Jakarta – Endowed with rich natural resources and a large population, Indonesia is becoming more attractive for investors as indicated by an increase in the number of realized direct investment projects involving foreign businesspeople.

Oleh Ahmad Arif – The global financial crisis, which began far away in the United States, appears to have also become a bugbear for workers in Indonesia. Starting with national industries that are dying because global markets are stagnating, millions of workers are faced with the threat of dismissal.

Andi Hajramurni and Yuli Tri Suwarni, Makassar, Bandung – Rights activists across the country celebrated International Human Rights Day on Wednesday by staging rallies and other events expressing their views and voicing their demands about the current state of human rights in Indonesia.

Adianto P. Simamora, Jakarta – A House of Representatives' special committee has slammed the Attorney General for failing to attend a meeting on the establishment of an investigative tribunal into the abduction of democracy advocates.

Desy Nurhayati, Jakarta – President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono claims his fight against corruption is on track, but admits corruption remains rife in numerous governance sectors.

Olle Tornquist, Yogyakarta – Today in Oslo, Finland's former president Martti Ahtisaari, leading diplomat and social democrat, is awarded the Nobel Prize for his outstanding contributions to peace building. The remarkable achievement in Aceh toward peace, democracy and reconstruction was a major case in point.

Ika Krismantari, Jakarta – White-collar workers have enjoyed relative safety from the current trend of layoffs sweeping the country, with dismissals largely hitting medium- to low-level workers in some manufacturing companies. Until now.

Jakarta – In 2004, Rima, a domestic helper in Hong Kong, was repeatedly beaten and raped by her employer until she met a fellow Indonesian who took her to the police.

Dili – The Secretary General of Fretilin and former Prime Minister of East Timor, Mari Alkatiri, said today in Dili that there are "attacks" against Portuguese as official language in Timor-Leste.

Indah Setiawati and Ni Komang Erviani, Jakarta, Denpasar – The newly enacted anti-pornography law threatens to further stain Indonesia's already sullied human rights record, rights groups warn, as Bali prepares to spearhead national opposition to the law.

The 71-year-old former Finnish president Martti Ahtisaari receives the Nobel Peace Prize in Oslo today for his tireless efforts to end conflicts in many parts of the world, including in our once restive province of Aceh.

Oppose the 2009 elections of the political elite – an election of the human rights violators, capitalists, corruptors and opportunist!

Dian Kuswandini and Irawaty Wardany, Jakarta – The Attorney General's Office (AGO) has used World Anti-Corruption Day today to claim it has been more effective bringing corruption cases to trial than the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK).

M. Azis Tunny, Ambon – What started as a peaceful rally at the Central Maluku Education Agency in Masohi, Maluku, escalated into a major riot between two neighborhoods on Tuesday.

Adianto P. Simamora, Jakarta – Former president Megawati Soekarnoputri has a strong chance of winning the top position in next year's elections if she picks Hidayat Nur Wahid of the Muslim-based Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) as her running mate, a survey says.

Jakarta – Indonesia's annual economic growth in the fourth quarter is expected to slow from the third quarter, as a plunge in global demand for commodities starts to bite, a deputy central bank governor said on Wednesday.

A demonstration in Jayapura which was organised by the Students Anti-Violence Alliance (AMAK) under its leader Zacharias Horoto, included among its demands the call for three of Papua's leading personalities to be arrested: Tom Beanal, chairman of the Papuan Presidium Caouncil (PDP), Forkorus Yaboisembut, chairman of the Papuan Traditional Council (DAP) and Thaha al Hamid, secretary

Denpasar – The signing of the Anti-Pornography Law by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has attracted protests in the Indonesian resort island of Bali, with two of the students planning to demonstrate against the law being arrested by police.

Yogyakarta – Hundreds of students and non-government organisation activists in the Central Java city of Yogyakarta took to the streets on December 10 to commemorate Human Rights Day. They also demanded that the government revoke a joint ministerial decree (SKB-4) limiting wage rises to economic growth and end to the exploitation of women workers.

Just days before International Human Rights Day, Indonesian police including Brimob attacked Papuan members of the GKIP church (Gereja Kemah Injil Papua/(Tabernacle Bible Church of Papua) in Nabire West Papua. 12 members were beaten, 5 students shot and wounded

Jakarta – Due to public protest, the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) has chose to drop Tutut Hardijanti Rukmana, the eldest daughter of former president Soeharto, from its list of candidates of inspiring women.

There were also protests from party cadres against her nomination, PKS spokesman Mabruri told tempointeraktif.com on Tuesday.

It's four years this month, since the tsunami hit the Indonesian province of Aceh. While the tsunami brought much destruction to the region, it was the catalyst for great political change for Aceh. The government and rebels from the Free Aceh Movement stepped up the pace for peace talks, leading to the Memorandum of Understanding in August 2005.

Abdul Khalik, Jakarta – Defying persistent protests by a number of provinces and scores of civil society groups, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has signed the anti-pornography bill, ratifying a law that criminalizes any sex-related materials deemed to violate public morality.

Monday was the Muslim day of sacrifice, but for Muslim and non-Muslim mudflow victims in Sidoarjo, East Java, it was just another day of sacrifice.

Nurrohman, Bandung – I am rather relieved as I read the results of a survey conducted by the Center for Islamic and Society Studies (PPIM) at the Syarif Hidayatullah State Islamic University.

A key principle of both good memorialisation and reconciliation is that the truth be honestly acknowledged in plain language. Memorialisation that seeks to enhance by euphemism or to evade compromises both the lessons of history and the building of understanding and healthy relationships. Such memorials obfuscate rather than enlighten.

Jakarta – Recent strengthening in Indonesia's rupiah currency has been mainly due to external factors, central bank deputy governor Budi Mulya said on Tuesday.

The rupiah hit 10,900 per dollar at 0700 GMT on Tuesday, up around 6 percent from Friday's close. The currency market was shut on Monday for a public holiday.

Jakarta – Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono was strongly criticized Tuesday after signing a tough anti-pornography law that opponents have said threatens national unity.

Adianto P. Simamora, Jakarta – Agencies conducting public opinion surveys and quick poll counts have challenged the General Elections Commission's (KPU) plan to restrict the publication of their results.

Domestic waste remains one of the biggest contributors to greenhouse gases in Indonesia, largely because the majority of the nation's dumps are poorly managed and still use improper disposal systems.

Aubrey Belford, Kurulu – Wearing nothing but feathers and a long, tapering gourd jutting from his groin, Papuan tribesman Suroba says the Indonesian government cannot force him to wear pants.

Rory Callinan – East Timor is struggling to repair its police force, but individual dedication can't make up for a lack of equipment and training.

Oxford, England – The worldwide campaign for justice and freedom for Indonesian-occupied West Papua received a strong boost today with news that a former U.K.

Jon Afrizal and Nana Rukmana, Jambi, Cirebon – Companies in Jambi province will lay off workers to survive financial problems stemming from the impacts of the global crisis, while those in West Java cannot pay their workers according to the set minimum wage.

Adianto P. Simamora, Jakarta – Vice President and Golkar chairman Jusuf Kalla has warned his senior cadres seeking to run for the presidency next year against using the party's attributes in their campaign activities.

Abdul Khalik, Jakarta – With Rp 6 trillion in annual haj fees bringing it hundreds of billions of rupiah in interest, the Religious Affairs Ministry faces scathing criticism over its lack of transparency in managing the money.

Desy Nurhayati, Jakarta – The Indonesian Union of People with Disabilities (PPCI) called on government agencies to provide greater access and facilities for their members but acknowledged that the government has done much to improve their overall welfare.

Aditya Suharmoko, Jakarta – Indonesia has secured US$5 billion in standby loans from several parties to help plug the budget deficit and keep the economy growing amid the global financial crunch that has made it difficult for countries to raise funds.

Andi Saputra, Jakarta – Hundreds of environmental activists from several different non-government organisations held an action at the Hotel Indonesia roundabout in Central Jakarta on December 6 in which they painted a miniature globe on a 20 metre length of white cloth symbolising a bomb that is about to explode.

Viva Liberation!

The following is a statement from (the temporary) National Collective of National Student League For Democracy-The Politics of The Poor (Liga Mahasiswa Nasional untuk Demokrasi-Politik Rakyat Miskin, LMND-PRM), Indonesia, about the capitalist crisis now and the solutions being taken by our government, the Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono-Jusuf Kalla regime.

Erwida Maulia, Jakarta – A global ranking on education equity recently released by UNESCO has placed Indonesia 71st out of 129 countries surveyed, down from 62nd in 2007 and 58th in 2006.

Jakarta – Media companies are failing to provide their journalists with adequate assistance when they encounter violence in their work.

Lilian Budianto, Jakarta – Malaysia expects to hire fewer Indonesian workers and see a decrease in the volume of investment, trade and tourism between the two countries due to the global economic slowdown, Malaysia's ambassador said on Thursday.

Yuli Tri Suwarni – The conversion of rice fields and farming areas for residential and industrial land use is threatening the resilience of Indonesian food supplies, Agriculture Minister Anton Apriantono says.

Anton was speaking on the sidelines of an event held in recognition of World Food Day, at Tegalega Square, Bandung, on Wednesday.

Indra Harsaputra, Sidoarjo – Despite a compensation agreement in Jakarta on Wednesday, thousands of mudflow victims staged a massive rally along the Porong highway on Thursday, paralyzing the main road between Surabaya and Malang.

Erwida Maulia, Jakarta – Prominent pluralism campaigner Siti Musdah Mulia has been named the winner of the 2008 Yap Thiam Hien human rights award for her "courage and obstinacy" in pushing for civil liberties and "dialogic, inclusive Islam" in Indonesia.

Aleksius Jemadu, Bandung – The spectacular rise in votes won by the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) in national elections, from 1.36 percent of the total national popular vote in 1999 to 7.34 percent in 2004, has led many to believe that the party will prove a serious contender to the Golkar Party and the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDIP) in 2009.

Dear friends,

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has obtained information that Yosias Syet was found dead in his house on 17 October 2008. The autopsy confirmed that he had been murdered and it is alleged that the murder was designed to threaten the Head of the Papuan Customary Council, Fokorus Yaboisembut, since Yosias Syet was in charge of his security.

Hotli Simanjuntak, Banda Aceh – Despite Rp 50 billion (US$4.17 million) allocated for disaster mitigation in Aceh this year, nearly the entire province remains at threat from natural and man-made disasters, especially flooding, a conservationist says.