Luhur Hertanto, Jakarta – The People's Representative Assembly (DPR) is free express its strident opposition to the Helsinki meetings but the government will not end the meetings which are aimed at reaching an agreement with the Free Aceh Movement (GAM). The government denies that these meetings represent an effort to internationalise the Aceh issue.

Carol Goar – Her house is uninhabitable. Her town has been reduced to rubble. She has lost relatives and friends. Yet Evi Zain dares to believe that good will come of the tsunami that devastated Aceh province five months ago.

Jakarta – The Human Rights Working Group (HRWG), a coalition of non-government organisations who are active in the field of human rights monitoring, are calling on the TNI (armed forces) so submit to and comply with policies issued by the civilian government, particularly policies seeking a peaceful or negotiated settlement to the Aceh conflict.

Indonesia and the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) rebel group narrowed their differences when they concluded on Tuesday their fourth round of informal talks aimed at seeking enduring peace in Aceh. Both sides also agreed to resume negotiations in July, before a peace deal, if there is to be one, is struck.

Tony Hotland, Jakarta – After years of diminishing hope and frustration, the National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) said on Thursday it was set to question several military and police top brass over the abduction of pro-democracy activists ahead of former president Soeharto's fall in 1998.

Jakarta – The government is being urged to end negotiations with the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) because they are not producing any benefits and are even damaging Indonesia's interests because of the involvement of foreign parties in the negotiations.

Jakarta – Hundreds of people were caught in an identity card crackdown on Thursday morning in the subdistricts of Senen, Bungur, Kramat and Paseban in Central Jakarta.

"The operation was held to remind residents to obtain valid identity cards," an official at the City Population and Civil Registration Agency, Rosyik Muhammad, was quoted as saying by Antara.

An Indonesian prison chief and one of his inmates, believed to be a government official sentenced for graft, have been charged over a bombing on Sulawesi island that killed 21 people, police said.

Jakarta – Irked by rampant cases of rape, sexual assault and abuse, the government will launch a campaign next month to combat pornography and indecency, with children and youth being the target.

The plan comes despite the fact that the definition of pornography remains debatable in the predominantly Muslim nation.

Indonesia – About 60 Acehnese students who failed the national final examination protested outside the Aceh Education Office on Saturday, the first student protest in the province since the government lifted the state of civil emergency there in May.

Anton Aliabbas, Jakarta – On Friday June 3, the People's Representative Assembly (DPR) sent a letter of protest to President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono. The DPR is asking the government not to continue negotiations with the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) in Helsinki, Finland.

Hera Diani, Jakarta – The government made the commissioning of an environmental impact analysis mandatory for all major projects 20 years ago. However, corruption has once again prevented the original good intentions from bearing fruit, and pollution and environmental destruction are now worse than ever.

Kornelius Purba – Why is Indonesia so similar to a personal computer? Because most PCs have Intel Inside, and there is rarely a place in Indonesia that has not been infiltrated by the intelligence network inside.

Scott Burchill – From an Australian perspective there have always been two separate relationships with Indonesia. The first, between the political elites in Canberra and Jakarta, has been warm and stable since Soeharto's rise to power, with only a couple of exceptions.

Becky Lipscombe, Lampuuk – Lampuuk was virtually destroyed in the 26 December tsunami Five months after the earthquake and tsunami that devastated large parts of the Indonesian province of Aceh, the village of Lampuuk is still struggling to get back on its feet.

Following comments from East Timor's PM, Mari Alkatiri, that further negotiations would be required to iron out details in a proposed resource sharing arrangement with Australia, the Timor Sea Justice Campaign (TSJC) has accused Australia's Foreign Minister, Alexander Downer, of attempting to 'steam roll' the impoverished nation.

Jakarta – With the advent of the low season, the number of foreign tourists arriving through Indonesia's 13 main entry points fell by almost 4 percent in April, after rising by more than 11 percent in March, the Central Statistics Agency (BPS) reported on Wednesday.

A biological attack on Indonesia's embassy in Canberra has damaged Australia's standing among Indonesians, Prime Minister John Howard said, but he downplayed the threat it posed to the countries' attempts to rebuild their often fraught ties.

Darwin – The last of Australia's troops are preparing to leave East Timor as the peacekeeping operation winds down.

Australia's national commander in East Timor Lieutenant Colonel Brian Cox said 70 Australian army, navy and air force troops left Dili earlier this week.

A further 45 would return home to Australia in coming weeks.

Zakki P. Hakim, Jakarta – The robust demand for coal, ore, slag, ash and furniture have helped Indonesia's exports rise by 31.12 percent to US$26.63 billion for the first four months of 2005, from $20.31 billion in the same period last year.

Jakarta – Human rights activists have urged the police to detain former intelligence chief A.M. Hendropriyono for what they called "attempts to avoid investigation" in connection with the death of rights champion Munir last year.

Lisbon – Prime Minister Mari Alkatiri said Thursday that the resolution last month of the dispute between his government and East Timor's powerful Catholic Church opens the door for debate in Timorese society on sensitive issues such as abortion and prostitution.

Tiarma Siboro and Tony Hotland, Jakarta – Peace talks with Aceh rebel leaders are unlikely to bring any significant changes to the long-standing conflict in the tsunami-ravaged province unless the government accepts two key demands raised in Finland, an Acehnese sociologist says.

Jakarta – Talks to end a separatist rebellion in Aceh Province are stirring hopes for peace after three decades of violence, but experts say the optimism looks misplaced.

Achmad Sukarsono, Jakarta – Indonesians on Borneo island voted in landmark elections on Wednesday, choosing local leaders for the first time in a process that symbolises the final devolution of authority from the once all-powerful central government.

On 26 May, an Indonesian court passed gross prison sentences against two young West Papuans for organising peaceful celebrations and flying the Morning Star flag in the provincial capital, Jayapura, on 1 December last year.

Jakarta – The Constitutional Court ruled on Tuesday against a possibility for independent candidates to contest regional elections, saying it would discourage efforts to help political parties mature.

M. Rizal Maslan, Jakarta – Non-government organisation (NGO) activists have condemned the former chief of the National Intelligence Agency (BIN) AM Hendropriyono's attack on the Munir Fact Finding Team (TPF). They believe that Hendropriyono is only seeking to sensationalise the issue and distract public attention from the case.

Tony Hotland, Jakarta – Opposition bloc in the House of Representatives was dealt a major blow as the legislative body voted on Tuesday against creating two special committees to inquire into the government's controversial fuel price hike policy and the auctioning of illegal sugar.

Palu, Jakarta – Central Sulawesi Police announced on Tuesday that the bombings in the Christian town of Tentena that killed 21 people on Saturday were not carried out by suicide bombers.

There are now suspicions that the attack was aimed at diverting attention from a corruption scandal in Poso regency, Central Sulawesi.

Nationalist lawmakers on Wednesday slammed Indonesia's moves to make peace with rebels in Aceh province, saying they don't believe the guerrillas intend to drop their separatist goals despite their latest talks with the government.

Finnish mediators are to draw up an outline of a long-sought peace deal between Aceh separatists and the Indonesian government after winding up a fresh round of talks, they said.

Bandar Lampung – Ten police officers were apprehended by Lampung Police's crime and security team in a raid on a drug party at a cafe in Tulusrejo village, Pekalongan district in East Lampung on Monday.

Jakarta – The government campaign for the use of unleaded gasoline nationwide is facing a major obstacle as state oil and gas company Pertamina says the program targets are currently beyond its capacity.

Tony Hotland and Tiarma Siboro, Jakarta – Former National Intelligence Agency (BIN) chief Gen. (ret) A.M. Hendropriyono has further displayed his aversion to a fact-finding team set up by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to probe the death of human rights activist Munir, and equivocated as to whether he would fulfill a summons from the team.

Washington DC – The eradication of acts of corruption in Indonesia continued to be the main topic on the agenda during the visit by Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to the USA.

Dean Yates – Indonesia's intelligence and police services came under criticism on Tuesday after twin bomb attacks in a Christian town over the weekend, with some calls for the sacking of the police chief.

Indonesian police say they suspect a gang of agitators behind a string of attacks across sectarian violence-hit eastern islands may be responsible for a weekend bombing that killed 21 people.

Jakarta – A number of non-government organisations (NGOs) are asking police to investigate the relationship between the recent bombing in Poso, Central Sulawesi, and indications of corruption of humanitarian aid for Poso refugees.

Jerry Norton, Samahani – Standing ankle-deep in the muddy rice paddy he is working with a wooden-handled hoe, Abdullah, 56, said after three decades of fighting between the Indonesian government and Acehnese rebels, he had had enough.

Damar Harsanto, Jakarta – Factions in the City Council Monday have given a thumbs-down to Governor Sutiyoso's accountability speech, saying that his administration had failed to reach its 2004 targets and that it was trying to cover up its failures.

Nani Afrida, Banda Aceh – While many take peace for granted, for the Acehnese it is a treasured, yet elusive goal, reflected in the mixed reactions to the ongoing dialog between the government and the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) in Helsinki, Finland.

The pro-independence movement in the war-torn Indonesian province of Aceh expressed optimism on peace moves, a day before an EU delegation was to add weight to negotiations in Finland.

Jose Ramos-Horta – I want to clarify where negotiations now stand between Canberra and Dili regarding the wealth lying beneath the Timor Sea. There has been too much speculation, sometimes partially accurate, sometimes way off the mark.

Canberra – The long-awaited, multi-billion dollar oil and gas deal between Australia and East Timor will soon be presented to cabinet for a final tick of approval.

Foreign Minister Alexander Downer said all major elements of the deal had been agreed by both countries, but some last minute fine tuning was needed.

Michael Casey – Former President Clinton said Monday he favored easing restrictions on sales of military equipment to Indonesia, maintaining that America should do all it can to help it rebuild after the tsunami.

Mark Dodd – Fears have been raised for the safety of scores of witnesses to the atrocities committed against East Timor's final struggle for independence in 1999 as the UN unit responsible for investigating human rights abuses wraps up its work.

Yuliawati, Jakarta – The former chief of the National Intelligence Agency (BIN), A.M. Hendropriyono has lodged a complaint against the Fact Finding Team (TPF) in the Munir case with the People's Representative Assembly (DPR). He is questioning the work of the TPF which was formed by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.

Sunariah, Jakarta – Two members of the Fact Finding Team (TPF), Rachland Nasidik and Usman Hamid say they regret the actions of the former chief of the National Intelligence Agency (BIN), Hendropriyono, who has lodged a complaint against the team with the police on the grounds that they have besmirched his good name.

Ahmad Dani, Jakarta – The National Intelligence Agency (BIN) doesn't need to get into a panic over recent developments in the investigation into Munir's death because it is still uncertain whether BIN is involved in the death of the human rights activist.