Urip Hudiono, Jakarta – Microsoft Indonesia has spoken out on a controversial recent deal with the government, arguing that the deal was initiated by the government as part of its efforts to improve Indonesia's information technology sector as a whole.

Alvin Darlanika Soedarjo, Jakarta – The Constitutional Court rejected Thursday a request to strike down five laws restricting active police and military officers from voting or running in general elections.

Foreign Minister Alexander Downer must seek answers from Indonesia about reports that one person has been shot dead and thousands of others have been displaced by military and police operations in West Papua, the Australian Greens said today.

Jakarta – A former pilot of Indonesian carrier Adam Air, which lost a jet carrying 102 people this month, accused the firm of forcing pilots to fly aircraft lacking safety clearance or with malfunctioning parts.

John Aglionby, Jakarta – ExxonMobil must respond to a lawsuit alleging Indonesian soldiers under its control at a natural gas plant in Aceh province abused and murdered local people, a US appeals court has ruled.

Nethy Dharma Somba, Jayapura – An increasing amount of blood donated at the Jayapura Red Cross' transfusion unit in Papua is being found to be contaminated with HIV, an official said Wednesday.

Imanuddin Razak, Jakarta – Human rights abuse victims expressed hopes Wednesday that a new National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) lineup would be more responsive to their hardships than previous commissions.

The victims of state violence and abuses said the rights commission was their last hope in their battle for justice.

Alvin Darlanika Soedarjo, Jakarta – A noted lawyer filed a judicial review with the Constitutional Court on Wednesday calling for the abolishment of capital punishment.

Kendari, Southeast Sulawesi – Hundreds of students from various universities in Southeast Sulawesi protested at the provincial council building Wednesday, demanding council members reject a raise in allowances.

Mustaqim Adamrah and Ridwan Max Sijabat, Jakarta – Newly formed Hanura Party has warned major political parties against blocking minority parties from contesting the 2009 general elections.

Bagus Kurniawan, Yogyakarta – Confronted by the threat of being broken up by the Anti-Communist Front (FAKI), the Congress of the National Liberation Party of Unity (Papernas) is truly in a jam. The problem however is not the FAKI but the police. As of 2.30pm on Thursday January 18, the congress has yet to start because National Police Headquarters has yet to issue the permit.

Bagus Kurniawan, Yogyakarta – Threats and intimidation still find fertile ground in Indonesia. The organisation of the National Liberation Party of Unity (Papernas) has been threatened by a group of people calling themselves the Indonesian Anti-Communist Front (FAKI). Police are also guarding the congress.

Lucy Williamson, Jakarta – In a country of 220 million people, spread across some 17,000 islands, transport systems are crucial to keeping Indonesia moving. But transport statistics here make worrying reading for passengers.

Ridwan Max Sijabat, Jakarta – Transportation labor unions are asking the government to ensure international safety standards in the transportation system to minimize future accidents.

Jakarta – A hotel in Cebu, the Philippines, where the President recently stayed, denied Wednesday reports that Indonesians in the presidential entourage had attempted to have the hotel rates marked up.

Mark Dodd – Rebel army major Alfredo Reinado is in negotiations to give himself up to face murder charges over the deaths of five people during a gun battle. East Timor Prime Minister Jose Ramos Horta said yesterday that Major Reinado had been "much more co-operative" in talks with the Prime Minister's office and other senior government and UN officials.

Dili – East Timor and the US today launched an appeal for $US16.6 million ($21.13 million) to help resettle and reintegrate about 100,000 people displaced by violence which wracked the country last year.

The money would pay for humanitarian projects implemented by a network of UN and aid agencies and non-government organisations, the UN said in a statement.

Mark Dodd – East Timorese President Xanana Gusmao will not recontest presidential elections scheduled for April but is expected to run for parliament.

The former resistance leader took office in 2002 as the country's first democratically elected president after a quarter of century of Indonesian occupation.

M. Taufiqurrahman, Jakarta – The Commission for Truth and Friendship (KKP) will leave the granting of amnesties for human rights violators in Timor Leste to the Indonesian and Timor Leste governments.

Commission member Lt. Gen. (ret) Agus Widjojo said Tuesday that amnesty should, however, be given to those who had been co-operative in giving information to KKP inquiry.

Television ads will start screening in capital cities around the country tonight, calling on Federal Parliament to modify a security treaty between Australia and Indonesia.

Abdul Khalik, Jakarta – Indonesian staff attached to President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's trip to Cebu, the Philippines, for last week's ASEAN summit, are accused of asking hotel managers to mark-up official expenses.

Jakarta – The National Liberation Party of Unity (Papernas) has proposed five figures that would be suitable to be nominated as presidential candidates in the 2009 elections. The five figures are Kwik Kian Gie, Sukardi Rinakit, Rizal Ramli, Hasyim Wahid and Dita Indah Sari.

Max Lane, Jakarta – Almost nine years since the fall of the dictator Suharto, one word continues to dominate discussions of the widespread social discontent in Indonesia: "fragmentation".

Ridwan Max Sijabat, Jakarta – Retired generals met with top government officials here Tuesday to discuss the national situation after calls for action over poverty, natural disasters, corruption and transportation accidents.

Reporter: Jennifer Macey

Emma Alberici: Church leaders in Indonesia's Papua Province are reporting that 5,000 people have been driven from their villages by Indonesian security forces.

Palembang, South Sumatra – The Palembang chapter of the Women's Crisis Center recorded 400 cases of domestic violence in South Sumatra last year.

Yeni Roslaini, the chapter's chairwoman, said on Sunday that 334 of the cases were assaults on housewives, while the remainder included sexual harassment and violence against children and domestic workers.

Jakarta – A protest meant to unseat the President drew only a few hundred demonstrators and caused minor traffic delays in downtown Jakarta on Monday.

Prodita Sabarini, Jakarta – Jakarta Police chief Insp. Gen. Adang Firman has denied activist Sri Bintang Pamungkas was arrested Sunday for displaying banners at the Hotel Indonesia traffic circle for Monday's "Lift the Mandate" rally.

Lindsay Murdoch, Jakarta – Eight years after Soeharto stepped down as president, the Indonesian Government has announced new moves against the 85-year-old, who ruled with an iron grip for 32 years.

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Jakarta – A Constitutional Court ruling allowing political parties to recall their representatives from legislative bodies leaves the representative system open to abuse, political experts said.

Issued last September, the ruling allows political parties to recall publicly elected representatives over internal procedural disputes.

Ridwan Max Sijabat, Jakarta – Journalism can be a dangerous profession, but most local journalists are working without any insurance, along with pilots and other aircraft crew.

Lindsay Murdoch, Jakarta – A joint Indonesian and East Timorese commission will recommend amnesty for people responsible for atrocities in East Timor in 1999 if they admit their involvement and apologise to their victims.

Tom Hyland – East Timor's fugitive rebel leader Alfredo Reinado, wanted for attempted murder and armed rebellion, has been photographed with a rocket launcher of the same type as those stolen from the Australian Army.

Ridwan Max Sijabat, Jakarta – The International Transport Workers' Federation (ITF) has warned the ongoing use of old, unsafe aircraft and ships will lead to more accidents.

ITF Indonesia coordinator Hanafi Rustandi slammed the government's transportation policies and oversight, saying the country has become a dumping ground for junked vehicles.

Nabiha Shahab, Jakarta – Bird flu has killed two young women in Indonesia, officials have said, taking fatalities this week to four in the country worst-hit by a disease scientists say could cause a human pandemic.

Jambi – The local social welfare and community empowerment office says more female students are getting involved in the sex industry in Jambi city.

Office head M. Basyari said Thursday this conclusion was based on the results of prostitution raids on hotels and nightspots in the city.

M. Taufiqurrahman, Jakarta – A coalition of corruption watchdogs has asked President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to revoke a regulation that increases allowances for councillors of provinces, regencies and cities.

The coalition said Thursday that by issuing the regulation, Yudhoyono had unwittingly endorsed a massive swindle of taxpayer money.

Jakarta – The legal battle between the widow of murdered rights activist Munir and national carrier Garuda airline continued Thursday at the Central Jakarta District Court, with her lawyers insisting they had a legal basis for suing the company.

Jakarta – Indonesia has made little progress in addressing human rights crimes committed during the rule of former dictator Suharto, US-based Human Rights Watch said.

Jakarta – Indonesia's transition toward democratic consolidation lacks key reforming elements required for success, said chairman of the Institute for Review of Democracy and Welfare, Fadjroel Rachman.

Grace S. Gandhi, Jakarta – President Director of PT Microsoft Indonesia Tony Chen denied that the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Information and Communication Minister and Microsoft was arranged covertly.

Budiawan, Yogyakarta – Floods and the shortage of rice stocks leading to higher prices for the essential commodity are two of the current problems facing the country.

Sofie A. Schuette, Jakarta – In view of the recent reporting by The Jakarta Post on the Constitutional Court's decision to give lawmakers three years to enact specific legislation governing the Anticorruption Court, with the latest report, A corruption body, a witch-hunt and a counterattack, appearing on Jan. 5, some further reflection seems necessary.

Police have raided a house on Indonesia's Sulawesi Island where several alleged Islamic militants were staying, sparking a fierce gun and bomb battle that left one suspected terrorist dead, a top police chief said.

Jakarta – A former separatist rebel elected governor of the Indonesian province of Aceh on Thursday said he would not push for independence for the province while in power.

Simon Montlake, Pidie – With her payments book and bundle of patterned sarongs, blouses, and head scarves, Juayriah bin Abdurani is rural Aceh's equivalent of the Avon Lady. Every week, she hops on a motorbike and makes the rounds of nearby villages to show off her wares and collect payments from her customers, who are happy to pay a dollar a week for a new dress.

Jakarta – The government will purchase arms from local vendors and cover all the outlay involved, a coordinating meeting between the Defense Ministry, the Finance Ministry, the Industry Ministry, the State Ministry for Research and Technology, the State Ministry for State-owned Enterprises and the Indonesian Military concluded Wednesday.

Ika Krismantari, Jakarta – The government needs to formulate and implement policies that promote the speedy growth of the real sector, and labor-intensive industries in particular, to help tackle Indonesia's "economic paradox", a discussion forum concluded Wednesday.

Jakarta – Strong public opinion could force the reopening of the Munir murder case, former Supreme Court justice Adi Andojo Soetjipto said Wednesday.