Chris Holm, Jakarta – On May 27, a natural gas drilling operation in Indonesia's East Java province got exceptionally messy.

Local prospector PT Lapindo Brantas was carrying out routine drilling at the Banjar Panji-1 well located near the town of Sidoarjo, a site that is part of a joint operation known as the Brantas Production Sharing Contract.

Banda Aceh – The head of a foreign monitoring mission overseeing a peace pact between ex-rebels in Indonesia's Aceh and the Jakarta government has given an initial nod to a law cementing the deal.

Nani Afrida, Banda Aceh – The Aceh Monitoring Mission (AMM) will not step into the controversy about the newly passed Aceh governance law, chief Pieter Feith said Wednesday.

He said the law on the administration of Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam was not a sudden "incident", but rather the result of the lengthy efforts of Indonesian legislators.

A land dispute between residents of two villages in North Seram district, Maluku, erupted into violence earlier this week, resulting in two deaths and three injuries.

The fatalities were identified as Iwan Makatita, 25, who was killed by an arrow, and Ikrar Aloahit, 24.

London – Multiple mutations have been found in the H5N1 bird flu virus that killed seven family members in Indonesia although scientists are unsure of their significance, a leading science journal said on Thursday. But researchers believe the findings reinforce the need for bird flu data to be more widely available to improve understanding of the deadly virus.

Hera Diani, Jakarta – Legislators pronounced the citizenship law passed here Tuesday as revolutionary in ending discrimination against Chinese-Indonesians and Indonesian women of foreign spouses, but activists said more needed to be done in the future.

Hera Diani, Jakarta – The House of Representatives passed a citizenship bill Tuesday which took a step toward ending discrimination against people of Chinese descent. The law allows them to hold several key government posts, including the presidency, which were formerly closed to them.

Andri Setyawan, Jakarta – The Indonesian Farmers Association (HKTI) has welcomed the government's measure in extending the ban on rice imports.

"It's good. I hope this is followed by government measures to increase rice production," Siswono Yudohusodo, HKTI advisor, told Tempo yesterday (11/7).

Abdul Khalik, Jakarta – Looking at the fact that Indonesian migrant workers abroad are often exploited and abused by their employers and lack legal recourse, Indonesia is urged to ratify a convention on migrant workers as a tool to convince destination countries to protect foreign workers.

Ary Hermawan, Jakarta – The Central Jakarta District Court told prosecutors Tuesday to use force to get seven suspects in the 2002 killing of two US nationals and an Indonesian in Papua province to court for indictment.

Jakarta – Activists urged the government Monday to expedite the drafting of a long-awaited bill designed to protect domestic workers from discrimination, exploitation and mistreatment.

Mataram, West Nusa Tenggara – Dozens of public minivan drivers rallied Monday in front of the transportation office in Mataram to protest conditions at the city's Mandalika bus terminal.

"Motorcycle taxi and taxi drivers are being allowed to pick up passengers at the terminal, which hurts minivan drivers," rally coordinator Taufik said.

Bill Guerin, Jakarta – Just hours after the December 2004 tsunami battered Indonesia's coastal areas, Vice President Jusuf Kalla jumped into action. Kalla unilaterally summoned the relevant ministers and from the ground began delegating relief efforts from the worst-hit province of Aceh.

Banda Aceh – Many residents in Indonesia's Aceh say they are unaware of the specifics of a new law giving the ravaged province greater autonomy, but don't want any opposition to it to derail a new-found peace.

Nani Afrida, Banda Aceh/Jakarta – Usually bustling streets in towns along the eastern seaboard of Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam were brought to a standstill Tuesday, with transportation workers taking part in a general strike called to protest the endorsement of the Aceh governance law.

M. Taufiqurrahman, Jakarta – After five months of intense deliberations, the House of Representatives passed the Aceh governance bill into law Tuesday, with legislators' declaration that it paved the way for greater autonomy receiving a cool response in the conflict-torn province.

Jakarta – Seven suspects who face trial over the 2002 killings of two US nationals in Indonesia's Papua refused to turn up in court Tuesday, arguing that their case should be heard in the easternmost province.

Jane Perlez, Jakarta – The Indonesian Parliament passed a law today that under the terms of a peace accord with former separatists in Aceh is intended to give the province greater autonomy.

Jakarta – Indonesia's parliament has passed a bill to extend political autonomy for Aceh, but human-rights activists and former Achenese rebels say the law does not satisfy a 2005 peace agreement.

The conflict has revived tensions between Jakarta and Aceh's separatist movement.

Marianne Kearney, Jakarta – Six of the seven Papuans charged with the premeditated murder of three teachers at the Freeport mine in 2002 are facing the death penalty merely for supplying the attackers with coffee and sugar, says one of their lawyers.

John Martinkus – Three weeks ago in East Timor I was given information from senior members of the East Timorese military that confirmed what the now deposed prime minister had been saying all along.

Damien Kingsbury – The appointment of Jose Ramos Horta as East Timor's interim prime minister is a move towards installing a unifying figure for a small nation that, for a moment, appeared to be in danger of fragmenting. A fragmented nation, in this case, would have meant a failed state.

Dili – East Timor's new prime minister Jose Ramos-Horta is the candidate best placed to unify the traumatised nation but the Nobel laureate could still face opposition and challenges lie ahead, analysts warned.

Jakarta – The House of Representatives is to question Defense Minister Juwono Sudarsono and Army Chief of Staff Gen. Djoko Santoso here Monday about the recent discovery of a large arms stash at the house of a deceased two-star general.

Dili – Nobel prize-winner Jose Ramos-Horta has been named as East Timor's new prime minister, President Xanana Gusmao announced Saturday, ending weeks of political uncertainty in the nation.

Jakarta – A human rights group suspects there have been "systematic attempts" to shatter the peace in Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam.

Jakarta – A coalition of anticorruption watchdogs kicked off a campaign Friday to improve integrity among members of the House of Representatives.

Transparency International Indonesia, the International Transparency Society and Indonesia Procurement Watch have begun inviting lawmakers sign a pact in which they promise not to commit graft and act ethically.

Dili – Jose Ramos-Horta, the Nobel peace laureate who spent decades campaigning for East Timor's independence from Indonesia, was appointed the nation's prime minister Saturday.

Jakarta – Indonesian maids working overseas are still unaware of their right to report cases of abuse and other grievances to local authorities, activists say.

Mark Forbes, Jakarta – Kartika Gunawan is not a typical Playboy playmate, but neither are her centrefold shots.

Jakarta – Members of the Unity in Diversity Alliance came away disappointed Friday after trying to persuade the Islamic Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) faction to stop the passage of the controversial pornography bill and enforcement of sharia bylaws.

Nethy Dharma Somba, Jayapura – Seven suspects set to stand trial over the killing of two American teachers and their Indonesian colleague in Timika, Papua province have refused to stand trial in Jakarta, their lawyer said Thursday.

Jakarta – A student reported a security guard at the National Intelligence Agency (BIN) office to the Jakarta Police on Thursday for allegedly beating him and an ojek (motorcycle taxi) driver last month.

Jakarta – The business community is unimpressed with the newly launched financial policy package and doubts the seriousness of the authorities in implementing the contents of the policy aimed at reviving business activities in the country.

Abdul Khalik and Kurniawan Hari, Jakarta – The resumption of nearly full military ties with the United States has been prompted by economic and security concerns rather than the improving human rights record of the Indonesian Military (TNI), experts say.

Ridwan Max Sijabat, Jakarta – Legislators have accused Defense Minister Juwono Sudarsono of a half-hearted commitment to effecting internal reform of the military, evidenced by a lack of accountability in arms procurement and a recent illegal arms scandal.

Bandung – Fifty-two former workers of state aircraft maker PT Dirgantara Indonesia began a long march from Bandung to the Presidential Palace in Jakarta on Wednesday to demand the government honor its promise to pay part of their pensions in cash.

Other former workers and their family members saw off the marchers who began their trek from the West Java governor's office.

RR Ariyani, Jakarta – Entrepreneur groups consider that improvement to infrastructures is far more interesting to investors than the granting of fiscal incentives.

Jakarta – The government and Bank Indonesia (BI) have signed a joint decree to improve coordination between fiscal and monetary authorities and help reform financial markets.

M. Taufiqurrahman, Jakarta – Indonesia, hobbled by graft and slack bureaucratic coordination, has a long way to go before it can adopt a United Nations Development Program (UNDP) plan to offset the negative impact of the liberalized world trade order, economists say.

Jakarta – The House of Representatives has agreed to resolve internal friction over controversial sharia-inspired bylaws enacted by some regional administrations.

House Speaker Agung Laksono said lawmakers opposed to and those in support of the local government regulations had met with him and agreed to stop questioning these bylaws on gambling, prostitution and liquor.

Lindsay Murdoch, Dili – East Timor's deposed prime minister, Mari Alkatiri, last night lashed out at Australia, saying there was an attempt to demonise him in the media and that some government ministers and officials "don't like me".

Jakarta – Too many illegal logging suspects are being acquitted by the courts and others are receiving light sentences, say National Police chief Gen. Sutanto and Forestry Minister M.S. Kaban.

Speaking after a meeting at Kaban's office Wednesday, Sutanto and Kaban said the judgments would undermine people's faith in the justice system.

Ridwan Max Sijabat and Rendy Akhmad Witular, Jakarta – National Intelligence Agency (BIN) chief Syamsir Siregar said Tuesday that military police had found 35 more arms hoarded by late Army officer Brig. Gen. Koesmayadi.

Jon Lamb – The political crisis in East Timor has deepened following the resignation of East Timorese Prime Minister Mari Alkatiri on June 26. As pro and anti-government protests and gang violence continue, a resolution of the present crisis has been hamstrung by the internal political manoeuvres of the political elite.

M. Taufiqurrahman, Jakarta – A criminologist believes the authorities must identify the root causes of the hatred and prejudice which fuel vigilantism amid renewed calls for a crackdown on thuggery.

Tim Anderson – "We did not expect that the elected leader of a party with an overwhelming mandate could be forced to stand down in this way in a democracy." – Fretilin press release, June 26, 2006.

Jakarta – Indonesian police said they had arrested a former army general and two company directors for alleged involvement in illegal logging on Borneo island.

Ridwan Max Sijabat, Jakarta – Lawmakers here Tuesday lashed out at the management of state-owned labor insurance firm PT Jamsostek for failing to boost transparency and professionalism in carrying out social security programs for workers.

Andy Mukherjee – In Siti Maimunah's Jakarta office, on the wall behind her spartan desk, hangs a placard.

"Decolonize Freeport's imperium in Papua," the poster says, its ire targeted at Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold Inc.'s Grasberg gold mine, the world's largest, in eastern Indonesia. "Thirty five years is enough."