Usman Hamid, Jakarta – 2009 will be the year of politics – electoral politics to be precise. Thus, when one attempts to speculate on the human rights situation next year, the result will probably take a very political slant.

Kuala Lumpur – Timor Leste, which witnessed assassination attempts against its president and prime minister February this year, is now making good progress in the development of the country, said its Vice-Prime Minister Jose Luiz Guterres.

Jakarta – Seputar Indonesia has named President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono the winner of the "People of the Year" award in politics.

The general manager of the daily newspaper, Hary Tanoesoedibjo, presented the award at the Presidential Palace on Monday.

Jakarta – House of Representatives Speaker Agung Laksono has expressed concern that the number of lawmakers attending plenary sessions and meetings will decrease due to their tight schedules ahead of the legislative elections.

"I am afraid the House's meetings will be empty or just attended by a few lawmakers," he told reporters in Jakarta on Monday.

Desy Nurhayati, Jakarta – A nationwide community empowerment scheme for villages is causing trouble for the central government with many local administrations refusing to carry out the program, citing political and financial reasons.

Mustaqim Adamrah, Jakarta – The nation's most powerful business lobby group ended its national meeting on Monday with reelected chairman Mohamad Suleman Hidayat throwing his support behind President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's bid for a second term in office.

Adianto P. Simamora, Jakarta – The protection of human rights across Indonesia is expected to remain bleak next year because most political parties contesting the upcoming elections lack clear vision on human rights issues, a study shows.

Andra Wisnu, Denpasar – The Bali People's Component (KRB) organization has finished its draft judicial review of the recently signed anti-pornography law, the first legal challenge to the controversial measure.

Wasti Atmodjo, Denpasar – To coincide with Mother's Day on Monday, women legislative candidates from different political parties in Bali banded together to create the Inter-Party Women's Forum (FPLP) in the hope of increasing the political leverage of women.

Jakarta – Mitra Perempuan Women's Crisis Center reported Tuesday that 275 women came forward as victims of domestic violence this year. The women who had lodged their complaints with the NGO came from various walks of life, including career women and homemakers.

East Timor risks a repeat of the anarchy that gripped the country in 2006, as it has a dysfunctional police force, a chaotic justice system, a divided political leadership grappling with "dismal" social problems and an economy facing a "precipitous fall" in oil revenue.

Indonesia has specifically stated that people's productive years are between the ages of 18 and 55, but there is little agreement on an appropriate retirement age.

Mustaqim Adamrah, Jakarta – The nation's most powerful business lobby group, the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin), used its national meeting on Sunday to set out recommendations for the government's economic program in 2009.

Jakarta – A one-month survey by the Indonesian Consumer Foundation (YLKI) shows that dirty tap water and a "mysterious" tariff increase are the top complaints about tap water by consumers in Jakarta.

Jakarta – Security forces stormed airports, glitzy hotels, passenger ships and the Indonesia Stock Exchange on Sunday during a massive national counterterrorism exercise.

The drill, the biggest and final in a series of joint exercises begun Friday, involved nearly 7,000 military and police personnel and emergency response workers – almost all dressed head to toe in black.

Dian Kuswandini, Jakarta – The Attorney General's Office will scrap 8,000 positions as part of a plan to streamline its bureaucracy in a bid to prevent corruption and abuse of power.

AGO spokesman Jasman Pandjaitan said Sunday his office was assessing which positions would be cut. "We believe the restructuring program is urgent because power tends to corrupt," he said.

Irawaty Wardany, Jakarta – Calls are mounting for a revision of the 1974 marriage law which activists claim justifies polygamy and exploits disadvantage women.

Legal Aid Foundation of the Indonesian Women's Association for Justice (LBH APIK) says the law discriminates against women and paves the way for a husband to marry another woman without the consent of his wife.

Surabaya – Dozens of students under the Surabaya Students Central Movement (SGMS) staged a rally on Monday in front of 17 Agustus University, Surabaya, in protest against the new law on legal entities in the education system.

Desy Nurhayati, Jakarta – Thousands of Muslim women from the hardline Hizbut Tahrir Indonesia (HTI) organization staged a rally Sunday calling for the country to enforce sharia law and establish an Islamic state led by a caliphate.

They marched through downtown Jakarta from outside the US Embassy to the nearby State Palace, with some carrying their children.

Jakarta – Two-and-a-half years after a volcano erupted in the East Java province of Sidoardjo, the mud shows no signs of abating.

One of Indonesia's worst disasters, the eruption on 29 May 2006 displaced more than 75,000 people and destroyed more than 10,000 homes, 35 schools, 31 factories, 65 mosques, a major toll-road and an orphanage.

Connie Levett – It was a throwaway line from old Uncle Gordon: "We had a lot of 'Javos' in Wallangarra during the war."

That comment would set Jan Lingard's course for the next decade as she asked why more than 350 Indonesians were camped in the remote NSW-Queensland border town. And what were others doing behind wire in Cowra and Casino?

[Timor Timur, Menit Terakhir – Catatan Seorang Wartawan (East Timor, The Last Minute – A Journalist's Notebook). C.M. Rien Koentari, Mizan Pustaka, 2008. 438 pages]

Jakarta – Indonesia's economic growth is set to slow to 4.5-5.5 percent in 2009 because of weak commodity prices, while easing inflation should allow to lift domestic spending with more rate cuts, the finance minister said on Sunday.

Jakarta – The Prosperous Justice Party (PKS), a major Islamic party, is not interested in joining an alliance of Islamic parties, a party executive, Mahfudz Siddiq, said in Banjarmasin, South Kalimantan, on Sunday.

Jakarta – The government has asked Muslim clerics to avoid actively participating in politics, as it will keep them from serving their followers and will threaten social unity.

Mustaqim Adamrah, Jakarta – Industry players say a collapse in many sectors next year is not likely, but warn a drop in revenue is very real, with some industries to be hit harder than others as the impact of the global downturn peaks at home.

With many industries resorting to production cuts amid weakened demand, hurting their revenue, layoffs next year could reach far more than 1.5 million, business associations are warning.

Dian Kuswandini, Jakarta – Former top spy Muchdi Purwopranjono made a last-ditch effort Friday to defend himself against charges of planning the murder of noted human rights activist Munir Said Thalib in 2004.

The South Jakarta District Court is scheduled to hand down its verdict on the former State Intelligent Agency (BIN) deputy chief on Dec. 31.

Jakarta – Some 2,000 public complaints lodged with the National Human Rights Commission (Komnas HAM) in 2008 have still not been settled. This year, the commission received around 7,000 complaints of rights violations. Around 75 percent were rights violations in the economic, social and cultural fields. The remainder was complaints about civil and political violations.

Jakarta – Although admitting that they may contains some truth, statements by a number of public officials on human rights violations during the National Human Rights and State Defense Seminar at the Department of Defence on Thursday December 18 are believed to be incomplete have the potential to mislead the public.

Adianto P. Simamora, Medan – After three and a half years on the job, BRR Nias, the agency overseeing the reconstruction of Nias Island, officially closed up shop Friday, leaving as its legacy nearly Rp 2 trillion worth of infrastructure.

Agus Maryono, Purwokerto – The association of tour guides at the Baturraden holiday resort in Banyumas, Central Java, has blamed the much-decried anti-pornography law for a slew of recent cancellations by Dutch tourists planning to visit the area.

Yuli Tri Suwarni, Bandung – The Bandung District Court has convicted and sentenced 17 alleged members of the Islamic State of Indonesia (NII) to between two-and-a-half and three years in prison for treason.

Dian Kuswandini, Jakarta – A gloomy outlook is overshadowing much-demanded reforms within the country's judiciary, after lawmakers endorsed a new law limiting the Judicial Commission's authority to supervise the Supreme Court, legal experts warned Friday.

Tom Allard, Jakarta – It is a pernicious malady that infects all levels of Indonesian society. Kickbacks, bribes, "special service" fees: corrupt activity that extends from the courts to parliament and the bureaucracy, the police and diplomatic service.

Jakarta – Head of the Intelligence Agency Syamsir Siregar said Saturday the increasing number of religious scholars and leaders entering into politics has caused rift among and neglect of their followers.

Irawaty Wardany, Jakarta – The amendment of the military tribunal law has hit a deadlock at the House of Representatives with the government adamant that civilian police cannot be authorized to investigate soldiers accused of nonmilitary crimes.

Jakarta – President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono remains popular for his performance in national security and legal affairs, but is facing a challenge to improve Indonesia's economy, a recent survey reveals.

Abdul Khalik, Jakarta – The looming termination of many labor-intensive programs in Aceh, combined with the remnants of its conflicts and rebellion, is putting the tsunami-devastated province under the twin threats of social deprivation and unemployment.

Dian Kuswandini, Jakarta – The House of Representatives passed a welfare bill into law Thursday, requiring all social organizations, including foreign-based ones, to register their operations with the Indonesian government.

Social Affairs Minister Bachtiar Chamsjah said the registration with his office aimed at preventing malicious practices among socially active groups.

Dian Kuswandini, Jakarta – The House of Representatives has passed a controversial bill on the Supreme Court, defying opposition from two factions over a much-decried extension of the retirement age of justices to 70 years.

Eight of 10 factions in the House endorsed the extension of the retirement age from 65 years – as stipulated in the existing law – to 70 years.

The rapid expansion of traditional shrimp farms in Lampung has not only damaged mangrove swamps but forced local fishermen to seek their catch in the open sea due to the scarcity of fish along the coastline.

Abdul Khalik, Jakarta – Some Islam-based parties are pushing for a political coalition to win next year's elections, but others are questioning the relevance of such a sectarian alliance to nurture Indonesia's democracy and pluralism.

Lindsay Murdoch – Many complaints against Australian soldiers in East Timor remain unresolved because there is no formal means to deal with them, Australian MPs have been told.

Mark Dodd – An Australian businessman in East Timor says he has received death threats after he questioned an allegedly corrupt $3.1 million government fuel contract.

Jakarta – The United Development Party (PPP) has begun screening presidential hopefuls in a bid to select a candidate for nomination in the 2009 election.

But PPP chief patron Bachtiar Chamsyah said Wednesday the majority of his party still wished for President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and Vice President Jusuf Kalla to retain power next year.

Slamet Susanto, Yogyakarta – Merti Nusantara, an organization made up of 18 community groups representing hundreds of people, was established Wednesday to back Yogyakarta Governor Sultan Sri Hamengkubuwono's bid for the presidency next year.

Havana – Timor-Leste carried out its second National Literacy Teaching Graduation, a campaign developed with the Cuban program Yes I Can.

Melody Kemp, Nusa Tenggara – In eastern Indonesia's litter of islands, the remote Lembata seems an unlikely site to for a public battle over mining, replete with paid assassins, black magic rituals and allegations of official bribery.

Panca Nugraha, Mataram – West Nusa Tenggara was ranked 32nd among 33 provinces in the Indonesian Human Development Index (HDI), since its illiteracy and maternal and infant mortality rates remain high.