Jakarta – The Munir murder case took a new turn Wednesday when three key witnesses testified in the murder conspiracy trial of former Garuda Indonesia chief Indra Setiawan, saying the presence of off-duty pilot Pollycarpus Budihari Priyanto on Munir's flight was out of line with procedure.

Ahmed Mushaddeq leads the new Al Qiyadah Al Islamiyah sect. The sect has been described as deviant and blasphemous by the country's powerful Muslim organisation, the Indonesian Ulema Council because it promotes an alternative view of Islam.

Presenter: Linda LoPresti. Speaker: Professor Azyumardi Azra, President of Indonesia's State Islamic University

The Jakarta Post, Pelalawan, Riau – Forestry companies are generally still reluctant to adopt sustainable management practices because most do not see the benefits for their businesses.

Ridwan Max Sijabat, Jakarta – A House of Representatives commission and an alliance of non-government organizations have slammed the government for resisting the inclusion of state enterprises into the bill on free flow of information.

The group accused President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono of lacking commitment to establish good governance and combat corruption.

Apriadi Gunawan, Medan – Police are still looking for logging boss Adelin Lis, whose whereabouts have been unknown since he was acquitted of corruption by a court here on Monday.

His acquittal has caused a furor among environment and legal activists across the nation, while the Medan Police want to question him in relation to a new set of charges.

Desy Nurhayati, Jakarta – The Indonesian Environmental Forum (Walhi) said Wednesday it was optimistic it would win the Buyat Bay civil lawsuit against giant mining company PT Newmont Minahasa Raya following the court's decision to cancel an on-site investigation.

New York – The United Nations Integrated Mission in Timor-Leste (UNMIT) today released a report showing progress in promoting human rights in the nascent country while calling for further measures to help displaced persons and prevent impunity.

Dan Box – Whitlam era foreign minister Don Willesee believed the Balibo Five were "murdered" by Indonesian soldiers and in his dying days told his daughter the Australian government had conspired to keep news of the deaths from the victims' families.

Geraldine Willesee – The nightmare of East Timor followed my father to his deathbed. "Two hundred thousand dead... 200,000." A lifetime of politics poured into a single nugget of horror. "Two hundred thousand dead."

Sydney – A telegram sent from a minister just days after the Balibo Five were killed in East Timor revealed they had been murdered, and proved the government was engaged in a cover-up, one of their widows says.

Jakarta – Indonesia insists the Balibo Five case is closed, despite fresh reports that a telegram sent by an Australian Government minister revealed the five journalists were murdered in East Timor.

Tony Iltis – In 1975, when Indonesia invaded East Timor, beginning a 24-year occupation that cost over 200,000 Timorese lives (over a third of the population), Australia's support for this genocidal occupation was predicated on a policy outlined in the infamous "Woolcott telegram": that Australia's interest in East Timor was derived from the oil and gas resources in the Timor Sea.

The truth about the murder of five journalists at Balibo on October 16, 1975, in the lead-up to the Indonesian invasion of East Timor is one of the longest and saddest cases of government abuse of Australians' right to know.

Ary Hermawan, Denpasar – The Bali-chapter of the Indonesian Legal Aid and Human Rights Institute (PBHI) said the government needed to take action on the prevailing local customary laws because it said they violated human rights.

Jakarta – Following the controversy over the al-Qiyadah al-Islamiyah sect, the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) announced Tuesday 10 criteria that indicated an Islamic sect was "misguided".

Multa Fidrus, Tangerang – A house thought to have been a place where "deviant" Islamic teachings were disseminated was set alight by residents from Enclek Sebrang village in Tangerang, police said Tuesday.

Irawaty Wardany, Nusa Dua, Bali – Procurement bribery at government offices makes up the bulk of graft cases in Indonesia and reportedly costs it Rp 36 trillion (US$3.9 billion) a year, a top anticorruption official said Monday.

Apriadi Gunawan, Medan – Logging boss Adelin Lis walked away from court free of all charges Monday after the Medan District Court acquitted him of illegal logging activities.

Neles Tebay, Abepura, Papua – In the wake of civil society's efforts to transform Papua into a land of peace, the Indonesian Military (TNI) has been growing both in strength and numbers in the province, as reported by the International Crisis Group in September last year.

The Asian Legal Resource Centre (ALRC) and its sister organization the Asian Human Rights Commission welcome the proposed visit by the Special Rapporteur for Torture, Dr. Manfred Novak.

Ridwan Max Sijabat, Jakarta – The top priorities for the last sitting of the legislature this year are the bills on political parties and on general elections, which are needed to smooth the way to the 2009 polls.

The bills are among 11 targeted for completion by the House of Representatives in the 33-day sitting period, which was officially opened on Monday.

Peter Ker, Sydney – East Timor President Jose Ramos Horta has weighed into the 2007 federal election campaign by passionately endorsing a direct opponent of Prime Minister John Howard in the Sydney electorate of Bennelong.

A man of 23 years died after being struck several times by a soldier attached to the district command Korem 172/PWY. The soldier has been identified only by his initials Sergeant YK.

The incident leading to the death of Rudi Pagawak, who worked for Sinar Mas Plantation occurred outside the TNI Post in Lereh, Jayapura on Thursday.

Jakarta – One person was killed in Indonesia's restive Papua province in tribal fighting as villagers burned houses and attacked a police station close to a US-owned gold mine, a police officer said Sunday.

Riot police and soldiers fired warning shots on Sunday after tribesmen in Indonesia's Papua province set several homes on fire in unrest triggered by the death of a former local police chief.

Urip Hudiono, Jakarta – Indonesia's economy is expected to wrap up the year on track in line with the government's forecasts, despite risks to inflation and growth from the recent rise in global oil prices, the latest market confidence survey from the central bank shows.

Banda Aceh – Acehnese civil activists from the Aceh Anti-Corruption Coalition (KAAA) say they regret Aceh Governor Irwandi Yusuf has given his blessing to amnesty for former Aceh governor Abdullah Puteh, who was jailed over his involvement in a corruption case when he was still governor of Aceh.

Yuli Tri Suwarni and Rizal Harahap, Bandung/Pekanbaru – In the wake of controversy surrounding the al-Qiyadah Islamic sect, authorities and residents are focusing their attention on religious sects in their own backyards.

In Bandung, West Java, authorities responded to public demand by beginning an investigation of the Al Quran Suci sect.

Abdul Khalik, Jakarta – The joint Indonesia-Timor Leste Commission for Truth and Friendship (CTF) will ignore UN criticism and focus on finalizing its report without testimonials from officials of the United Nations Mission in East Timor (UNAMET).

A former diplomat has slammed public servants' "willingness to lie", after an investigation into claims he was pressured to break the law ended because of a lack of evidence.

The Greens have used the case to push for a whistleblowers' authority independent from the bureaucracy.

Jayapura – A lack of clear regional autonomy guidelines has prevented the two-year-old Papua People's Council (MRP) from reaching its full potential, members say.

Council chairman Agus Alue Alua acknowledged the council has been less than effective.

Alfian, Jakarta – Most of the countries rich in oil, gas and mineral resources ironically suffer from poverty and other social problems caused by corruption, an international anti-graft campaigner said Thursday.

Jakarta – Vice President Jusuf Kalla said Thursday bureaucratic reform was unlikely to succeed without improved efficiency, time management and cost control, as well as economic development.

Sri Wahyuni, Yogyakarta – Women have a key role to play in helping the country out of economic hardship, but more needs to be done to help them enter the formal economy, a minister says.

State Minister for Women's Empowerment Meutia Hatta Swasono said over the weekend women make major contributions to the national economy.

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said that as Head of State and Head of Government, he is ready to go to war if any country infringes the sovereignty of the NKRI (Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia).

Agnes Winarti, Jakarta – Due to a lack of accurate data, authorities in North Jakarta are finding it difficult to deal with the problem of human trafficking, an official said at a public discussion Thursday.

Jakarta – Director general for tourist destination Ddvelopment at the Tourism Ministry, Sambudjo Parikesit, warned related institutions Thursday of potential child exploitation in the sex industry.

The warning was issued in response to a finding by UNICEF that about 40,000 Indonesian children had become victims of commercial sex exploitation.

Jakarta – A coalition of NGOs and the National Commission on Human Rights expressed different opinions Thursday about the al-Qiyadah sect, which has been described as "misguided" and prohibited in Jakarta by the Provincial Prosecutor's Office and nationally by the Indonesia Ulema Council.

Jakarta – On the afternoon of Thursday November 1, around 50 people from the Solidarity Network for the Families of Victims or JSKK again held a peaceful action in front of the State Palace in Central Jakarta. They were calling on President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to conduct a thorough investigations into past human rights abuses in Indonesia.

M. Rizal Maslan/Muhammad Nur Hayid, Jakarta – The Solidarity Action Committee for Munir (Kasum) doubts the neutrality of Supreme Court Chief Justice Bagir Manan as the presiding judge in the judicial review of the Munir murder case.

Jakarta – Central Jakarta District Court judges ruled Wednesday that the most recent indictment in the murder case of rights activist Munir Said Thalib stands, and that former Garuda Indonesia president director Indra Setiawan will be tried for conspiracy to murder.

Jakarta – Global warming is altering ocean tides, meaning more homes will be inundated with floodwater in the years to come, an official from the City Environmental Management Board (BPLHD) said.

Ati Nurbaiti, Jakarta – So many hands shot up in the air across the ballroom. So many questions on the basics of life and existence, and too little time.

"How do I get a divorce if my husband left me without documents?"

"Is it true that a birth certificate states if the child is illegitimate?"

Jakarta – The National Human Rights Commission (Komnas HAM) hopes that the police will soon provide an explanation for the arrest of an activist from the Foundation for Legal Education and Democracy (LPHD), Iwangin Sabar Olif.

Alfian, Jakarta – To understand the extent of the Indonesian Military (TNI)'s business network, it is necessary for regional administrations to undertake a thorough inventory of military-linked companies in their areas, observers said Wednesday.

Ridwan Max Sijabat and Nani Afrida, Banda Aceh/Jakarta – Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam Governor Irwandi Jusuf has sent an official letter to President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono appealing for amnesty for his predecessor, Abdullah Puteh.

Politicians and activists in Aceh questioned the appeal, saying it undermined a sense of justice for the people of Aceh.

Nabiha Shahab, Jakarta – Two of the three Muslim militants on death row for involvement in the 2002 Bali bombings said they were sorry for killing fellow Muslims, while insisting their deadly attack had gone according to plan.

Jakarta – A group of influential political figures on Wednesday attended the launch of the Indonesian Awakening Committee to express their concern over the pace of development in the country and what they called the government's short-term political interests.

Rizal Ramli, the committee's founder, said the idea behind the group was to open a new path for the country.

Irawaty Wardany, Jakarta – A US political scientist on Tuesday dismissed the idea that democracy cannot develop in countries with large Muslim populations, citing Indonesia as an example of a smooth democratization.

The Honorable Condoleezza Rice
Secretary of State
Department of State
Washington, DC 20520

October 31, 2007

Dear Madame Secretary,