General Suharto of Indonesia is fading fast, the news bulletins say. So when I came into the country, I started asking how people felt about their dying killer. (Body count, circa one million plus, overwhelmingly civilian).

Sara Webb, Merak – Indonesia's rust-bucket ferries are a symbol of the decrepit infrastructure which has plagued Southeast Asia's biggest economy and prevented it from matching China's meteoric growth rate.

Budi Kurniawan – Indonesia's former dictator Soeharto remains in a critical condition in a Jakarta hospital. Doctors are struggling to prevent multiple organ failure and say they fear for the life of the 86-year-old former general.

Discourses on the necessity of young leaders emerging in the national political arena have raised debates among many facets of society, including the young generation itself. The Jakarta Post's Annisa M.P. Rochadiat recently talked with young Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) politician Budiman Sudjatmiko about this issue and others in Indonesian politics.

Jakarta – Secular-nationalist and Islamic party coalitions were the most successful in the country's regional elections throughout 2007, while only a few female candidates managed to win office, the People's Voter Education Network (JPPR) reported Friday.

Richard Lloyd Parry – Indonesia was at the end of an era last night, as its former dictator Suharto, the general and mystic who for 32 years dominated the world's largest Muslim nation, teetered on the verge of death.

Fadli, Batam – The Riau Islands chapter of the Indonesian Employers Association has told the government it needs to crack down on corruption in special economic zones.

Jakarta – The Indonesian government and Suharto family have agreed to settle out of court a civil corruption suit against the former president, who is critically ill, the attorney general said Saturday.

Jakarta – As former president Soeharto lies ill in hospital, politicians and political experts are trying to decipher a message he reportedly sent to Megawati Soekarnoputri instructing her to "take care of the nation".

Ahmad Junaidi, Jakarta – The Golkar Party has shown its teeth. During a closing speech at the party's national meeting in November last year, Golkar leader Jusuf Kalla said democracy could be compromised for the sake of people's welfare.

Irawaty Wardany, Jakarta – It was four in the afternoon, and the clouds had hung in the sky since morning. Such a gloomy backdrop seemed fitting for a protest held by human rights activists and victims in front of the State Palace in Central Jakarta.

Purborini, Jakarta – As many as 30 protesters from the Solidarity Network for the Families of Victims of Human Rights Violations (JSKKPH) went to the Pertamina Central Hospital on January 11 to call for former President Suharto to be tried.

Desy Nurhayati, Jakarta – The Defense Ministry said it will make the most of the Indonesian Military (TNI)'s limited budget and will focus more on procuring new defense and military equipment produced by local manufacturers.

Papua Governor Barnabas Suebu said Wednesday the province would uphold a newly issued government regulation that bans the use of separatist attributes as regional symbols, a move in line with the province's status as part of the unitary state of Indonesia.

Jakarta – Judges have ordered prosecutors to forcibly summon six witnesses in the trial of Garuda Indonesia chief pilot's secretary Rohainil Aini, who stands charged with conspiracy in the murder of rights activist Munir Said Thalib. Munir was murdered while on a flight to Amsterdam on Sep. 7, 2004.

Jakarta – Law enforcers should consider the victim's perspective when handling child sexual abuse cases, an official said recently.

Andi Haswidi, Jakarta – Having trade deficits with certain partners is natural, but not when the number of partners keeps growing and the total deficits jumping exponentially.

Jakarta – Culture and Tourism Minister Jero Wacik came to the defense of the film censorship board at a judicial review of the country's 16-year old film law at the Constitutional Court on Wednesday.

Khairul Saleh, Palembang – The Palembang Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) has said that tropical forests in Sumatra are under extreme threat from illegal logging.

Coordinator of WCS Muhammad Taupiq said that at least 500,000 of Sumatra's 2.5 million hectares of tropical forest had been lost during the 1990-2000 period, or about 50,000 hectares per year.

Jakarta – Ienes Angela remembered back to a long time ago when she sat in a church and felt uncomfortable. It was an unpleasant experience. She felt as though she didn't belong because people were staring at her.

Jakarta – Groups fighting for the rights of transvestites have demanded the government be more supportive of the minority group, especially as they try to secure employment in the formal sector.

Ridwan Max Sijabat, Jakarta – Three decades have passed, but state insurance company PT Jamsostek's holding monopoly in social security programs has yet to show its performance in providing job security for workers – despite its improved financial performance under new management.

Nograhany Widhi K, Jakarta – Demonstrations have consistently dogged the life of former President Suharto, both when he was in power and when he has been sick. "Try Suharto!".

Jakarta – Indonesia and China will intensify their defense cooperation as part of efforts to implement a strategic partnership they had agreed upon on April 25, 2005, Defense Minister Juwono Sudarsono said.

Maryadi, Jakarta – Jakarta never seems to be free from protest actions, and not a day goes by without a demonstration, including today, Wednesday January 9.

There will be demonstrations today at the National Monument (Monas), the Salemba area in Central Jakarta and Jl. Gatot Subroto. Drivers are advised to avoid these areas in order not to get caught in traffic.

Aubrey Belfor – While Indonesia's Suharto is reviled overseas, critics say a mix of fear, self-interest and affection among the country's political elite means the ailing former dictator gets softer treatment at home.

Ary Hermawan, Denpasar – An alliance of Bali's pro-democracy organizations and religious rights defenders came to the province's prosecutors office Tuesday to urge the agency to be consistent in implementing the 1945 Constitution, which guarantees religious freedom.

A. Junaidi, Bangkok – Hundreds of Islamic fundamentalists staged a rally at Hotel Indonesia traffic circle in Central Jakarta last month to protest National Condom Week campaign.

Adianto P Simamora, Jakarta – Green activists strongly criticized the ongoing forest conversion work at Bukit Tigapuluh, saying it would speed up the loss of Sumatra's endangered species and further harm the environment.

Jakarta – Indonesia's domestic vehicle sales are expected to fall 30 percent in 2009 from a record high in 2008, due to tight domestic liquidity and slower economic growth, PT Toyota Astra Motor said on Friday.

Nick Butterly and Joe Stolley in Canberra – The wife and children of slain East Timorese rebel leader Alfredo Reinado have been granted permanent residency in Australia after pleading with the Rudd Government to grant them political asylum.

Jakarta – State Intelligence Agency (BIN) chief Syamsir Siregar has given his approval for the National Police's questioning of former agency officials in connection with the September 2004 murder of rights activist Munir Said Thalib.

Jakarta – Boosting professionalism and strengthening the rules keeping the military out of politics were among the priorities highlighted at a handover ceremony where Gen. Djoko Santoso moved to the helm of Indonesian Military (TNI).

Jakarta – A rights watch group wants political parties to play a more active human rights advocacy role in both the legislative and executive arms of the government.

Jakarta – Outgoing Indonesian Military (TNI) chief, Air Marshall Djoko Suyanto, said Monday efforts to enhance the TNI's performance and continue internal reforms would not be affected by the change in leadership.

There was a sense of deja vu when former president Soeharto was admitted to Pertamina Hospital in Jakarta over the weekend.

Jakarta – The growth of sharia-based finance in 2007 was just 30.1 percent, less than the 34.2 percent advance seen the previous year, due to a rise of non-performing transactions, according to Bank Indonesia.

Apriadi Gunawan, Medan – Polonia Airport in Medan was paralyzed for almost three hours Monday when thousands of protesters staged a rally and blockaded the airport's entryway.

Iqbal Fadil, Jakarta – As many as four demonstrations at four separate locations will be held in Jakarta today, Tuesday January 8. Those who do not wish to be inconvenienced by the actions should avoid the following locations.

Andi Hajramurni, Makassar – Civil servants Monday rallied at the governor's office in Makassar, South Sulawesi, the second protest against the Supreme Court's decision to call for repeat gubernatorial election in four regencies.

Irawaty Wardany, Jakarta – An alliance of communities fighting for religious freedom has called on the Attorney General's Office to stick to the 1945 Constitution in determining whether the Ahmadiyah sect should be banned.

Adianto P. Simamora and Irawaty Wardany, Jakarta – In response to the Golkar Party's call to drop legal proceedings against Soeharto, Attorney General Hendarman Supandji has said his office long ago ended criminal charges against the former president but that the civil cases against him would continue.

Cafes and pool halls closed their doors Saturday when around a thousand Islamic organization members passed through Bogor's main streets.

While the group were passing from the city center to Ciawi subdistrict as part of a religious ceremony, business owners said they wanted to play it safe and avoid any attacks.

Cilacap – Three Islamic militants on death row for the 2002 Bali bombings met their families on Monday, as their lawyer said they would seek an edict from Indonesia's Muslim body on the legality of execution by shooting.

Fitraya Ramadhanny, Jakarta – Monday mornings are always a day full of hustle and bustle at the start of the week. Drivers should be the lookout for a number of demonstrations in the Jakarta area so they don't get caught in traffic.

John Aglionby – The powerful speaker of Indonesia's parliament has called for legal proceedings to be dropped against Suharto, the 86-year-old former dictator who is in critical condition in hospital suffering from anaemia and low blood pressure.

Irawaty Wardany, Jakarta – As the country's longest serving former president lay in hospital over the weekend his loyalists appealed for all charges against him to be dropped.

After a Golkar meeting on Saturday, party chairman Agung Laksono asked the government to end the legal process against 86-year-old Soeharto.

Jakarta – A coalition of NGOs voiced their objections on Sunday to a proposal that political parties be allowed to run candidates in elections for the Regional Representatives Council, which currently comprised of independents.

Jakarta – Experts on Saturday blamed humans for contributing to environmental damages that eventually lead to so-called natural disasters.

"Flooding is not a natural disaster, but a man-made one," Gatot Irianto, director for water management at the Agriculture Ministry, told a discussion here Saturday.