News Updates – News updates on Indonesia, East Timor & West Papua (includes Indoleft). [sample/subscribe me]
Indoleft – News updates from Indonesian language sources. [archive/subscribe me]
News Digests – Weekly digest on Indonesia & monthly digest on East Timor. [subscribe me]

APSN – The activist resources site on Indonesia & East Timor. Over 13 years of archived reports & articles.us now! APSN also has an wide range of essential Resources, Archives and Background reports on East Timor, Indonesia and West Papua. Site map

Don't train Indonesia's deadly Kopassus

Indonesia's Special Forces (Kopassus), more than any other in the Indonesian military, stands accused by the Indonesian people of some of the most egregious human rights violations. In 2008, the Bush administration proposed to restart US training of Kopassus. More than 50 US organisations have signed a letter opposing such training. You can support this by adding your name to the Don't Train Indonesia's Deadly Kopassus petition to President of the United States. Coordinated by the East Timor & Indonesia Action Network (ETAN).

• Indonesia: US should justify training counterterrorism unit - Human Rights Watch Media Release. March 12, 2010
• US training of Kopassus: A bad idea whose time has not come - East Timor and Indonesia Action Network (ETAN) Statement. March 4, 2010
• US groups oppose training of Indonesia's notorious Kopassus special forces

Statements, press releases, media releases and urgent appeals are archived under their respective country/section pages.
 
• Political parties & human rights & social justice in our region - East Timor Friendship Association and Australia West Papua Association Media Statement. August 20, 2010
• Indonesia: End criminalization of peaceful political activities in Maluku - Amnesty International Public Statement. August 19, 2010
• Letter to Indonesian President Yudhoyono on Papuan political prisoners - Open letter from NGOs and Papua networks worldwide. August 17, 2010
• Journalist's death overshadows launch of Papua food project - TAPOL and Down to Earth Press Release. August 11, 2010
• Indonesia: Free 'Balloon activists' in Ambon - Human Rights Watch News Release. August 10, 2010
• Congress demands action on West Papua political prisoners as human rights violations persist - East Timor and Indonesia Action Network Press Release. August 7, 2010
• Environment groups name two kingpins in illegal international trade - Environmental Investigation Agency Press Release. August 5, 2010
• Indonesia: The deepening impasse in Papua - International Crisis Group Media Release. August 3, 2010
• Indonesia: End policies fueling violence against religious minority - Human Rights Watch News Release. August 2, 2010
• Indonesian reporter dies, had received death threats - Committee to Protect Journalists. July 30, 2010
• Declaration of solidarity against US intervention in Venezuela - Joint Statement. July 28, 2010

Brisbane

A victory for all humanity! Vietnam 1965-75 – Vietnam seminar, poster exhibition & film festival. 1pm Sat September 18. CEPU, 41 Peel St, South Brisbane.

Melbourne

A victory for all humanity! Vietnam 1965-75 – Vietnam seminar, poster exhibition & film festival. Wed Sept 1, 6.30pm and running till Sat Sept 4. International Bookshop, Trades Hall, Lygon St, Carlton. Jointly sponsored by the International Bookshop & Direct Action.

Campaign for West Papuan justice and refugees – Meets every Wed 6pm at Trades Hall Bar, Carlton. Supported by: Australia West Papua Association, West Papua Australia Active Support Network, Free West Papua Collective, Friends of the Earth, ACTU, VTHC, CEPU, Timor Sea Justice Campaign and more. For more info ring 0409 268 978 or e-mail manukoreri@riseup.net.

Perth

A victory for all humanity! Vietnam 1965-75 – Vietnam seminar, poster exhibition & film festival. 2pm Sat October 2. MUA Hall, 2-4 Kwong Ave, North Fremantle.

Sydney

A victory for all humanity! Vietnam 1965-75 – Seminar, poster exhibition, film festival. Sat September 25, 1pm, Direct Action Centre, Suite 72/65 Myrtle St, Chippendale. Organised by the Revolutionary Socialist Party & Direct Action. For more info ring 9114 5882 or 0419 989 720 (John). $10/6 conc. for seminar, meal, films.

Australia-West Papua Association Meetings – Last Wednesday of every month (6.15pm) in the office of People for Nuclear Disarmament, cnr Chalmers & Bedford Streets. Info from Joe Collins or Anne Noonan: (02) 9960 1698 or 0408 860 342 or email iris@matra.com.au.

Australia-East Timor Association (NSW) meets every 4th Wednesday of each month in Room 310, Level 3, Tower Building, UTS Broadway between 6.30pm. Contact Stephen Langford (02) 9331 5986.

• City Calendar – Visit Direct Action's calendar of activities and events happening around Australia.
• Brisbane
• Canberra
• Melbourne
• Perth
• Sydney

• Meetings, Parties, Anything – Visit Green Left Weekly's weekly calendar of events and activities.

If your organisation has an event or activity you would like advertised free on this site tell us about it now by sending an e-mail to jamesbalowski@yahoo.com.

Top stories

• Families fight against 'politics of amnesia' - Jakarta Post. September 1, 2010. Far from the glamor connected to international commemorations, families of victims of forced disappearances and gross human rights violations gathered to mark the International Day of Forced Disappearances on Aug. 30.
• Civilian death toll climbs to five after attack on police station - Jakarta Globe. September 1, 2010. Indonesian police opened fire and killed five people when an angry mob attacked their station with firebombs in a protest over the death of a man in custody, police said on Wednesday.
• 26 former and current legislators named corruption suspects - Jakarta Globe. September 1, 2010. Indonesia's KPK announced on Wednesday that they had named an unprecedented 26 former and current legislators as suspects for allegedly receiving bribes in connection with the appointment of a senior central bank executive in 2004.
• Planned Ahmadiyah ban 'humiliating' - Jakarta Post. September 1, 2010. Human rights activists have described Religious Affairs Minister Suryadharma Ali's proposal to disband the Ahmadiyah congregation as a "setback" and a national "humiliation".
• The tyranny of the majority - Jakarta Post Editorial. September 1, 2010. "The greatest threat facing the US is the tyranny of the majority," penned nineteenth-century French writer Alexis de Tocqueville in Democracy in America. He could just as easily be writing about Indonesia today.
• Taxes crippling Burmese people, says report - Irrawaddy. September 1, 2010. There are subsistence farmers in Burma paying more than half their income in taxes while the ruling generals divert state funds into their own pockets, according to a report by a leading human rights group.
• Pakistan economy to suffer prolonged flood damage - Reuters. September 1, 2010. Floods have ravaged Pakistan's economy, the prime minister said on Wednesday, with massive job losses and soaring inflation expected to hurt a nation whose stability is vital to the US war against militancy.
• Tifatul's war on porn enlists 10 new soldiers - Jakarta Globe. August 31, 2010. Communications and Information Technology Minister Tifatul Sembiring's porn-free Internet plan got a boost on Tuesday when 10 civil society organizations told him they backed his war on pornography.
• Myanmar media confirm junta chief retains power - Associated Press. August 31, 2010. A message from Myanmar's junta chief Senior Gen. Than Shwe appeared in state media Tuesday, dispelling reports that he had stepped down from the army as part of a major military reshuffle ahead of elections.
• Kashmir residents ignore curfew to protest police shooting of 11-year-old - Agence France Presse. August 31, 2010. Residents in Indian Kashmir defied a curfew on Tuesday to hold angry demonstrations after an 11-year-old boy was killed and a relative of a top separatist seriously injured in police fire.
• Indonesian government urges crackdown on violent groups - Jakarta Globe. August 31, 2010. Government leaders agreed on Monday to push for law enforcement to act firmly against any organization that disturbs public order or promotes anarchy and violence.
• Religious affairs minister's remarks on Ahmadiyah deplored - Jakarta Post. August 31, 2010. Kontras activist Usman Hamid deplored on Tuesday a statement by Minister of Religious Affair Suryadharma Ali that the Jamaah Ahmadiyah faith had to be broken up as followers violated regulations and were not Muslims.
• More >>

Drunken Republic – The lighter (or darker) side of Indonesian politics.

Indoleft

News reports, statements and publications translated from Indonesian language news sources. Click here to subscribe to Indoleft now. Indoleft archive (2003-2010).
 
• Increasing parliamentary threshold 'will reduce wasted votes' - Kompas. August 9
• 18 protests actions to enliven Jakarta on first week of fasting month - Detik.com. August 9
• East Java protesters say electricity hike will only burden people further - Antara News. August 7
• Workers say price hikes a 'plot to privatise electricity industry' - Tribunnews.com. August 7
• Protesters reject electricity rate hikes, deadly 'LPG bombs' - Detik.com. August 7
• Jakarta protesters call for cancellation of electricity rate hike - Viva News. August 7
• More >>

• Indonesian press, freedom of expression under attack - By James Balowski
• Indonesia: New left-wing trade union federation established - By Dian Trisnanti
• Agent Orange: US still attacking the people of Vietnam 35 years on - By Hamish Chitts
• A Call to Action on Orange Day (August 10, 2010)
• More >>

 
• Archive of Direct Action articles on the Asia Pacific
• Subscribe to Direct Action

News and analysis focusing on political developments in the Asia Pacific region.

• The politics of the poor - Socialism in Indonesia - International Viewpoint. June, 2010
• Thailand - A point of no return - Asia Left Observer. May 17, 2010
• Indonesia: People's Democratic Party relaunched as 'open, mass-based cadre party' - Links/Green Left Weekly. March 11, 2010
• More >>

• Max Lane’s Blog – Commentary and info on the history, contemporary politics and culture of Indonesian and its relationships with Australia and the world.
• Click here to find out where Max is speaking.

Archives

• News reports on Aceh, Indonesia and West Papua are archived in the Indonesia News Digests.
• News reports on East Timor are archived in the East Timor News Digests.
• Other reports are archived under their country specific sections.

• Myanmar parties complain election fee too high - Associated Press. August 30, 2010
• Burma's chief ensures loyalty with major army reshuffle - Agence France Presse. August 29, 2010
• Many Burmese voters left with no option but boycott - Irrawaddy. August 26, 2010
• 88 Generation leaders remain defiant - Irrawaddy. August 25, 2010
• US backs Burma war crimes inquiry - Washington Post. August 19, 2010
• Burmese election boycott campaign heats up - Irrawaddy. August 17, 2010
• Majority of Burmese public will not vote: Survey - Irrawaddy. August 17, 2010
• Old rebellion, harsh foe swell Myanmar exile camps - Associated Press. August 16, 2010
• More >> 

• Dili acts to ease concerns of drift towards China - The Australian. August 30, 2010
• East Timor president pardons rebels who shot him - Sydney Morning Herald. August 25, 2010
• Burma-Timor Leste forge closer ties - Irrawaddy. August 23, 2010
• East Timor seeks 'strong' commercial ties with Myanmar - Agence France Presse. August 20, 2010
• Protests greet Myanmar minister - Agence France Presse. August 20, 2010
• Gillard's gas field remarks anger East Timor - ABC News. August 20, 2010
• A long walk for justice - Jakarta Post. August 15, 2010
• East Timor flags conditions for refugee centre - Radio Australia. August 12, 2010
• East Timor says Australia polls put asylum talks on hold - Agence France Presse. August 4, 2010
• More >>

• Unanswered questions linger about victims of deadly Thailand protests - Agence France Presse. August 29, 2010
• After a year, Japan's Democratic Party slips - Agence France Presse. August 29, 2010
• Pakistan floods just one of its water woes - Associated Press. August 28, 2010
• Afghan deputy attorney general forced to retire - Associated Press. August 28, 2010
• Report: Four Tibetans fatally shot in mine dispute - Associated Press. August 28, 2010
• Pakistan orders nearly half a million to evacuate - Agence France Presse. August 26, 2010
• Nepal struggles amid political turmoil - Associated Press. August 25, 2010
• 'Livable' Singapore begins to feel the squeeze - Agence France Presse. August 25, 2010
• Distrust, fear stalk Afghan election - Associated Press. August 24, 2010
• Solomon Islands' prime minister elected, country quiet - Associated Press. August 24, 2010
• Indian troops enforce curfew in Kashmir - Agence France Presse. August 21, 2010
• Two contenders for new Solomons prime minister - Agence France Presse. August 21, 2010
• Weeks out, India's Commonwealth Games in crisis - Associated Press. August 20, 2010

Indonesia

• Hardliners push for Baasyir's freedom on Web - Associated Press. August 29, 2010
• Population boom spells multi-sectoral bust for Indonesia - Jakarta Post. August 28, 2010
• Supreme Court order threatens press freedom - Jakarta Post. August 27, 2010
• Embattled lawmakers defend keeping PPATK powers in check - Jakarta Globe. August 27, 2010
• Legislative threshold hike idea still under fire as 'ploy' - Jakarta Globe. August 26, 2010
• Women's activists decry conservatism - Jakarta Post. August 26, 2010
• To veil or not to veil, Islamic women face tough choices - Jakarta Post. August 26, 2010
• Legislators deny bribe rumors to undermne antigraft agencies - Jakarta Globe. August 26, 2010
• AGO to jail ex-Playboy editor following Supreme Court's ruling - Jakarta Post. August 26, 2010
• Six years after Munir's murder, justice is yet to be served - Jakarta Globe. August 22, 2010
• Indonesia lacks qualified leaders to replace Yudhoyono in 2014 - Jakarta Globe. August 22, 2010
• Yudhoyono relative's release raises doubts about corruption fight - Jakarta Globe. August 21, 2010
• Hundreds of Indonesians on death row in Malaysia - Jakarta Post. August 21, 2010
• Old and new faces of Indonesian terror - Asia Times. August 20, 2010
• 'Sharia' rules a manipulation of religious norms: Senior cleric - Jakarta Post. August 20, 2010
• Indonesian train now has women-only carriages - Associated Press. August 20, 2010
• Third-term proposal shot down in flames - Jakarta Post. August 19, 2010
• 'Super-extreme' weather is the worst on record - Jakarta Globe. August 19, 2010
• Outrage, ridicule leveled at Aceh politician after rape comment - Jakarta Globe. August 19, 2010
• Aceh leader says shariah law needed or there will be hell to pay - Jakarta Globe. August 18, 2010
• Shariah in Aceh: Eroding Indonesia's secular freedoms - Jakarta Globe. August 18, 2010
• Acehnese gays face a climate of fear and abuse - Jakarta Globe. August 18, 2010
• Massive coral bleaching disaster hits Aceh's coral reefs - Reuters. August 18, 2010
• Indonesia's comfort women break the silence a - Jakarta Globe. August 18, 2010
• More >>

• Engage Papua now to avoid trouble later: Experts - Jakarta Globe. August 30, 2010
• The deepening impasse in Papua - International Crisis Group. August 30, 2010
• Doubts that extra funds for province will get to Papuan people - Radio New Zealand International. August 22, 2010
• Churches demand probe of shooting incidents in Papua - Jakarta Post. August 18, 2010
• Life is an everyday tragedy for Papuans - Sydney Morning Herald. August 13, 2010
• Indonesia tries to gag Papuan lecture - Melbourne Age. August 11, 2010
• Turning pebbles into boulders - The Economist. August 9, 2010
• Jakarta clamps down on Dutch NGO in Papua - Reuters. August 9, 2010
• More >>

News Services

• INDOLEFT - English language news service from Indonesian language sources. [archive/subscribe me]
• APSN Indonesia/East Timor News Updates - News updates on Indonesia and East Timor. [sample/subscribe me]
• APSN News Digests - Weekly news digest on Indonesia and monthly news digest on East Timor. [subscribe me]

Keep informed, subscribe now! All of APSN's news services are free. To subscribe to one or more of these services just click on the "subscribe me" links above. Read more.

• Indoleft Archive – Archive of news reports, statements and publications translated from Indonesian language news sources (2003-2010).
• East Timor News Digest – Archive of news reports and articles on East Timor (2002-2010).
• Indonesia News Digest – Archive of news reports and articles on Aceh, Indonesia and West Papua (1997-2010).
• Satements & press release on East Timor (1999-2010)
• Satements & press release on Indonesia (1998-2010)
• Satements & press release on West Papua (2002-2010)
• ASIET Publications & videos on East Timor
• ASIET Publications & videos on Indonesia
• Background reports & articles on Indonesia
• Background reports & articles on East Timor
• Background reports & articles on West Papua
• Direct Action articles on the Asia Pacific (2008-2010)
• Green Left Weekly articles on the Asia Pacific (2002-2008)
• Asia Pacific Solidarity Conference 1998
• Asia Pacific International Solidarity Conference 2002
• Indonesian Acronyms

• Aceh
• Afghanistan
• Asia-Pacific
• Burma
• China
• East Timor
• Fiji
• Hong Kong
• India
• Indonesia
• Japan
• Kanaky
• Korea
• Malaysia
• Nepal
• Pakistan
• Papua New Guinea
• Philippines
• Samoa
• Singapore
• Sri Lanka
• Solomon Islands
• Thailand
• Tahiti
• Taiwan
• West Papua

East Timor

• Timor-Leste: Justice in the Shadow – Amnesty International June 2010 (PDF format)
• Balibo film history site - Clinton Fernandes
• 'We cry for justice’: Impunity persists 10 years on in Timor-Leste – Amnesty International August 2009 (PDF format)
• Timor-Leste Ten Years after the Referendum – La’o Hamutuk Briefing Papers, August 2009 (PDF format)
• Democracy in Timor-Leste: Information is required!
• Timor Sea Maritime Boundary: Still not settled!
• How much money have international donors spent on and in Timor-Leste?
• Justice for Timor-Leste Remains an Unfulfilled International Obligation
• ‘Out of Civil Disorder Towards the Challenges of Well-being’ - HAK Association Human Rights Situation 2008
• US State Department 2008 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices: Timor-Leste - Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor. February 25, 2009 
• More >>

• Rogue Traders: The Murky Business of Merbau Timber Smuggling in Indonesia - Environmental Investigation Agency and Telapak - August 5, 2010 (PDF format)
• Indonesia: The Dark Side of Jama’ah Ansharut Tauhid (JAT) – International Crisis Group. July 6, 2010 (PDF format)
• How Sinar Mas is pulping the planet – Greenpeace. July 6, 2010 (PDF format)
• Prosecuting Political Aspiration - Human Rights Watch. June 22, 2010 (PDF version)
• Turning Critics into Criminals: The Human Rights Consequences of Criminal Defamation Law in Indonesia - Human Rights Watch. May 3, 2010 (PDF version)
• Indonesia: Jihadi Surprise in Aceh - International Crisis Group. April 20, 2010
• World Report Indonesia 2010 - Human Rights Watch. January 2010 (includes Aceh and West Papua)
• Unkept Promise: Failure to End Military Business Activity in Indonesia - Human Rights Watch. January 11, 2010
• The state of human rights in Indonesia in 2009 - Asian Human Rights Commission. December 2009
• 'Wild Money' – The Human Rights Consequences of Illegal Logging and Corruption in Indonesia’s Forestry Sector - Human Rights Watch. December 2009 (PDF format)
• More >>

• Indonesia: The Deepening Impasse in Papua - International Crisis Group. August 3, 2010 (PDF format)
• Get up, stand up: West Papua stands up for its rights - Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies. July 6, 2010 (PDF format)
• Radicalisation and Dialogue in Papua - International Crisis Group. March 11, 2010
• Terror, resistance and trauma in Papua (Indonesia) - Centre for International Governance and Justice. December 2009 (PDF format)
• 'What Did I Do Wrong?': Papuans in Merauke Face Abuses by Indonesian Special Forces - Human Rights Watch. June 24, 2009 (PDF format)
• West Papua information kit
• More >>