Abdul Khalik, Jakarta – A series of defeats in regional elections and threats of disunity have led Golkar Party leadership to scrap its control of the distribution of legislative seats in next year's polls.

Jon Afrizal and Agus Maryono, Jambi, Purwokerto – The number of people living with HIV/AIDS in Jambi and Central Java provinces, especially in Banyumas regency, is rising at an alarming rate, according to HIV/AIDS activists.

Former State Intelligence Agency (BIN) deputy chief Muchdi Purwopranjono has requested a city arrest, as the Attorney General's Office (AGO) prepares to indict him for his role in the murder of human rights activist Munir Said Thalib in 2004.

Desy Nurhayati, Jakarta – Prisoners convicted last year of corruption, illegal logging, terrorism and drug abuse will not be eligible for annual prison term reductions granted in observance of this year's Independence Day on August 17.

Jakarta – Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono will not respond to a letter from 40 members of US Congress demanding the immediate release of two Papuan activists, a spokesman said Tuesday.

Evan A. Laksmana, Singapore – In the past few weeks, a debate surrounding the 2009 general elections has revolved around the role of the Indonesian Military (TNI) in political parties where almost every major political party has former military officers sitting as board members or as chairman.

Andreas D. Arditya, Jakarta – A witness testified Monday that former Bank Indonesia deputy governor Aulia Pohan played a bigger role than previously thought in the alleged embezzlement of Rp 100 billion (US$10.9 million) in BI funds in 2003.

TAPOL wishes to express its deep concern about the death of a Papuan who was participating in the celebration of World Indigenous Day in Wamena on Saturday, 9 August.

The Indonesia Human Rights Committee has written to each of the Heads of Government of the Pacific Island Forum Nations (see letter below) ahead of their annual meeting next week. IHRC is calling on the Forum leaders to prioritise the issue of Indonesian-ruled West Papua.

Mark Forbes, Jakarta – Several of the 43 Papuans who sparked a diplomatic crisis by seeking asylum in Australia want to return home, according to Indonesian Foreign Minister Hassan Wirayuda, who has offered to assist them.

Ed Davies and Telly Nathalia, Jakarta – Indonesia does not face any organised resistance to its rule in Papua and there should be a degree of tolerance responding to cases of banned separatist flags being hoisted, the defence minister said on Monday.

The Australia West Papua Association in Sydney has written to the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) leaders who will meet in Niue on the 19 August for the opening of the 39th PIF Leaders Summit.

Abdul Khalik, Jakarta – On a talk show recently, soap opera actor Adrian Maulana looked momentarily baffled when confronted with the question, "What makes you dare enter politics?"

Prodita Sabarini, Jakarta – Former homophobe Anton (not his real name) says he has transformed into a more tolerant person, acknowledging that gay men, lesbians, bisexuals and transvestites are humans who have the same rights as anyone else.

"I used to agree with violent bashing of gay men and transvestites," he said. "I'm ashamed of the way I used to think back then."

Nethy Dharma Somba, Jayapura – A man was reportedly killed in Wamena, Jayawijaya regency, during an event Saturday celebrating the International Day of the World's Indigenous People.

Jakarta – A man was killed in Indonesia's Papua province after police fired warning shots when a group raised a separatist flag at a ceremony, an official said on Saturday.

Thousands of people had gathered in Wamena city to mark UN Indigenous Peoples' Day when the incident happened.

Nethy Darma Somba – The World Indigenous Day celebration in Papua province turned into a riot on Saturday after several members of local separatist group hoisted the Bintang Kejora (Morning Star) flag.

Abdul Khalik, Jakarta – The House of Representatives' special committee tasked with investigating the government's fuel price rise policy has become enveloped in a fury of political maneuvering, including pleas to summon the President for questioning.

Each faction represented in the committee has produced its own list of officials to be summoned for questioning.

Desy Nurhayati, Jakarta – Defense Minister Juwono Sudarsono and TNI chief Gen. Djoko Santoso were divided Friday in their responses to a request from US Congress members asking Indonesia to release two convicted Papuan separatists.

Jakarta – A hardline Muslim group staged a rally outside the US embassy in Jakarta on Saturday to protest over a call by Washington for the release of two Papuan activists.

Some 100 members of Hizbut Tahrir massed outside the embassy with banners reading: "We are against US intervention in Papua."

Muh Syaifullah, Yogyakarta – The Yogyakarta District Attorney General's Office has seized 213 books titled "The Annihilation of Ethnic Melanesians: Breaking the Silence on the History of Violence in West Papua", published by PT Galang Press. The AGO seized the books because they were deemed to touch upon the issues of SARA (race, religion and tribalism).

Abdul Khalik, Jakarta – The Indonesian public considers the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) the law enforcement institute with the highest integrity, a new survey revealed on Thursday.

The survey was conducted by the KPK between February and June, and polled 2,191 respondents in six major cities across the country.

Tito Belo, Dili – The United Nations urged on Thursday East Timor not to let those responsible for bloodshed surrounding Dili's 1999 independence vote from Indonesia off the hook, pledging to provide support to prosecute perpetrators.

Desy Nurhayati, Jakarta – State airline PT Merpati Nusantara has been forced to axe more than half its workers and receive a government bailout in a major restructuring program designed to stave off a collapse.

Hotli Simanjuntak, Banda Aceh – A fight broke out between members of the Banda Aceh public order agency and the province's sharia police unit Thursday, during a musical stage show held to celebrate their respective 58th and 4th anniversaries.

"It was just a small misunderstanding and not a large-scale brawl among officers," said H. Marzuki, who oversees the two agencies.

Maulina Sartika Pravitasari, Jakarta – Some 100 vendors staged a peaceful protest Thursday at South Jakarta's Blok M shopping area, in opposition to the opening of a nearby Carrefour supermarket Friday.

Nethy Dharma Somba, Jayapura – Some 160 former members of the Free Papua Organization (OPM) declared their allegiance to the Republic of Indonesia at a ceremony on Thursday attended by Coordinating Minister for the People's Welfare Aburizal Bakrie.

Adianto P. Simamora, Jakarta – Political activists warned voter turnout in the 2009 elections could be less than 60 percent, mainly because of inadequate preparations by the General Elections Commission (KPU) and growing public apathy.

Jakarta – State Minister for National Development Planning Paskah Suzetta helped cover up the disbursement of Bank Indonesia funds to members of the House of Representatives, a former BI official said Wednesday.

Aditya Suharmoko, Jakarta – Despite pressure from high inflation and the upward trend in the Bank Indonesia (BI) benchmark interest rate, bank loans managed to grow at 13.8 percent in the first half of the year from 2007, BI data show.

BI's full-year lending growth target stands at 24.6 percent.

During the era of Suharto's New Order regime, People's Democratic Party (PRD) activists were very popular. The socialist based organisation was known as a group of young people who resisted Suharto. During the era of reformasi however, they have been unable to find a place for themselves and remain unpopular.

Bernarda Rurit, Yogyakarta – The Home Affairs Department has cancelled 968 of 6,500 regional regulations and draft regulations made by regional governments throughout Indonesia.

Abdul Khalik, Jakarta – Prosecutors will seek the death sentence for Maj. Gen. (ret) Muchdi Purwoprandjono if he is found guilty of involvement in the murder of human rights activist Munir Said Thalib, the Attorney General's Office (AGO) said Wednesday.

Fery Firmansyah, Jakarta – Six protest actions are scheduled to inundate the main streets of the capital today, Thursday August 7. In order not to be caught in traffic, road users are advised to avoid sections of road that will be used by protesters.

Adianto P. Simamora, Jakarta – A government environmental report praising some of the country's biggest polluters will lead to further deterioration of the environmental situation, according to green groups.

Rizal Harahap and Suherdjoko, Pekanbaru, Semarang – Forest fires have broken out in several places in Riau and Central Java provinces over the past few weeks, as this year's dry season hots up.

Jakarta – Hundreds of Betawi Brotherhood Forum (FBR) members rallied in front of the Senayan City shopping mall Tuesday to demand the restoration of rights to the land on which the mall stands.

Andreas D. Arditya, Jakarta – One former and two active lawmakers were grilled Tuesday by the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) for their alleged roles in a scandal involving the central bank in 2003, while another ex-legislator failed to show up.

Washington – The East Timor and Indonesia Action Network (ETAN) today congratulated U.S. congress members for their letter to Indonesian president, Dr. H. Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono urging him to work for the "immediate and unconditional" release of West Papuan political prisoners Filep Karma and Yusak Pakage.

Desy Nurhayati, Jakarta – The move by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to retain two ministers implicated in a major corruption case drew mixed reactions from political analysts here Tuesday.

Dian Kuswandini, Jakarta – Indonesia has seen regime changes, but the tyranny of capital has always determined the road to power, with the democratic process benefiting only the wealthy groups at the expense of the poor majority, political experts said Tuesday.

Titis Setianingtyas, Jakarta – Andi Widjajanto, a military and intelligence observer from the University of Indonesia, has said that the Indonesian intelligence agency still works in an old fashioned way after 10 years of reform.

Abdul Khalik – Former president Megawati Soekarnoputri and her Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) would sweep to victory in both the legislative and the first-round presidential elections if they were held today, a new survey suggests.

Andreas D. Arditya, Jakarta – State Minister for National Development Planning Paskah Suzetta has been implicated for the second time in as many weeks in the alleged misappropriation of Rp 100 billion (US$10.9 million) of Bank Indonesia funds.

Nethy Dharma Somba, Jayapura – At least 3,000 people mobilized by the Papuan Christian Communication Forum staged a rally in Jayapura on Monday, questioning the functioning of the special autonomy law.

They claimed the law had been in force for seven years, but that most indigenous Papuan people had not seen any improvement in their welfare.

Lindsay Murdoch, Darwin – An offer by a notorious Jakarta gangster to develop the site of a refugee camp in Dili has been accepted by the East Timor Government.

Laurencius Simanjuntak, Jakarta – Actions by residents articulating their aspirations will compliment the hustle and bustle of Jakarta and nearby Tangerang today, Tuesday August 5.

According to data from the Metro Jaya regional police Traffic Management Centre, five protest actions will be held in Jakarta and one in Tangerang.

Jakarta – Hundreds of white-clad Muslim hardliners took to the streets of the Indonesian capital Monday to demand the government ban a minority Islamic sect branded "deviant" by top clerics.

Henry Saragih, Jakarta – Talks on the World Trade Organization's (WTO) Doha Round have collapsed. With figures on the table for agriculture, non-agricultural market access (NAMA) and services, there are still many issues that need to be examined.

Abdul Khalik, Jakarta – A letter sent by Forestry Minister Malam Sambat Ka'ban to the police to defend convicted illegal logger Adelin Lis should prompt the KPK to summon him for questioning, civil society groups said Sunday.