The defence minister has rejected calls for a UN inquiry into the death of Indonesia's leading human rights activist, following the acquittal of the only suspect in the poisoning.
Munir Said Thalib, who gained a reputation for exposing abuses by the Indonesian military in the late 1990s, was given a massive overdose of arsenic on a flight from Jakarta to Amsterdam in 2004.
Jakarta – The National Police said Tuesday that they would not allow a United Nations representative to take part in the investigation of the murder of human rights campaigner Munir, despite it being an international case.
Andreas Harsono, Jakarta – The restoration by the US of full military ties with Indonesia, in the common interest of combating global terrorism, has been used by Jakarta's generals to further their own domestic political interests as well as to hunt down Islamic extremists.
Anissa S. Febrina, Jakarta – Jakarta may be almost half a millennium old, but when it comes to fire it is nothing more than a child whose fascination with burning stuff started at an early age.
Lindsay Murdoch, Dili – Gangs responsible for East Timor's violence, political intimidation, extortion and crime have been linked to powerful Timorese figures with political ambitions and the country's main political parties.
Ary Hermawan, Jakarta – Waving and wearing big smile, Hutomo "Tommy" Mandala Putera walked away from the Cipinang narcotics prison Monday a free man, after serving less than half of his 10-year jail term thanks to generous remissions.
The youngest son of former president Soeharto left the maximum security prison in the early afternoon.
Banda Aceh – An eight-person team from the European Union has begun monitoring work ahead of elections in Indonesia's Aceh province, the head of the monitoring mission said Tuesday.
Andi Hajramurni and Ruslan Sangaji, Makassar/Poso – Troops were sent to Poso on Monday, one day after Vice President Jusuf Kalla and religious leaders here drew up a list of government steps to ensure peace in the Central Sulawesi regency.
Markus Makur, Timika – Hundreds of people rallied in Timika, Papua, on Monday in opposition to the trial in Jakarta of seven Papuans charged with the 2002 murders of two American teachers and an Indonesian colleague employed by PT Freeport Indonesia.
Jakarta – Concerned that the embankments containing the Sidoarjo mudflow might burst during the rainy season, the team overseeing the East Java disaster area has opened a spillway, a canal to divert the mud into the nearby Porong river.
Ridwan Max Sijabat, Jakarta – The Confederation of Indonesian Prosperous Labor Unions (KSBSI) filed 20 complaints with the Manpower and Transmigration Ministry on Monday.
The complaints were made on behalf of workers who claimed they had been denied their right to form unions. Many had been fired or demoted.
Jakarta – The early release from jail of the son of former Indonesian President Suharto has thrown the spotlight on what critics say is a justice system still capable of being manipulated by the rich and powerful.
The processes of justice in Indonesia's court system continue to baffle anyone looking for consistency or punishments fitting the crime.
A well-connected member of the Jakarta elite, especially someone belonging to top military or crony circles around the former president Soeharto, can expect to spend a comparatively short time in jail, whatever the crime.
Abdul Khalik, Jakarta – The widow of murdered activist Munir and her lawyers pressed national flagship airline Garuda on Monday to hand over documents they say could lead to his killers.
Suciwati, with help from the Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras), is suing Garuda for "negligence" leading to the September 2004 death of Munir Said Thalib.
Mario de Queiroz, Lisbon – After centuries of Portuguese colonialism and more than two decades of Indonesian military occupation, instability and violence continue to plague East Timor, simultaneously one of the world's newest and poorest nations.
Lindsay Murdoch, Dili – The East Timorese Government has ordered a crackdown on activists behind a campaign aimed at denigrating Australian security forces in Dili and fuelling anti-Australian sentiment.
Ahmad Pathoni, Jakarta – The youngest son of former Indonesian president Suharto was conditionally released from jail on Monday, after serving a third of his original sentence for plotting the murder of a Supreme Court judge.
The move drew immediate fire from critics who said it showed undue leniency and favoritism for the powerful.
Bill Guerin, Jakarta – As Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono enters his third year in office, the world's most populous Muslim country is widely viewed simultaneously as one of the region's most stable democracies yet one of its most unpredictable economies.
Ary Hermawan, Jakarta – Losing trust in the new police investigating team, activists demanded Saturday that the government involve the United Nations in the probe into the 2004 murder of rights activist Munir.
Lindsay Murdoch, Dili – Australian embassy officials and staff in Dili have tightened their security as unidentified people spread rumours that appear to be aimed at provoking attacks against Australians in East Timor.
Ruslan Sangadji, Palu – The Central Sulawesi Antiviolence Caucus asserted Friday that four police generals in charge of maintaining order in the conflict-ridden city of Poso should be held responsible for the bloody incident on Jl. Pulau Irian in Gebang Rejo village, Poso, on Oct. 22 in which one man was killed and two others were injured.
Jakarta – The national team overseeing the East Java mudflow disaster is racing against time to reinforce a 7.2 kilometer embankment so that it doesn't collapse during the raining season.
Gagah Wijoseno, Jakarta – Suspicions that the National Intelligence Agency (BIN) was involved in the murder of Munir are becoming stronger. There is evidence that BIN is lobbying the United States over the case of the human rights activist.
Maryadi, Jakarta – A visit by Munir's widow, Suciwati to the United States on October 14-20 has produced results. The United Nations, the US Congress and the Senate have declared their support to quickly find Munir's murderer.
Matthew B Arnold – With America's adventures in Iraq and Afghanistan faltering and United Nations peace-keeping missions stretched thin and struggling from Haiti to the Ivory Coast and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the world is looking for proof that "interventionism" can produce positive results, especially for the longer term.
Ridwan Max Sijabat, Jakarta – The generous sentence remissions given to wealthy criminals on national holidays smack of corruption, activists said Friday.
Indonesian Corruption Watch (ICW) and the Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras) say the remissions are being bought and sold at the cost of the government's credibility.
Lindsay Murdoch, Dili – The commander of East Timor's army has called for an investigation into the behaviour of Australian troops in Dili, including claims they have taken sides in the conflict that plunged the country into violent upheaval.
Panca Nugraha and Ary Hermawan, Mataram/Jakarta – Suspected Muslim militants have attacked a mosque belonging to the Ahmadiyah sect in Sulawesi on Tuesday while the group was performing Idul Fitri prayers, police say.
Jakarta – An environmental group is questioning the government's commitment to combating rampant illegal logging in North Sumatra, saying many cases have been left unresolved while several protected forests have been converted into forest concessions.
Tony Hotland, Jakarta – A man for all seasons, Marsillam Simanjuntak joined Thursday a State Palace meeting to review the progress of the country's economic and political reforms in his new capacity as the President's private advisor.
There's a call for the Pacific Islands Forum to send a fact finding mission to Indonesia's Papua province.
In the communique at this week's summit, Pacific leaders welcomed progress towards autonomy in Papua but raised concerns at violence and called for the root causes of conflict to be addressed by peaceful means.
Jakarta – The effectiveness of the government's plan to cage fowls in residential areas as a move to curb the spread of the deadly avian influenza virus has been met with skepticism.
The Indonesia Consumers Foundation chief Husna Zahier said Sunday that the plan would be ineffective without a careful study of poultry and the relationship with their owners.
Poso/Jakarta – New violence flared up in Poso, Central Sulawesi, on Wednesday when a mob of villagers ransacked a house rented by policemen after a villager was shot by security forces Sunday night.
On Tuesday, angry residents burned down a police post. Nobody was reported injured in either attack.
Blontank Poer, Klaten – This year's Idul Fitri was hard work for Yadi and Sriyati who live in the earthquake-hit village of Gesikan in Klaten, Central Java.
Jayapura – Development planning in the province of Papua is not being handled well even though the province has huge sums of money, in the form of general allocations as well as special autonomy funds from the central government.
Vanda Mutia Dewi, Jakarta – A recent report by Greenomics Indonesia revealed some very interesting facts about who exactly is to blame for the delays affecting the reconstruction process in Aceh.
Lindsay Murdoch – Security forces in East Timor fear violence will dramatically escalate in Dili after the execution of a leader of one of East Timor's biggest gangs. The martial arts gang leader was shot in the head on a Dili street, where for weeks rival gangs have fought fiercely.
Ridarson Galingging, Jakarta – According to existing Indonesian law, Indonesian Military (TNI) personnel who commit ordinary crimes are supposed to be tried by regular or civilian courts. Military courts only have jurisdiction when military personnel commit military offenses.
Dili – East Timor's Bishop Carlos Belo has reportedly held meetings with a rebel leader and key politicians named in a damning UN report on the country's violence to try to stop the ongoing unrest.
Martin Abbugao, Singapore – The annual recurrence of carbon-rich haze caused by illegal fires in Indonesia's vast tropical peatlands may help fuel global warming if left unchecked, experts warn.
Jakarta – Two Islamic militants jailed for their role in helping bombers in the 2002 Bali blasts, were freed from prison after receiving sentence cuts to mark the Islamic holiday of Eid, officials have said.
Jakarta – Millions of Indonesians have taken part in morning prayers before celebrating the end of the month-long Ramadan fast with family and friends as the world's largest Muslim nation marked the Eid al-Fitr Islamic holiday.
Palu – A man was shot dead when police in Indonesia's religiously-divided town of Poso, in Central Sulawesi, came under attack while trying to disarm residents, police have said.
Millions of women in Indonesia are raising children on their own, some by choice and others by necessity. Now the country is coming under pressure to recognise their rights, the BBC's Lucy Williamson in Jakarta finds.
Two men were stabbed to death after evening prayers in East Timor, a hospital director said, in the latest violence to disrupt the tiny nation since foreign peacekeepers arrived in May.
Four other people were injured in the fighting on Sunday night between rival gangs in the capital, Dili, Antonio Caleres, director of the Dili National Hospital, told The Associated Press.
The Australia West Papua Association (Sydney) calls on the Pacific Islands Forum leaders to grant observer status to West Papua at its upcoming meeting in Fiji.
AWPA congratulates the Forum leaders for granting observer status to Tokelau at last years Forum, to join New Caledonia, French Polynesia and the newly independent nation of East Timor.
Tim Johnston – East Timor used to be the poster child for international intervention, but a report published this week by a group of United Nations investigators illustrates just how shallow the veneer of success was and just how difficult getting the country back on track is going to be.
Nabiha Shahab, Jakarta – It's 2:45 in the morning, and Ulfa and Eko have already launched into another Ramadan working day with their comedy sketch team, entertaining millions of Indonesians tuning in to their pre-dawn show.
The East Timorese Government was handed a heaven-sent opportunity this week to begin the long overdue process of healing the rifts so vividly exposed by last May's wave of violence.
Fabio Scarpello, Jakarta – After two years at the helm, Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has drawn praise for ending the 30-year war in Aceh. Yet, human rights activists do not share the same enthusiasm when it comes to reforming the powerful military and solving human rights cases.