M. Taufiqurrahman, Jakarta – In a disclosure that quickly sparked doubt from lawmakers, a government team said Wednesday that the assets of military-owned businesses were worth a total of only Rp 1 trillion (US$108.2 million), far less than widely believed.

Ary Hermawan, Jakarta – The Central Jakarta District Court opened the trial Tuesday of seven Papuans charged with the 2002 murders of two American teachers and an Indonesian who worked for PT Freeport Indonesia in Timika, Papua.

The suspects were forcibly brought to trial by police after twice refusing to appear. The defendants demanded that the trial be held in Timika.

M. Taufiqurrahman, Jakarta – Legislators passed a landmark law Tuesday that affords protection to witnesses and victims of crime during the legal process, but victims' rights advocates complain its measures are inadequate.

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono
Istana Negara
Jakarta, Indonesia

19 July 2006

Dear Mr President,

We have received reports of serious human rights violations perpetrated by Indonesian police officers in West Papua and we urge you to address the situation ahead of your visit to the territory next week.

Alby Dallas – Hendrik Ervan Baldus from the People's Democratic Party of Indonesia is the chairperson of the Papuan National Student Front. He attended the 35th Resistance national conference, giving greetings from both organisations.

Katarina Pujiastuti – The spirit of unity filled the air as democratic organisations agreed to build a Party of National Liberation Unity (KP-PAPERNAS). Trade unions, student organisations, progressive political parties and poor people's organisations agreed on a common platform and strategy at a conference on June 20-21.

Jakarta – Water customers represented by the People's Coalition for the Right to Water (KRUHA) complained Tuesday about the service provided by the city's two water companies. They urged the Jakarta administration to end its partnership with foreign firms PT Palyja and PT Thames PAM Jaya (TPJ).

Lindsay Murdoch, Dili – Australia's military presence in East Timor will be wound back, starting with at least 300 personnel, the Prime Minister, John Howard, announced during a flying visit to the country's violence-ravaged capital Dili. The force, which peaked at more than 3000 in early June, would not be withdrawn "prematurely", he said yesterday.

Victor Tjahjadi, Pangandaran – Rescuers have dug with bare hands in a grim search for more bodies after more than 520 people were confirmed killed in the second tsunami to strike Indonesia in as many years.

Avelino Coelho da Silva, Dili – The conflict that arose recently in Timor Leste has caused more suffering for the nation's poor people, confronting them with an uncertain economic and political future.

Alia Azmi, Jakarta – Controlling hectic traffic during morning rush hour is not the only activity keeping the police busy these days. A newly acquired duty is "spike patrol", or clearing main streets of nails that mysteriously appear every morning and cause punctures to tires of passing vehicles.

Ridwan Max Sijabat, Jakarta – In an apparent face-saving measure aimed at boosting its chances in the 2009 elections, the Democrat Party (PD) has endorsed a recommendation by the House of Representatives' disciplinary council to dismiss one of its lawmakers for unethical conduct.

United Nations – UN special envoy Ian Martin on Wednesday stressed the need for a "substantial" UN police presence in volatile East Timor to create the conditions for credible parliamentary and presidential elections next year.

Kuala Lumpur – Haze has persisted over parts of Malaysia due to smoke from forest fires in Indonesia but there are hopes of rain to clear the air, an official said.

Parts of the northern resort island of Penang, and Perak, Selangor and Kedah states were suffering poor visibility from smoke particles being blown from Indonesia's Sumatra island by southwesterly winds.

Medan – Indonesia and Malaysia have agreed to allocate 500,000 euro (about US$394,000) to pay the fees of a consultant or joint spokesman to counter campaigns launched by non-governmental organizations against palm oil production in the two countries.

Tony Hotland, Jakarta – The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) plans to widen its wealth-reporting system to target lower government and state officials rather than just those at the top.

Jakarta – Indonesian responses ranged from despair to acceptance after a tsunami on Monday killed at least 256 people on Java, the latest in a line of disasters to hit the sprawling, developing nation in recent years.

Howard is off to East Timor today, allegedly to meet the Aussie troops and the new PM Jose Ramos Horta. But we can be assured that his main purpose in meeting Horta will be to encourage, nay, demand, that he puts the CMATS agreement on Greater Sunrise to East Timor's parliament to ratify. Indeed Horta has already flagged that this is his intention.

M. Taufiqurrahman, Jakarta – Indonesian embassies in seven countries may have been wiretapped by the intelligence services of their host nations, a lawmaker said.

No one caught in last year's Operation Hutan Lestari has been convicted of illegal logging because conflicting regulations are making it difficult for law enforcement agencies to fight the crime, the police say.

The illegal logging and smuggling of merbau timber from Papua involves a complex web of international middlemen, timber barons and financial backers, who cooperate with senior Indonesian government officials, environmental activists say.

M. Taufiqurrahman, Jakarta – The House of Representatives on Monday dropped the ax on one lawmaker, and warned several others for unethical conduct.

Jakarta – House Speaker Agung Laksono has asked the Indonesian version of Playboy to stop publishing.

"Please heed public objections," he told journalists in Jakarta in response to the third edition of Playboy Indonesia, which, like the previous editions, does not feature nudity.

Adisti Sukma Sawitri, Jakarta – Activists and legislators strongly oppose President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's plan to issue a decree protecting government officials from prosecution for creating "erroneous" policies.

Lambaro Neujid – Former separatist rebels in Indonesia's Aceh have enjoyed a year of peace but, as they slowly try to build new lives for themselves, they are worried about the future.

Radzie, Banda Aceh – The Aceh chapter of the Indonesian Environmental Forum (Walhi) has been included in a list of illegal or banned organisations that was issued by the governor of Aceh through Decree Number 235/13246 dated June 21, 2006.

Ary Hermawan, Jakarta – The goodwill generated by the passing of the Citizenship Law on Tuesday will quickly dissipate if the government fails to end other forms of state discrimination against minorities in the country, experts warn.

Jakarta – The final draft of a bill makes provisions for an institution to be set up to ensure that witnesses and victims are protected throughout their encounters with the justice system.

Theresia Sufa, Bogor – Going to school or playing is common for most children but it is a luxury for many youngsters living in the Ciomas district near Bogor. Many of the children are taken out of school as early as elementary level to help their parents earn additional money.

Jakarta – Thousands of people from the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) blocked the Bundaran HI traffic circle Sunday to peacefully protest the recent Israeli attacks on Lebanon, newsportal Detik.com reported.

Theresia Sufa, Bogor – Participants in the Asia Pacific International Labor Organization seminar, which finished in Jakarta on Friday, visited Ciomas, Bogor, on Tuesday to investigate the use of child labor in the footwear industry.

Nethy Dharma Somba, Jayapura – A police officer who was allegedly drunk when he shot dead his female companion was mobbed and killed Saturday by hundreds of villagers in Tolikara, Papua. The dead woman has been identified as 20-year-old Selfi Kogoya.

M. Taufiqurrahman, Jakarta – In an unprecedented move, the House of Representatives disciplinary committee recommended Saturday that a lawmaker be dismissed for unethical conduct.

Jakarta – The head of the recently concluded security operation in Central Sulawesi's restive Poso and Palu said Friday the level of violence in the area had subsided during the six-month operation.

Ary Hermawan and M. Taufiqurrahman, Jakarta – Former Army chief Gen. (ret) Ryamizard Rayacudu is on the list of people to be investigated in connection with the recent discovery of an arms stash in the house of a deceased army logistics officer, Indonesian Military (TNI) Commander Air Chief Marshall Djoko Suyanto said Friday.

Jakarta – The National Police have placed a former two-star general allegedly involved in illegal logging on Interpol's international watch list.

Palu, Central Sulawesi – At least 60 drivers of Utama Taxi, one of the major taxi companies in the Central Sulawesi capital of Palu, went on strike Thursday, demanding that the company cut rental fees.

They staged a rally in front of Utama Taxi depot, demanding that the management lower the taxi rental fees and cut other obligations imposed on the drivers.

Ridwan Max Sijabat, Jakarta – Employers are demanding the government review the social security system to eliminate corruption in the management of its huge labor fund, and to facilitate the planned review of the nation's labor law.

Nethy Dharma Somba, Jayapura – An ongoing dispute between the Papuan Legislative Council and the Papuan chapter of the General Elections Commission (KPUD Papua) over procedures in the handover of election results has delayed indefinitely the inauguration of the governor-elect Barnabar Suebu.

Jakarta – President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said Friday the new Aceh governance law would help speed up the recovery of the province from the devastating December 2004 tsunami.

M. Taufiqurrahman – The Muslim-based Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) has proposed that the railway law require every train provide a women-only car to prevent sexual harassment of female passengers.

Mark Dodd and Stephen Fitzpatrick in Jakarta – On his first day in office this week, East Timor's new Prime Minister Jose Ramos Horta accepted a cache of illegal weapons from a former soldier, Vincente "Railos" da Conceicao.

Jambi – Illegal logging in Jambi has escalated, causing the state to suffer billions of rupiah in losses as seen in the rising number of cases handled by the local police.

Jambi Police data indicates that the number of cases of log theft in the province has skyrocketed from only 18 with 23 suspects in 2003 to 74 with 136 suspects in 2005.

Marianne Kearney, Dili – Mr Joao Cancio Freitas might be the director of Dili's Institute of Technology, but like almost three quarters of this city's population, he has spent weeks living in one of the dozen refugee camps dotted around Timor Leste's capital.

Kalinga Seneviratne, Sydney – East Timor's new Prime Minister Jose Ramos Horta has been warmly welcomed by Australia's foreign minister Alexander Downer as a leader who could help solve the country's political crisis. But analysts in the region doubt if Horta can deliver the goods, where his own country is concerned.

Jakarta – Members of the Salamullah religious sect lead by Lia Aminuddin, also known as Lia Eden, reported Wednesday to police that they had been threatened while at the Central Jakarta District Court.

Wahyu Andito said three unknown men made death threats to him and six other members during the court hearing of Abdul Rahman on Wednesday morning.

Jakarta – A comprehensive audit on the operation of PT Freeport Indonesia, which was initially expected to be completed last month, is not finished yet, Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Purnomo Yusgiantoro said.

The city administration's free tuition education policy has been warmly welcomed by city residents. Many hope the policy will help students at risk of dropping out of school stay on and complete their studies, although the potential effect of the policy on education quality in the city has not yet been studied. The Jakarta Post asked people their views.

Slamet Susanto, Yogyakarta – Activists staging a hunger strike are demanding the government live up to pledges to provide financial assistance to the survivors of the May 27 earthquake in Yogyakarta and Central Java.

East Timor's President Xanana Gusmao has sworn in a new cabinet, taking the tiny nation a step closer to normalcy after deadly violence in May left it in disarray.