Peter Gelling – The acquittal of a former deputy intelligence chief and military general of charges stemming from the 2004 murder of Indonesia's most celebrated human rights activist has again called into question the country's commitment to reforming its justice system.

Jakarta – Angry protests greeted the acquittal Wednesday of a former Indonesian intelligence official accused of killing a respected human rights activist four years ago.

Anthony Deutsch, Jakarta – A former Indonesian intelligence chief was cleared Wednesday of playing any role in the fatal mid-flight poisoning of the country's most prominent human rights activist and a symbol of defiance in the face of authoritarian rule.

Phillip Hudson – The Fraser government's controversial decision formally to recognise Jakarta's takeover of East Timor was based on the belief that the occupation was "irreversible" and made because influential Indonesians were losing patience with Australia's stand against it.

The government plans to sell shares in 30 state owned companies next year, most of them through the initial public offering (IPO) scheme, Deputy State Minister for State Enterprises Muhammad Yasin says. "Most of the firms will be privatized via an IPO, except those companies in which the government has only a small proportion of shares," said Yasin.

Erwida Maulia, Jakarta – Religious Affairs Minister Maftuh Basyuni admitted Tuesday to receiving money from the haj fund in an alleged graft case being investigated by the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK).

Abdul Khalik, Jakarta – In what has been hailed as a big step toward reforming the Indonesian Military (TNI), the House of Representatives and the government have agreed to allow civilian courts to try soldiers accused of criminal offenses.

But legal experts have criticized a disagreement over allowing the police to investigate TNI members for non-military crimes.

Desy Nurhayati, Jakarta – The Defense Ministry, in cooperation with the National Land Agency (BPN), aims to accelerate the certification of around 3.6 million square meters of land belonging to the ministry and the Indonesian Military (TNI).

Jakarta – Former top Indonesian spy Muchdi Purworandjono is set to return to the Great Indonesian Movement Party (Gerindra), in a comeback to politics following a court decision to free him from all murder-related charges.

Arlina Arshad, Jakarta – An Indonesian court on Wednesday cleared the former deputy head of the country's spy agency of masterminding the 2004 poisoning murder of human rights activist Munir Said Thalib.

Irawaty Wardany, Jakarta – Indonesia Corruption Watch (ICW) has called on the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) to make investigating the haj fund embezzlement scandal at the Religious Affairs Ministry its top priority.

Abdul Khalik, Jakarta – The Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) and the National Awakening Party (PKB) have been deemed the political organizations with the greatest commitment to human rights, while the Golkar Party and President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's Democratic Party are the least committed, a study has found.

Rizal Harahap, Pekanbaru – The National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas Ham) has concluded Riau Police officers committed rights abuses in their clash with residents of Seluk Bongkal hamlet, Pinggir district, Bengkalis regency, on Dec. 18.

Erwida Maulia, Jakarta – The chance of female legislative candidates securing seats in next year's elections is likely to shrink further with the recent ruling by the Constitutional Court on seat distribution in the House of Representatives.

Human rights groups raise concerns about witness tampering

Jakarta – Former Jakarta governor and presidential hopeful Sutiyoso said Monday three smaller political parties had pledged him their support in the upcoming presidential elections.

The three parties are the Prosperous Indonesian Party (PIS), Marhaenism Indonesian National Party (PNIM) and the Indonesian Workers and Employers Party (PPPI).

Jakarta – About 200 students and members of Muslim organizations staged a rally in front of the Sultan Ageng Tirtayasa University in Serang, Banten, on Monday to protest Israel's recent air strikes in Gaza.

Mark Dodd – East Timor has lashed out at a UN report that labels the country's police and judicial systems as dysfunctional.

A statement released by the Government in Dili at the weekend questioned the authenticity of the report and accused The Australian of waging a "campaign of disinformation" against Dili.

Obama's new intelligence chief ran interference for Indonesia's butchers

Desy Nurhayati, Jakarta – To prevent political parties from possible losses of votes at the 2009 legislative elections, the government is planning to issue a regulation-in-lieu-of-law on procedures to mark the ballot papers.

Ni Komang Erviani, Denpasar – Dozens of students followed their counterparts across the nation in protesting against the recently passed education legal entity law, claiming it will turn education centers into "business centers".

Dian Kuswandini, Jakarta – A poor approach to institutional change, along with discriminative responses to certain cases, is slowing down bureaucratic reform within the Attorney General's Office (AGO), critics warn.

The Commission for Public Prosecution (KK) has said the AGO's reform agenda, which kicked off in July this year, was nothing more than a fantasy.

Agus Maryono, Purbalingga – Around 1,000 state-school teachers in Purbalingga, Central Java, have protested against a cut in their certification allowance, to which they are entitled in full, by the local education agency.

Erwida Maulia,, Jakarta – Police came under fire Friday from lawmakers and activists for their decision to drop an investigation into 13 forestry companies accused of illegal logging activities in Riau province.

Hotli Simanjuntak – Thousands of Aceh residents held communal prayers in places of worship across the province on Friday as they honored the victims of the devastating 2004 tsunami that claimed hundreds of thousands of lives.

In Banda Aceh, prayers were held at Mesjid Raya Baiturrahman mosque.

Jakarta – There have been more than 1,140 cases of human rights' violations cases recorded in Jakarta this year, according to Jakarta Legal Aid Institute's 2008 report to be announced the public soon. The report recorded cases involving more than 40,000 victims.

Desy Nurhayati, Jakarta – Following the Constitutional Court's recent ruling that candidates with the most votes would get legislative seats, major parties have come up with different ways to distribute collected seats among their candidates contesting the 2009 elections.

Mark Dodd – Australia is poised to take a bigger role in the training of East Timor's police force, described in a UN report as beset with "tremendous institutional gaps", weakly managed and lacking a budget.

Aditya Suharmoko, Jakarta – Approaching the year's end, the rupiah seems stable at around 11,000 per US dollar, after a wild volatility in the past months – but it may slightly depreciate entering 2009 as investors buy dollars to pay for their previous transactions.

Tom Allard, Jakarta – Indonesia looms large in the Australian psyche as a dysfunctional country, besieged by natural disasters, financial crises, terrorist attacks and political and social unrest.

Survey the past year though, and what stands out is that this sprawling archipelago of 240 million people has suffered no such calamities.

Bandung, West Java – Deputy chairman of the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK), Mochamad Jasin, said Tuesday that the body's strict grip on graft cases has forced corruptors to change their tactics.

Jasin said corruptors now evade KPK investigators by reducing electronic transactions as well as meeting in person instead of using mobile phones.

Jakarta – The Indonesian Military (TNI) has dismissed doubts cast over its promise of neutrality in the 2009 elections Thursday.

TNI spokesman Rear Marshal Sagom Tamboen said in a press statement the military had proven its non-partisan policy during the regional elections and would maintain it in the legislative and presidential elections.

Dozens West Aceh citizens staged a rally Friday marking the fourth anniversary of the tsunami to demand the government organize the reconstruction of the devastated areas in the province more equitably.

Jakarta – Rights group Amnesty International urged Indonesian police Wednesday to investigate a crackdown on protesting villagers in which hundreds of houses were destroyed in Riau.

Yuli Tri Suwarni, Bandung – The support for female candidates from political parties for next year's general elections is very small, activists and politicians say.

Irawaty Wardany, Jakarta – Women politicians have been dealt a serious blow ahead of next year's legislative elections, after the Constitutional Court ruled that candidates winning the most votes would secure seats in legislatures.

Agnes Winarti, Bekasi – The 2004 ruling against prostitution in Bekasi may have noble intentions but only targets sex workers while allowing pimps and clients get away. An official in Bekasi responsible for combating the sex trade said the measure had still been effective in wiping out the "social disease" of prostitution.

Irawaty Wardany, Jakarta – Democracy looks certain to prevail in next year's legislative election after the Constitutional Court ruled on Tuesday that seats in the nation's legislatures would go to the candidates who secured the most votes.

Desy Nurhayati, Jakarta – The impacts of the global financial crisis should not be politicized to attack the incumbent government in the upcoming general elections, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono warned.

Yudhoyono said the crisis and its impact on the country had drawn public comments, some of which were "incorrect and being politicized".

Adianto P. Simamora, Jakarta – Political surveys have become a lucrative business ahead of next year's elections with reputable marketing firm Markplus Inc. putting its recent study on voters' behavior up for sale to political parties.

Jakarta – Companies in Indonesia will have shed 40,000 jobs by the end of 2008 as a result of the global financial crisis, a government minister said Tuesday.

Purwokerto – Hundreds of students at Jenderal Soedirman University (Unsoed) in Purwokerto, Central Java, staged a rally and blocked the rectorate building on Tuesday, demanding the rector cancel the recently introduced Association of Students Parents (POM) payment.

Ika Krismantari, Jakarta Post – In a clear sign of a slowdown, investment in the country's industrial sector is forecast to drop by 18 percent this year, from a year earlier, with a further decline expected next year as the impact of the global economic downturn peaks.

Erwida Maulia, Jakarta – Defense Minister Juwono Sudarsono has promised the families of victims of the Talangsari massacre and the late 1990s activist abductions that he will bring the cases to a meeting between senior officials responsible for security affairs.

A respected newspaper in East Timor has been charged with defamation over a series of stories it published accusing the country's Justice Minister of corruption, collusion and nepotism. The newspaper's director, Jose Belo, says he's prepared to go to jail to defend his publication.

Presenter: Stephanie March

Dili – East Timor's president and the United Nations played down reports Wednesday that the tiny Asian nation was staggering under the weight of social and economic problems and on the brink of chaotic unrest.

Desy Nurhayati, Jakarta – Indonesia has suffered major setbacks in upholding religious freedom and tolerance, enshrined in the Constitution, as evident in a series of attacks on pluralism, a year-end discussion heard Tuesday.

Mustaqim Adamrah, Jakarta – The footwear industry may earn zero profits in the second quarter of next year as the global economic downturn has severely affected overseas consumer purchasing power, forcing local manufacturers to cut profit margins in a bid to remain competitive.