Nivell Rayda – The Ministry of Justice and Human Rights is planning to double Indonesia's prison capacity to battle overcrowding in its facilities, the minister said in an annual address on Tuesday.

Muh Syaifullah/Pito A. Rudiana, Yogyakarta – The 1998 activists grouped in the Benteng Kedaulatan (Sovereignty Fort) prefer to support Bugiakso, the grandson of National Hero General Sudirman, rather than Sultan Hamengku Buwono X.

Jakarta – Political parties participating in the 2009 general election are barred from recruiting children for their political campaigns and other political activities on the field and in commercials, Elections Supervisory Body (Bawaslu) chairman said Tuesday.

Markus Makur, Timika – PT Freeport Indonesia (FI), a gold and copper mining company operating in Mimika regency, Papua, is cutting costs despite a workers union protest in response to the global economic crisis and the falling price of copper.

Dicky Christanto, Jakarta – New Year has brought no change to the House of Representatives, which is struggling to fight its chronic problem of absenteeism, despite mounting legislative work in the final nine months of its term.

Jakarta – Over a million Indonesians will lose their jobs in the global economic downturn and many will head to the capital, Jakarta, swelling the city's already overcrowded shanty towns with potential to provoke a crime wave, experts told Adnkronos International (AKI).

Jakarta – A citizen group has criticized the general election commission (KPU) and its Jakarta chapter (KPUD) for having a regulation that keeps the public in the dark regarding their registration as voters.

Under the 2008 general elections law, the final list of voters (DPT) is only available to legislative member and political party candidates.

Departing from a contentious Constitutional Court ruling on the allocation of legislative seats, the General Elections Commission (KPU) has suggested political parties award one of three seats won in an electoral district to a female candidate. The KPU has even suggested asking the President for support through a governmental decree to ensure the measure is enacted.

Adianto P. Simamora, Jakarta – The Constitutional Court (MK) claims a proposal by the General Elections Commission (KPU) to award seats to female candidates regardless of votes is a constitutional violation.

David Fogarty – Indonesia has delayed releasing complete regulations on using carbon credits to protect rainforests, preferring to fine-tune rules that could earn the country billions of dollars and curb the pace of climate change.

Riyadi Suparno, Jakarta – President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has learned the lesson the easy way. When he cut fuel prices twice in December, his popularity rose sharply – and so did that of his Democratic Party (PD).

[The following is an English translation of a statement issued by an ad-hoc coalition of Timor-Leste NGOs at a Dili press conference on 19 January 2009. The Tetum original and a photo, are available at http://www.laohamutuk.org/War/09PalestineStmt.htm.]

Jakarta – Dozens of members from the Legal Aid and Human Rights Association (PBHI) and the Solidarity for Civilian Victims of Gaza organization staged a rally Sunday at the Hotel Indonesia traffic circle in Jakarta, demanding US president-elect Barack Obama help end Israeli attacks.

Robin McDowell, Tanjung Puting National Park, Indonesia – Hoping to unravel the mysteries of human origin, anthropologist Louis Leakey sent three young women to Africa and Asia to study our closest relatives: It was chimpanzees for Jane Goodall, mountain gorillas for Dian Fossey and the elusive, solitary orangutans for Birute Mary Galdikas.

Markus Junianto Sihaloho – Security officials in Papua have claimed that a clash on Friday between a police unit and members of the Free Papua Movement, or OPM, in Tingginambut, Puncak Jaya district, confirmed the continued presence of armed separatists in the province.

[Indonesia is bracing for the return of hundreds of thousands of 'tenaga kerja Indonesia' as the economic crisis sets in. Amy Chew, Siti Nurbaiyah Nadzmi and Santha Oorjitham explore the impact on both Indonesia and Malaysia, where foreigners make up about 20 per cent of the workforce.]

Peter Gelling, Jakarta – That it is probably the worst time in history to start a daily newspaper is not, at least for the moment, on the minds of the people behind The Jakarta Globe.

Wahyoe Boediwardhana, Malang, East Java – The Constitutional Court ruling that requires political parties to assign legislative seats to aspirants who win the most votes gives enough room for female candidates to secure political jobs, a major party leader says.

Adianto P. Simamora, Jakarta – Vice President Jusuf Kalla has strongly denied any political motives behind ongoing legal actions against government critics ahead of the elections.

Desy Nurhayati, Jakarta – Former top spy Muchdi Purwopranjono has confronted supporters of the assassinated Munir Said Thalib, saying he felt humiliated for being called "a killer" even though he was acquitted for the 2004 murder of the noted human rights activist.

Erwida Maulia, Jakarta – Harifin A. Tumpa, who turns 67 next month, will be the next chief of the Supreme Court, a role many had hoped would be filled by a younger leader who could instill reform.

Jakarta – A grenade exploded in front of a hotel in Peunayong in the Aceh capital of Banda Aceh on Friday at approximately 6:00 a.m. Friday, immolating one car and damaging two others but injuring noone.

Andra Wisnu, Bali – The Constitutional Court's decision to allow candidates with the most votes to claim seats has triggered internal conflicts in parties, an official stated.

Anthony Deutsch, Jakarta – Indonesia Islamic hard-liners enraged by Israel's assault on the Gaza Strip marched to the synagogue's gates chanting, "Go to hell Israel!"

The only Jewish religious site in the world's most populous Muslim state – which has no rabbi and only a few followers – then closed its doors.

Abdul Khalik, Jakarta – With the legislative elections fast approaching, most House of Representatives members have begun campaigning in their respective electoral districts, leaving dozens of crucial bills untouched in Jakarta.

Irawaty Wardany, Jakarta – The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) won praises from many circles last year for its role in sending several high profile figures to jail.

The anticorruption agency helped indite senior prosecutor Urip Tri Gunawan and Bank Indonesia senior officials, among them former governor Burhanuddin Abdullah.

Mark Dodd – An urgent search is under way in East Timor for $13.3 million that was allocated to various government ministries but is unaccounted for, amid growing corruption concerns.

News of the missing millions is a severe embarrassment to the Gusmao Government, which is heavily dependent on aid from the UN and foreign donors, of which Australia is one of its biggest.

Manila – East Timor President Jose Ramos-Horta said here Thursday he opposes putting Indonesian soldiers on trial for human rights abuses carried out during the fight for independence.

Desy Nurhayati, Jakarta – Transjakarta pledged to work toward improving their service in response to passengers' criticisms on the deteriorating quality of the busway system.

Coordinating with NGO Indonesian Institute for Transportation and Development Policy (ITDP), the busway operator held a press conference Thursday to coincide with its fifth year of service.

Aditya Suharmoko, Jakarta – As the global economic crisis deepens, the government plans to take over tax liabilities normally paid by companies, to help maintain jobs.

Dicky Christanto, Jakarta – Hutomo "Tommy" Mandala Putra's Garnet investment company is set to recover 36 million euro in overseas bank savings after recently winning a court battle against the Indonesian government.

A report has found women in East Timor are 300 times more likely to die during childbirth than women in developed countries.

The UNICEF report shows that an East Timorese mother has a one in 35 chance of dying during childbirth. In neighbouring Australia the figure is one in more than 13,000.

Chazizah Gusnita, Jakarta – Thirty-four years after the Malari affair – short for The January 15 Disaster – a student actions opposing foreign capital, particularly Japanese capital on January 15, 2974, demands for the foreign debt to be written off are now being articulated again.

Jakarta – The National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) on Wednesday called on President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to order the Attorney General Office (AGO) to relaunch investigations into the country's "forgotten" human rights cases.

Merauke – Five Australians were sentenced Thursday to two to three years' jail for illegally landing a light plane in Indonesia's sensitive Papua province, thinking they could get visas on arrival.

Pilot William Scott-Bloxam was given three years while his four passengers received two years and were fined IDR25 million ($2,237) each.

Denpasar – Bali Police chief Insp. Gen. Ashikin Husein has urged tourists to wear suitable clothing when riding motorcycles or when not on the beaches to avoid violating social ethics.

Jakarta – Indonesia's central bank may ease regulations covering non-performing loans in order to make it easier for banks to increase their lending, a central bank deputy governor said this week, part of wider measure to spur growth.

Muliaman Hadad declined to give details of the possible revisions, as these are still being discussed by Bank Indonesia.

Frans H. Winarta, Jakarta – The withdrawal of testimony by a witness in a criminal proceeding often occurs without any reaction from the court. The panel of presiding judges rarely ask for the reasons for the reversal and fail to unveil the motive behind the withdrawal of testimony.

Jakarta – Defense Minister Juwono Sudarsono has asked for Rp 460 billion in extra funds to help the Indonesian Military (TNI) conduct operations related to maintaining territorial integrity.

Jakarta – A group of women candidates called on voters to show commitment to the election law that requires political parties to allocate at least 30 percent of their legislative seats to women.

Adianto P. Simamora, Jakarta – Religious intolerance is getting worse here, with state agencies, radical groups and community organizations involved in violations of freedom of faith and religion, according to a report released Tuesday.

Erwida Maulia, Jakarta – President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono underlined Tuesday the importance of a fifth amendment to the Constitution, while speaking to hundreds of veterans.

Amnesty International called today for the immediate and unconditional release of 11 Papuan protestors facing three years or more in prison merely because they displayed a banned flag.

The organization urged the Indonesian government to withdraw the 2007 government regulation that bans the display of separatist flags.

Desy Nurhayati, Jakarta – Experts have criticized the government for claiming they will continue to drive down unemployment and poverty rates despite data showing the global financial crisis is due to hit Indonesian industries hard and lead to mass layoffs.

Ary Hermawan, Jakarta – Indonesia, which became Southeast Asia's largest democracy when President Soeharto was ousted in 1998, maintained its status as a free country in 2008, according to a report released by a US-based international rights agency.

Matheos V. Messakh, Jakarta – Even though he still strives to be a political activist, Usman said Munir was the one who "dragged" him into campaigning for human rights in the first place.

Five Australians detained for illegally entering Indonesia's Papua province will find out on Thursday if they face extended jail terms.

Merauke District Court will hand down its decision following separate trials for pilot William Scott-Bloxam and his four Queensland passengers.

Agus Maryono, Purwokerto – Karmin, 40, seems happy as he chops dried bamboo poles which he later sells as firewood. Several of his assistants arrange and bind the chopped bamboo for sale.

The authorities in West Papua are making strenuous efforts to persuade a group of Papuans who launched a raid on a police post in Tingginambuh to return the weapons along with ammunition which they seized during the raid. Tingginambuh is located Poncak Jaya, in the Central Highlands.