The Indonesian ecosystem is at stake, with both the country's land and sea resources being dangerously exploited for business purposes, threatening all efforts to preserve them for future generations. Chalid Muhammad, national executive director of the Indonesian Forum for the Environment (Walhi), recently spoke with The Jakarta Post's Agustina Wayansari about the issue.

Ahmad Pathoni, Jakarta – Militant groups are devising new strategies to prevail as countries cooperate more closely, keeping victory against terrorism out of reach, Indonesia's Foreign Minister said on Monday.

Indra Subagja, Jakarta – Around 30 members of the Central Leadership Committee of the National Liberation Party of Unity (Papernas) arrived at the national police headquarters earlier today.

Oyos Saroso H.N., Bandarlampung – On a rainy afternoon, Murtatiningsih, 37, spoon feeds her young child in front of her house in Bayur subdistrict, Rajabasa district in Bandarlampung.

The child seems to enjoy the food even though she is being fed a piece of fried tempe (soybean cake) and rice that has been mixed with oyek.

Alvin Darlanika Soedarjo, Jakarta – Rights group Imparsial asked the government Sunday to create a defense blueprint so as to clarify its defense policies.

The Supreme Audit Agency (BPK) head Anwar Nasution revealed Saturday that the agency had found 1,303 personal bank accounts and fixed deposits belonging to government officials containing state money last year.

Banda Aceh – While waiting to officially declare the party, the Acehnese People's Party (PRA) – the first local political party in Aceh – is currently in process of establishing a party leadership board. This was conveyed by PRA General Chairperson Thamren Ananda in Banda Aceh on Monday March 5.

Jakarta – Groundbreaking political satire Republik Mimpi (Republic of Dreams) says it will remain on the air despite a threat by Information and Communications Minister Sofyan A. Djalil to file a complaint with the Broadcasting Commission over the Sunday evening television program.

Jakarta – President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has ended his policy of silence, responding to widespread criticism of his government's policies and strategies.

Addressing the closure of the national conference of Democrat Party legislators in Jakarta on Sunday, Yudhoyono said he was listening to criticism, but would focus his attention on settling state problems.

Guido Goulart, Dili – East Timor's president invoked emergency powers on Monday to quell unrest after hundreds of young men blockaded roads with burning tires and concrete blocks, demanding that foreign troops pull out. Australia said it would evacuate nonessential government workers and the US issued a travel warning.

Lindsay Murdoch and Mark Forbes in East Timor – Security forces in East Timor were bracing last night for escalating violence after Australian soldiers killed four Timorese men in a botched raid to capture the rebel leader Alfredo Reinado.

• Put and end to New Order politics!
• Defend democracy for the people's sovereignty!

At around 3pm today (March 4) protesters calling themselves the Indonesian Anti-Communist Front (FAKI) attacked the East Java Regional Conference of the National Liberation Party of Unity (Papernas) in Batu City, East Java.

The Government has quietly resumed military ties with Indonesia, brushing aside concerns over human rights abuses.

The decision was made in December amid concern that limits on the defence relationship were hampering co-operation in the war on terror and fighting trans-national crime.

Kalinga Seneviratne, Jakarta – Indonesia has taken the symbolic step of reconciling with its minority ethnic-Chinese community by recognizing Chinese New Year as a full-blown national festival, a public celebration it had banned for nearly 30 years.

Anissa S. Febrina, Jakarta – Building the East Flood Canal according to the current plan, which was drawn up about 80 years ago, would only heighten the threat of flooding in the city, experts say.

Speaking on Tuesday at a public discussion on spatial planning, Trisakti University hydrology expert Erwin Iskandar recommended the start of the canal be taken further south.

M. Taufiqurrahman, Jakarta – Members of the groundbreaking political satire Republik Mimpi (Republic of Dreams) defended themselves Friday from government efforts to pull the plug on the TV show.

Ridwan Max Sijabat, Jakarta – Despite increasing pressure from civil groups, minority parties and regional representatives, the major political parties continue to resist amending the Constitution, saying it would cause public confusion.

Ridwan Max Sijabat, Jakarta – Political parties continue to argue over the establishment of an ad hoc court to try the shooting of students in Jakarta in 1998 and 1999.

Pandaya, Jakarta – In December 2005, Taufiequrrachman Ruki, a retired police general turned graft-buster, got sentimental while addressing the second-anniversary celebrations of the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK), which he leads.

Hamish McDonald – It was the week the Balibo inquest cut to the chase. After 15 days of hearing from those outside the intelligence tent, some of its former inhabitants were brought into the open. But only with the greatest nervousness by the present-day masters of the intelligence community, despite the passing of more than 31 years since the Balibo Five journalists died.

Lindsay Murdoch, Dili – Street gangsters have a favourite place on Dili's waterfront. Just past the fortified Australian embassy residential compound, they run to hide behind a high fence on a building site with an unending supply of rocks.

A former Indonesian cabinet minister implicated in the deaths of five Australian and British journalists in East Timor in 1975 is remaining defiant in the face of calls for his arrest.

An Australian coroner has issued an arrest warrant for Mohammed Yunus Yosfiah after hearing evidence that he was seen shooting at the journalists in the town of Balibo 32 years ago.

Karen Michelmore, Jakarta – The Indonesian government today declared the case of five Australian journalists' deaths in East Timor more than 30 years a closed matter.

Dili – Rebel East Timorese soldiers raided a police post and seized a large haul of automatic weapons, the United Nations and local officials said Monday, raising fresh security concerns in the tiny nation ahead of elections in April.

Banda Aceh – Aguswandi BR and Thamrin Ananda have been elected by acclaim as the general chairperson and secretary general of the Acehnese People's Party for the next five year period.

Suherdjoko, Semarang – The government's plan to press ahead with construction of the country's first nuclear power plant in 2010 was met angrily by Jepara residents Wednesday.

Ruslan Sangadji, Palu – Five people were reportedly killed and dozens of others injured Wednesday during a clash with security personnel in Banggai Islands regency, Central Sulawesi.

Resident Iwan Bua said he saw five bodies following the violent clash.

Palu – Four people were killed and another 25 injured in clashes between police and protesters in Indonesia, police have said. Some of those killed had been shot dead, senior policeman M. Nazli said.

Ridwan Max Sijabat, Jakarta – The law commission at the House of Representatives asked the Anti-Corruption Commission (KPK) to take over unresolved corruption cases from the National Police and the Attorney General's Office.

Banda Aceh – Around 75 participants attending a conference of the Preparatory Committee for the Acehnese People's Party (KP-PRA) are being treated at the Zainoel Abidin Public Hospital for poisoning after consuming food. Twenty three are still being treated in hospital.

Jakarta – Traditional market traders once again expressed their disappointment in the city administration Wednesday for failing to "control" modern retailers and protect their businesses.

Sydney – An Australian coroner on Thursday issued a warrant of arrest for a retired Indonesian cabinet minister in an inquiry into the death of five journalists in East Timor 32 years ago.

Hamish McDonald – Within seven minutes of an Indonesian army radio message being intercepted in Darwin, saying five Australian journalists had been deliberately killed in East Timor in 1975, it was translated and sent to prime minister Gough Whitlam, senior ministers and officials.

By Jim Elmslie with Peter King and Jake Lynch. A report prepared for the West Papua Project at the Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies, The University of Sydney.

Executive Summary

Chris Brummitt, Jakarta – Indonesia is planning to ban local carriers from operating jetliners more than 10 years old as part of a safety campaign following a string of crashes and accidents, the government said Wednesday.

Jakarta – A danger zone declared around an Indonesian "mud volcano" spewing vast amounts of toxic sludge, which has displaced 15,000 people, may have to be widened, an expert said Wednesday.

Jakarta – Indonesian lawmakers have watered down an anti-pornography bill following criticism that it could restrict freedom and threaten the country's tolerant tradition, the parliamentary speaker said on Wednesday.

Ridwan Max Sijabat, Jakarta – The House of Representatives will set up a special committee to investigate the 1997 abduction of 17 democracy activists, alleged to have involved former president Soeharto and Army generals.

The decision was made in a plenary meeting presided over by Deputy House Speaker Zainal Maarif on Tuesday.

Rohan Pearce – February 23 marked the deadline for submissions to the federal parliament's Joint Standing Committee on Treaties (JSCT) on the new Australia-Indonesia "security" pact.

Nani Afrida, Banda Aceh – While a presidential decree on local political parties is still being worked out, Aceh's first-ever local party is being born this week.

The preparation committee for the establishment of the Aceh People's Party (PRA) launched its first congress in Banda Aceh on Tuesday.

The left-wing Acehnese Peoples Party (PRA) will be holding its founding congress in the provincial capital of Banda Aceh at the end of February. Sydney University Southeast Asian Studies lecturer Max Lane spoke to Thamrin Ananda, chairperson of the Preparatory Committee of the PRA.

Stephen Fitzpatrick, Mark Dodd – Renegade East Timor military leader Alfredo Reinado has threatened to defend himself "to the death" from a heavily armed post in the central town of Same, where he was yesterday surrounded by Australian SAS troops.

At the beginning of this month's long overdue inquest into the deaths of the five Australian-based newsmen at Balibo in 1975, the Crown counsel heralded the hearings as the first "open, public and completely independent" inquiry of a judicial nature into the case.

Lindsay Murdoch, Dili – A US court has cleared the way for the hearing of a challenge to the rights over the Timor Sea's vast oil and gas reserves.

Lawyers for oil explorer Oceanic Exploration are preparing to take the company's claim against US-giant ConocoPhillips to the US District Court in southern Texas.

Adam Bennett, Sydney – A Sydney coroner has invited a former Indonesian general and government minister to give evidence about the deaths of the Balibo Five, as he was again linked to their killings.

Usman Hamid and Lisa Misol, Jakarta – Two and a half years after the House of Representatives passed landmark legislation to improve the accountability of the Indonesian military (TNI), reform is stalled. High-level political leadership is needed to give the reform drive a much-needed boost.

Banda Aceh – The chairperson of the Preparatory Committee for the Acehnese People's Party (KP-PRA) is urging the government to immediately ratify the Draft Government Regulation on Local Political Parties in Aceh.

Adianto P. Simamora, Jakarta – Most small lakes in Greater Jakarta are getting shallower as local authorities are not prioritizing their protection, an official said last week.

Even worse, the water in some lakes is no longer fit to be used even for agricultural activities.

Irwan Firdaus, Jakarta – Authorities vowed Monday to investigate why accident investigators and reporters were allowed to board a fire-gutted Indonesian ferry that then capsized, killing one person and leaving three others missing.

The government's plan to build Indonesia's first nuclear power plant, tentatively set to begin 2011, is moving forward with the public given little or no chance to have its say.