Jakarta – Reports of human rights violations have doubled this year, with more than 20,000 people claiming to be victims, a legal aid foundation said Thursday.

Desy Nurhayati, Jakarta – A court here Thursday has rejected a lawsuit filed by a leading environmental group accusing Lapindo Brantas of causing the devastating mudflow in Sidoarjo, East Java.

Yuli Tri Suwarni, Bandung – The West Java chapter of the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) has been criticized by several Muslim organizations for describing as halal two planned "royal" game centers in Bandung.

Representatives from the organizations criticized the MUI's stance on the matter at a meeting with Bandung Police chief Sr. Comr. Bambang Suparsono on Wednesday.

Crowds razed a house which functioned as an Islamic boarding school on Thursday, some 25 kilometers east of Malang in East Java.

A witness, Tawi, said residents of Jabung district were agitated by the activities of the owner, Miftahul Huda, who they suspected was propagating the "heretical" beliefs of his group Jamaah Safaatus Shalawat.

Sylvia Yazid, Melbourne – It has been more than three decades since the first wave of Indonesians left the country to work overseas. The labor migration system has grown to be far more complex than it was in 1970s.

Hendarsyah Tarmizi, Jakarta – Despite much criticism over its inability to cope with growing unemployment and poverty, the government has in general managed to get the economic wheels back on the right track this year.

The government's success in achieving the economic targets set out in the 2007 budget can be seen from the improvements in most economic indicators.

Jakarta – A group of economists has criticized the government for failing to implement an effective and pro-poor economic policy despite improving the country's macro economic situation.

Urip Hudiono, Jakarta – All's well on the banking front this year, with lending back on track and registering ever stronger growth on the back of Indonesia's fast growing economy.

Jakarta – Economists, legislators and students say the government's performance in bringing prosperity to Indonesians has been far from satisfactory.

Former coordinating minister for the economy Rizal Ramli said Wednesday that Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's presidency had failed to bring prosperity to the majority of the Indonesian people.

Jill Joliffe – Families of victims of the 1991 Santa Cruz massacre in East Timor have found Christmas hope with a project to locate mass graves of youths who disappeared without trace.

Jakarta – Politicians, activists and experts have expressed doubt about the commitment shown by national leaders in combating corruption.

But some of them said addressing graft would require regime change within the executive branch of government while others held out hope that the legislative body and civil society could make a difference.

Blontank Poer and Suherdjoko, Semarang – At least 71 people were killed in a landslide early Wednesday morning affecting seven districts in Karanganyar regency, Central Java, while floods inundated farms and rice fields as well as cutting off a number of transportation links.

Hendarsyah Tarmizi – This year's results indicate that the government has been able lay down more solid foundations on which the economy can grow further. But, for many people, this achievement will not be enough.

Some politicians and economic observers say that the government has failed to solve the growing unemployment and poverty problem.

Ridwan Max Sijabat, Banda Aceh – A new Aceh government has already been formed, security has improved and the Aceh Monitoring Mission which was tasked to watch over the implementation of the peace agreement has concluded its tasks. But human rights abuses have yet to be resolved and many former combatants are still without adequate skills to feed their families.

Agnes Winarti, Jakarta – These days it is not uncommon to see loose social groups, often ethnically bassed, taking the law into their own hands in the concrete jungle of Jakarta.

They regard violence as a means to an end, while the police are slow to show their teeth in enforcing the law. Several street clashes have been reported this year.

The Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Agency (BRR), which was given the task of helping to rebuild communities in the wake of the devastating earthquake and tsunami of late 2004, is set to end its mission in April 2009.

Calang – Hundreds of Indonesians prayed at mass graves in Aceh province on Wednesday to remember relatives who died in the Indian Ocean tsunami three years ago.

On December 26, 2004, giant waves triggered by one of the most powerful earthquakes ever recorded pulverized villages along Indian Ocean shores, killing or leaving missing about 230,000 people.

Alvin Darlanika Soedarjo, Jakarta – The first day of 2007 was marked by a jetliner going missing, in what some later saw as a sign of things to come: It was the first in what was to be a long line of accidents.

Wawan Irawan, Tawangmangu – Floods and landslides triggered by monsoon rains left close to 100 people dead or missing on the main Indonesian island of Java on Wednesday, officials said.

Jakarta – The government needs to place more focus on the development of labor-intensive manufacturing industries, and the agricultural and mining sectors in order to maintain sustainable growth and reduce the country's high unemployment, the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry says.

At first, they attacked churches and prevented Christians from attending Sunday prayers – and the police largely turned a blind eye. Then they attacked mosques that didn't comply with their version of the truth, but once again, the police did nothing to stop these acts of violence by people claiming to represent Islam.

Novia D. Rulistia, Jakarta – Twenty-three years after Indonesia ratified the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), the country is still moving slowly toward fully enforcing women's rights.

Ridwan Max Sijabat, Jakarta – The 1945 Constitution identifies the House of Representatives as a honorable state institution with legislative and budgetary rights as well as a control function. But, in reality, its performance is not as good and popular as its name.

Jakarta – With several communities concerned about the potential for violence, police officers across the country patrolled churches on Christmas Day to ensure the safety of the congregations.

Dicky Christanto, Jakarta – Indonesia seems to face an endless road corruption – an issue that remains at the center of public attention.

The cases emerging from state institutions and enterprises include a range of corruption allegations, including fund misappropriation to manipulation of procurement processes.

Imanuddin Razak, Jakarta – The year 2007 ended with the appointment of Army chief of staff Gen. Djoko Santoso to head of the Indonesian Military (TNI), replacing the retiring Air Force Marshall Djoko Suyanto and initiating a reshuffle within the three military forces.

Jakarta – A newly-established political party based on the Hindu principle of good deeds expressed its optimism Saturday that it would run in the 2009 general elections.

Nana Rukmana, Majalengka – A leading ulema in West Java, where yet another attack on an Islamic sect took place Saturday, has demanded that Jakarta intervene in what he said was "unacceptable" violence.

Nana Rukmana, Jakarta, Kuningan – Rights activists agreed Friday the government was directly and indirectly responsible for Tuesday's violent attacks against followers of the Ahmadiyah sect in Kuningan, West Java.

Jakarta – Eight-year-old Thira, whose younger brother Rama died a day after being born in September, commemorated Mother's Day on Friday by taking to the street to call the government's attention to maternal and child health.

Jakarta – National student union Cipayung Group criticized the government Friday for arresting nine of its members during a recent rally marking National Solidarity Day in Medan, North Sumatra.

Jakarta – Chairman of the People's Conscience Party (Hanura) Gen. (ret) Wiranto insisted the poverty rate published in the party's ads was the official figure issued by the World Bank.

Jakarta – The Indonesian Military (TNI) headquarters is reshuffling or retiring 159 high and middle ranking officers in its three military forces, an official said.

On Wednesday the head of the TNI Information Center, Col. Ahmad Yani Basuki, issued a statement announcing a decree from the TNI Commander, as reported by detik.com and kompas.com.

Jakarta – The government has proposed a new system of anticorruption courts in which each province, regency and municipality would have its own court to deal with graft cases.

Alfian, Jakarta – Vice President Jusuf Kalla ordered police Thursday to "get tough" on those who attacked the Ahmadiyah sect this week, saying the fatwa (edict) from the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) was not a license to attack others.

Jakarta – While Mother's Day is traditionally a time for rejoicing and love, the Women's Health Foundation (YKP) is using this year to focus on the nation's high maternal mortality rate.

Jakarta – Indonesia's latest campaign to lure tourists got off to a rocky start after embarrassed officials acknowledged that a key slogan was ungrammatical and ordered it corrected.

Jakarta – The government has pledged to speed up efforts to reduce the country's poverty rate and food scarcity over the next two years.

Ridwan Max Sijabat, Jakarta – The Indonesian Employers' Association (Apindo) has warned the government of an increase in the unemployment rate and poorer labor conditions in 2008 if no measures are taken to attract foreign investors and revise the export policy.

Jakarta – The country's economy will remain resilient next year, although it may grow slightly slower than the government's estimate amid tough challenges on both the external and internal fronts, predicts the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin).

Jayapura (UCAN) – Religious leaders in Papua have discussed violations of a six-year-old autonomy law for their province and sent recommendations to various levels of government to rectify the situation.

Dili – East Timor's parliament has approved a state budget of nearly $350 million for 2008 that aims to improve security and tackle poverty in Asia's youngest nation.

Factional bloodshed broke out in the impoverished country of about 1 million people last year, forcing tens of thousands to flee their homes.

Alfian, Jakarta – Disaster and post-tsunami support focused on reconstruction and rebuilding in Aceh, Sumatra, has seen tsunami-survivors and others lose the will to work, a social scientist said Tuesday.

Desy Nurhayati, Jakarta – A number of NGOs focused on development affairs criticized on Tuesday various regional administrations for neglecting Indonesians' basic rights, citing a failure to prioritize budgets for health and education sectors.

Ridwan Max Sijabat, Jakarta – The government has issued a new regulation increasing compensation for death and occupational accident claims, for eligible workers (or their families) participating in its social security program, Jamsostek.

Irawaty Wardany and Ridwan Max Sijabat, Jakarta – The South Jakarta District Court rejected Tuesday an environmental pollution lawsuit filed by the Indonesian Environmental Forum (Walhi) against PT Newmont Minahasa Raya's gold mining operation at North Sulawesi's Buyat Bay.

Jakarta – A group of Muslim activists have attacked the settlement of an Islamic sect in a village on the main island of Java, resulting in a clash that left four injured, police and reports said Wednesday.

Agustina Wayansari, Jakarta – The National Family Planning Board (PKBI) is taking a creative new approach to sex education and counseling that involves talking face-to-face with teenagers in high-risk STD transmission areas.

Nana Rukmana, Kuningan – A large crowd on Tuesday reportedly attacked the Ahmadiyah worship complex in Manis Lor village, Jalaksana district, in Kuningan, West Java, leaving four people injured.

Jakarta – Leaders from various religious organizations demanded Tuesday that the government clamp down on inter-religion conflicts.

The groups held an end-of-year reflection titled "Our Threatened Diversity", organized by the Wahid Institute and the Bishops Council of Indonesia (KWI).