2012 8:33 AM

The National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) says it has evidence that government officials were involved in the systematic prosecution of members of the Indonesian Communist Party (PKI) following the abortive 1965 coup.

Komnas HAM is expected to announce the formal findings of its investigation on June 3, when it is also expected to propose the establishment a Commission for Truth and Reconciliation (KKR).

“Our three-year investigation has confirmed that mass rapes, torture, and killings, in violation of the Law on Human Rights Courts, occurred nationwide between 1965 and 1966 and ended only in the early 1970s,” Nur Kholis, the head of Komnas HAM’s investigative team, said.

May Day statement by Greater Jakarta Joint Labour Secretariat (Sekber Buruh)

Sekber Buruh, 1st May 2012

Workers and people unite: Fight capitalism and imperialism
On the commemoration of International Labour Day 2012
Today, May 1, coinciding with the commemoration of International Labour Day, the Greater Jakarta Joint Labour Secretariat (Sekber Buruh) again took to the streets. This was done as a protest and as our responsibility to convince the majority of people that this beloved country is still living in misery. The government may well say that there is economic growth, that there has been a growth in the middle-class and so on, but the reality, the facts and data depict the opposite.

Statute of limitations on Marsinah murder case expires next year

Activists with Marsinah pictures in a press conference May, 7th 2012

Viva News - May 7, 2012

Tahun Depan, Kasus Marsinah Kedaluwarsa - VIVAnews. Senin, 7 Mei 2012

Ita Lismawati F. Malau, Oscar Ferri -- After 19 years and 14 years of reformasi (the reform process beginning in 1998), Marsinah's killer has still not been found. The government is being called on not to neglect the case until the 20-year statute of limitations for murder cases expires.

According to Free Women National Committee (KNPM) spokesperson Vivi Widyawati, after 19 years the impression is that the government is going to leave the Marsinah case unsolved.

Solidarity needed against torture of detained political activists in Gilgit jail, Pakistan

URGENT APPEAL HRCP

Human Rights Commission of Pakistan requests your urgent intervention in the following situation

Description of the situation:

Five political activists are being tortured in Gilgit jail, Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan. These political activists who were in jail for the last many months are facing very harsh treatment for protesting against the poor quality of food and delay in hearing of cases of prisoners at the jail. They have been incarcerated for protesting on behalf of the victims of forced displacement on account of the Attaabad landslide in January 2010.

Plan to restrict Indonesia's subsidized fuel sales 'delayed indefinitely'

An attendant sits at a closed Pertamina gas station in Tangerang, Banten, in this file photo. The gas station attendant put up a sign reading 'Out of Fuel. Temporarily Closed.' after it ran out of subsidized gasoline. (Antara Photo)

Jakarta Globe - May 3, 2012

Arientha Primanita -- A plan to restrict the sale of subsidized fuel to select vehicles was "delayed indefinitely" by the Indonesian government on Thursday.

"We will temporarily delay the draft regulation until we figure out a workable formula for its implementation," Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Jero Wacik said during a press conference at the Presidential Palace in Jakarta.

Indonesia: Thousands of workers commemorate May Day

Workers in Aceh call for ratification of labour law, social security

Atjeh Post - May 1, 2012

Demo Hari Buruh di Banda Aceh - Atjeh Pos. Selasa, 01 Mei 2012

Taufan Mustafa, Banda Aceh -- A demonstration commemorating International Labour Day in the Achenese provincial capital of Banda Aceh on Tuesday May 1 began with a convoy from the Raya Baiturrahman Mosque to the Aceh governor's office.

Soldier assaulted as thousands of Papuans take to the streets on May Day

Detik News - May 1, 2012

Peringati 1 Mei, Pendemo di Papua Pukul Seorang Anggota TNI - detikNews. Selasa, 01/05/2012

Chazizah Gusnita, Jakarta -- May 1 is not just for celebrating International Labour Day. In Papua, people commemorated May as the day Papua was annexed into the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia (NKRI). More than 1300 people took to the streets.

"In Sentani (the number of protesters was) 300 people, and in Jayapura around 1000", said Papua regional police public relations chief Senior Commissioner Johannes Nugroho when contacted by Detik.com on Tuesday May 1.