It has been seven months since Indonesia recorded its first COVID-19 cases, and yet it seems the country is still grappling to contain the virus.
In the last few weeks, Indonesia has consistently recorded daily new cases of between 3,000 and 4,000. Medical workers are still toiling around the clock to treat COVID-19 patients. And now, workers at Pondok Ranggon public cemetery have started using a new plot of land as a burial area for COVID-19 patients, as the initial burial area is already full.
On top of dealing with the persisting pandemic, Jakarta is also facing a wave of rallies by workers and students against the Job Creation Law.
The newly passed law is not the only controversial subject of the week. Several civil society groups staged a protest on Oct. 5, criticizing the appointment of Brig. Gen. Dadang Hendrayudha and Brig. Gen. Yulius Selvanus to strategic posts within the Defense Ministry. The two generals were part of the infamous Tim Mawar of the Army’s Special Forces (Kopassus), which was implicated in the forced disappearances of activists in the late 1990s. (vla)