Muninggar Sri Saraswati – Shariah-inspired laws have increased discrimination against women, a new report by the National Commission for the Protection of Women, or Komnas Perempuan, indicates.

The report, released during a discussion at the Constitutional Court building on Monday, covered bylaws issued by 69 district and municipal administrations in 21 provinces.

Jayapura – Over a thousand people rallied in Jayapura, the capital of Papua province, on Tuesday demanding a referendum on independence from Indonesia and rejecting the forthcoming elections, a Reuters witness said.

Independence activists in resources-rich Papua, on the western half of New Guinea island, have waged a campaign to separate from Indonesia for decades.

Jakarta – Indonesia's military denied Tuesday a disclosure by US mining giant Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold Inc. (FCX) that the company pays for soldiers to guard a massive gold and copper mine in the Papua region.

Panca Nugraha, Jakarta/Mataram – Student groups have called on the government and the General Elections Commission (KPU) for more transparency over the real condition of their preparations for the upcoming legislative elections.

Jakarta – The National Commission on Violence Against Women has urged all stakeholders in the upcoming legislative election to stop the ongoing intimidation and gender discrimination against women – especially women legislative candidates.

Jakarta – The first week of the open campaign period saw many political parties rely on old strategies to address the different challenges facing them in the general elections.

It was the undisputed king of dangdut, Rhoma Irama, who managed to draw a huge crowd to an election rally hosted by the United Development Party (PPP) last week.

The United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination is "concerned" about the Indonesian government's failure to respect the rights of indigenous people in their own forests and the increasing conflict between local people and palm oil plantations.

Desy Nurhayati, Jakarta – The National Commission on Violence against Women has called for a vote of no confidence against political parties that exploit religious issues for their interests.

Patrick Guntensperger, Jakarta – With its crumbling infrastructure, lack of a reliable mass transit system, and labyrinthine urban geography, Indonesia's capital of Jakarta was already plagued with some of the worst traffic conditions in the world.

Christian Motte & Fidelis E. Satriastanti – Indonesian authorities in Papua Province on Tuesday detained four Dutch journalists for reporting on a pro-independence demonstration in the provincial capital Jayapura, a journalist association said.

Banda Aceh/Jakarta – Police in Aceh on Monday were still investigating the latest violent incident ahead of the April elections, while a noted research group said the underlying problem – a "growing distrust" between former elements of Aceh's separatist group and the Indonesian Military – must be addressed.

Alfian, Jakarta – As the legislative election is around the corner, the Islamic-based Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) is dealing with two biggest challenges; maintaining its clean image and winning the hearts of majority Indonesian secular voters.

Jakarta – The signing of the Aceh peace accord in 2005 has not freed the province from violence involving former rebels, as reports of attacks continue to escalate ahead of the general elections.

A recent report revealed that at least 16 people were killed in a series of attacks by unidentified gunmen between December 2008 and February 2009.

Nurdin Hasan – In a major review of its education system, Aceh's provincial government has started looking to integrate Shariah-based values into the curriculum, testing subjects such as Koran recitation alongside improved information technology and English courses.

Jeffrey A. Winters, Evanston, Illinois – What began as a localized case of electoral fraud in East Java's gubernatorial elections has now exploded into a scandal potentially reaching to the highest levels in Jakarta.

Jakarta – US-based mining giant Freeport McMoRan (FCX) is paying Indonesian troops to protect a large gold and copper mine in Papua, despite regulations requiring the military to hand over to police.

Aditya Suharmoko, Jakarta – Indonesia is unlikely to follow the path taken by regional peers to allow the local currency to fall against the dollar to make exports more competitive amid slumping global demand: BI official says.

Kafil Yamin – A group representing about 60 pharmacy owners in North and Central Jakarta has lodged a complaint with city police, claiming to have been blackmailed by a rogue police officers for almost a year.

Markus Junianto Sihaloho – Despite its withdrawal from practical politics, the military remains one of the most powerful political institutions in the country, and questions on whether it will return to practical politics always arise during elections.

Pagaralam, South Sumatra – A beauty contest for transvestites has become the Indonesian Ulema Council's (MUI) latest target.

The contest was held Saturday by a local legislative body leader contesting another term in the April 9 elections, at Nandagung City Hall in Pagaralam, South Sumatra.

Putri Prameshwari – In the latest move by a local government to adopt regulations inspired by Shariah Law, a district in East Java Province has reportedly banned public elementary school students from going to junior high school until they have read the entire Koran.

Tom Allard, Jakarta – A co-founder of the outlawed Papuan independence movement, Nicolaas Jouwe, has returned to his homeland after more than 45 years in exile, calling for a new dialogue to resolve continuing separatist conflict in the resource-rich area but pointedly declining to recognise Indonesian sovereignty over the territory.

Jambi – Jambi has been seeing a rising number of layoffs in the province since early this year, due to the continued fallout from the global economic crisis.

The provincial transmigration and manpower agency recorded that during January and February, nearly 500 workers had been dismissed, not including those put on temporary leave for the same reasons.

Nethy Dharma Somba, Jayapura – Co-founder of the Free Papua Movement (OPM) Nicholas Jouwe arrived back in his homeland of Papua on Sunday after more than 40 years in exile abroad.

He received a warm welcome from families and communities, but at the same time protesters from a pro-independence group were present who opposed his having changed his position.

Markus Junianto Sihaloho & Agencies – The military on Monday denied a report that it had received illegal protection payments from US mining giant Freeport McMoran in Papua Province, saying that it was no longer in charge of security in the area.

Lilian Budianto, Jakarta – Civil groups in Southeast Asia urged the region's governments at a meeting in Kuala Lumpur on Friday to include more protection in the mandate for ASEAN's new human rights body, in an effort to buck the rights slide in the 42-year-old bloc.

Anthony Deutsch, Jakarta – Tension in Indonesia's formerly war-torn province of Aceh has escalated ahead of April's parliamentary elections, with 16 people killed and dozens of buildings and cars damaged in recent months, monitoring groups said Monday.

Aubrey Belford, Jakarta – A former Indonesian general running for the country's presidency has gone to unusual lengths to shake a bloody reputation for human rights abuse, by recruiting activists he kidnapped 11 years ago.

Patrick Guntensperger, Jakarta – Indonesia is in a heightened state of political confusion as national legislative and presidential elections approach.

Dicky Christanto, Jakarta – National Police chief Gen. Bambang Hendarso Danuri said Friday an investigation into allegations of voter list manipulation in last year's East Java gubernatorial election was underway.

Despite an earlier assessment that the investigation lacked evidence, the police chief said the force would complete the evidence.

Jakarta – Minister of Religious Affairs Maftuh Basyuni reprimanded religious leaders Friday for using religion to get or discourage votes for certain parties.

Jayapura – Papua Police has offered a Rp 10 million (US$900) cash reward for the capture of any of the Free Papua Movement (OPM) members responsible for the outbreak of violence in Puncak Jaya regency.

Markus Makur, Jakarta – Top figures from various tribes in Papua, including a number of tribe chiefs, are fighting for legislative seats.

They are campaigning for legislative seats as members of political parties contesting in the April 9 elections, sending signals that native Papuans want to be involved in the country's thriving democracy.

Desy Nurhayati, Jakarta – A survey released Thursday found that more than 50 percent of voters have not yet decided which party they will vote for in the upcoming election.

The high number of undecided voters – while presenting parties with the opportunity to garner last-minute support – will also increase the likelihood of money politics, observers have warned.

Jakarta – A decade after it was established in 1998 by key reform figure Amien Rais and other academics seeking to form a reformist government, the National Mandate Party (PAN) seems to have lost its political orientation under the leadership of greenhorn politician-turned-businessman Soetrisno Bachir.

Erwida Maulia, Jakarta – Nicolas Jouwe, cofounder of the Free Papua Movement (OPM) has arrived in Jakarta after 40 years exile in the Netherlands to renounce the restive province's indepen-dence struggle, officials here said Thursday.

Irawaty Wardany, Jakarta – The Supreme Court has ordered judges not to send drug addicts to prison any more, instead they should be put in rehabilitation centers.

The nation's top court also issued an edict that the Attorney General's Office (AGO) make clear deadlines for death-row convicts to make appeals, to reduce uncertainties.

Jakarta – Indonesians should prepare for the worst as the global economy looks set to slide further over the next few years, economists and alumni from the association of the National Resilience Institute (Lemhannas) have warned.

Desy Nurhayati, Jakarta – Islamic parties might not be able to secure a significant number of votes in this year's legislative elections as the parties have been abandoned by supporters because of internal problems, analysts said Wednesday.

Jakarta – The co-founder of a Papuan rebel group fighting to split from Indonesia has returned after more than 40 years in exile to renounce the independence struggle, officials said Thursday.

Jakarta – Nearly two dozen Greenpeace activists were forcibly dragged away by security guards Thursday while protesting the destruction of Indonesia's forests by one of the country's largest palm oil companies, witnesses said.

Indah Setiawati and Alit Kertaraharja, Denpasar – An estimated 60,000 children in Southeast Asia are being exploited to work in a multimillion dollar of commercial sexual businesses, a reality that also occurs in many other countries, a seminar was told Wednesday.

Jakarta – For young contenders like Eko Budiantara, the upcoming elections will serve more as a test-run for the 2014 polls than a chance to win a seat.

Alfian, Jakarta – The chances for an unprecedented meeting between President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and his predecessor Megawati Soekarnoputri look less likely, with both leaders at ideological loggerheads.

Alfian, Jakarta – Claims of massive fraud in the recent East Java gubernatorial election have raised the issue of the credibility of the April polls, coming days after the resignation of the investigating police chief.

Desy Nurhayati – With the exception of several major parties and one or two new parties, most parties contesting in the April 9 legislative elections do not have a strategy to woo voters, nor do they have programs to offer voters, a new survey has found.

Halida Hatta, daughter of Muhammad Hatta, the co-founding father of Indonesia, remembers her father's words: Politics is dirty, but politics can be the only way to improve people's lives.

Jakarta – Around 300 people displaced by the Lapindo mudflow disaster in Sidoarjo, East Java, in 2006 returned to the State Palace on Wednesday for another protest.

They demanded payment for the destruction of property from the mudflow, caused by the exploration for oil and gas by PT Lapindo Brantas.

Meidyatama Suryodiningrat, Jakarta – Once considered a threat by some, political Islam is now under threat. Come April 9, Islamic parties may find themselves impaled by their own expectations.

Wahyoe Boediwardhana, Malang – Hundreds of companies in Malang regency have yet to pay their workers based on the new minimum wage as required under the 2009 regency/municipal minimum wage scheme (UMK) set out by the provincial administration of Rp 954,500 (US$87) per month, an official said Tuesday.