Nani Afrida, Banda Aceh – A group of armed men shot dead an elementary school teacher and injured his son and a neighbor in Sawang district, South Aceh regency, according to an official military account on Friday.

Jakarta – Two Acehnese non-government organisations, the Acehnese Popular Democratic Resistance Front (Front Perlawanan Demokratik Rakyat Aceh, FPDRA) and the Acehnese Democratic Women's Organisation (Organisasi Perempuan Aceh Demokrati, ORPAD) are demanding the fulfillment of President Bambang Susilo Yudhoyono's promise during the election campaign that there would be changes in Ac

Jakarta – The two opposing factions in the House of Representatives remained locked in their respective positions on Friday, raising the possibility of a lengthy deadlock in the legislative body.

As the nation clamors for change, the conduct currently being exhibited by the honorable members of our national legislature, the House of Representatives, does not bode well for the immediate future of democracy in Indonesia.

Nigel Wilson – East Timor is demanding the Australian Government pay more than $2.6 billion in compensation for oil produced from Timor Sea fields since 1999.

Kornelius Purba, Jakarta – When asked about the decision of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to oblige his ministers to sign a "political contract" before their appointments, a senior government official who has served three presidents replied, "You remember president Habibie?" According to the official, top government officials from the central government down to the lowest tier

Abdul Khalik, Jakarta – Responding to the war on corruption launched by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, the National Police and the Attorney General's Office (AGO) have decided to prioritize several graft cases in the first 100 days of the new administration.

Ridwan Max Sijabat and Oyos Saroso, Jakarta/Lampung – Pardede, a truck driver, had just eaten a meal at a busy roadside Begadang Restaurant, Bandarlampung. But while his stomach was full, his wallet was not.

Jakarta – A number of non-government organisations (NGOs) who are concerned with issues of human rights are supporting the Indonesian government's nomination as the head of the United Nations Human Rights Commission on the condition that the government must first resolve cases of human rights violations which have occurred in the country.

East Timor on Friday indicted eight Indonesian soldiers and two militiamen for allegedly killing two UN election workers and attacking independence supporters during the country's bloody break from Indonesian rule in 1999.

Nala Edwin, Jakarta – The Committee to Monitor the New Order (Komite Waspada Orde Baru, Tewas Orba) says that the Indonesian Cabinet of Unity is ridden with people from former President Suharto's New Order regime. There are indications that 34.21 per cent of the members in the cabinet of newly installed President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (SBY) have links with the New Order.

M. Taufiqurrahman, Jakarta – The absence of clear-cut domestic regulations sanctioning the debt-for-nature-swap (DNS) scheme has hampered the way for its full-fledged implementation, a non-governmental organization says.

Bill Guerin, Jakarta – Smack in the middle of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan, hordes of international and local reporters have descended on a makeshift courtroom here to witness the long-awaited and pivotal trial that pits the state against one of its people, 66-year-old militant cleric Abu Bakar Ba'asyir.

Agus R/Supriyantho/Dian Y/Mahbub, Surabaya – Commemorations of Youth Pledge Day in various parts of the country yesterday were enlivened by a number of demonstrations. In the East Java provincial capital of Surabaya, around 20 activists from the Left Democratic Force (LDF) held a demonstration at the State Grahadi Building wearing bamboo hats traditionally worn by farmers.

Newly-elected Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said he would consider becoming a globe-trotting advocate for moderate Islam, promoting peace in hotspots such as the Middle East.

Yudhoyono said he wanted Indonesia, the world's most populous Muslim nation, to be a model for moderate Islamic democracy.

Muninggar Sri Saraswati, Jakarta – Employers can no longer dismiss striking workers or those implicated in crimes without due process of law, the Constitutional Court ruled on Thursday.

The press in our former colony, the tiny East Timor, is much more free than ours; the new nation ranks number 57 together with Ghana and a notch above Thailand on a newly released list that ranks 167 countries.

Ivy Susanti, Jakarta – The Indonesian government will review the visa procedures for foreign diplomats to facilitate their travel to Indonesia, particularly Aceh, foreign affairs minister Hassan Wirayuda said on Thursday.

Hassan was commenting on an appeal by the Council of Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the European Union (EU).

[The following report was filed by the Aceh Working Group on 18 October, following their investigation of three places of detention, in Aceh and Java. The Group investigated 71 cases of persons who were repeatedly beaten and subjected to torture, both during interrogation as well as after having been tried in court, on charges of involvement in GAM, the Free Aceh Movement.]

Muninggar Sri Saraswati – Press freedom in Indonesia remains under serious threat due to the existence of outdated laws, and killings and physical attacks targeting journalists, an international press organization has said in a report.

Radical Islamic cleric Abu Bakar Baasyir says charges that he was behind the deadly Bali and Marriott Hotel bombings were trumped up by US President George W. Bush and his "slave" Australian Prime Minister John Howard.

Flamboyan, Jakarta – The head of the European Union's Troika Delegation, Bernard Bot, said on Thursday October 28 that they were interested in visiting Aceh and West Papua.

Meriam Debora, Jakarta – Moves to nominate Indonesia as the head of the United Nations Human Rights Commission and as a permanent member of the Security Council are presumptuous because of the many cases of human rights violations in Indonesia which have yet to be resolved.

Rowan Callick/Melbourne and John McBeth/Jakarta – Fresh from a re-election victory, Australian Prime Minister John Howard's government is raising the prospect of stronger security cooperation with Indonesia's new administration to boost anti-terrorism efforts – and even formalizing that cooperation in a comprehensive new defence treaty.

Sunariah, Jakarta – The Acehnese Popular Democratic Resistance Front (Front Perlawanan Demokratik Rakyat Aceh, FPDRA) has rejected a decision by the coordinating minister of politics, legal and security affairs to extend the civil emergency in Aceh.

Gary LaMoshi, Denpasar – Newly inaugurated Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, also known as SBY, is borrowing a page from another president known by his three initials: America's Franklin Delano Roosevelt, FDR (1933-1945).

The Golkar Party, which dominated Indonesian politics under former dictator Suharto, may have lost this year's presidential election but it now controls the lion's share of important posts in the national parliament.

Kurniawan Hari, Jakarta – Five factions supporting President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono boycotted on Tuesday a House of Representatives (DPR) plenary meeting and refused to submit candidates names for the election of committee leaders.

Nani Farida and Tiarma Siboro, Banda Aceh/Jakarta – Peace, safety and justice for local officials implicated in corruption are all that the Acehnese are demanding from the Susilo administration as it prepares new policies for the province.

Luhur Hertanto, Jakarta – Home affairs minister M. Ma'ruf has prohibited all of the staff in his department from living with a women or men as man and wife without being officially married. In addition to this, Ma'ruf has also asked his staff not to receive presents or gifts in any form which can reasonably be believed to be related to their work as civil servants.

James Balowski, Jakarta – On October 20, former general Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono – popularly known as SBY – and business tycoon Jusuf Kalla were sworn in as Indonesia's first directly elected president and vice-president.

Indonesia's new President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has refused to accept the resignation of military chief General Endriartono Sutarto.

Abu Bakar Bashir, the Muslim cleric who was cleared last year of leading Jemaah Islamiah, goes on trial again on Thursday accused of involvement in the Bali and Marriott hotel bombings.

Sydney – As East Timor-like tragedies unfold in Aceh and Papua, at both ends of our giant and important neighbour, how real is the democratic transformation of Indonesia? What is the relationship between terrorist groups and the Indonesian military?

Ridwan Max Sijabat, Jakarta – The government is making the necessary preparations to facilitate the return of an estimated 160,000 Indonesian illegal workers from Malaysia to celebrate Idul Fitri in their home villages.

Rendi A. Witular, Jakarta – The new government under President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono will push efforts to resolve protracted problems in state-owned enterprises (SOEs) in its first 100 days, in a bid to help the companies run their businesses more efficiently.

Palembang – More than half of South Sumatra's residents have no access to electricity, due to the remote locations of their homes, a senior government official said on Tuesday.

Of 1.1 million households in South Sumatra, 60 percent have no access to electricity, said chief of the South Sumatra administration's Village Electricity Program Zahirsyah.

Jakarta – The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) said on Tuesday it would devote much of its energy to alleged graft in the sale of Pertamina supertankers, haj arrangements by the ministry of religion and procurement of equipment by the state radio RRI.

M. Taufiqurrahman, Jakarta – The environment in the country's major cities is poor condition and adversely affects the population's health, a report says.

Zakki P. Hakim and Sri Wahyuni, Jakarta/Yogyakarta – The new government remains committed to liberalizing the country's education sector in line with the World Trade Organization plan, despite protests from local university rectors, who fear they will not be able to compete with top universities from other countries that would be allowed to operate here.

Banda Aceh – A district court in the restive province of Aceh sentenced Tuesday the mayor of the capital, Banda Aceh, to five years in prison for embezzling more than US$386,000 in state funds.

Banda Aceh Mayor Zulkarnain was found guilty of violating anti-corruption laws. In previous court hearings, government prosecutors demanded 10 years in prison for Zulkarnain.

Tiarma Siboro, Jakarta – After leaving the post vacant for more than two months, the Indonesian Military (TNI) appointed Lt. Gen. Hadi Waluyo as commander of the Army's Strategic Reserves Command (Kostrad) on Monday.

Bill Guerin, Jakarta – Indonesia's self-appointed guardians of morality, the once disbanded radical Islamic Defenders' Front (FPI), have once again resorted to violence in the nation's capital, Jakarta.

Tom Allard – East Timor is making a last-minute attempt to secure a $3 billion liquid natural gas processing plant and pipeline on its soil as negotiations over the Timor Gap oil and gas reserves resume in Dili.

Agus Sumule, Manokwari – The downfall of former president Soeharto on May 21, 1998, undoubtedly fueled the widespread revival of free speech among the people – including Papuans – in determining their own future.

Jakarta – At the very start of his tenure, newly installed Defence Minister Juwono Sudarsono has fired his first shot. He has promised that he wouldn't be asking never mind begging from America on the issue of the US arms embargo.

M. Taufiqurrahman, Jakarta – Calls are mounting for Cabinet members to relinquish their posts in political parties and business enterprises to avoid conflict of interests and to allow them to focus on state duties.

Jakarta – While giving assurances that there would be no populist measures in its economic policies, the new government remains cautious over whether or not to cut fuel subsidies in the near future.

Fachruddin Majeri Mangunjaya, Jakarta – We set off for a Bajau village on Kabalutan island, Palu from the port of Ampana, on Sulawesi's eastern peninsula. The journey was exhausting, but the still, clear waters of the Togean islands – which Kabalutan is among – was compensation enough.

Jakarta – Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam (NAD) governor Abdullah Puteh has said that the existence of the Free Aceh Movement in Aceh is still of concern.

Therefore, he has suggested three alternatives as regards the state of civil emergency in the province, which shall end on November 19.