Jakarta – The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) has warned the Indonesian government that its move to abolish wheat flour fortification could put the country's women and children at risk of micronutrient deficiencies.

Novia D. Rulistia, Jakarta – Of the 44 state firms the government plans to privatize this year, those operating in the commodity and infrastructure sectors are most likely to attract investor interest, analysts say.

Aditya Suharmoko, Jakarta – The government confirmed Friday a plan to revise the economic growth target down from the 6.8 percent stated in the 2008 state budget amid soaring global prices for oil and staple food commodities.

Erwida Maulia, Jakarta – The Indonesian Corruption Watch (ICW) says corruption in the education sector is still rampant and that the government must take action to stop the practices.

The watchdog's coordinator for public services monitoring Ade Irawan told a press conference here Wednesday that corruption was commonplace throughout the republic's education institutions.

Yuli Tri Suwarni, Bandung – Bandung, the capital of West Java, has been recently deemed unsafe after numerous homes have been annually inundated during the rainy season for the past three years.

Ten years ago floods submerged only the lower parts of the city, but recently higher areas have also been flooded.

Oyos Saroso H.N., Bandarlampung – Victims of the 1989 bloody Talangsari incident in Lampung are calling on the government to carry out a thorough investigation into the 19-year-old case and bring those involved to justice. They are also asking the government for compensation.

Erwida Maulia, Jakarta – Departing from public expectations, the 2009 legislative election will likely grant more seats to political parties' loyalists than people's representatives.

Abdul Khalik – Debate over the country's aging warfare equipment is dragging on, with House of Representatives lawmakers opening fire on the government for impeding arms procurement.

Many government critics, non-governmental organizations and the media perhaps do not realize, or pretend not to realize, that President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's anti-corruption offensive has sparked fear among many corruptors. Who could sleep soundly at night knowing the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) has their name on its list?

Jakarta – The government recommended Wednesday the House of Representatives limit the number of independent candidates running for regional elections to maintain a balance between independent candidates and those endorsed by political parties.

Mustaqim Adamrah, Jakarta – Recent flooding that submerged part of the Sedyatmo turnpike – the main roadway to Soekarno-Hatta International Airport – was primarily caused by the surrounding land's inability to absorb excess water, experts concluded Wednesday.

The weak leadership of Islamic parties and their ignorance of the principles of pluralism will lead them to defeat in the 2009 Legislative Election, said a political analyst.

Jakarta – The government plans to privatize 44 state companies this year, including 10 companies initially planned to be privatized last year, says a minister.

Canberra – Australia and Indonesia said they were making inroads into combating extremists in Southeast Asia, agreeing on Thursday to step up counter-terrorism efforts and extend security pacts between the two neighbours.

Jakarta – Most workers in industrial estates in Sumatra and Java have yet to benefit from higher monthly wages, despite the regional minimum wage increase which came into effect in January, 2008.

In Medan, the capital of North Sumatra, hundreds of workers staged a massive rally to protest their employers' reluctance to comply with the gubernatorial decree on minimum wages.

Jakarta – Rescuers dug for survivors after a landslide on Indonesia's main island pummeled a village on Wednesday, killing at least seven people and destroying homes and roads, officials said.

Abdul Khalik, Jakarta – Reform within intelligence agencies is necessary to make those bodies accountable and prevent arbitrary killings such as the murder of rights activist Munir, lawmakers and experts said Tuesday.

Jakarta – The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) must rid itself of the "invisible hands" hampering its fight against corruption, a workshop heard here Tuesday.

To make it a credible force in the battle against graft, the KPK should eradicate corrupt practices within its office, lawmaker and legal expert Moh. Mahfud MD told the forum.

Jakarta – One of Indonesia's top news weeklies apologised Wednesday about the cover of its latest issue, which depicts Suharto and his children in a composition mimicking that of Leonardo da Vinci's Last Supper.

Jakarta – Soeharto's alleged past crimes, including allowing the deaths of thousands and other human rights abuses, should effectively deny him hero status, a political discussion heard here Tuesday.

Sam King – Hundreds of people took protest action in North Sumatra, East Kalimantan, Central Sulewesi, East and West Java and Jogjakarta on January 15-17 to demand cancellation of Indonesia's foreign debt, nationalisation of the mining industries and for strengthening the economy through a nationwide industrialisation.

Iqbal Fadil, Jakarta – A warning signal was raised today for political parties referring to themselves as Islamic parties. It is predicted that their votes in the 2009 elections will plummet and are unlikely to match those gained in the 2004 general elections.

M. Azis Tunny, Ambon – A local military chief in Central Maluku was fired Tuesday over last weekend's deadly attack on the local police command complex which claimed three lives and involved his soldiers.

Irwan Nugroho, Jakarta – Apparently on account of being accused of being communists, an activity organised by the Joint School Forum (Sekber) was attacked and a number of participants injured yesterday.

Jakarta – In a review of the government's performance in 2007, the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin) says that it is disappointed with the government's economic plans and their implementation.

Agnes Winarti, Jakarta – The National Commission on Human Rights has agreed to oppose the implementation of the city's public order bylaw this month.

Deputy chairman of the commission M. Ridha Saleh said his organization would send a letter to the President opposing the bylaw.

Jakarta – Police plan to name new suspects in the case of the murder of human rights activist Munir Said Thalib by June at the latest, a former member of the fact-finding team for the case said Monday.

Padang, West Sumatra – Padang-based biscuit maker PT Asia Megah Biskuit has halted operations since Dec. 22 last year after a series of demonstrations by its more than 600 workers.

The workers are demanding the firm's general manager and production manager be fired for unspecified offenses.

Nethy Dharma Somba, Jayapura – The Papuan People's Assembly (MRP) and the Papuan Legislative Council (DPRP) have rejected a proposal by the House of Representatives (DPR) to divide Papua into four provinces.

John Passant – War criminal Suharto is dead. Look for the tears from his Western supporters. In their hypocrisy they may recognise he was a dictator, but, they will rationalise, he was "our" dictator.

Loro Horta, Dili – Since the 2006 deployment of Australian peacekeeping troops to East Timor, the Australian Defense Force (ADF) has been confronted with a persistent anti-Australian sentiment from large sections of the population.

Erwida Maulia, Jakarta – Using a parliamentary threshold in the next legislative election would simplify Indonesia's multi-party system, a coalition of non-governmental organizations said Saturday.

The coalition agreed that Indonesia's presidential system would be more compatible with a simple multi-party system.

Andi Haswidi, Jakarta – The trade deficit with China in the non-oil and gas sector skyrocketed by more than 3500 percent from US$35 million in 2006 to $1.28 billion last year, the Central Statistics Agency says.

Most of the severest of Suharto'c critics, inside and outside of Indonesia, rightly concentrate of the gross violations of human rights during his 33 years of power. The worst of these were the mass murders of 1965 and the military occupation of East Timor.

James Madden – The widow of one of the five journalists killed by the Indonesian military at Balibo in 1975 has labelled Paul Keating "ignorant" for attributing the blame for the murders to "irresponsible" Australian news organisations.

Dili – "It's when you see a child who looks nine but is actually 12 that you realise the extent of malnutrition in Timor Leste," Jean Flueren, the World Food Programme (WFP) country director, told IRIN. "Forty-six percent of children throughout the country are stunted," he said, and 42.6 percent of children under five are underweight, according to the WFP.

Tony Hotland, Jakarta – US President George W. Bush is poised to deliver his annual budget request Monday, proposing US$186 million in bilateral assistance to Indonesia in 2009, including some $16 million for military funding.

The total amount is, as reported by the Associated Press, down $4 million from 2008, but the military aid level remains roughly the same.

Joseph Nevins – The death of Suharto, the strongman who ruled Indonesia for more than three decades, is cause for reflection in the United States, particularly as Americans choose our next president and wrestle with the question of our nation's proper role in the world.

M. Azis Tunny, Ambon – A soldier and two police officers were killed and six others injured in a clash between military and police personnel in Masohi, Central Maluku, on Saturday.

Ade Mardiyati, Jakarta – Heavy rains and high tides have caused chaos in Indonesia's capital for three days, highlighting its ailing infrastructure as roads to the airport became impassable and thousands had to abandon their homes or cars.

[Indonesia: Democracy and the Promise of Good Governance. Editors: Ross H. McLeod, Andrew MacIntyre. Publisher: Institute of Southeast Asian Studies (ISEAS). 207 pages, 2007.]

Jakarta is flooded, again. Just one day of incessant rain, from Thursday night through Friday morning, was enough to paralyze the capital with floods.

Although flooding is a relatively regular occurrence in the city, Friday's flooding seemed to have caught many people off guard. Residents were unprepared for the floods, as were the police and city administration.

Dicky Christanto, Nusa Dua, Bali – An alliance of civil society groups has prepared tougher measures to strengthen its anti-graft campaign against corrupt politicians across the country, ahead of the 2009 legislative elections.

Irawaty Wardany, Sanur, Bali – The Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) announced it will target 20 percent of votes in the 2009 legislative election, and welcomes non-Muslim constituents, the party leader said here on Friday.

Dicky Christanto and Muhammad Nafik, Nusa Dua, Bali – A coalition of civil society groups said the international anti-graft conference wrapped up here Friday had seen "little progress" made toward finding a better partnership to fight corruption.

Jakarta – Appointments were canceled, passengers were left stranded and residents were forced to leave their homes. Jakarta was chaotic on Friday.

Abdul Khalik, Nusa Dua, Bali – Indonesia is seen to be a main target for money laundering, as a report by the Indonesian financial intelligence unit reveals, with a sharp increase in suspicious transactions at financial institutions prior to the upcoming elections.

Paul Keating – The death of Soeharto, the former president of Indonesia, gives all Australians a chance to assess the value of his life and the relationship between Indonesia and Australia.

Apriadi Gunawan and Nana Rukmana, Medan/Cirebon – Mixed reactions have greeted a proposal to bestow national hero status upon controversial former president Soeharto.

In an article – The nation builder – in today's Sydney Morning Herald, Paul Keating attempts to justify his attendance at Suharto's funeral last week.