Lisabona Rahman, Jakarta – A group of elementary schoolchildren carefully take notes as a guide takes them around Lubang Buaya (Crocodile's lair), a monument for the seven army officers killed in a failed coup presumably carried out by the Communist Party (PKI) in 1965.

Jakarta – Dress smart if you want to convince the bank manager you deserve a loan. But for businesswomen, they should also bring their husbands along.

"Bank people tend to underestimate women. When I first tried to apply for a loan for my own business – not my husband's – the banker doubted my ability to do business.

Jakarta – Hundreds of activists, artists and cultural communities – decked out in colorful garb – bedazzled passersby and spectators along the city's main thoroughfares Jl. Sudirman in South Jakarta and Jl. M.H. Thamrin in Central Jakarta in a peaceful protest against the endorsement of the pornography bill.

Hera Diani, Jakarta – The landmark year 1998, with the bloody May riots, the mass rape of Chinese-Indonesian women and the fall of the Soeharto regime after 32 years of authoritarian rule, was a tumultuous turning point for social movements in the country.

Ridwan Max Sijabat, Jakarta – The controversy over the payment of "incentives" to legislators during the deliberation of the Aceh governance bill is causing tension in the House of Representatives.

Home Minister M. Ma'ruf has admitted to paying Rp 5 million (about US$550) to each House member deliberating the bill as a special "incentive" to speed up the process.

Stephen Fitzpatrick, Jakarta – "You should send the Australian military into Papua. Why not? The sooner the better. It would be a humanitarian operation."

Jakarta – Thousands of people from various cultural groups rallied Saturday against the implementation of Indonesia's much- debated obscenity law.

Marching peacefully under the theme of Alliance of Unity in Diversity, the protesters included the wife of Yogyakarta's sultan and the wife of former president Abdurrahman Wahid.

Mark Dodd – East Timor's Government is under pressure to eradicate torture and ill-treatment of detainees by its police force amid fears of a return to Indonesian-era human rights abuses.

Louise Dodson and Mark Forbes, Jakarta – Australia is ready to offer economic aid to help Indonesia smooth the introduction of Papuan autonomy, as the two countries try to restore relations under stress over the treatment of refugees.

Gary LaMoshi – The debut of Playboy Indonesia this month unfolded predictably. The magazine flew off the shelves despite its premium price of Rp39,000 (US$4.35). Religious leaders condemned the publication as immoral, despite its total lack of pictures of naked women.

If there was one thing John Howard wanted as Prime Minister it was to differentiate himself from his Labor predecessor, Paul Keating. Ten years later, Mr Howard finds himself accused of kowtowing to Indonesia over Papua.

Indraswari, Bandung – According to Indonesia's Demographic and Health Survey, in 2002 the maternal mortality rate (MMR) was 307/100,000, meaning that for every 100,000 births, 307 mothers died from maternity-related causes.

Rendi Akhmad Witular and Urip Hudiono, Jakarta – The Indonesian economy remains exposed to possible slower economic growth this year as government spending, which plays a key role in fueling the economy, continues to fall far behind schedule.

M. Taufiqurrahman, Jakarta – The return of exiled leaders of the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) indicates that a permanent and peaceful resolution to the three decades of conflict in Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam is just around the corner, an observer says.

Radzie, Banda Aceh – Hundreds of activists from the Acehnese Democratic Network (JDA), students and local people held a parade though the streets of Banda Aceh on Friday April 21.

Jakarta – "I have no religion, but I believe in God," said Lia Eden on Wednesday, the first day of her blasphemy trial at the Central Jakarta District Court.

Tiarma Siboro, Jakarta – The Indonesian Military (TNI) continues to maintain its weapons purchases have been completely legitimate, despite claims of one of the parties under investigation in a massive arms smuggling operation that it filled orders exclusively for the military.

Kenneth Davidson – The Government is playing with the lives of West Papuans. Australia's foreign policy establishment seems incapable of learning from recent history. Australia is following the old East Timor policy of appeasement on West Papua.

Mark Forbes – Indonesia's ambassador to Australia has blamed the Uniting Church for fomenting unrest in West Papua and criticised Canberra's response in comments likely to inflame the continuing diplomatic rift.

Jakarta – Government interference in the media did not end with the fall of the Soeharto regime in 1998, academics and journalists said Wednesday.

Bogor – Cement producer PT Indocement Tunggal Prakarsa is allowing workers at its factory in Citeureup to take part in nationwide demonstrations planned for May 1.

Human resources director Iwa Kartiwa said Wednesday the workers would protest the proposed revision of the Labor Law.

Jakarta – The crop of bylaws on sex and morality, which have been enforced by several regencies and municipalities, are unconstitutional, gender-biased and threaten to splinter the country, experts warn.

From correspondents in Dili – East Timor's government must urgently act to stop police torture and other ill-treatment of detainees before the practice becomes widespread, a Human Rights Watch report said today.

Reporter: Geoff Thompson

Eleanor Hall: As the United Nations prepares for its final pull-out from East Timor next month, a human rights report has leveled allegations of torture and abuse against the local police.

Released just a few hours ago, the report by Human Rights Watch documents dozens of cases of abuse by prisoners in custody.

M. Taufiqurrahman, Jakarta – The Supreme Audit Agency (BPK) revealed Thursday that the use of the emergency fund overseen by the National Disaster Management and Refugee Coordination Board (Bakornas) for tsunami victims in Aceh and Nias was rife with irregularities.

Death row Bali bomber Amrozi proved he had lost none of his chilling bravado and humour despite being near execution as he made a rare court appearance to testify for radical Muslim cleric Abu Bakar Bashir.

Theresia Sufa – Five hammer-and-sickle emblems spray painted on rubbish bins around Sempur soccer field, Bogor, had officials beating the drums of war against communism Tuesday.

Ridwan Max Sijabat, Jakarta – Ten major trade unions renewed their opposition Tuesday to the government's plan to revise the 2003 Labor Law.

Australia's relations with Indonesia are at their lowest ebb since East Timor. The granting of temporary protection visas to 42 asylum seekers from Papua has outraged the central government in Jakarta, which fears that this is the first step towards an Australian-led push for independence for the restive province.

Banda Aceh – Leaders of the former separatist Free Aceh Movement (GAM) returned to their homeland after 30 years in exile, the latest step forward in a much-hailed peace process. The group, including former "prime minister" Malik Mahmud and "foreign minister" Zaini Abdullah, were greeted by about 500 well-wishers, including former GAM guerrilla commander Muzakir Manaf.

Heru Margianto, Jakarta – What are conditions like in Aceh six months after the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) and the Indonesian government was signed in Helsinki? The answer – safe but the economic situation is poor say Acehnese.

Tb. Arie Rukmantara, Jakarta – The government claimed success Tuesday in its war on illegal logging, saying that a recent clampdown on the industry had cut national deforestation by up to 70 percent during the past year.

However, an environmentalist doubted the government's claims and said there was evidence illegal logging in many areas was continuing unchecked.

Nani Afrida, Banda Aceh – No special preparations are being made for the return of several exiled Free Aceh Movement (GAM) leaders to the province, the group's senior representative at the Aceh Monitoring Mission said Tuesday.

Reporter: Alexandra Kirk

Eleanor Hall: To tensions with Indonesia now and the Prime Minister has this morning discounted an opinion poll, out today, which shows that more than three quarters of Australians support independence for the Indonesian province of Papua.

Were it not for the corruption-infested public procurement system and the potential conflicts of interest of several members of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's Cabinet, the proposed crash program to build several coal-fired power plants with a total capacity of 10,000 megawatts within the next three years would not have set off such a heated controversy.

Prime Minister John Howard and Opposition Leader Kim Beazley have misjudged public support for Papuan independence, The Greens said.

Greens Leader Bob Brown said a Newspoll released today, showing 77 per cent of Australians support independence for the Indonesian province, proved the major parties were wrong.

Jakarta – A prestigious American think tank is urging the Indonesian government to make use of a "window of opportunity" to resolve unrest in Papua, and also calls on the international community to help expedite the process.

Jakarta – Indonesia denied Tuesday that its military had pressured the mother of a four-year-old Papuan asylum seeker into demanding that Australia return her daughter, as alleged in a media report there.

The steep fuel price hike during the last quarter of 2005 severely dented consumer confidence, with 40 percent of Indonesians surveyed back then saying that they were worse off than a year ago.

The results of the survey, conducted by PT Roy Morgan Research, were released over the weekend.

Rendi Akhmad Witular And Tony Hotland, Jakarta – President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has warned policymakers not to jettison the public interest in favor of the interests of their relatives, ethic groups or associates when formulating development plans and policies.

Ken Yunita, Jakarta – The appearance of Indonesian Communist Party (PKI) paraphernalia and symbols is natural and can be understood because the Constitutional Court has already declared that former PKI members have the right to participate in the 2009 elections.

Tangerang – Some 500 residents blocked Jl. Ciater Raya in Bumi Serpong Damai on Monday morning to protest being forced off their land.

Their eviction from some 9,880 square meters of land in Rawa Mekar subdistrict, Serpong district, Tangerang, was scheduled for later that day.

Tb. Arie Rukmantara, Jakarta – To curb the destruction of the remaining natural forests in Papua, a coalition of environmental groups has reiterated its call for the government to halt all logging activities in the resource-rich province.

Nani Afrida, Banda Aceh – Residents in Aceh Jaya regency have urged the government to suspend the reissuance of three forest concession permits intended to facilitate the Aceh reconstruction program in the area for not accommodating people's aspirations living around the forests.

Playboy Indonesia has had a rough beginning in the country. Long before the printing of its first edition, it had already sparked protests from political youth groups and Muslim organizations. A day after its first edition, the Islam Defenders Front (FPI) attacked the magazine's editorial office in South Jakarta. The Jakarta Post talked to some people about the issue.

When is Australia not Australia? When Papuans want to land on it. The Howard Government is planning yet another contortion of the immigration laws and refugee treaties.

Raden Rachmadi, Jakarta – The National Mandate Party (PAN) promises not to dismiss PAN's East Nusa Tenggara Regional Executive Board (DPW) Chairman, Eurico Guterres, depite the fact that his appeal for a human rights violation in the East Timor case was rejected by the Supreme Court.

Abdul Khalik, Jakarta – Hundreds of non-governmental organizations and labor advocacy groups accuse Indonesia and Malaysia of ignoring fundamental rights in a draft of a memorandum of understanding on workers due to be signed in May.

Pandaya, Banda Aceh – Teen pop icons Raja and Ratu's joint concert turned Banda Aceh upside down last month. The partitions erected to segregate the thousands of boys and girls, as required by the province's sharia law, crumbled as the hysterical star-struck young people jostled to get closer to their idols on stage.

Mardiyah Chamim, Jakarta – It was a breezy, sunny day. The Neusu soccer field in capital Banda Aceh was abuzz with positive energy. A dozen or so small boys were playing soccer, while several young men jogged around the field – A happy scene amid the sadness left by the deadly tsunami that killed more than 100,000 people in December 2004.