The trial of Pollycarpus Budihari Priyanto for the murder last September of Indonesia's foremost human rights activist Munir, which commenced in Jakarta today, is clearly designed to detract attention from the real reasons for the crime which brought to a tragic end the life of a man who had shown outstanding courage in exposing atrocities and human rights violations perpetrated by

A former Indonesian minister, who during his career in the government was deeply involved in handling rebellious provinces, has reportedly told President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono that Papua will become the next major headache for Indonesia if the government fails to take a lesson from the decision of the majority of people in the predominantly Catholic territory of East Timor to sep

The Secretary of State
The Honorable Dr. Condoleezza Rice

Dear Madam Secretary:

The West Papua Advocacy Team at the Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Human Rights Center wishes to call to your attention the accelerating deterioration of the human and civil rights environment in West Papua.

Zakki P. Hakim, Jakarta – Industry players slammed the government for requiring local factories to comply with environmental regulations that exceed the current capabilities of the firms.

Sibylle Kaczorek, Sydney – On August 2, Sister Susan Connelly, assistant director of the Mary MacKillop Institute for East Timor Studies, said that "fairness" should be the overarching principle in the David versus Goliath stand-off that characterises the "negotiations" about the gas and oil deposits in the Timor Sea.

Bill Guerin, Jakarta – Less than two weeks after the US Agency for International Development (USAID) announced a $20 million program of assistance to help improve Indonesia's legal system, a 55-year-old American stands in the dock of a district court in the remote North Sulawesi province, 1,300 miles northeast of Jakarta, and could be jailed.

Scott Baldauf, Banda Aceh – When the tsunami came to sweep away her seaside home, her three children, and her husband, Yuniarti thought that she had lost everything she could possibly lose.

Jakarta – The leaders of the House of Representatives are divided on whether or not the body's official seal of approval is needed for the peace agreement between the government and the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) to become legally effective.

Jakarta – The Indonesian military says it is readying its troops in case a peace agreement with rebels in Aceh province collapses.

The accord, which will be formally signed Monday in Finland, is seen as the best chance yet to end three decades of fighting that has killed 15,000 people. But several earlier accords have collapsed amid bitter mistrust on both sides.

Jakarta – An Indonesian pilot hs gone on trial for the arsenic-poisoning murder of a leading rights activist in a case seen as a test of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's commitment to the rule of law.

Damar Harsanto and Abdul Khalik, Jakarta – Workers in the entertainment industry are paying dearly for the current police campaign against drugs in cafes and amusement centers across the capital.

Eva C. Komandjaja, Jakarta – Anticorruption bodies, criminal experts and the public have put high hopes on the new head of internal affairs at the National Police Headquarters that he will quickly resolve allegations of money laundering involving 15 police officers.

Urip Hudiono, Jakarta – Continuing high global oil prices have put Indonesia's fiscal stability teetering on a tightrope as the oil-producing country fails to benefit from the situation. Instead, the country faces swelling oil import costs due to rising domestic fuel consumption.

AK-41, Bandung – The All-Java Aceh Social Forum in Bandung has succeeded in reaching an agreement to support the signing of the Helsinki peace agreement. The signing of the agreement between the Indonesian government and the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) will take place in Helsinki on August 15.

Nani Afrida, Banda Aceh – There is a saying in Aceh, meunyo ka dimeusurapai uroe lageum dipiyoh dimeusu budee, meaning that weapons should stop firing when the rapai drum is beaten.

Muhamad Ali, Hawaii – The fatwas (edicts) issued by the Indonesian Ulemas Council (MUI) concerning intra and inter-religious issues in the country have generated concerns and criticisms from other scholars and the public, and clearly demonstrates that there is still a semantic and intellectual gap among the religious elites themselves about how to deal with religious diversity and f

Israr Iskandar, Jakarta – Indonesian leaders were quite disturbed on hearing that two members of the US House of Representatives had questioned the status of Papua within the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia (NKRI). Under Bill No. 2601, the US House cast doubt on the effectiveness of Papua's special autonomy and disputed the presence of this territory within NKRI.

Jakarta – Despite the ongoing controversy surrounding the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI)'s edicts against secularism, pluralism and liberalism, the Indonesian Council for Islamic Propagation (DDII) will fully support the MUI in its "war on deviant thoughts", a top preacher said on Sunday.

Abdul Khalik and Yuli Tri Suwarni, Jakarta/Bandung – Over 5,000 members of the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) and Nahdhatul Ulama (NU) gathered on Sunday in Depok, West Java, to protest a court ruling that declared Golkar Party candidate Badrul Kamal the winner of the June 26 Depok mayoral election.

In simultaneous rallies in Depok and Jakarta, hundreds of supporters of Nur Mahmudi Ismail on Saturday staged protests over the West Java High Court verdict overturning election results for the first directly elected Depok mayor.

Jerry Norton, Jakarta – Optimistic talk that a decades-long simmering civil war in Indonesia's Aceh province is about to end. A peace pact brokered in Europe. International monitors set to make sure the warring sides follow through.

That's the background to a deal set for signing by Indonesia's government and Free Aceh Movement (GAM) rebels in Helsinki on Aug. 15.

Lhokseumawe – According to Iskandar Muda Military chief Maj. Gen. Supiadin AS, the Indonesian Military (TNI) has withdrawn its troops from the forests and villages of Aceh.

This is aimed at giving members of the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) the opportunities to gather and ready themselves to collect their weapons and matters.

Jakarta – The highest Islamic authority in Indonesia has been criticised by the world's largest Muslim organisation over its controversial edicts against "liberal Islamic thought," a report says.

The Indonesian Ulema Council last week issued 11 edicts to fight "deviance and secularism" in the world's largest Muslim-populated nation.

Jakarta/Bandung/Surabaya – More criticism has been levied against the controversial edicts issued by the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI), this time from the world's largest Muslim organization, Nahdhatul Ulama (NU), which has around 40 million members.

Jakarta – After seven long hours, the members of the Islamic Liberal Network (JIL) felt relieved, at least for the day.

And so did some 300 people gathered outside the Utan Kayu Community complex to express their support for JIL following rumors of a planned attack by hard-liners after Friday prayers.

Fearing escalating tension in Depok following the court ruling that overturned the result of the June 26 mayoral election, the Jakarta Police called on Depok residents to stay calm, while saying that police would send more personnel.

Jakarta Police chief Insp. Gen. Firman Gani said the police would maintain a high alert in the Depok mayoralty.

Michelle Janowitz – With many companies engaged in an endless quest to secure successful low-cost solutions for running their business, outsourcing has inevitably developed into one of the more popular ways to drive company costs down.

Jakarta – Budianto and Sugito, two victims of mystery shooting incidents in Poso on Thursday (04/08), were key witnesses in several terrorism case in the conflict area.

Central Sulawesi Police chief Brig. Gen. Arjanto Sutadi said on Friday (05/008) that 13 witnesses had been questioned in these cases.

Tiarma Siboro and ID Nugroho, Jakarta/Surabaya – Top members of the Papuan Tribal Council (DAP) met with Vice President Jusuf Kalla on Friday and asked the government to immediately hold a significant review of its special autonomy policy in the province, otherwise the campaign for independence of the resource-rich province would become stronger.

Comrades,

Ruslan Sangadji, Poso – Another wave of terror hit the city of Poso in Central Sulawesi when two men were shot dead by unidentified people on Wednesday night and early Thursday morning.

Budianto, 26, an ojek (motorcycle taxi) driver, was shot while eating dinner with his wife and child at 8:30 p.m. local time on Wednesday in his house in Gebang Rejo, Poso Kota.

Jakarta – A United States Congressman assured Indonesia on Thursday of his country's support for the territorial integrity of this country, which has been plagued by secessionist movements for decades.

Alisa P, Jakarta – The demilitarisation phase covered under the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Indonesian government and the Free Aceh Movement will proceed over a period of three months.

Jambi/Yogyakarta – Nurhayati looks worried and seems reluctant to go to school. The 11-year-old sixth grader has reason to worry. She does not have the money to pay her teacher at SDN 51/IV elementary school in Telanaipura district in Jambi city for textbooks.

AK-7 & AK-26, Lhokseumawe – Speaking in Lhokseumawe on Friday August 5, the commander of the Iskandar Muda territorial military command, Major General Supiadin AS, said that there are parties who want to thwart the signing of the peace agreement between Indonesia and the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) on August 15.

Indonesia and East Timor have formally opened a truth commission to look into Jakarta's bloody handling of Timor's independence vote in 1999.

Kuta – The truth commission looking into Jakarta's bloody handling of East Timor's push for independence has a tough job ahead of it, the chairman of the newly established body said Friday after its first meeting.

Figures from various religions, including Muslim scholars Dawam Rahardjo and Syafii Anwar, and priest Anand Krishna, attended the event on Thursday.

August 15th, 2005 may possibly – hopefully – be recorded as a day of peace in Indonesian history books. Two days ahead of the 60th anniversary of Indonesia's independence, the government is going to sign a peace accord with the Free Aceh Movement (GAM). The bloody conflict in Indonesia's westernmost province that has lasted for more than 30 years may thus soon be past.

Jakarta – A senior US defense official on Wednesday expressed optimism that Washington would restore full military cooperation with Indonesia, citing the country's moves towards democracy.

Jakarta – Indonesia may need three to four years to become a net oil exporter again, with new oil refinery projects expected to shore up domestic fuel supplies, said Finance Minister Jusuf Anwar.

'We're trying to open new refineries to add production, so that within three to four years we are back to being a net oil exporter,' Anwar said last night.

The Right Hon Jack Straw MP
Foreign Secretary
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
King Charles Street
London SW1

Dear Mr Straw,

I wish to draw your attention to the grave situation in West Papua and the many reports we have been receiving recently of growing tension there.

Michael Vatikiotis, Jakarta – Every city has a heart; Jakarta's is a concrete overpass called Semanggi – the Indonesian word for cloverleaf. Its place in the nation's history far outweighs its mundane function of funneling traffic north and south, east and west.

Fred Dove (Presenter): In the far corner of South East Asia the island of New Guinea is divided into West Papua and Papua New Guinea. While the latter is independent, West Papua, a former Dutch colony, has been officially part of Indonesia since the so-called Act of Free Choice referendum in 1969.

Miswar, Banda Aceh – August 15 will be a historical moment for the Acehnese people, because on that day the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) and the Indonesian government will be signed.

Jakarta – Foreign countries still recognise Papua as part of Indonesia, said Indonesian Foreign Minister Hassan Wirayuda in response to the US Lower House's recent bill questioning the validity of the 1969 referendum in Papua, in which Papua locals voted unanimously to join Indonesia.

Yuswardi A.Suud, Banda Aceh – After being withdrawn from the forests and mountains of Aceh, TNI (armed forces) troops will be placed in posts on the outskirts of the forests and only allowed to move within a radius of 750 metres from their post.

Niken Widya Yunita, Jakarta – The position of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) faction, which has persisted in opposing negotiations between the Indonesian government and the Free Aceh Movement (GAM), has received a cool response from the government.

AK-25, Jakarta – The defense department is still pursuing its plan for budget increases for the security operation in Aceh. A budget of as much as 526 billion rupiah is needed to pay for troops and the military operation in Aceh until December 2005.

Muninggar Sri Saraswati, Jakarta – Human rights activists have urged the government to release all Aceh civilians accused of involvement in the separatist group there after a peace deal is signed later this month.