Udin, Banda Aceh – United Nations High Commission for Human Rights Louise Arbour is particularly interested in women's issues in Aceh. She is asking the Aceh government under the leadership of Governor Irwandi Yusuf to pay attention to gender equality at all decision-making levels in the Aceh government.

Hariyanto Kurniawan, Jakarta – President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's speech stating other economic systems have failed and so they have chosen an open economic system that incorporates social justice is nothing more than political rhetoric. The reality is that the government is accelerating the process of economic liberalisation on a massive scale.

The Indonesia Human Rights Committee has faxed an urgent letter to the Prime Minister calling on her to raise issues of human rights in West Papua when she meets with President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono next week.

Abdul Khalik, Jakarta – United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Louise Arbour has praised Indonesia's progress in applying human rights principles in recent years, and says the country should play a leading role in the establishment of human rights mechanisms in the region.

The US$1.5 billion civil lawsuit filed by state attorneys against former president Soeharto at the South Jakarta District Court on Monday – more than nine years after his fall – could simply be a political public relations maneuver to assuage the public's frustration over the government's indecisiveness regarding the former dictators's alleged crimes.

Paul Cleary – A potentially unstable coalition government with few detailed policies and weak administrative ability is now certain to emerge after East Timor's first post-independence poll resoundingly rejected the party which had championed the country's long struggle for independence.

Sebastien Blanc, Dili – With a new president and parliament, East Timor is poised for reconciliation after more than a year of simmering political tension. But one schism remains: language.

Aboeprijadi Santoso, Jakarta – State responses and the row over flag incidents in Maluku and Papua suggest little has been learned from Indonesia's rich experience with conflicts in East Timor and Aceh.

Jayapura – Police have questioned 14 witnesses in connection with the unfurling of a separatist Bintang Kejora (Morning Star) flag during the opening of the Papua Customary Community Congress here last week.

Desy Nurhayati, Jakarta – The people should throw their weight behind the government, no matter how disorderly it is, and turn away from any attempts to have it prematurely removed, a noted politician says.

[The following is a compellation of abridged translations from Detik.com on reactions to the establishment of the GAM Party by former members of the Free Aceh Movement in Banda Aceh on July 7.]

Banda Aceh police protest use GAM logo and flag as party symbol

Jakarta – The government denied Monday that it had given the go-ahead for ex-members of the separatist Free Aceh Movement (GAM) to use the flag of the former rebel group as symbol for a local political party.

Men and women from the Papua Tribal Council have been arrested yesterday in Jayapura at the end of the Peoples Congress held by the Papuan Presidium Council to elect its new set of officers.

Only days after the Indonesian Government banned U.S Congressman Eni Faleomavega from visiting West Papua, the Indonesian police, military and local government in Yogyakarta have teamed up with Islamic militias and hardline nationalist groups to crack down on West Papuan activists.

Jakarta – United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Louise Arbour began her five-day visit to Indonesia during which she is expected to visit Aceh and meet with the President.

Bhimanto Suwastoyo, Jakarta – A 1.5-billion-dollar civil suit filed against Indonesia's ex-dictator Suharto is a political move to appease government critics and comes too late to retrieve missing money, analysts said Tuesday.

Ken Yunita, Jakarta – The government is being asked to be on guard against the arrival in Indonesia of human rights representatives from foreign institutions. This is related to the reemergence of separatist movements in various parts of the country.

Gede Suardana, Jakarta – The United Nations is being asked to support Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono in efforts to solve the murder of human rights activist Munir. This support will give Yudhoyono more confidence.

Andi Haswidi, Jakarta – After four months of improvement, consumer confidence fell in June amid concerns about cooking oil, milk and other food-product prices, a survey reveals.

Jakarta – A recent survey conducted to commemorate the National Police' 61st anniversary found that the public wants more female police officers, despite the discrimination they face.

Urip Hudiono, Jakarta – Having learned the hard way from the financial crisis about the importance of managing lending risks, Indonesia's banking sector has now improved significantly, and is well capable of weathering potential shocks, according to the central bank governor.

Fabio Scarpello, Dili – Democracy is taking hold in East Timor, but the inconclusive result of recent parliamentary elections is raising the specter of new political confrontation rather than resolution.

Stephen Fitzpatrick, Jakarta – East Timor's court of appeals will ratify today the results of the country's parliamentary election, setting the stage for a potentially brutal showdown between former ruling party Fretilin and the powerful coalition opposing it.

Tito Belo, Dili – East Timor's ruling party, Fretilin, plans to form a minority government if attempts to link up with coalition partners fail after recent parliamentary elections, the party's secretary general said on Monday.

Police in Central Maluku, arrested Leonard Hendrik, an alleged activist of the secessionist Republic of South Maluku (RMS) in Aboru village, Haruku Island, Sunday.

Bambang Dwi, Jakarta – Indonesian prosecutors on Monday filed a civil suit against former dictator Suharto, seeking more than 1.5 billion dollars in damages over funds he allegedly stole during his three decades in power.

Canberra – An Australian warning of possible terrorist attacks in the final stages of planning in Indonesia was based on intercepted militant communications, Foreign Minister Alexander Downer said on Monday.

Jakarta – An Indonesian judge on Monday ruled that the arrest of a senior member of the Jemaah Islamiyah extremist network was lawful and he should remain in custody.

Jakarta – A former military chief turned politician said Sunday the authorities should consider allowing independent candidates run for president.

Former Indonesian Military chief Gen. (ret) Wiranto said recent suggestions that independent candidates be allowed to participate in elections could be accommodated.

Statesmanship is in short supply in Indonesia. Our political elite just doesn't have it.

Paula Makabori – More Papuans are being questioned by Indonesian police in Jayapura over a flag-raising incident. This follows the arrest of eight Papuans at the end of the four-day Papuan Tribal Congress meeting in Jayapura last week.

Bill Guerin, Jakarta – In an unexpected lurch toward more market protectionism, Indonesia last week greatly expanded its "negative investment list" of local industries to which foreign investment is partially or wholly restricted in Southeast Asia's largest economy.

Nethy Dharma Somba, Jayapura – The four-day Papuan Tribal Community congress has elected Forkorus Yoboisembut as the new Papuan Tribal Council leader, replacing Tom Beanal.

Forkorus, formerly the council's tribal governing chief, was elected Friday on the last day of the congress at the Cendrawasih sport complex in Jayapura city. He will hold the post until 2012.

Jakarta – The police said Friday they would look into allegations of abuse contained in a Human Rights Watch report released the previous day, and respond appropriately if the allegations were found to be true.

Muhammad Nur Hayid, Jakarta – Foreign intelligence [agencies] are believed to be playing a significant role in the recent emergence of separatist movements. Rather, the people of Maluku and West Papua are satisfied and do not want these movements.

Bagus Kurniawan, Yogyakarta – The Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia Defenders Front (FP-NKRI) will be conducting sweeps of people who support separatist movements in the Central Java city of Yogyakarta and surrounding areas.

Colonel Burhanuddin Siagian stated once again that it is the duty of the TNI to crush any struggle or activity undertaken by any group in the community which tends towards separatism.

Jakarta – An economic think tank has warned the government of a possible sudden reversal in short-term capital inflows, which it says could destabilize the economy and cause even more chaos than the 1997 meltdown.

Urip Hudiono, Jakarta – A group of economists have criticized the government for being "overly pro-market" and abandoning its own pro-poor policies, claiming that these were the underlying factors preventing the real sector from generating higher growth.

Jakarta – The National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) has asked the Navy to allow residents to continue using disputed land in Pasuran, East Java, while awaiting a permanent court ruling.

Jakarta – Convinced that discussions of a potential coalition between the Golkar Party and the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) will be of little benefit, Vice President Jusuf Kalla has declared that intensive talks between the two parties must soon conclude.

Palu, Central Sulawesi – Several youth organizations rallied here Friday against the planned creation of the Indonesian Youth Party, which is an initiative of the Indonesian National Youth Committee (KNPI).

The organizations say now is not the right time for the country's youths to have their own political party.

Jakarta – An unclear division of responsibilities between local and central government is hampering both from reaping more benefits from fiscal decentralization, international experts said Thursday.

Jakarta – A US congressman who once supported separatism for Indonesia's Papua said Thursday he was encouraged by the nation's commitment to address the needs of people in the troubled region.

US Democrat congressman Eni Faleomavaega, who was invited to the national capital Jakarta but not to Papua itself by an Indonesian lawmaker, said his outlook had "changed".

Jakarta – Indonesian police are to investigate claims in a human rights report released this week that their forces in Papua have routinely abused people there, national police chief Sutanto said Friday.

The newly-unveiled negative list of investment has turned out to be far from negative.

Contrary to the much publicized concerns from foreign investors, the list neither makes the country over-protected nor closed. But there are still concerns.

Muklis Ali, Jakarta – A visiting US congressman said on Thursday Indonesia had made progress in how it treats the people of Papua, as a rights group accused security forces of killing, torturing and raping civilians in the remote area.

Banda Aceh – A plan by the Aceh government to liquidate the Asean Aceh Fertilizer (AAF) factory and have it managed by a foreign company has been opposed by the Aceh People's Party (PRA). The PRA is instead calling for the government to restart operations at the factory.

Arfi Bambani Amri, Jakarta – Following on the heals of the South Maluku Republic (RMS) flag-raising incident, there have been cases of the Morning Star flag being raised in West Papua. It seems like there is an effort to shape public opinion that the administration of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (SBY) is week on separatism.

Dikhy Sasra, Jakarta – Around 100 people who said they were students originating from West Papua demonstrated in front of the United States Embassy on Jl. Medan Merdeka Selatan in Central Jakarta on Thursday July 5. Some of the demonstrators wore traditional clothing and T-shirts with pictures of the Morning Star.