Rafiqa Qurrata A, Jakarta – A panel of judges has rejected a civil suit by the Unity in Diversity Alliance (ABTI) led by Ratna Sarumpaet against the House of Representatives (DPR) in relation to the Draft Law on Pornography and Porno-Action.

Jakarta – Indonesian consumers have become more confident about the economy, while at the same time seeing risks ahead, the latest survey by the central bank shows.

Ridwan Max Sijabat, Jakarta – The House says it will endorse a bill on military tribunals requiring soldiers who commit crimes to stand trial in civilian courts, a prospect the armed forces has fought to block.

A permanent government agency has been set up to help communities affected by a torrent of mud that has swamped entire villages in East Java province, Indonesia's presidential spokesman said.

Nala Edwin, Jakarta – Thugs usually have tattoos and look scary. But one particular kind of thug is different. They wear robes and make people anxious. It is because of this that scores of housewives are calling on the national police to eliminate them.

Luhur Hertanto, Jakarta – There has been more hints given out on the puzzle of who the new suspects are in the murder human rights activist Munir. They are two individuals from Garuda Indonesia airlines with the initials YS and R.

Jakarta – In order to increase the chances of Indonesia being reelected as a member of the United Nations Human Rights Commission, the government must soon make a breakthrough in investigating the murder of human rights activist Munir.

Lindsay Murdoch, Dili – East Timorese voted in record numbers yesterday in a peaceful election for president. There were few signs of violence, particularly in Dili where politically motivated gangs have been fighting pitched battles for months.

Stephen Fitzpatrick, Dili – Hundreds of thousands of East Timorese queued for hours under a blazing sun yesterday to choose a new president in the first election wholly run by the young country.

['Negligent Neighbour: New Zealand's Complicity in the Invasion and Occupation of Timor-Leste' by Maire Leadbeater. 280 pages $34.99Craig Potton Publishing.]

Ahmad Pathoni, Dili – East Timorese streamed to the polls on Monday to vote for a new president, hoping the election can help end deep divisions after a year of instability in one of the world's youngest and poorest nations.

Stephen Fitzpatrick, Dili – Jose Ramos Horta went to Easter mass at the weekend with "a host of sins" to confess, not least of which was having entertained lustful thoughts towards the film star Jennifer Lopez while presenting her with a prize in Berlin last year.

Joe Humphreys – It is the first such ballot since the country gained independence in 2002 – after 21/2 years of transitional rule by the UN, and a 24-year occupation by an often brutal Indonesian military.

Badriah, Jakarta – National Police Chief General Sutanto is still unwilling to name the new suspect in the Munir case. This is despite the fact that last week national police headquarters promised it would announce the name.

Riyadi Suparno, Jakarta – The number of people living below the poverty line increased last year and will most likely increase again this year, but it is yet to be determined whether or not this will have an impact on the popularity of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono leading up to the 2009 election.

Imron Rosyid, Jakarta – A number of legislators are urging the police to announce the name of the new suspect in the human rights activist Munir murder case as soon as possible.

The reason is in order to show to the general public that the police are serious about solving the case.

Evidence of Indonesian military involvement in the deaths of two American citizens has been suppressed, according to a report released today by Joyo Indonesian News Service and Pantau Foundation.

Nethy Dharma Somba, Jakarta – Papuan Muslims will hold an inaugural three-day congress in Jayapura beginning Tuesday, which is slated to attract 260 participants from 29 regencies and mayoralties in Papua and West Irian Jaya.

Congress steering committee member Sayid Fadhal Alhamid said the Papua Muslim Solidarity group was established on Nov. 21, 1999, in Jayapura.

Rafiqa Qurrata A, Jakarta – Once not being enough, the National Liberation Party of Unity (Papernas) has again reported the Islamic Defenders Militia (LPI), the Islamic Defenders Front (FPI) and the Betawi Brotherhood Forum (FBR) to the Metro Jaya regional police.

Aries Witjaksena, Jakarta – The central leadership board of the National Liberation Party of Unity (Papernas) reported the Islamic Defenders Front (FPI) and the Islamic Defenders Militia (LPI) to the Metro Jaya regional police on Monday April 9.

Damien Kingsbury – Those who view East Timor's politics as largely benign describe the mood before tomorrow's presidential election as "dynamic". Those who view the situation more ominously describe the environment as "fluid". Either way, it is likely that the outcome expected just a few days ago has been thrown into doubt.

Lindsay Murdoch, Dili – Leading candidates in East Timor's presidential election have accused each other of manipulating tomorrow's vote as officials race to deliver ballot papers to 500 polling centres, many of them in remote villages.

John Aglionby, Dili – When East Timor's 600,000 voters head to the polls Monday for the first round of a presidential election they do so aware that their choice will resonate far beyond which of eight candidates they select to fill the largely ceremonial position.

Fabio Scarpello – Fiery campaigner Ceu Lopes, 50, was active during her fledgling nation's 24-year struggle against the occupation by Indonesia.

It's five years on from independence, and as the troubled country gears up for Monday's elections, people there tell Joe Humphreys how they see the future.

John Martinkus – There was a moment this week in Dili when it looked as though the increasingly bitter race for the presidency would spill over into violence.

On Thursday afternoon, as supporters of Prime Minister Jose Ramos Horta gathered to attend a rally, a convoy of rival Fretilin supporters drove past.

Niniek Karmini, Jakarta – An Indonesian passenger jet was flying at up to 265 mph, almost double the normal landing speed, when it crash-landed one month ago, killing 21 people, a chief investigator Saturday.

Jakarta, The level of confidence of Papuan civil society towards the central government has declined as the result of a number of basic problems. despite the fact that improving confidence in the central government represents the most important aspect in achieving reconciliation.

[Reluctant Indonesians: Australia, Papua and the future of West Papua By Clinton Fernandes Scribe, $22.]

David Costello – The issue is on the backburner now but West Papua will inevitably blow up again and drag relations between Australia and Indonesia into crisis.

Presi Mandari, Jakarta – Indonesia's small, plastic identity cards may seem innocuous enough but campaigners who are trying to have the compulsory religion category dropped say they are behind many sectarian killings.

Hestiana Dharmastuti, Jakarta – The law is impartial, it does not recognise position or rank so whoever is guilty of murdering Munir must be indicted by the courts.

Suciwati, the widow of the late Munir, welcomes the national police's plans to reveal a new suspect in the death of the human rights activist.

Dili – Half the candidates in East Timor's presidential poll said Friday they fear many attempts have been made to manipulate the election process ahead of Monday's vote.

Karen Michelmore, Dili – The distinctive buzz of motorcycles can be heard in the distance, growing increasingly louder.

Within seconds more than 30 motorbikes, engines revving and adorned with party flags and posters, spill into the dilapidated compound, the headquarters of East Timor's major political party, Fretilin, in the capital Dili.

Stephen Fitzpatrick, Dili – East Timorese resistance hero Xanana Gusmao has promised he will unlock hundreds of millions of dollars in oil revenue held in a New York escrow bank account if he is elected prime minister.

Yermias Ignatius Degei – Papuan students in Java and Bali who are members of Front Persatuan Perjuangan Rakyat Papua Barat (F-PEPERA-PB) or The United struggle front of West Papuan People held protest in front of the Netherlands embassy in Jakarta, Indonesia, Thursday (5/4).

Ary Hermawan, Jakarta – The government will allocate more money for infrastructure development in next year's budget in an effort to ease the distribution bottlenecks that have seriously hampered the country's economic growth.

Irwan Firdaus, Jakarta – The editor-in-chief of Playboy Indonesia was acquitted Thursday of charges that he violated the Muslim nation's indecency laws by publishing pictures of scantily clothed women.

Ridwan Max Sijabat, Jakarta – A special rapporteur has submitted a report on the 2004 murder of Indonesian rights activist Munir Said Thalib to the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (UNHCHR).

The report stresses the importance for Jakarta to make public the results of an investigation by an independent team and thoroughly settle the case.

Djoko Tjiptono, Jakarta – After "sleeping" for so very long, there has been a new twist the Munir murder case. The team of investigators has promised that within a short time there will be a new suspect.

Djoko Tjiptono, Jakarta – Rumours that there is a new suspect in the Munir murder case are growing. And the rumour has it that the new suspect is a general. Furthermore, investigators from the national police headquarters will soon announce the name of the suspect, although it is still not possible to confirm exactly when.

Multa Fidrus, Tangerang – Overcrowding and poor sanitation at Tangerang Penitentiary (LP Pemuda) are said to be the main causes of the deaths of 50 inmates over the past four months.

Emmy Fitri, Jakarta – One may well wonder whatever happened to public health and social services for it is still easy to see beggars with missing arms, legs or fingers at the traffic lights on downtown streets.

Is the presence of beggars proof of poorly or half-implemented services? The answer is always either one.

Urip Hudiono, Jakarta – The government's efforts to recover the assets of seven foundations associated with former president Soeharto has received strong support from the Supreme Audit Agency (BPK).

Jakarta – Members of the United National Liberation Party (Papernas) on Wednesday reported the Islam Defenders Front (FPI) and Islam Defense Warriors to the city police for attacking them in a rally last week.

Max Lane – On March 28 and 29, a series of rightist mobilisations took place in Jakarta, including a 500-strong mobilisation aimed at disrupting a march and rally organised by the National Liberation Party of Unity (Papernas). The Papernas rally was protesting foreign domination of the Indonesian minerals sector and demanding its nationalisation.

Jakarta – There was once a period when rival ideologies were deep and prevalent across this land. At that time political ideologies became the supreme commander. Political forces were divided based on ideological differences. This competition took the form of demonstrations and political pamphlets in the streets.

Sunil Jagtiani, Banda Aceh – Brightly coloured new homes now dot the Indonesian province of Aceh as it slowly rebuilds after the devastating 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, but some lie empty pointing to the next big hurdle in the reconstruction effort.

Jakarta – Professionals, lawmakers, academics and journalists have joined forces to urge President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to honor his campaign commitment to eradicate corruption at all levels.

In a communique issued Tuesday, the group Civil Society Professionals asked the government to target those involved in major corruption cases.

Governments of this country come and go but torture and human rights violations continue in many parts of Indonesia. In particular, the Papuan people have been the victims of various acts of terror, arrest, kidnapping and death, ever since the 1960s.

Banten – Safety inspectors have seized hundreds of items of marine safety equipment aboard ferries crossing the Sunda Strait in Merak Port, Banten, due to their allegedly falsified expiry dates.

Port authority head Dalle Effendi said Tuesday the confiscated equipment had expired in 1998 but the expiry date on its packaging was 2010.