Jakarta – There are only a few post-graduate students having dinner at around 7 p.m., in a cafeteria in a state university in Depok, some one hour south of Jakarta.

Jakarta – With growing support from politicians to halt the prosecution of former president Soeharto, the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) says it is up to President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to decide on the case.

Eric Talmadge, Jakarta – Corruption charges against ailing former Indonesian dictator Suharto have been dropped, and he is a "free man," Indonesia's attorney general announced Friday. "Now Suharto is no longer a defendant, he is a free man," said Attorney General Abdul Rahman Saleh.

Jakarta – The National Commission on Violence Against Women is seeking a revision of the Criminal Code Procedures (Kuhap) to make them more gender-sensitive.

Oyos Saroso H.N., Bandarlampung – Lampung province is no longer just a transit point for human trafficking, but has become a supplier of women for the sex trade in Batam, Malaysia, Singapore and Hong Kong, according to an activist.

Theresia Sufa, Bogor – Bogor train station and several shops inside the station became easy targets Thursday morning when commuters, who were waiting for the economy train to Jakarta, turned nasty upon hearing news of further delays.

Jambi – Up to 3,464 out of about 16,499 elementary school classrooms throughout Jambi are so badly damaged they are unable to be used, an official said.

Andi Hajramurni, Makassar – The South Sulawesi capital of Makassar is returning to normal despite rallies staged by students following the death of a domestic helper allegedly after being tortured by her Chinese-Indonesian employer.

M. Taufiqurrahman and T.B. Arie Rukmantara, Jakarta – The tailing system used by PT Freeport Indonesia in its operation in Timika, Papua, has caused severe damage to the environment, a House of Representatives-sanctioned team says, confirming earlier similar findings.

Cath Hart and Samantha Maiden – A Papuan student activist was allegedly stabbed to death by Indonesian police after he was caught trying to flee to Australia along with 21 other students last month.

In a letter to Prime Minister John Howard, 47 organizations based in eight countries today urged the Australian government "to uphold its obligations under the Refugee Convention, to recognize the plight of Papuans suffering brutalization on your doorstep, and to adopt humane refugee policies in keeping with the widely recognized principles of the Australian people." The organizatio

Ridwan Max Sijabat, Jakarta – Allowing the outsourcing of jobs would lead to a form of "modern slavery" and only create more insecurity among white-collar workers, the country's labor unions say.

Pangkalpinang, Bangka Belitung – Dozens of residents of Riau Silip village, Bangka regency, attacked people and equipment Tuesday over a land dispute.

The National Police appealed Wednesday to villagers in Lawangan to give up a man accused of masterminding the 2005 beheadings of three Christian schoolgirls in Poso, Central Sulawesi.

"How can we do an investigation if the citizens prevent us from doing our job," National Police spokesman Brig. Gen. Anton Bachrul Alam said.

Jakarta – Hundreds of students are threatening to launch a sweeping operation against Chinese-Indonesians in Makassar, South Sulawesi, within 48 hours if the police fail to investigate the death of a maid after she was allegedly tortured by her Chinese-Indonesian employer.

Reporter: Steve Marshall

Tony Jones: Lateline can reveal disturbing claims tonight by a Papuan woman who says she was forced by Indonesian intelligence officers to make a public statement – or be killed.

Kurniawan Hari, Jakarta – Activists in Jakarta welcomed Indonesia's election to the newly established United Nations Human Rights Council on Wednesday and called for the government to further improve rights protection in the country.

Halim Mubary & Armia AM, Bireuen – Thousands of Bireuen residents from the 17 sub-districts that make up the regency, inundated the grounds of the Bireuen Grand Mosque on Thursday May 11 to hold a peaceful action to oversee the Draft Law on Aceh Government (RUU-PA). A similar action was also held in Lhokseumawe.

Jon Lamb – Fearing renewed violence, tens of thousands of East Timorese have fled Dili to outlying villages and districts. The situation remains extremely tense in the capital following the police crackdown on an angry demonstration of former Falintil independence fighters and disaffected youth on April 28.

Reporter: Steve Marshall

Max Lane – Scores of activists and young writers, as well as family members, were at the Karet Bivak cemetery in central Jakarta on April 30. Many were crying, tearful. The loss was felt greatly, a burden. But they rallied their spirits to also sing songs of struggle to farewell the man who they had just laid to rest: Pramoedya Ananta Toer.

B. Herry-Priyono, Jakarta – On Sunday night, April 30, I was still stranded in Aceh (Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam) when I turned on one of the television channels and heard a chilling warning to shoot on spot any protesters committing violence and vandalism.

Without justifying the destructive behavior exhibited in last week's labor protests, many people think the protesters' demands were reasonable. How can the workers build stronger political bargaining power to fight for their rights and how can the government and employers accommodate them? The Jakarta Post asked some people about this issue.

Jakarta – Associations representing a number of labor-intensive industries, hard hit by the recent labor unrest and intimidation of their workers, are demanding tougher law enforcement measures against illegal actions by unions that have the potential to damage the country's economy.

One business association says it is planning to sue the labor unions involved.

John Kerin and Tracy Sutherland – The Prime Minister has faced a party-room backlash over planned migration zone changes designed to discourage Papuan asylum seekers, as three more were intercepted on a small island in the Torres Strait.

Jakarta – For the mothers of two Trisakti University students who were killed on May 12, 1998, there is no justice, because those who ordered officers to open fire on their children remain free.

Scott Neuman, Jantho – Head in hands and tears welling in her eyes, Syarifah Binti Jauhari says she knows what she did was against the will of God: She tried to support her family in the tsunami-ravaged province of Aceh by selling liquor.

Indra Subagja, Jakarta – There are many ways to oppose the Draft Anti-Pornography and Porno-action Law (RUU APP). Aside from demonstrations, opposition to the law can also flow from comics. There is a picture of a person bathing, there is also one of a person kissing. Hmmm...

M. Taufiqurrahman, Jakarta – Efforts to achieve a lasting peace in Aceh could be spoiled should the government and the House of Representatives backtrack in the yet-to-be-passed bill on Aceh governance, an observer and a politician warn.

Alex Bainbridge, Sydney – Sixty supporters of West Papuan self-determination held a flag-raising ceremony outside the Indonesian consulate in Maroubra on April 30.

Banda Aceh – Students from the Aceh Democratic Network (Jaringan Demokrasi Aceh, JDA) opened a coordination post at the Banda Aceh City Park on Tuesday May 9 to guard the Draft Law on Aceh Government (RUU-PA)

Stephen Fitzpatrick, Jakarta – An East Timorese policeman was stabbed to death yesterday after security negotiations broke down in the western district of Ermera, where more than 600 rebel soldiers and police are defying a government call to return to their posts.

Hera Diani, Jakarta – Indonesia may have progressed in controlling corruption during the past two years, but it should continue its efforts or risk lagging behind other countries, an expert warns.

Jakarta – A number of members of the House of Representatives' Commission I dealing with security, political and foreign affairs paid a visit to former commander of the pro-integration fighter force PPI Eurico Guterres in the Cipinang state penitentiary here on Tuesday.

Jakarta – A student organization has reported Vice President Jusuf Kalla to police for inciting violence at the May 3 labor rally.

The Muslim Students Association said Kalla breached Article 335 of the Criminal Code on improper conduct. "Jusuf Kalla made irresponsible statements, which urged the workers on," the association's chairman, Didi K. Safari, said.

The Aceh Monitoring Mission (AMM) will have its term extended until August pending completion of deliberation on a bill on Aceh government which will provide the legal basis for the first direct elections ever held in Aceh.

Multa Fidrus, Tangerang – Lilies Lindawati is keeping to a pledge to settle the score with those who publicly humiliated her by branding her a prostitute.

Indonesia has frozen ties with two Australian universities, accusing their academics of supporting Papuan separatism.

A spokeswoman for the Indonesian Education Ministry, Nur Samsiah said Deakin University and RMIT University in Melbourne had both been blacklisted, preventing the two institutions from having ties or pursuing contracts with campuses in Indonesia.

Sarah Smiles – The Indonesian Government has accused two Deakin University academics of promoting separatism in West Papua and warned that the country's institutions will have nothing more to do with the university.

Lindsay Murdoch, Darwin – An East Timorese police commander has moved to calm panicked residents of Dili, telling them he only took his armed men into the mountains to protect people who had fled there.

Aguswandi, Banda Aceh – Just when you think you have things figured out, they turn topsy-turvy on you. This might be the best way to describe the fallout caused by those advocating the division of Aceh into two new provinces.

Eric Talmadge, Jakarta – Indonesia's vice president visited ailing former dictator Suharto in a hospital Monday and said he should not face trial for crimes allegedly committed during his rule.

Suharto, 84, underwent colon surgery on Sunday to stem intestinal bleeding and doctors said that he would remain hospitalized at least for five more days.

Stephen Fitzpatrick – The would-be guerilla fighters playing hide-and-seek in misty highlands far beyond East Timor's capital, Dili, are a mixed lot but they have one thing in common: they're prepared to die violent deaths to get what they want.

Multa Fidrus, Tangerang – Children are full of wonders: even in a dilapidated classroom, the sound of their laughter and cheerful chatter fills the air and spills outside.

The children are third graders at Rancagong State Elementary School in Legok district, Tangerang. They played a guessing game while they waited for their teacher in the morning.

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) notes that the Government of Indonesia is bidding for membership within the United Nations Human Rights Council. Elections are to be held on May 9, 2006. Indonesia has made a voluntary pledge and commitments to human rights as part of its bid, but the AHRC considers that the country needs to take specific action beyond its words.

Panca Nugraha, Mataram – Eggs flew through the air Saturday as tens of angry students in Mataram protested what they called slow progress in handling corruption cases at the West Nusa Tenggara provincial council.

The students, who were from the anticorruption movement, demanded the province prosecutor's office and high court take serious action on corruption cases.

Bronwyn Hurrell, Canberra – Australia has an affinity with East Timor that dates back to World War II when Australian soldiers were supported and sheltered by the locals, who paid a high toll at the hands of the Japanese.

Malang – The Malang chapter of the All-Indonesia Workers Union Federation (KSPSI) has rejected a call from the federation's headquarters to launch a three-day strike.

Jakarta – Politicians and analysts have rebuked President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono for accusing his political rivals of orchestrating Wednesday's violent labor rally in Jakarta.

His comments showed the government was uneasy in handling labor affairs, they said Friday.

Tiarma Siboro and Ridwan Max Sijabat, Jakarta – Aceh is set hold its first-ever gubernatorial elections sometime in August, with independent candidates expected to contest the polls, the government announced Thursday.