Duncan Graham, Contributor, Malang – A campaign is underway in East Java to push the next provincial governor to ease the plight of the disabled.

Our founding fathers hit it on the nail when they declared that one of the goals for establishing the state of the republic of Indonesia was to "enlighten the life of the nation" (mencerdaskan kehidupan bangsa).

Jakarta – Ahmadiyah followers outside the office of the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) in Central Jakarta on Thursday demanded the Islamic body annul its edicts branding them as heretics.

Adianto P. Simamora, Jakarta – Forest conversion has reached an alarming level in Indonesia with more than 10 million hectares of protected forest converted for business use since the inception of regional autonomy in 2000, a study says.

The study, conducted by the Greenomics Indonesia environmental group, found most regional spatial plans do not aim to protect forests.

Dili – The government's attempt to hold on to power is dangerously depleting the country's reserve of rice and could lead to social disorder, claimed an analyst.

Loro Horta said prime minister Xanana Gusmao should immediately create a more effective food distribution system and change the way he is managing the emergency stock of rice.

Jakarta – Airport workers staged strikes at five airports Wednesday due to continued disagreements between state-owned PT Angkasa Pura I and its labor union over salaries, pensions and health insurance.

Adianto P. Simamora, Jakarta – Conservationists say protected wild orangutans in Central Kalimantan may be extinct in three years unless the government acts to stop the expansion of oil palm plantations.

Center for Orangutan Protection (COP) research shows the orangutan population is falling fast as forests are cleared to make way for oil palm plantations.

Arnaldo Musa – East Timorese Foreign Minister Zacarias Albano da Costa met with Cuban Foreign Minister Felipe Perez Roque in Havana where he thanked the country for its continuous support of East Timor, "even under the most difficult circumstances."

[The following information was released by the United Nations Office at Geneva (UNOG)]

Adi Warsidi, Banda Aceh – Former President of Finland Martti Ahtisaari has said that in general the peace process in Aceh is running well, however, the reintegration process is not yet maximized.

"There is still much to do as far as reintegration is concerned for all of us during the next few years," he said when visiting Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam yesterday.

Andi Hajramurni, Makassar – Four people were injured and six others detained for questioning after hundreds of university students staged a rally in South Sulawesi to protest the government's planned hike in fuel prices.

The rally turned violent when students of Alaudin State Islamic University hijacked an oil tank truck and later pelted stones at police.

Julia Suryakusuma, Jakarta – With everyone becoming more health-conscious there's a growing trend away from unhealthy and calorific food. In most Western countries huge industries produce masses of low-cal products: margarine lite, lite spread, lite milk, slimline yogurt, Lite Licks (ice cream made from soy), lite bread and lite beer and soft-drinks.

Aditya Suharmoko and Rendi A. Witular, Jakarta – With the fuel prices hike imminent, the government should provide incentives to labor-intensive industries that will be the hardest hit by the policy, says the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin).

Jakarta – Hundreds of interfaith activists rallied here Tuesday demanding the government protect religious freedom and drop a plan to outlaw the Jamaah Ahmadiyah Islamic sect.

Fabio Scarpello, Denpasar – Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao's already fragile government has been dealt a blow with the defection of a coalition partner to the opposition Fretilin, leaving it relying on independents.

Paul Toohey – Xanana Gusmao's Timorese Government is heading close to collapse as parties in his ruling Parliamentary Majority Alliance (AMP) coalition turn against him and leave the door open for Fretilin, the party with the biggest majority, to form its own coalition.

Jakarta – The split in the National Awakening Party (PKB) is now official, with each of the two opposing factions establishing its own central board.

One faction elected House of Representatives deputy speaker Muhaimin Iskandar and little-known cleric Aziz Mansyur as chairman and chief patron, respectively, at a three-day extraordinary meeting that concluded Sunday.

Jakarta – A survey conducted to commemorate a decade of Indonesia's reform movement has concluded an overall decline in the freedom of religion and speech but an increase in governance performance.

The survey, released Monday by democracy and human rights research center Demos, was conducted in 2007 among 900 social, political and democracy activists throughout the nation.

Olle Tvrnquist, Jakarta and Oslo – Ten years ago, Soeharto's New Order began to be replaced by the world's largest New Democracy. It is time for an evaluation. By 2003, Demos (The Centre for Democracy and Human Rights Studies), with the University of Oslo, developed and applied a framework for comprehensive democracy assessment by senior activists around the country.

Washington – A quarter of the countries vying for seats on the United Nations Human Rights Council have dismal human rights records that should disqualify them from membership, according to a new report from Freedom House and UN Watch.

[The following information was released by the United Nations Office at Geneva (UNOG)]

Aboeprijadi Santoso, Jakarta – Retired General Wiranto, backed by hundreds of his colleagues, has in effect begged for impunity for human rights violations by claiming that their mission was to maintain the unitary state of Indonesia.

It is urgent that Abdurrahman "Gus Dur" Wahid realize millions of Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) followers have suffered and will continue to suffer unless he is able to control himself and his thirst for power. The danger is clear. But only Gus Dur can stop Gus Dur, because very few people can change his mind, not even family members.

Jakarta/Bandung/Mataram – The government is being urged to disband its interdepartmental board that recently recommended a ban on Jamaah Ahmadiyah, as protests have continued in support of the Islamic sect.

Jakarta – Hundreds of supporters of a minority Islamic sect dubbed heretical by a government panel rallied here Tuesday demanding that religious freedom is protected in the world's biggest Muslim country.

Hendarsyah Tarmizi, Jakarta – Many of us are unaware that besides receiving a government subsidy of about Rp 2,500 (27 US cents) for every liter of gasoline we buy, we also get another Rp 2,000 from state-owned Pertamina for every kilogram of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) we burn.

Abdul Khalik, Jakarta – The Golkar Party and the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) have opened talks on forming a coalition for the 2009 presidential election, looking to pair Vice President Jusuf Kalla with People's Consultative Assembly Speaker Kidayat Nur Wahid.

Aditya Suharmoko, Jakarta – The economy grew at a lesser rate in the first quarter of 2008, compared to in last year's fourth quarter, on a slower growth in investment and consumption amid rising inflation and a global economic slowdown, Bank Indonesia (BI) said Monday.

Tony Hotland, Jakarta – Recent issues of domestic religious freedom have damaged Indonesia's global reputation as a nation of religious tolerance, experts say.

Jakarta – The split in the National Awakening Party (PKB) is now official, with each of the two opposing factions establishing its own central board.

One faction elected House of Representatives deputy speaker Muhaimin Iskandar and little-known cleric Aziz Mansyur as chairman and chief patron, respectively, at a three-day extraordinary meeting that concluded Sunday.

Jakarta – Advocates have warned the Jakarta administration's plan to establish 13 new shopping centers in Jakarta will damage its environment.

"The new malls will decrease the availability of land for water catchment," said Firdaus Hidayat, an officer for sustainable development at OneWorld Indonesia, on Thursday.

Rizal Harahap, Pekanbaru – The sudden reshuffle of Riau Police Chief Sutjiptadi, known for his anti-illegal logging stance, raises questions about the motives behind the replacement, an environment group says.

Presenter: Monica Attard

A tale of East Timor's struggle for independence through the eyes of child resistance fighter - Naldo Rei.

Monica Attard: Hello, you've joined Sunday Profile and I'm Monica Attard. This week we're speaking to Naldo Rei, whose personal account of growing up amid East Timor's clandestine resistance movement has just been published in Australia.

The Hon Stephen Smith MP
Minister for Foreign Affairs
Parliament House
Canberra
ACT 2600

4 May 2008

Dear Mr Smith,

Aditya Suharmoko, Jakarta – Consumer prices rose to a 19-month high in April, sending jitters over possible sluggish growth in the economy as the central bank is left with less room to cut interest rates to spur economic activities.

The Central Statistics Agency (BPS) announced Friday year-on-year inflation rose in April to 8.96 percent, higher than March's 8.17 percent.

Jakarta – A resources-based commodities boom has boosted the country's export figures in the first quarter of this year by 31.7 percent, the latest survey reveals.

Ridwan Max Sijabat, Jakarta - May 1, 2008 was a national holiday not for working Indonesians, but for Christians, in the observance of the day of Ascension of Jesus Christ.

Despite its long avoidance of declaring International Labor Day a public holiday here, the government did not bar workers from celebrating on Thursday.

We don't know what was on the mind of Public Works Minister Djoko Kirmanto when he announced his ideas on the creation of sustainable cities in confronting the worsening climate and the rapidly growing urban population.

Mariani Dewi, Jakarta – Contract work and outsourcing systems remain relevant for businesses needing to adapt to Indonesia's volatile market, an employer association and a lawmaker said in response to demands by May Day protesters.

Erwida Maulia, Jakarta – Thousands of teachers, students and community activists marked National Education Day on Friday with rallies and protests across the country.

Their demands ranged from the annulment of the national exam and granting of civil servant status to contract-based teachers, to provision of free education for all.

Jakarta – Two journalists will mark International Press Day on May 3 by requesting a judicial review of articles in the Criminal Code that they claim threaten press freedom, they announced Friday.

Jakarta – Most drug cases remain unsolved because police officers cannot resist the temptation to use the evidence, an expert says.

"How can we clean a dirty floor if the broom is also dirty?" said Adrianus Meliala, a criminology professor at the University of Indonesia in Depok.

Jakarta – The Constitutional Court has ruled against a film censorship petition, but has ordered the censorship institute talk with filmmakers before cutting scenes.

The government has raised the price of fuel, triggering protests everywhere. The Palace is worried that martyrs will fall, while the President has cancelled his trip to Italy.

Ahmad Bayasut, Balikpapan – Despite the beads of sweat pouring down their faces, the protesters continued to enthusiastically shout "Viva Workers! Viva the Poor!".

Jakarta – The National Liberation Party of Unity (Papernas) has decided to be realistic. They have chosen to postpone their desire to take part in the 2009 legislative and presidential elections. They have taken this position because of pressures that have emerged since the political party was launched in Jakarta on July 22, 2006.

Jakarta – The minimum wage is still not enough to fulfil the daily needs of workers in the major cities of Medan, Bandung, Jakarta and Surabaya. Many workers are making up the difference by falling into debt while job security levels remain low.

Several different locations in Central Jakarta were rocked by demonstrations on May 1 as tens of thousands of workers commemorated May Day or International Labour Day. Protest actions took place at the Hotel Indonesia roundabout, in front of the State Palace, the House of Representatives building and Proclamation Monument.

Thorny issues from the past have often derailed relations between Timor Leste and its former master Indonesia. Timor Leste Prime Minister Kayrala Xanana Gusmao, on an official visit to Indonesia, discussed with The Jakarta Post's Riyadi Suparno and Matheos V. Messakh bilateral issues and the future of Timor Leste. What follows are excerpts:

Surabaya – The commemoration of International Labour Day on Thursday May 1 was marked with protest actions in several East Java cities. Workers and students also held demonstrations in Bandung, Denpasar, Palembang and Bandar Lampung.