Indonesia has hit back at an American State Department report which criticised its human rights record.
A Foreign Ministry spokesman, Marty Natalegawa, retaliated by saying the report had set a new standard in its ignorance and its failure to understand the actual conditions in Indonesia.
Jakarta – The Indonesian government plans to sell its controlling stake in 19 state firms this year as part of its continuing privatisation programme, an official said Thursday.
The government will also sell its minority holding in nine other firms, said Parikesit Suprapto, an assistant deputy for privatisation in the state enterprises ministry.
Muninggar Sri Saraswati, Jakarta – The human rights condition in the country has been deteriorating since the government announced wars on separatism and terrorism last year, rights watchdogs said.
Washington – The Indonesian government's human rights record remained poor last year and it continued to commit serious abuses especially in war-torn Aceh province, the US State Department said Wednesday.
Anton Aliabbas, Jakarta – The chairperson of the People's Representative Assembly (DPR), Akbar Tanjung, has said that there is no need to be concerned about the decision by the Constitutional Court which allows ex-members of the Indonesian Communist Party (PKI) to become legislative candidates. However he also said that communism must be guarded against.
Devi Asmarani, Jakarta – Golkar chairman Akbar Tandjung has come under fire from within his own party for suggesting that he will accept the vice-presidency after the election for the legislature in April.
Rachel Harvey, Aceh – It has been more than nine months now since the Indonesian government launched its military campaign in the north-western province of Aceh.
The stated aim was to crush separatist rebels of the Free Aceh Movement, known by its Indonesian acronym, Gam. It was meant to be all over in six months, but it has not turned out that way.
Tiarma Siboro and Nani Farida, Jakarta/Banda Aceh – Six Acehnese students, mostly activists, have disappeared after they were taken by officers from the Police Mobile Brigade (Brimob) from their homes three days ago.
Tiarma Siboro, Jakarta – Coordinating Minister for Political and Security Affairs Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono hailed on Tuesday the Indonesian Military (TNI) for consistently upholding the reform agenda, which civilian leaders had not done.
Moch. N. Kurniawan, Jakarta – The House of Representatives Commission I has planned to set up a working committee of inquiry into alleged irregularities in the procurement of four Russian-made Mi-17 helicopters worth US$21.6 million by the Army.
Richard Norton-Taylor – Arms companies and the government are evading export controls by supplying countries with components rather than complete weapons systems whose sale would be banned, according to a report published today by leading aid and human rights groups.
Jakarta – On Monday morning, February 23, four non-government organisation (NGO) activists who have publicly rejected the military operation in Aceh continuing during the 2004 general elections, were arrested by a special unit of the Mobile Brigade (Brimob). As of Tuesday February 24, the whereabouts of the four activists remains unclear.
M. Rizal Maslan, Jakarta – As many as five student, youth and women's activists in Aceh have disappeared since February 16. Aceh Papua Solidarity (Solidaritas Aceh Papua, SAP) suspects that they have been arrested by the TNI (armed forces) or police. They are demanding that the TNI admit responsibly for the disappearance of the five activists.
Fedhly Averouss Bey, Jakarta – Allowing ex-political prisoners, in particular ex-members of the Indonesian Communist Party (PKI), to become legislative candidates brings with it consequences for the security forces. The security forces must work hard to ensure that the bad things which happened in the past are not repeated.
Muninggar Sri Saraswati, Jakarta – The Constitutional Court moved closer to restoring the political rights of the former members and relatives of former members of the outlawed Indonesian Communist Party (PKI) on Tuesday by taking a historic decision to annul an article in Law No. 12/2003 which would bar them from running in the legislative election in April.
Yuli Tri Suwarni, Bandung – Thousands of former employees at aircraft manufacturer PT Dirgantara Indonesia clashed with some 400 police on Tuesday as they demanded to be allowed to resume work.
No injuries were reported in the clash, which occurred in front of the company's factory gates in Bandung.
Tomi Soetjipto and Jerry Norton, Jakarta – A former top Indonesian general indicted for alleged human rights violations in East Timor said on Wednesday he would improve law and order and crush terrorism if he became president in this year's elections.
Derwin Pereira, Jakarta – The power behind the throne smiles. Mr Taufik Kiemas, the garrulous husband of President Megawati Sukarnoputri, sips hot Javanese tea and munches kueh lapis as he talks animatedly about his wife's impending re-election.
Haidir Anwar Tanjung, Pekanbaru – Hundreds of civil servants staged a rally in the town of Bangkinang in Kampar regency on Tuesday to express their lack of confidence in regent Jefri Noer and his deputy A. Zakir. The regency council had recommended that the central government dismiss the two over the weekend.
Jakarta – Judges yesterday rejected a 20 billion rupiah (S$3.9-million) defamation lawsuit brought by a businessman against Indonesia's leading weekly news magazine, Tempo.
The Central Jakarta district court rejected the lawsuit by prominent businessman Tomy Winata because he failed to name enough plaintiffs in it, the Detikcom online news service reported.
James Balowski, Jakarta – "There's no justice for the rich in Indonesia, only for the poor", "You steal a chicken 'cos you're hungry and the police shoot you, you steal a billion rupiah and they let you off", "The Megawati government is hopeless, nothing's going to ever change" – these were the sentiments on the streets of Jakarta on the evening of February 12, after the Supreme Cou
M. Taufiqurrahman, Jakarta – In the first trial for election violations at the Central Jakarta District Court, a businessman and his four employees were found guilty, but given light slaps on the wrist, for early campaigning that violated the law on general elections.
Indra Harsaputra and Abdul Kholik, Surabaya/Jakarta – The National Awakening Party (PKB) and Muslim organization Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) expressed skepticism on Tuesday over the planned visit by Siti "Tutut" Hardijanti Rukmana, the eldest daughter of former president Soeharto, to Islamic boarding schools in East Java.
Max Lane – With only six weeks until the general election, there still seems to be very little popular interest in it. Even professional politicians, who are very interested, are focused on possible cross-party alliances, rather than competitive campaigning for voters support.
The man who was sacked as Indonesia's president in 2001 said Tuesday he is seeking a second chance to lead the country.
"I want to show that I'm capable of governing," Abdurrahman Wahid told reporters on the sidelines of an international conference of Islamic scholars.
Sunariyah, Jakarta – The Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras) has condemned the arbitrary arrest and detention of activists in Aceh.
Heru Margianto, Jakarta – Six Acehnese activists have been arrested by security forces in Central Aceh. One has already been released but as of Tuesday February 24, the whereabouts of the other five remains unknown. The reason for the arrests is unclear.
Jakarta – Five human rights workers and another man are "at grave risk" of torture and ill-treatment after being arrested by police in Aceh province, Amnesty International said Tuesday.
East Timor's Roman Catholic Bishop Carlos Belo says he will consider running for president in three years time.
Bishop Belo, who shared the Nobel Peace Prize in 1996 with Jose Ramos Horta for their opposition to Indonesian rule in East Timor, says his decison would depend on President Xanana Gusmao choosing not to seek re-election.
Sian Powell – The son of one of East Timor's most feared militia leaders stares deadpan as he says he is a man of peace. "We don't intend to remain opposed to our brothers there [in East Timor]," explains Arnaldo da Silva Tavares, whose father, Joao Tavares, ruled the East Timorese border region like a particularly manic king through most of 1999.
London – Many people are shot dead by police forces who do not follow United Nations standards on using lethal force only where necessary and in self-defence, Amnesty International says.
A proposal to extend a peacekeeping presence in East Timor has received widespread support from the United Nations Security Council, and strong support from East Timor itself. But some countries, including Australia, believe a UN police presence is more than adequate to the task.
Presenter/Interviewer: Anita Barraud
Lee Kim Chew – Indonesia's National Assembly Speaker Amien Rais is riding on a reformist platform in his bid to clinch the country's top job.
He credits President Megawati Sukarnoputri for the country's political stability, but faults her for doing too little to tackle corruption.
The Jakarta Military Command will deploy 1,200 personnel to help 15,968 officers from the Jakarta Police in securing the upcoming general elections.
Jakarta – The National Awakening Party (PKB), at a national working meeting here, nominated Abdurrahman Wahid – popularly known as Gus Dur – as its main presidential candidate, PKB chairman Alwi Shihab said on Saturday.
More than half of Indonesia's provinces have been affected by the dengue fever outbreak which has killed nearly 200 people, Department of Health data showed.
As of Friday afternoon the mosquito-borne virus had killed 195 people and infected 10,140 in 18 provinces since January 1, the figures showed. Indonesia has 32 provinces.
Thousands of Jakarta residents have been forced to flee their homes by flood waters as deep as two metres, officials in the Indonesian capital said.
Wagiman of the Jakarta flood control centre said at least 10 neighbourhoods had been inundated, forcing at least 10,000 to seek temporary refuge in mosques or civic offices.
Shawn Donnan, Jakarta – Authorities in Indonesia said yesterday they believed the perpetrators of last year's $200 million fraud at one of the country's leading state-owned banks used domestic capital markets to launder proceeds from the scam.
Rusman, Samarinda – Defying protests from locals, the Samarinda government and municipality council agreed to pay a severance bonus for councillors of Rp 25 million each, a councillor confirmed on Friday.
"The decision was approved a few days ago by the government and the council," deputy speaker of Samarinda legislative council R. Yakub said.
Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, Jakarta – The government challenged on Friday the Press Council's appeal for the Supreme Court to abide by the press law in cases involving the media, saying the law was too lenient.
State Minister of Communications and Information Syamsul Mu'arif said that the press law did not fulfill people's sense of justice.
Bangkinang – The Kampar regency council decided in a crucial plenary meeting here on Saturday to fire regent Jefri Noer and deputy regent A. Zakir, who were elected for the 2001-2006 period.
The plenary meeting was held in response to mounting protests by thousands of teachers and students in the regency who demanded that Jefri resign.
Haidir Anwar Tanjung, Pekanbaru – Dozens of university students in Kampar regency were seen on Friday "guarding" Sultan Syarif Qasim II Airport in the Riau capital of Pekanbaru, in order to prevent Kampar councillors from skipping out on the council's plenary meeting held on Saturday.
Muninggar Sri Saraswati, Jakarta – Amid increasing attacks on the press roughly coinciding with the moment President Megawati Soekarnoputri was handed power, the Press Council is now urging the Supreme Court to ask all judges to abide by Law No. 40/1999 on the press instead of using the oft-oppressive Criminal Code.
Tiarma Siboro and Muninggar Sri Saraswati, Jakarta – The government has completed the revised draft of much-criticized Antiterrorism Law No. 15/2003, which will grant more power to security authorities to deter acts of terrorism.
The rumours started four years ago. SAS troops in conflict with an Indonesian-backed militia group near Suai on October 6, 1999 had overstepped the rules of battle. They had tortured East Timorese militiamen, the rumours said. They had kicked corpses. They had taken photographs of bodies as trophies. One militiaman had been executed.
Jakarta – Despite widespread public criticism and opposition to the water resource bill, legislators went ahead with the endorsement of the controversial draft on Thursday.
Haidir Anwar Tanjung, Pekanbaru – Kampar regent Jefri Noer is facing widespread opposition in the regency as calls increase for his ouster.
Bambang Nurbianto, Jakarta – Non-governmental organization activists criticized local administrations across the country, including in Jakarta, for handing out unofficial "severance packages" to legislative councillors at the end of their terms.
The activists said there were no regulations to justify administrations awarding this money or councillors accepting it.
Jakarta – Arriving in two Metromini busses at around 11.30am, scores of demonstrators calling themselves the Alliance Against Rotten Non-Government Organisations demonstrated at the offices of the Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras) on Jalan Cisadane in Central Jakarta on Friday February 20.
Kurniawan Hari, Jakarta – Members of the movement to ban contemptible candidates are planning to publish the names of politicians with rotten records by March 11 at the latest to help voters identify the quality of their representatives on election day April 5.