Astrid Felicia Lim, Jakarta – The Fact Finding Team in the case of Munir which was formed by national police headquarters has said that two perspective suspects in the murder are officers of the National Intelligence Agency (BIN). BIN chief Syamsir Siregar says that if there is evidence that his people are involved legal action will be taken against them.

Agus Supriyanto, Jakarta – National Intelligence Agency (BIN) chief Syamsir Siregar has objected to remarks that BIN is involved in the murder of human rights activist Munir. There are suspicions that the murder is part of a criminal conspiracy and that BIN in involved.

Hera Diani, Jakarta – Already the subject of widespread criticism from liberals, the draft revision of the Criminal Code has sparked further protests for being too harsh on crimes committed by citizens but failing to deter the state from practicing violence.

Jakarta – Indonesians must change the way they perceive domestic chores and show their maids more appreciation, activists say.

Tati Krisnawati of the National Commission of Violence against Women (Komnas Perempuan) said that the way domestic workers were treated needed a "revolution" in gender perspectives.

Urip Hudiono, Jakarta – The Supreme Audit Agency (BPK) found 2,128 cases of irregularities in the management of state funds during the second semester of last year, with potential losses to the state totaling Rp 7.12 trillion (about US$765 million).

Tony Hotland and Urip Hudiono, Jakarta – Despite President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono saying that the fuel price increases were final, seven of 10 factions at the House of Representatives continue to convey their rejection of the government's policy.

James Balowski, Jakarta – International Women's Day rallies, held in most major Indonesian cities on March 8, were dominated by protests against fuel subsidy cuts, which were announced by the government of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono on March 1.

Zakki P. Hakim, Jakarta – The much-hyped Ambalat dispute has encouraged the Indonesian Military (TNI) to renew its demands for more up-to-date weaponry, with the constraints on the military budget forcing it to look for new funding sources. In response, Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin) chairman Mohammad S.

The arguments made by several factions at the House of Representatives to support their stubborn demands for the total cancellation of the March 1 fuel price hikes not only miss the whole point of good energy policy and prudent fiscal management but also have little to do with what they claim to be the interests of the people.

Jon Lamb – "We went to East Timor to help those people, and now we are slapping them in the face and stealing their oil." This is what Chip Henriss-Anderssen, a former major in the Australian military who served with the International Force for East Timor, told reporters on March 7. "We thought we were doing something decent.

Yemris Fointuna and Muninggar Sri Saraswati, Jakarta – The government promised on Tuesday to provide free rice and labor-intensive jobs for people in several drought-stricken East Nusa Tenggara regencies.

Jerry Norton, Jakarta – Indonesia's expulsion of two foreign experts on the country shows freedom of expression should not be taken for granted in the fledging democracy, a prominent attorney said on Monday.

Muninggar Sri Saraswati, Jakarta – A government decision to restrict the presence of international aid agencies in Aceh would force them to abandon their unfinished work in the province just as it started to return to some semblance of normalcy nearly four months after December's devastating tsunami.

The model for the proposed Commission of Truth & Friendship ("CTF") between Indonesia and Timor Leste was settled on 9 March 2005 when the respective governments signed its Terms of Reference ("ToR").

Jon Afrizal, Jambi – The champions of democracy in Jambi province are no longer consistent in upholding their principles, with many of them getting involved in campaigning for candidates contesting the upcoming gubernatorial elections, a leading think tank has claimed.

A man who served as East Timor's temporary leader in 1975 before it was invaded by Indonesia resigned Monday from his country's legislature, citing the government's failure to attract foreign investment and saying he wants to prepare for 2007 elections.

Kornelius Purba, Jakarta – Soon after reading a magazine cover story about the alleged poisoning of human rights activist Munir during a Garuda flight, a woman came up with a suggestion to help the airline convince future passengers they weren't being poisoned.

Every time the government raises domestic fuel prices closer to their real economic cost, businesspeople always raise a rumpus, urging the government to deal firmly with the old problems of red tape, illegal levies, and corrupt tax and customs services to offset the additional burden on business.

Muninggar Sri Saraswati, Jakarta – The Ministry of Defense is considering a system that will enable the three branches of the Indonesian Military (TNI) to share equipment to save money.

Sian Powell, Dili – Pigs nose about in the flooded playground of Rumpia primary school in Caecoli, a poor suburb of Dili. None of the classroom windows has any glass, some of the children have no shoes.

"Pity them," says teacher Carlota Morilius da Silva. "There are those families who can afford shoes and books, and there are those who can't."

Joseph Moakley, a member of the US Congress from the Republican Party, has said: "The US must get out of the business of training the foreign military.

Matthew Benns – Eighty-two days after the tsunami swept through Indonesia, bureaucrats will finally sit down to work out how to spend the billion Australia has pledged in aid.

Australian and Indonesian officials meet on Thursday amid warnings that the money could turn into "boomerang aid" where the cash ends up in the pockets of wealthy Australian companies.

The identity of the gunman at Mile 62 is still a mystery. Indonesian Police do not have any evidence with which to arrest the FBI's suspect.

The attack in Timika in August 2002 not only wounded Patsy Spiers, it also killed Rick Spiers, her beloved husband of 20 years. But the former teacher who taught at the American school in Tembagapura, West Papua, does not want to dwell on tragedy.

Badriah, Jakarta – Workers claim that as a group they are suffering most because of the government's decision to increase the price of fuel on March 1 which has flowed on to increases in the price of basic goods.

Bill Guerin, Jakarta – Indonesia's legal system itself is in the dock following the seemingly light sentence given last week to its best-known militant, Muslim cleric Abu Bakar Ba'asyir. On March 4, Ba'asyir was convicted by a Jakarta court to 30 months in jail for his part in the 2002 Bali bombings that killed 202 people.

Jakarta, Kompas – Victims of the 1965 tragedy – who are still stigmatised as members of the Indonesian Communist Party or its affiliated organisations – are suing Indonesia's five presidents, former presidents Suharto, B.J. Habibie, Abdurrahman Wahid and Megawati Sukarnoputri, and President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.

Jakarta/Banda Aceh – Confusion surfaced on Friday as top government officials issued conflicting statements over whether the presence of foreign aid agencies, including non-governmental organizations, and journalists in tsunami-ravaged Aceh would be limited.

Muninggar Sri Saraswati, Jakarta – Indonesia and Malaysia pledged on Friday to use all means possible to defuse tensions, including some "adjustments" to prevent armed conflict, and have agreed on talks to end the border dispute over the Ambalat offshore oil field in the Sulawesi Sea.

Yogyakarta – Despite being known as the city of education, the number of children dropping out from elementary schools in Yogyakarta province is high.

Recent data published by the provincial education office shows that as many as 604 of some 300,000 elementary schoolchildren dropped out during 2004, both from private and state schools.

Wahyuana, Bekasi – At least 100 residents of the Pasar Kecapi and Jatiwarna subdistricts in Pondok Melati, Bekasi, protested against the Jakarta Outer Ring Road (JORR) project on Thursday after they failed to reach an agreement about land prices.

The protesters burned tires and tore down some construction work along the Hamkam Raya-Jatiasih section.

Azas Tigor Nainggolan, Jakarta – On March 1 the government raised the prices of most fuel products despite many protests from the community. The present price hike, the government said, was necessary to cut the subsidies, which have become too costly, and do no benefit the poor or the little people, who actually deserve them.

An Indonesian militant arrested in the southern Philippines late last year allegedly "planned and executed" the blast outside the Australian Embassy in Jakarta in September, a top Philippine police intelligence official said today.

Dan Robinson, Washington – US lawmakers have been considering the future of democracy in Indonesia. At a congressional hearing, US officials advocated continuing support for Indonesian democratization, while some lawmakers criticized the planned resumption of US military training aid to Jakarta:

Now that the tsunami relief money for Aceh is on the table, there is a tussle looming over how to spend it. The rosy bilateral glow of January – when Australia made its $1 billion pledge – was always going to dim when it came to the much tougher task of hammering out the details.

Canberra – Australia and East Timor have agreed on a framework for sharing US$30 billion in seabed oil and gas royalties, Australia's foreign minister said.

Negotiators representing one of the region's richest nations and one of the poorest met in Canberra for three days this week to discuss where their common maritime boundary should lie in the Timor Sea.

Michael Richardson – The latest round of negotiations between Australia and Timor Leste – formerly known as East Timor – on how to share energy reserves in the Timor Sea ended this week with an agreement to hold more talks soon.

Following are statements made by two former US Diplomats to a congressional hearing on the future of US relations with Indonesia.

With the latest round of maritime boundary negotiations between Australia and East Timor coming to an end yesterday, an Australian lobby group claims the Australian Government's refusal to abide by current principles of International Law will impede any significant progress towards a just outcome to the dispute.

Tiarma Siboro, Jakarta – President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has been urged to summon Attorney General Abdul Rahman Saleh over an Army general's acquittal of human rights violations in the 1999 East Timor carnage.

Jayapura – Human rights group Elsham Papua has won an international accolade for defending human rights.

Bandung – At least 15 students in Bandung have begun a hunger strike on Wednesday, as prolonged street protests against the fuel price hike fall on deaf ears.

Jakarta – Around 50 percent of first echelon government officials are facing imminent reshuffle due to their poor performance, Vice President Jusuf Kalla said.

Kalla told The Jakarta Post in a special interview on Wednesday that the preparations for the reshuffle would take two or three months to complete.

Batam (Riau) – Some 2,000 hotel and entertainment workers in Riau Islands province staged a protest on Wednesday in Batam, demanding that the government raise the minimum wage in the area.

The increase in the minimum wage should follow on the increase of fuel price, the protesters said.

Jakarta – The fact that no single law exists to ensure the rights of domestic workers is endangering the rights of millions of maids across the country, activists said on Wednesday.

Matthew Moore, Jakarta/Mark Forbes, Canberra – The Federal Government rejects a plea to give Indonesia more control over international relief money pledged for the reconstruction of Aceh.

Rob Taylor – Australian companies exploiting huge oil and gas reserves in the Timor Sea were destroying marine life and threatening its fragile environment, an Indonesian watchdog group said today.

Rendi A. Witular, Jakarta – While the pace of reform of the tax system to prevent corruption is not yet in full swing, the government has revived a controversial idea for providing a tax amnesty for certain tax evaders.

Yuliawati, Jakarta – The Malaysian government has made complaints regarding demonstrations by Indonesians in front of the Malaysian Embassy in Jakarta.

The Malaysian Ambassador to Indonesia said he hoped that the demonstrations would not get out of hand and lead to any form of anarchy.

Joseph Nevins – When I saw Paul Wolfowitz's smug grin in the January 17 issue of The New York Times, trouble was clearly on the horizon. The photo showed him in tsunami-stricken Indonesia, accompanying the country's defense minister, Juwono Sudarsono. His visit was under the guise of humanitarianism.