Jakarta – Pro-democracy supporters and scholars are urging the upholding of the founding Pancasila state ideology to thwart hardline religious groups attempting to impose a monotheistic belief system.

Endy M. Bayuni, Jakarta – When the suggestion was made that Indonesia needs to restore Pancasila to its proper place as the unifying national ideology, many people reacted with skepticism or even downright cynicism.

Radzie, Banda Aceh – Hundreds of students and social activists in the provincial capital of Banda Aceh took to the streets again on June 1 to demand the immediate ratification of the Draft Law on Aceh Government (RUU-PA). This time, the action was centred at the governor's offices and the Aceh Regional House of Representatives (DPRD).

Helen Hill – The Australian Government and media have demonised East Timor's PM without knowing all the facts,

Nani Afrida, Banda Aceh – The decision of the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) not to participate in the upcoming direct election of Aceh governor came as a shock but failed to discourage political parties from involving the former rebels.

Max Lane – On May 24, East Timorese President Xanana Gusmao, Prime Minister Mari Alkatiri and the speaker of East Timor's parliament Lu'olo sent a letter to the governments of Australia, Portugal, Malaysia and New Zealand as well as to the United Nations asking for assistance in the form of a military presence in order to respond to civil disorder in the East Timor capital Dili, and

Rohan Pearce – While not many details about the "security treaty" being negotiated between Canberra and Jakarta have been made public, the Howard government has indicated that it will include an Australian commitment to Indonesia's "territorial integrity" – in particular, opposition to self-determination for West Papua, including the right of West Papuans to secede from Indonesia an

Maryann Keady – Three years ago, I wrote a piece talking about attempts to oust Prime Minister Mari Alkatiri in East Timor, then a new struggling independent nation.

Jakarta – Some 300 people from several labor organizations staged a rally Tuesday in front of Jakarta Police Headquarters, demanding the release of eight workers who were detained following an ugly demonstration on May 3.

Rally coordinator Ilham Syah said the eight were not guilty of damaging public property as charged.

Jakarta – Governor Sutiyoso arrived back in the city Tuesday, from a day trip to Yogyakarta, to face allegations the administration misappropriated Rp 1.56 trillion (US$166 million) from the 2005 provincial budget.

"I'm asking the council not to make any statements that will cause a stir. I'm afraid the public will think we really have embezzled the money," he said.

Chris Brummitt, Bantul – US Marines joined an international effort to deliver aid and medical care to nearly 650,000 Indonesians displaced by a devastating earthquake, as hopes faded of finding more survivors.

Yogyakarta – Indonesian officials defended the earthquake relief operation under way in central Java, amid complaints from local residents that aid has been slow to arrive.

Jon Lamb – In response to ongoing clashes between the East Timor Defence Force (FDTL) and rebel soldiers and police, the East Timorese president, prime minister, foreign minister and speaker to the parliament sent a joint communique on the evening of May 24 to the Australian government requesting that it send troops as part of an international force to restore security.

Jakarta – The debate over whether to protect the country's forests or promote investment in the mining sector has reemerged, with mining firms now up in arms over Forestry Ministry guidelines that they claim are hampering their operations.

It is almost a week now after the arrival there of Australian peace-keepers but peace, you'd have to say, still seems a way off.

What, earlier this year, started out as basically an industrial dispute between disgruntled soldiers and the East Timorese Government, in April escalated when the armed forces split along both ethnic and political lines.

The entire country and the world have once again reacted with solidarity following another natural disaster here, this time the magnitude 5.9 earthquake that devastated Indonesia's densely populated Yogyakarta and parts of Central Java last Saturday.

Ridwan Max Sijabat/Tony Hotland, Jakarta – The government is insisting on classifying Saturday's deadly earthquake in Yogyakarta and Central Java as a local disaster, despite calls for it to be declared a national disaster and complaints about poorly coordinated aid efforts.

Sri Wahyuni and Blontank Poer, Bantul/Jakarta/Klaten Homeless survivors of Saturday's earthquake resorted to desperate measures Monday amid a dearth of assistance, with some camping out in a cattle shed and others begging for food from passersby.

Riyadi Suparno, Tokyo – The World Bank, a strong advocate of private sector investment in infrastructure, is now calling on governments around the world to increase their investment in infrastructure, noting that private sector investment in the sector can never be enough and has often brought about an unintended consequence: the victimizing of the poor.

Tiarma Siboro, Jakarta – An internal rift has forced the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) to drop its ambition to field gubernatorial candidates in the upcoming direct elections, a reliable source says.

Ian Timberlake, Bantul – Desperate Indonesian quake survivors were still waiting for aid despite pledges help would come fast, as the rising activity of a nearby volcano fuelled fears of an eruption.

Dili – East Timor dumped its defense minister Tuesday and the government showed signs of further unraveling, as desperate residents scuffled over scarce food in the capital and looters ransacked the prosecutor's office of vast numbers of files.

Jakarta – In the wake of the tragedy in Yogyakarta, in which thousands died in collapsed houses and buildings, experts warned that earthquake-resistant construction standards must be strengthened to prevent future disasters.

Ponorogo – The Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) has issued an edict demanding the government and House of Representatives pass a controversial pornography bill into law.

"We ulemas agree Indonesia must have an antipornography law... With us, there is no negotiation on this point," said Ma'ruf Amin, chairman of the MUI's fatwa commission.

Jakarta – Amid criticism for his alleged failure to take action, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has expressed concern about the growth of militias who glorify violence in the name of religion or ethnicity.

Jakarta – Experts have criticized a plan by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to form a new working unit to help address the country's economic problems and improve the investment climate, saying the only thing the business community needed was a concrete and unified economic policy.

Lawrence Bartlett, Sydney – The explosion of violence in East Timor was the result of an accumulation of ethnic, economic and historical grievances in the young country and the failure of the government to address them, analysts say.

Jakarta – About 50 people from North Sumatra's Karo regency living in Greater Jakarta staged a peaceful rally near the Hotel Indonesia traffic circle Saturday, protesting the government's decision to name Karo a bird flu affected area.

Margie Mason, Kubu Simbelang – The three brick-and-clapboard houses stand along the village's muddy dirt road, empty and forlorn. A naked light bulb hangs from a wire over one door, still burning. A white pet bird cries for food from its cage. But no one dares to go near.

Oyos Saroso H.N., Bandarlampung – Illegal loggers in Lampung have cleared tens of thousands of hectares of mangrove forests, the green belt along Sumatra's eastern coast.

Jakarta – The death toll from Saturday's earthquake had reached more than 4,600 as of late Sunday, as rescue workers continued to search for survivors.

M. Taufiqurrahman, Jakarta – A coalition of non-governmental organizations demanded Sunday the House of Representatives draft a regulation that would outlaw all types of discrimination.

Television reports of disasters in the country now come with melancholy tunes, most notably the ballads of Ebiet G. Ade. Since the 2004 earthquake and tsunami in Aceh, his song Berita kepada Kawan (News to a friend) seems to have become the official theme song for tragedies.

James Dunn – East Timor's descent into violence and anarchy, and towards civil war, chaos came as a shock, including to this columnist who has been involved in the affairs of this community for more than 4 decades, especially their ordeal during Indonesia's harsh occupation.

Mark Dodd, Dili – East Timor President Xanana Gusmao has assumed sweeping new executive authority, invoking emergency powers under the country's constitution to help resolve the political crisis.

Tom Allard and Mark Forbes in Dili – A humanitarian and political crisis was escalating in East Timor last night, as mobs looted government food warehouses, burnt properties and shot and bashed ethnic enemies.

Tangerang – The Tangerang Saviors Front (FPT), a paramilitary group, became involved in a brawl with locals late Saturday night after protesting the presence of nightclubs in the Pinangsia commercial complex in Karawaci, Tangerang.

The FPT demanded the clubs be closed, in accordance with a controversial local bylaw banning prostitution and the sale of alcoholic drinks.

Prime Minister John Howard had ignored the difficult task facing East Timor in the wake of the ruinous Indonesian occupation, Australian Democrats Leader Lyn Allison said today. Australia should have done more to help, she said.

Tom Hyland – The UN, Australia and the East Timorese Government had multiple warnings of the looming internal security crisis that has plunged Dili into violent chaos.

Kanis Dursin, Banda Aceh – Following the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the government and the Free Aceh Movement in Helsinki last Aug. 15, several GAM leaders who had lived overseas for decades began to head back to the formerly conflict-torn province.

Washington – A US-based pressure group has warned Australia that its invited military intervention in East Timor to quell unrest did not entitle it to interfere in the country's government.

Yogyakarta – Nothing remains of Cabean hamlet in Sumbermulyo village, Bantul regency. The only sign that it was a thriving community of farmers is the mosque, which now serves as a mortuary.

The simple wooden homes of the hamlet lay scattered across the ground, alongside the bodies of their owners.

Rita A. Widiadana, Sanur – The joint Indonesia-Timor Leste Truth and Friendship Commission will continue its work despite the outbreak of violence in Timor Leste, an official said Friday.

Anthony Deutsch, Dili – East Timor's capital descended into chaos Saturday as rival gangs set houses on fire and attacked each other with machetes and spears, defying international peacekeepers patrolling in armed vehicles and combat helicopters. The prime minister said a coup attempt was underway.

We have watched the unfolding situation in Timor-Leste this past week with deep concern. We do not believe that events had to escalate to this point. Like others, we do not have complete information about the current situation and its causes. Below are our initial reflections:

M. Taufiqurrahman, Jakarta – The House special committee on the pornography bill will rework its draft to focus on curbing the prevalence of obscene materials, a development that brings the heated discussion about its contents back to square one.

Jakarta – Unlike Soeharto's many VIP guests whose hospital visits have been covered by television stations, the 20 people attempting to visit the ailing former dictator Friday morning might have gone unnoticed if not for the floral display they carried.

Ridwan Max Sijabat, Jakarta – A labor union has accused senior officials at the Manpower and Transmigration Ministry of misusing Rp 30 billion (about US$3.3 million) in funds earmarked for the severance pay of workers with oil and gas companies.

George Quinn – On its independence day almost exactly four years ago, the people of East Timor seemed literally to be singing on the same page. The independence movement had grabbed a massive win in the referendum of 1999. Indonesia's sour response and the brutality of its militias had been a gift to the new country's sense of solidarity.

Indra Harsaputra, Ponorogo – The Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) on Friday proscribed any movements, either by individuals, groups of people, institutions or organizations, that threaten national unity.

The decree was one of several decisions taken during a meeting of ulema from across the country at the Gontor Muslim boardinghouse in Ponorogo, East Java.