Jakarta – A spokesman of the Islam Defender Front (FPI) says that residents rejects Canadian liberal Muslim activist Irshad Manji for her angle that Muslims should embrace lesbianism.

Sita W.

Jakarta – South Jakarta Police are questioning the organizers of Canadian author Irshad Manji's terminated book launch and discussion at a Salihara venue in South Jakarta, which was bro

Jakarta – Canadian liberal Muslim activist Irshad Manji was escorted out of the Salihara venue in South Jakarta on Friday, where she was supposed to launch her new book, Allah, Liberty

Ardi Mandiri – The Islamic Defenders Front (FPI) urged the government to deport visiting liberal Canadian Muslim activist Irshad Manji, saying she is trying to promote homosexuality amo

Bayu Marhaenjati & Ismira Lutfia – The police on Saturday defended its forced canceling of a speaking event in Jakarta featuring liberal Canadian Muslim activist Irshad Manji, sayin

Jakarta – The hard-line Islam Defender Font (FPI) says it will take to the streets if US singer Lady Gaga does not cancel her upcoming Jakarta concert.

Syofiardi Bachyul Jb, Padang – Prosecutors have fouled up the indictment of Alexander Aan, the civil servant in Padang, West Sumatra, accused of professing atheism on Facebook, his lawy

Alex Rayfield – Five West Papuans were given jail terms on Friday for peaceful expressions of political opinion.

Erwida Maulia – New York-based Human Rights Watch has condemned the Indonesian government for allowing the conviction of five Papuan independence activists on Friday, saying the prosecu

Index: ASA 21/011/2012

If the Indonesian government wants to make an example out of these people, then it should free them as a symbol of its commitment to free expression.

Michael Bachelard – Five activists fighting for an independent West Papua will immediately appeal their conviction and imprisonment on treason charges, handed down today.

Hangga Brata, Klaten, Central Java – Andreas Guntur, the leader of Amanat Keagungan Ilahi, a spiritual group which draws upon certain verses of the Koran, was sentenced to a four-year j

Panca Nugraha, Mataram – Public order officers arrested several punks on Tuesday who were deemed to be causing a nuisance to citizens at several locations.

Rabby Pramudatama, Jakarta – Legal activists condemned a Supreme Court ruling that upheld the Jakarta High Court verdict which sentenced a defendant to six months in prison for defaming

The International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission on Thursday slammed the blocking of its Web site by some Indonesian Internet providers for having "pornographic elements."

Kate Lamb, Jakarta – After pulling the plug on more than a million online porn sites, Indonesia's Communications Minister, Tifatul Sembiring, has now set his sights on Twitter.

Salim Osman – After surviving a mob attack over a Facebook posting, 31-year-old Indonesian civil servant Alexander Aan was taken into custody by the West Sumatra police for his own safe

Presi Mandari, Jakarta – A defiant declaration of atheism by an Indonesian civil servant has inflamed passions in the world's most populous Muslim nation, pitting non-believers and beli

Ulma Haryanto – The West Sumatran man facing five years in prison for blasphemy for questioning the existence of God may face additional charges, according to police.

Indonesian man Alexander Aan who made international headlines after he was arrested for questioning the existence of god in a post on Facebook was considering renouncing atheism, police

Atheist Alliance International (AAI) demands that the Indonesian government support freedom of speech and freedom of conscience by immediately releasing Alexander Aan from custody and d

Camelia Pasandaran – Police on Friday confirmed that they had charged a man with blasphemy after he was reported by the Indonesia Council of Ulema.

Syofiardi Bachyul Jb, Padang – A 30 year-old civil servant in the Dharmasraya regency of West Sumatra, identified as Alexander, was arrested Friday for blasphemy after creating a Facebo

Camelia Pasandaran – An Indonesian civil servant who posted "God does not exist" on his Facebook page has been taken into police custody for his own protection after he was badly beaten

Marcel Thee – At first glance, Karl Karnadi may look like any other 20-something trying to find his place in the world.

Sean Parnell – The Queensland Parliament has called on Indonesia to investigate and act on humans rights abuses in Papua.

Yogyakarta – The home of high-profile Indonesian activist George Junus Aditjondro was raided by an enraged mob on Friday after the outspoken democracy campaigner made a pun about the Yo

Agus Triyono – Two activists from ultranationalist youth group Bendera have been sentenced to seven months in prison for failing to prove their allegations that members of the president

Camelia Pasandaran – Outraged at being referred to as "Patrialis Mini" on a Metro TV program, the justice and human rights minister has filed a complaint with the Indonesian Broadcastin

Camelia Pasandaran, Arientha Primanita & Antara – Police on Friday said a group of Indonesians would not be allowed to host an event on Saturday to mark Israel's independence day.

Camelia Pasandaran & Antara – The National Police on Friday denied a group of Israeli descendants permission to host a party to celebrate Israel's day of independence.

Petaling Jaya – Three Malaysians were queried by Jakarta police Thursday for suspected participation in a demonstration at the Indonesian capital, where the 18th Asean Summit is being h

E Mei Amelia R, Jakarta – Indonesian police arrested three Malaysian citizens in relation to the 18th ASEAN Summit in Jakarta on May 7-8.

Indra Harsaputra, Kediri – Two female junior high students from Kediri, East Java, have been expelled from their school for allegedly defaming and insulting a teacher on Facebook.

Amir Tejo, Surabaya – Head of the Surabaya City Police Sr. Comr.

Dicky Christanto and Indra Harsaputra, Jakarta/Surabaya – Recent pressure by local military chiefs in East Java to cancel the scheduled airing of an opera about a prominent Indonesian c

Jakarta – A performance that was banned in the past is being showcased in President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's era.

M. Azis Tunny, Ambon – Police have arrested five suspects in the murder of Alfrets Mirulewan, chief editor of the Pelangi Maluku weekly tabloid.

Andi Hajramurni, Makassar – A journalist with the Tribun Timur daily was beaten by supporters of controversial Gowa Regent Ichsan Yasin Limpo during a protest rally in front of the rege

Arti Ekawati, Indonesia – Indonesia on Wednesday launched a giant project to create a $5 billion agricultural estate spanning three districts in Papua.

Imprisoning activists for peacefully voicing their political views is an ugly stain on Indonesia's recent improvements in human rights.

The Human Rights Consequences of Criminal Defamation Law in Indonesia

Jakarta – Around 35 representatives of students and civil society groups from Papua demonstrated on Wednesday March 17 in front of the United States Embassy and the State Palace in Cent

Stephen Fitzpatrick, Jakarta – One of the first rules of being in the public eye is not to give away free kicks – especially when your public is already disposed to seizing any opportun

Erwida Maulia and Dicky Christanto, Cipanas/Jakarta – The ongoing gubernatorial meeting has added an unusual topic to its agenda: President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's question on what t

President Yudhoyono has a chance to show Papuans before the December 1 anniversary that Indonesia is a rights-respecting country that upholds free expression.

Ref: TG ASA 21/2009/43. AI Index: ASA 21/019/2009

Anthony Deutsch, Jakarta – Indonesia's government has stopped a group of exiled Myanmar opposition activists from holding a conference in the country, officials said Thursday, a day af