Stockholm, Sweden – A Swedish prosecutor has dropped an investigation of the exiled leader of the Aceh rebel movement, saying the aging Hasan Tiro no longer controls the group, news reports said Sunday.
Tiro, 80, and two other exiled leaders of the Free Aceh Movement are accused by Indonesia of staging assassinations, bombings and kidnappings.
Alan Sipress, Jakarta – The new publication of declassified US documents by a private Washington-based research group, raising questions about Indonesia's takeover of disputed territory 35 years ago, has provoked charges in Jakarta that the US government must be behind the revelations.
Rendi A. Witular and Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, Jakarta – A coalition of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) has vowed to continue its campaign against 13 mining firms that have been allowed to resume open-pit mining in protected forests, upon a controversial government regulation in lieu of law (Perpu) endorsed by the House of Representatives.
Jakarta – Investment commitments by 13 mining firms allowed to operate in Indonesia's protected forests reached US$17 billion last year and contributed $400 million to state coffers, an official said on Friday.
Jakarta – Revenue from oil and gas sector is expected to reach US$11.3 billion this year, a top oil and gas industry official said on Friday.
Yemris Fointuna and Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, Jakarta/Kupang – Convicted former East Timor governor Abilio Soares defied a summons on Friday to begin serving his three-year jail term for human rights crimes in Indonesia's former province in 1999.
Jayapura – One person was killed and another was severely wounded after ethnic violence broke out in the Timika district in Indonesia's easternmost province of Papua on Friday morning.
Fabiola Desy Unidjaja and Tiarma Siboro, Jakarta – President Megawati Soekarnoputri is reportedly considering a replacement for Aceh Governor Abdullah Puteh as pressure mounts on her to fire him due to graft charges against him.
Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, Jakarta – religious leaders have urged the National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) to reveal the findings of its probe into alleged human rights violations by soldiers and police in the troubled province.
Robert Go, Jakarta – Several election workers have admitted to tampering with poll results, in yet another scandal to hit Indonesia's first direct presidential vote on July 5.
The General Elections Commission (KPU) said yesterday that it has fired seven local officials from West Kalimantan province for vote tampering.
M. Taufiqurrahman and Adianto P. Simamora, Jakarta – The General Elections Commission has decided to hold a revote at a polling station for Indonesian expatriates in the East Malaysian town of Tawau after the Election Supervisory Committee (Panwaslu) filed a complaint over allegations of vote rigging there.
John Filiatreau, Dili – Five years ago, this country reclaimed its independence from Indonesia, becoming the newest, and arguably poorest, nation in the world.
Jakarta – Indonesia's largest Islamic party – the United Development Party (PPP) – seems reluctant to openly support incumbent President Megawati Sukarnoputri for September's run-off, although party leader Hamzah Haz has been reported to have thrown his weight behind her.
John Filiatreau, Liquica – Leonito da Costa's death and resurrection took place shortly after August 30, 1999, the day he and hundreds of thousands of other East Timorese trooped to the polls to vote for independence from Indonesia.
The recent declassification of documents by the US National Security Archive pertaining to the 1969 referendum on Papua has put this vast and resource-rich westernmost province of Indonesia in the spotlight. The 35-year-old documents say, in effect, that the UN-endorsed referendum was a sham as it excluded most Papuans during the so-called "Act of Free Choice".
Tiarma Siboro, Jakarta – Graft suspect Abdullah Puteh admitted on Thursday that no tender was held for the purchase of a Russian-made helicopter in 2001, but denied suggestions that he had violated any law in the deal.
Leony Aurora, Jakarta – Six months since its launch on January 15, it seems the controversial busway's only success is in providing a faster means of travel as it speeds along its exclusive lane from Blok M, South Jakarta, to Kota, West Jakarta.
P.C. Naommy, Jakarta – The House of Representatives is throwing its weight behind the controversial Ladia Galaska road project despite an outcry from environmentalists.
Syofiardi Bachyul and Puji Santoso, Padang/Pekanbaru – State electricity company PT PLN may be forced to cut off electricity in three provinces in Sumatra in the near future following the decline in the water debit in reservoirs and lakes that have been the source of power for three power plants.
Devi Asmarani, Jakarta – In operation for just six months, Jakarta's public bus system has already proven to be the most reliable and comfortable means of getting around the congested capital.
But its sustainability is in question: most commuters are still unwilling to leave their cars at home and the busway's management is allegedly fraught with graft.
Fitri Wulandari, Jakarta – State oil and gas firm PT Pertamina is requesting a government guarantee to facilitate crucial fuel import plans as the company faces cash flow problems.
Jakarta – Approved foreign direct investment in value terms in Indonesia fell 34.4% during the first half of the year to U$3.05 billion from $4.65 billion a year ago, the official investment board said Wednesday.
M. Taufiqurrahman, Jakarta – Contrary to what happened in the April 5 legislative elections when people voted according to their political party affinities, the public displayed greater maturity during the presidential election.
Yuli Tri Suwarni, Bandung – Dozens of students rallied here on Tuesday to demand an investigation into a soldier who allegedly assaulted poll officials in Bandung, West Java, during the presidential election.
Abdul Khalik and M. Taufiqurrahman, Jakarta – The official Election Supervisory Committee (Panwaslu) has reported violations in the recent presidential election to police, including mass voter mobilization at Al-Zaytun Islamic boarding school in Indramayu, West Java.
M. Taufiqurrahman, Jakarta – An independent poll watchdog blamed on Wednesday the high number of electoral procedure violations on the deliberate disregard of correct procedure by poll committee (PPS) members.
Jakarta – The powerful Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) will prove to be powerless if President Megawati Soekarnoputri refuses to comply with the commission's order to dismiss Aceh Governor Abdullah Puteh, legal experts and activists say.
Eugene Low – Retired general Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono is expected to clinch Indonesia's top job in September, but he faces a widening rift between the country's public and its top leaders, an Australian academic said yesterday.
Alex Chadwick, host: This is Day to Day. I'm Alex Chadwick.
The world's newest nation, East Timor, celebrated its second birthday in May without much to really celebrate. Most of the 800,000 people are poor. Foreign donors provide as much as half the country's annual budget.
It is certainly gratifying to hear, straight from the horse's mouth as it were, that fighting corruption is so close to the hearts of our presidential election candidates.
Jayapura – Trikora Military Commander Maj. Gen. Nurdin Zainal has filed a complaint against Latifah Hanum Siregar, the director of the Democratic Alliance for Papua (ALDP), alleging defamation.
Jakarta – Indonesian troops killed 15 suspected rebels in Indonesia's Aceh province, and guerrillas set fire to a passenger bus, an army spokesman said Wednesday.
Earlier today Mark Davis spoke to Indonesia's Ambassador to Australia, Imron Cotan, from Canberra.
Mark Davis: Ambassador, thanks for joining us. Were you surprised by the very strong nature of these documents?
Imron Cotan, Indonesian ambassador to Australia: I'm not surprised at all.
Jakarta – Indonesian activists urged the government to halt construction of a road network through a tropical rain forest on Sumatra island, saying the project spells environmental disaster and is riddled with corruption.
Jambi – Jambi prosecutors and police investigators have been investigating 23 cases of illegal logging since last year, but only three cases have been brought to court so far.
Frans Tandipau, the head of the Forest Protection Section at the Jambi Forestry Agency, said that the slow pace of the investigations was due to a lack of evidence.
Jim Lobe, Washington – On the 35th anniversary of the so-called "Act of Free Choice" (AFC) that resulted in West Papua's annexation by Indonesia, newly declassified documents revealed that the administration of the late US president Richard Nixon was unwilling to raise any objections to the process despite its assessment that the move was overwhelmingly opposed by the Papuan people.
Kurniawan Hari, Jakarta – In its response to new questions over the legitimacy of Indonesia's sovereignty over Papua, it seems the government has learned little from the loss of East Timor in 1999.
Jakarta – Indonesia's parliament has approved a new Bill that would allow plantation companies to cultivate bigger areas in the hope of bringing higher foreign exchange earnings, the Agriculture Minister said yesterday.
Indonesia is one of the world's main producers of palm oil, cocoa, rubber and coffee.
Sam Zarifi, New York – Come Monday, most of Indonesia's 150 million registered voters will be able to cast (or not cast) their ballots in a relatively peaceful environment.
Indonesians should be proud that they have reached yet another major political and logistical milestone on their road to full democracy.
Tiarma Siboro, Jakarta – The government told United States senators on Sunday to mind their own business and not to interfere in Indonesia's internal affairs.
Dadan Kuswaraharja, Jakarta – The People's Democratic Party is calling on the public not to use their right to vote or golput (boycott) in the second round of the presidential elections.
Two years after independence, the people of East Timor are trying to sort out the muddle of languages that is a legacy of the country's complicated history and politics. There are indigenous languages as well as the languages of the colonisers, the occupiers and the peacekeepers: Portuguese, Bahasa Indonesia and English.
Jakarta – After failing to submit their report on campaign funds on time, retired general Wiranto and Mr Solahuddin Wahid gave their figures to the General Elections Commission (KPU) on Friday.
M. Taufiqurrahman, Jakarta – Presidential candidates have been criticized for not coming up with viable plans on how to reform the politically powerful Indonesian Military (TNI).
A controversial immigration decision taken by the East Timorese government is to be challenged in East Timor's Court of Appeal.
Fabiola Desy Unidjaja & Netty Dharma Somba, Jakarta, Jayapura – The Indonesian government has brushed aside any questions about the legitimacy of the 1964 UN-sponsored self-determination vote in Papua, saying current standards should not be applied to past events.
Ex-general Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has kept his lead over closest challenger Megawati Sukarnoputri, with about two-thirds of the vote tallied from Indonesia's first direct presidential election.
Current president Megawati remained ahead of third-placed Wiranto, a former armed forces chief who is standing for the largest party Golkar.
Jakarta – The conduct of Indonesia's first direct presidential election has enabled Indonesians to cast their votes freely and fairly, an Australian election observer said here Thursday.
"The election was another significant step in Indonesia's democratic transition," leader of the delegation of Australian election observers, Chris Gallus MP, said.
Robert Go, Jakarta – Judging by statements from international and domestic monitors of Monday's historic presidential election, two completely different events seem to have been observed.
Derwin Pereira, Jakarta – The jockeying and deal-making for Round 2 of Indonesia's presidential election has begun, even before the results of Monday's polls are in.