Desy Nurhayati, Jakarta – Defense Minister Juwono Sudarsono said Wednesday the Indonesian Military (TNI) has worked hard to erase its image as a repressive institution, citing the efforts of soldiers at the forefront of emergency relief efforts.

Jakarta – Islamic leaders in Jakarta on Tuesday agreed to spread faith-based HIV/AIDS prevention information through their sermons.

Jakarta – The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) warned Wednesday that Indonesia could expect more frequent and severe outbreaks of dengue fever and diarrhea as a result of global warming.

Dili – Four East Timorese soldiers were convicted of murder and sentenced to up to 12 years in prison Thursday for gunning down unarmed police officers during a spasm of violence in the fledgling democracy last year.

Aboeprijadi Santoso, Amsterdam – Little news basically came from Sydney's Coroner Court inquest into the deaths of Australian-based journalists in Balibo, East Timor (1975) – except that it established a much stronger case based on detailed evidence and witness testimony. The Indonesian government needs to respond to this seriously.

Abdul Khalik, Jakarta – The House of Representatives has ratified a security treaty with Australia that includes a formal acknowledgement of Indonesia's sovereignty over Australia.

Mustaqim Adamrah, Jakarta – The sea water which inundated much of North Jakarta on Monday began receding Tuesday, with residents returning home and traffic on the road to Soekarno-Hatta Airport back to normal.

Warief Djajanto Basorie, Jakarta – How much has the Indonesian Military (TNI) changed? One potential change currently under review is whether military service should be mandatory or voluntary. The Jakarta Post editorial Nov. 21 questions the relevance of pending compulsory military service in a bill now before the House of Representatives (DPR).

Angus Grigg – It was a day Indonesia's columnists had clearly been looking forward to, and they were brutal. The defeat of John Howard was a cause for celebration and an opportunity to vent their anger.

Desy Nurhayati, Jakarta – Indonesia's two largest political parties have recommended for a smaller number of parties contest the 2009 general election in order to achieve effective democracy in the country.

Jakarta – About 50 residents claiming to be heirs of Isa bin Baman again blocked the Ulujami toll road on Tuesday morning during rush hour. The protest led to severe traffic congestion in several areas in South Jakarta.

Irawaty Wardany, Jakarta – Regional administrations are racing to create ordinances based on moral, cultural and religious values even though the regulations can not be implemented for all people, a legal expert said Tuesday.

Abdul Khalik, Jakarta – US Congressman Eni Faleomavaega has been in Papua since Monday to directly assess the latest condition of two provinces after he was granted permission by the Indonesian government.

Jakarta – Indonesia has raised its Human Development Index (HDI) ranking through improvements in a number of key sectors, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) announced Tuesday.

Jakarta – The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) released Tuesday The Other Half of Climate Change report, focusing on the impact of climate change on the poor in Indonesia as well as efforts to adapt to the global weather phenomenon.

Jakarta – The trial of Indra Setiawan for conspiracy to murder in the Munir Said Thalib case resumed Tuesday with witnesses from Garuda Indonesia confirming that the deployment of Pollycarpus Priyanto as an aviation security officer was out of the ordinary.

Slamet Susanto, Yogyakarta – The climate in Yogyakarta city has gradually increased over the past two years due to global warming, a government agency says.

Previously, the temperature in the city ranged between 33 and 34 degrees Celsius, but now swings between 35 and 37.8 degrees.

Prodita Sabarini, Denpasar – Bali's fishermen and farmers are more susceptible to the effects of climate change than other groups on the island, an environmentalist says.

Jakarta – Indonesia is one of the nations most vulnerable to climate change and is already feeling some of the consequences of global warming, environmental group WWF said Wednesday in a new report.

Kerry Smith – Indonesian activists in the National Liberation Party of Unity (PAPERNAS) continue to face government-sponsored thuggery and have appealed for support from Australian activists to help them defend their democratic rights.

An open letter from a worldwide coalition of human rights organizations has called on the UN Security Council to act for substantive justice for the East Timorese people, as a council delegation travels to Timor-Leste. The East Timorese suffered countless war crimes and crimes against humanity during the Indonesian military's illegal occupation.

Jakarta – The union of state railway operator PT KAI on Monday threatened a large-scale strike from Dec. 10 to 12 if the government fails to endorse a regulation on their status as civil servants by Friday.

Manasseh Sogavare – The Solomon Islands Prime Minister says the Melanesian Spearhead Group can do more to push for discussion on self-determination aspirations of Papuans.

Manasseh Sogavare says the MSG guiding principles mean member countries should assist fellow Melanesian peoples realise statehood where possible.

Alfian, Jakarta – The government and the House of Representatives have to evaluate the performance of security personnel in Papua, especially the concentration of military forces, their roles and the clarity of their purpose in Papua, activists said Monday.

Adisti Sukma Sawitri, Jakarta – Sixty-year-old Sahaya knows well that humans are more frightening than any ghost or haunting spirit.

Andi Haswidi, Jakarta – As the government prepares to unveil its National Action Plan (RAN), a road map to guide the effort against global warming, the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin) has called for a say.

Jakarta – Thousands of Catholics in Tambora district, West Jakarta have been forced to rent space in which to worship after locals and officials prevented them from holding services in their 40-year-old church.

Jakarta – Indonesia's economy is facing a rather gloomy outlook for next year on the back of increasing pressures from high oil prices and the heating up of the political situation at home, a seminar was told Monday.

Jakarta – A rights watchdog group and victims of the conflict in Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam lodged a complaint against the National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) on Monday for the slow progress in handling human rights violations from Aceh's long and bloody separatist conflict.

Ridwan Max Sijabat, Jakarta – President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said he appreciated Golkar's decision to suspend nominating a presidential candidate until after the 2009 legislative election to allow it to concentrate on accomplishing the government's economic programs.

Jakarta – The global Buy Nothing Day event was marked again in the capital Sunday, with a number of young Jakartans playing leading roles in organizing it. Special events were held in front of malls as well as in a city park.

Irawaty Wardany, Jakarta – Deliberation of bill on access to information from public institutions within the House of Representatives could end in deadlock because the government wants an exception for state-owned enterprises, says a lawmaker.

Hundreds of workers of the country's largest nickel producer, PT Inco, in Soroako, South Sulawesi, ended their 11-day strike Sunday afternoon.

Jakarta – Indonesian women stepped up the demand to gain 30 percent of the seats in the House of Representatives by marching through Jakarta's main thoroughfare Sunday.

State Minister for Women's Empowerment Meutia Farida Swasono joined as many as 200 women from various NGOs in their walk from the National Monument square to the Hotel Indonesia traffic circle.

Adianto P. Simamora, Jakarta – Environmental experts gathered here Saturday to discuss continuing environmental degradation resulting from economic and population growth.

Association of Indonesian Environmental Experts chairman Hasroel Thayib warned that the country was facing more natural disasters as a result of poor environmental management in the past.

In 2006, the United Nations established a Human Rights Council in place of the discredited UN Commission for Human Rights. Indonesia was elected onto the 47-member Council, initially for a one-year period, and in 2007, successfully put itself forward for re-election for a three-year term.

Jakarta – The 2004 Law on the Eradication of Domestic Violence has not stopped violence against women, because the applicable punishments were unclear, a women's coalition said.

Jakarta – The government is very optimistic that its effort to present a gift to the world by planting 79 million trees next week will make a significant contribution toward curbing global warming.

Jakarta – Experts recommended Friday that Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam look toward locally implemented sharia laws to see established the Aceh Truth and Reconciliation Commission (KKR Aceh), despite the KKR's current lack of legal backing on a national level.

Slamet Susanto, Yogyakarta – It has not rained in Yogyakarta for the past 10 days, and the local farmers are concerned this will lead to poor harvests.

Besides rice seedlings, thousands of hectares of side crops, including ground nuts and corn, are also facing water shortages and are at risk of failure.

Desy Nurhayati, Jakarta – A fund-raising drive is planned to raise money for the support of women's activists dealing with the issue of gender violence. Jointly organized by the National Commission on Violence against Women and 26 other organizations, the 16-day fund-raising campaign will include an art exhibition beginning Nov.

Ridwan Max Sijabat, Jakarta – It is less than 17 months before the 2009 general elections. And in this time, Golkar Party has no choice but to consolidate party members nationally in order to realize a 30 percent in the legislative election, a senior party figure said.

Tarko Sudiarno, Yogyakarta – Some 1,000 members of Al Qiyadah Al Islamiyah, "a deviant and blasphemous sect", said the Indonesian Ulemas Council(MUI), renounced their faith Friday in a ceremony held at Babussalam Mosque in the compound of Yogyakarta Police headquarters.

Muhammad Nafik, Bogor – Most Indonesians support the enactment of sharia bylaws even though they know ordinances already in place in several regencies have failed to improve social welfare, a survey has found.

"People's welfare remains the same as it was before the sharia bylaws were enforced," said the survey report.

Jakarta – Beatings and other forms of torture are entrenched in much of Indonesia's prison system, where a culture of impunity reigns, a UN envoy said Friday.

UN special rapporteur on torture Manfred Nowak said vast improvements were needed to the prison system despite Indonesia's transition to democracy since dictator Suharto stepped down in 1998.

Ed Davies, Jakarta – Indonesia has made great strides combating rights abuses since autocratic president Suharto was ousted in 1998, but torture of detainees in police custody still appears rife, a UN investigator said on Friday.

Jakarta – Although soap operas remain the most popular TV programs in Indonesia, most middle-income and educated households prefer news and other informative programs, such as talk shows and showbiz news, a survey reveals.

Surabaya, East Java – Members of the group Environmental Watch in Surabaya filed a lawsuit against East Java Governor Imam Utomo on Thursday. The suit seeks to hold the governor responsible for the high level of pollution in Surabaya River.

Lawyers from the Surabaya Legal Aid Foundation are representing the environmental group in the suit.

Jakarta – Bewildering Indonesian forestry regulations and chaotic inter-departmental coordination have contributed to the government's inability to handle illegal logging cases, experts say.

Jakarta – Researchers graduating from Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB) have called on the government to pay serious attention to a range of issues to help Indonesia better deal with the devastating impacts of globally-anticipated climate change.