Adpara, Jayapura – An association of former Papuan fighters urged greater government efforts to publicize a regulation that prohibits regions from using secessionist flags.

Lindsay Murdoch, Darwin – A rebel commander who was at the home of East Timor's President, Jose Ramos-Horta, the morning he was shot and seriously wounded has surrendered.

Adpara, Jakarta – School expenses in Jakarta could double from last year due to budget cuts for school operational funds, an official said.

Head of the Jakarta Middle and Upper Education Agency, Margani M. Mustar, said Thursday the City Council had slashed Rp 69 billion (US$7.58 million) from the budget and reallocated it toward scholarships for low-income students.

Adpara, Manado – Students of Sam Ratulangi University in Manado, North Sulawesi, recently became involved in a physical clash with security personnel during a protest against the government's decision to hold a repeat election for rector. No casualties were reported in the clash.

Adianto P. Simamora, Jakarta – The government and private firms both continue to block public access to information about environmental problems and this tends to exacerbates ecological disasters in the country, a study finds.

Afrida, Banda Aceh – Hundreds of people set fire to the offices of former separatist rebels in Central Aceh on Saturday, killing four people and throwing one person down a 35-meter well.

Around 1:30 a.m. the crowd attacked the Aceh Transitional Commission's office in the remote Atu Lintang area, 30 kilometers from the regency's capital, Takengon, a village head said.

Ika Krismantari, Jakarta – Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Purnomo Yusgiantoro told hundreds of mining investors on Friday they would soon be able to apply to operate in productive as well as protected forests.

Jaukak Gulton, a farmer activist aged 66, who was actively in the struggle over a land conflict in Mariah Hombang village, Hutabayu sub district, North Sumatra province, was found lifeless on nearby land on February 13. His head and chest was covered with grass.

A series of demonstrations calling for a referendum on Papuan self-determination have been taking place today in several main towns of Indonesia's Papua region.

However at least two of the rallies in Jayapura, Manokwari, Serui and Sarong, have reportedly been restricted by police who have deemed any demonstrations without a permit illegal.

The Papua People's Assembly, the MRP, says it's pursuing dialogue with Jakarta in an effort to stop the proposed formation of a new province in its region.

Presi Mandari, Jakarta – By day Indonesia's scavengers pile rubbish into their carts and by night they creep inside them to sleep on the streets, ever fearful of capture by public order officials whose patrols are escalating.

Beginning last Monday, the National Student League for Democracy (LMND) held two-day demonstrations in Jakarta to rally the campaign for the nationalisation of oil, gas, and mining industries.

On the first day, about 150 students representing several campuses in Java and Sumatra protested against ExxonMobil in front of the commercial building that houses its headquarters.

Henriette Sachse – The recent attacks on East Timor's president and prime minister are a severe setback on the path to democracy. They highlight the country's most urgent problems: poverty, high unemployment and an inadequate system of justice.

[What explains the extraordinary longevity of Indonesia's 'New Order', and what are the legacies of three decades of dictatorship? Benedict Anderson details Suharto's career, from colonial army to crony capitalism, and explores the consequences of his rule – political, social, cultural – for a disorientated, amnesiac present.]

Suherdjoko, Jepara – Up to 3,000 villagers staged a rally in Jepara, Central Java, Thursday to oppose the planned construction of a nuclear power plant on the regency's Mount Moria.

The protesters, mostly residents of Balong village in the Kembang subdistrict, as well as students and activists, carried protest posters and banners.

Lilian Budianto, Jakarta – The government came again under attack Thursday after refusing to scrap sharia-based ordinances, which Islamic scholars said worked against freedom of religion.

Adianto P. Simamora, Jakarta – The government has begun screening documents of 47 new political parties hoping to contest next year's general elections.

The 47 parties were selected from 112 political groups registered with the Justice and Human Rights Ministry to take part in the 2009 national polls.

The government is risking piling big mistakes on top of huge errors, all at the expense of the basic foundation of the economy, by stubbornly refusing to bring domestic fuel prices closer to international market levels.

Jakarta – A court on Thursday threw out a civil case filed against Hutomo "Tommy" Mandala Putra by the State Logistics Agency (Bulog) and awarded the son of former president Soeharto Rp 5 billion (US$549,000) in damages in a countersuit he filed for defamation.

Dili – Interim President Fernando La Sama De Araujo of Timor Leste sent congratulations Friday to Raul Castro at his election as president of the Cuban State and Minister councils.

In his letter, La Sama de Araujo also said he wished good health to Commander in Chief Fidel Castro.

Adisti Sukma Sawitri, Jakarta – In response to massive water theft in the city, water operator PT Thames Pam Jaya (TPJ) says it will lower service targets for the next five years.

External relations and communications director Rhamses Simanjuntak said the firm proposed the lower targets in a feasibility study submitted to the city's water company, PT PAM Jaya.

Ika Krismantari, Jakarta – New investment in the mining sector is likely to grow at a slow pace this year as investors wait for the enactment of a new mining bill being deliberated at the House of Representatives.

Nurul Hidayati, Jakarta – The Department of Justice and Human Rights has announced that 47 political parties have successfully completed their documentation and will undergo verification to be registered as legal entities. Not recorded among these are two that that have taken up the banner of the New Order regime and former President Suharto.

The British government will consult with the families of two of the Balibo Five about what action, if any, it should take over the killings of the British-born newsmen in East Timor in 1975.

Lindsay Murdoch, Darwin – A crime syndicate with links to former pro-Indonesian militias supplied drugs to youth gang members involved in violent attacks in East Timor.

Nograhany Widhi K, Jakarta – Political parties appealing to young people, which have been proliferating of late, arrived at the Department of Justice and Human Rights on the last day of registration to be verified as political entities. These parties are seeking to appeal to young people, the teenage social set and former activists who are still idealistic.

A plenary session of the National Human Rights Commission, Komnas HAM held on 27 February decided to set up an ad hoc team to investigate the 1965-1966 case for judicial purposes (pro justicia), as well as an ad hoc team to investigate the mysterious killings. The teams will work for three months, which can be extended if necessary.

Sofian, Jakarta – Activist from the group Falun Gong will hold a protest action in front of the Chinese Embassy the Mega Kuningan area of South Jakarta today, Thursday February 28. The action, which is planned to start at 10am, will be calling for an end to the torture and mass murder of those practicing Falun Gong in China.

Usman Hamid and Eko Waluyo, Jakarta/Sydney – The recent visit of Indonesian Foreign Minister Hassan Wirajuda to Australia on February 7 aimed to re-enforce the framework for security cooperation between Australia and Indonesia, known as the Lombok Treaty. A draft of this agreement was signed on Nov.

Abdul Khalik, Sirikin, Serawak, Malaysia – While it is illegal to cross the West Kalimantan-Serawak border without permits, a flourishing international trade has been benefiting citizens on both sides of the border for years.

Irawaty Wardany, Denpasar, Bali – Despite the progress in economic development in Indonesia, sanitation has remained a major challenge facing the country, a World Bank executive says.

Frida Berrigan – Jakarta wants weapons. Lots of them. Right after Valentine's Day, Indonesian Air Force officials met with their US counterparts to discuss "bilateral defense cooperation." On their wish list were Lockheed Martin's F-16 fighters and C-130 Hercules tactical transport planes.

Adianto P. Simamora, Jakarta – Human rights and anti-corruption activists lashed out at the House of Representatives on Tuesday for failing to make the government and Lapindo Brantas Inc. properly compensate victims of the mudflow in Sidoarjo, East Java. They accused the House of "quiet conspiracy to defend corporate (interests)" in dealing with the problem.

Erwida Maulia, Jakarta – The government has been accused of inconsistency in its promotion of public transparency in its administration.

While President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono declared himself open to criticism, his ministers have attempted to close access to public information, a coalition of non-governmental organizations and press associations said here Tuesday.

Jakarta – Victims of the Trisakti incident have demanded the reopening of rights abuse cases, citing the Constitutional Court's recent decision the House of Representatives did not have authority to decide whether a case had legal weight.

The Trisakti University Student Organization sent a letter Tuesday asking the House to move on with human rights trials.

Reza M., Jakarta – The Metro Jaya regional police Traffic Management Center (TMC) is warning road users of the possibility of traffic jams as a result of protest actions that will colour Jakarta on Wednesday February 27. According to the TMC there will be no less than 13 demonstrations today, with the first starting at 9.30am.

Novia D. Rulistia, Jakarta – The state of land transportation is not only poor but seems to be getting worse, a seminar revealed, citing a global survey that put Indonesia's ranking in a worse position this year than last year.

From correspondents in London – Britain is being urged to order arrest warrants for two surviving former Indonesian military chiefs linked to the deliberate killing of the Balibo Five.

The British government is being called on to take action because two of the Australian-based newsmen killed in East Timor by Indonesian forces in 1975 were born in the UK.

Novia D. Rulistia, Jakarta – The banking sector needs to boost its lending to small and medium enterprises (SMEs) due to the sector's proven resilience and huge contribution to employment and the economy, a seminar determined Monday.

Even with so many laws and regulations already enacted to enforce the sustainable management of our forest resources, illegal logging has remained common throughout the country. So, we can only imagine what will happen with the broad license for the plundering of our protected forests as provided by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono through Government Regulation No. 2/2008.

Debnath Guharoy, Consultant – The runaway development of shopping malls in Jakarta is living proof of reckless greed, a monumental disaster in the offing. It is a good example of how poor information, bad planning and a lack of common sense is already hurting, and will continue to hurt, investors and workers alike.

Jakarta – Distribution of left-over votes, parliamentary and electoral thresholds and vote casting methods were among the issues argued by House of Representatives lawmakers and government officials debating the election bill Monday.

But despite the amount of time the bill has been under dispute, lawmakers said they were optimistic it would be passed Tuesday.

Joe Collins from the Australia West Papua Association said that "Mr. Debus is the 10th Federal Government Minister to visit Indonesia since the swearing in of the new Australian Government".

Michael Mckenna – A senior staff member of the East Timor Post newspaper was allegedly beaten and arrested at the weekend in the latest of a series of incidents pointing to a crackdown on press freedom across the troubled country.

Jakarta – The Food Resilience Council, working directly under President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono since late 2006, has come under fire for handling recent food shortages ineffectively.

Apriadi Gunawan, Medan – University students in Medan on Monday rallied at the North Sumatra legislative council to protest against frequent blackouts in the province. The blackouts occur three times every day, each one lasting for up to four hours.

Adi Warsidi, Banda Aceh – The GAM Party, one of the local political parties in Indonesia's northernmost province of Aceh, has officially changed its party name and symbol.

Arfi Bambani Amri, Jakarta – Two protest actions will be taking place in Jakarta today. The first protest will be at the Supreme Court building on Jl. Medan Merdeka Utara in Central Jakarta and the second at the Attorney General's Office on Jl. Sisingamangaraja in South Jakarta.

Adianto P. Simamora, Jakarta – Environmental activists insisted Saturday on rejecting a regulation imposing a new scheme of forest exploitation fees on non-forestry firms, despite the government's assurance it was meant to save forests.

Kristin Roberts, Jakarta – US Defense Secretary Robert Gates landed in Jakarta on Monday, aiming to strengthen military ties with a country the Pentagon sees as a regional leader and secular model for Muslim states.