Banda Aceh – Indonesia's Aceh rebels formally disbanded their armed wing on Tuesday in a major step toward ending one of Asia's longest separatist conflicts.
Peace efforts gained momentum after Aceh province was devastated by the massive earthquake and tsunami on Dec. 26, 2004, killing more than 131,000 people in the province and leaving half a million others homeless.
Banda Aceh – President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono denied earlier reports saying he planned to send more than 15,000 troops to Aceh, saying the soldiers would number less than 1,000 and would be used for reconstruction efforts, not combat.
Banda Aceh – General Endriartono Sutarto, Commander of the Indonesian Military (TNI), has said that the TNI operational command based in Lhokseumawe would be closed down following the withdrawal of non-organic TNI troops in Aceh.
A'an Suryana and Nani Afrida, Banda Aceh – Tearful mourners gathered here on Monday to offer prayers and lay flowers on the first anniversary of the Indian Ocean tsunami, one of the world's deadliest natural disasters.
Leony Aurora, Jakarta – From elementary school on, students have the postulate drummed into them that Indonesia is rich in natural resources, including abundant oil and gas, to be used for the greater good of all.
Kupang – East Timor's President Xanana Gusmao has said some 16,000 refugees from his country living in Indonesia's neighbouring West Timor province would be welcome to return home.
Anissa S. Febrina, Jakarta – The already-ailing Indonesian textile sector had the ladder kicked away from it this year.
Early in 2005 it was charged with being ill-prepared to face the termination of the Multi Fabric Agreement (MFA), which 20 percent of textile manufacturers here were previously reliant upon. The termination agreement was in fact reached a decade ago.
Urip Hudiono, Jakarta – "Philip Morris buys Sampoerna for US$5.2 billion." If there was one sentence that could summarize Indonesia's investment sector in 2005, that could well be it. The US tobacco giant's purchase in March of a 97 percent stake in Indonesia's third largest cigarette producer was clearly the event of the year for investors and the business community.
Dwi Atmanta, Jakarta – President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's face stiffened prior to announcing the first Cabinet reshuffle that night of Dec. 5.
He spent most of his introductory speech denying media reports regarding an alleged tug-of-war that preceded the changes to his Cabinet team, which he said were speculative and baseless.
Hera Diani, Jakarta – The year 2005 saw a series of natural and health-related disasters in the country that putt huge pressures on the still wobbly healthcare system here.
It began with the colossal work of dealing with the health problems and the destruction of the healthcare system, in the aftermath of the Dec. 26 tsunami in Aceh province.
Tony Hotland, Jakarta – Vehemently, they took turns to press the speaker's button to voice their protests, while others impatiently moved forward from their seats to the House leadership bench. A brawl was imminent, and journalists readied themselves.
Abdul Khalik, Jakarta – Three days after his release from a police detention center in July, Salim, 23, was back on the streets, extorting money from drivers passing by Tanah Abang market.
Abdul Khalik, Jakarta – Immediately after taking office in July, National Police chief Gen. Sutanto ordered police chiefs across the country to crack down on gambling, threatening that those who failed to deliver would lose their posts and face criminal charges.
Reiner S., Jakarta – A massive clean-up of the country, seen by most Indonesians as deeply corrupt after decades of authoritarian rule, has become a top priority of the country's first directly elected president. So far Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's results have been mixed; and there are worrying signs that corrupt forces are fighting back – and are equally as aggressive.
Bambang Nurbianto, Jakarta – The 75 city councillors have been in office for almost 18 months, long enough for them to illustrate commitment to their election pledges.
A'an Suryana, Banda Aceh – Despite mounting criticism, the Aceh-Nias Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Agency (BRR) is pressing ahead with its plan to request the Indonesian Military (TNI) to deploy troops to help the body rebuild Aceh.
Hera Diani, Jakarta – People in Aceh and Nias have expressed little satisfaction in the progress of reconstruction and rehabilitation work in tsunami-hit areas, despite the government's claim that the pace of rebuilding is picking up, according to a survey.
Damar Harsanto, Jakarta – Jakartans can easily recount the promises made by media-savvy Governor Sutiyoso for the city in 2005 by delving into his well-documented statements in various media.
But, asking which promises and plans have been materialized by his administration raises more concerns on unfulfilled promises and unmet plans than satisfaction over achievements.
Banda Aceh – Indonesia's president is under threat of assassination, his spokesman said, amid stepped-up security nationwide for the New Year holiday period over fears of extremist attacks.
Jakarta – Those detained in raids this year numbered 14,549 people, with Rp 133 million (about US$13,523) being collected in fines, Jakarta Population and Civil Registration Agency head Abdul Kadir Kamil said on Friday.
Mark Forbes, Jakarta – Indonesia's military has announced plans to deploy more than 10,000 troops in Aceh to speed tsunami reconstruction, a move that threatens the province's brittle peace.
A'an Suryana, Banda Aceh – A year after the tsunami, signs of recovery are evident among Acehnese children, but many challenges remain, a UN body has said.
Banda Aceh – Some parents in tsunami-ravaged Aceh province are still clinging to hopes for a miracle, placing photos of smiling children in newspapers on the chance they might still be alive.
A'an Suryana and Tiarma Siboro, Banda Aceh/Jakarta – The government has drawn strong criticism for its plan to deploy 15 battalions, or about 15,000 soldiers, to help speed up reconstruction in Aceh.
Banda Aceh – Bustari Mansyur shrugs wearily when asked how many bodies his workers retrieved from the mangled wreckage of last December's tsunami. The question seems irrelevant.
Sian Powell, Banda Aceh – Tensions between fundamentalist Muslims and Western aid workers have begun to erupt in Aceh as the tsunami-devastated Indonesian province slowly recovers.
Jakarta – Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono will not establish a new team to investigate Munir's murder case.
According to Yudhoyono, it would be better if the existing institutions carry out their respective functions.
Muninggar Sri Saraswati, Jakarta – In what is seen as further proof that corruption is entrenched in Indonesian society, up to 30 percent of Indonesian adults may have bribed officials in 2005 for speedy government service in obtaining either an ID card, a driver's license or a business permit.
Tony Hotland, Jakarta – Mounting public criticism over a visit by lawmakers to Egypt appears to have taken its toll on their maturity.
A game of cat and mouse with journalists at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport on Friday appeared to be first on the agenda for the returning legislators.
Abdul Khalik, Jakarta – The Jakarta Police have arrested members of a gang and their leader Hercules in relation to the attack on the office of Indo Pos daily in South Jakarta last Tuesday.
Jakarta Police chief Insp. Gen. Firman Gani said on Friday that Hercules and 12 other men were arrested on Thursday evening and were being held at city police headquarters.
Hera Diani, Jakarta – The new law on domestic violence passed last year has encouraged more abused women to seek help, a crisis center's report says.
Before the enactment of Law No. 23/2004, police, prosecutors and even hospital staff frequently ignored women's claims of abuse when they were brave enough to make a complaint.
Rendi A. Witular, Jakarta – Key economic ministers asserted that there was no plan to seek rescheduling on the payment of government debts and interest from overseas creditors, since the country was not in a desperate position to warrant seeking such a facility.
Mataram – Inhabitants of Belu and Timor Tengah Utara (TTU) districts located in the border area shared by East Nusa Tenggara and Timor Leste urgently need the government's help to get out from their misery.
Hera Diani, Jakarta – Director Rudi Soedjarwo was furious, but nervous at the same time.
The Film Censorship Board (LSF) recently ordered the withdrawal of the poster for Rudy's upcoming film Sembilan Naga (Nine Dragons) before it had even been released.
Ahkmad Kusaeni, Jakarta – A decision made during an emergency situation could make a history. If Xanana Gusmao who was arrested in 1992 were executed, East Timor might never secede from Indonesia and the leader of the security disturbance group, Fretilin, would not become an East Timorese president.
ID Nugroho, Surabaya – Her answers are barely audible and her eyes cast down at the floor as she holds tightly to the arms of her chair.
Tiarma Siboro, Jakarta – The Indonesian Military (TNI) is preparing to deploy 15 battalions of troops to speed up reconstruction efforts in tsunami-hit Aceh.
A'an Suryana, Banda Aceh – One year after the Indian Ocean tsunami, children in Indonesia are recovering at a slower pace compared to children in other countries affected by the destructive waves, a survey has found.
Tiarma Siboro, Jakarta – President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has ordered law enforcement officials to continue their investigation into the murder of human rights activist Munir to determine who orchestrated the killing.
Jakarta – Indonesia's president has ordered a probe into last year's poisoning of human rights activist Munir after a court convicted a pilot for the murder.
President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono also urged government bodies to cooperate in the investigation, he said, amid suspicions the national intelligence agency was involved.
Jakarta – Indonesia will not buy more jet fighters and submarines for 10 years despite the United States lifting its arms embargo on the country, the defense minister said Thursday.
Defense Minister Juwono Sudarsono said Indonesia will make its priority the purchase of transport aircraft to serve the thousands of islands that make up the vast Southeast Asian nation.
Jakarta – The Indonesian Forum for Environment (Walhi) urged the government on Wednesday to immediately cancel forest concession rights that have been given to logging companies operating in Southeast Aceh and Aceh Singkli, saying that it would only worsen the deforestation problem in the tsunami-devastated province.
John McBeth – It was five years ago. Sitting at the kitchen table in a small, nondescript house on Dili's sun-baked foreshore, the soon-to-be president of Timor Leste was talking about the future.
A'an Suryana, Banda Aceh – "I'm tired. I have been writing a lot about reconstruction and rehabilitation efforts in Aceh but the progress here has been slow. Many people are still living in tents and barracks, despite the sheer amount of funds injected by the world," an Acehnese journalist has complained.
Banda Aceh – Former Aceh rebels watched on Wednesday as international peace monitors fed a final batch of their weapons into a circular saw, a symbolic end to the nearly three-decade of civil war in the province.
Abdul Khalik, Jakarta – Dozens of people barged into Graha Pena, the office of Indo Pos daily, in Kebayoran Lama, South Jakarta on Tuesday evening, occupying the building for several hours and injuring two reporters.
Ainslie Chandler – Despite its war-ravaged past, East Timor has all the hallmarks of a tropical paradise. Swaying palm trees, pristine beaches, coral reefs, misty mountains, hot springs and stunning architecture are dotted around the chaotic landscape that is the world's newest nation.
Damar Harsanto, Jakarta – While the President has set out to clean up politics, it seems the air in the nation's capital is only getting dirtier.
Hera Diani, Jakarta – Most Islamic boarding schools or pesantren are more than just educational institutions – they are also community drop-in centers and citizen's advice bureaus, which can offer a range of services from marriage counseling to drug rehabilitation.
Tiarma Siboro, Jakarta – Thousands of people affected by the closure of churches will be able to attend Christmas services at schools and other buildings owned by Muhammadiyah, the country's second largest Muslim organization.