Damar Harsanto, Jakarta – Jakarta residents may have to put aside their dream to be able to drink piped water directly from the tap, as was previously promised by the City-owned tap wat

The House of Representatives finally came to its senses on Monday and reached a wise compromise that provides more leeway for deliberation of the contentious issue of fuel subsidies wit

Greg Poulgrain – The Indonesian military is planning to increase troop numbers in restive Papua province by an additional 15,000 personnel from Kostrad, the Strategic Reserve Command.

Lisbon – Foreign Minister Diogo Freitas do Amaral says Lisbon's new Socialist government intends to increase its cooperation with Portuguese-speaking African countries and East Timor, w

The National Human Rights Commission (Komnas HAM) has asked the President to approve the establishment of a truth and reconciliation commission.

The Indonesian army will set up 22 new territorial commands in the next five years, from 2005-2009, said army chief of staff Lt General Djoko Santoso, in a meeting with Parliament's Com

Tony Hotland, Jakarta – Two retired military generals stated on Monday they had played no part in alleged corruption in the procurement of a total of 100 British Scorpion tanks in the 1

Hera Diani, Jakarta – Liberal Muslim scholars here welcomed on Monday the news of a woman leading a mixed-gender Friday prayer service in New York last week.

Theresia Sufa, Bogor – The gigantic and pungent Titan Arum or Corpse Flower (Amorphophallus titanum), which can reach up to three and a half meters in height, is slowly disappearing fro

An Indonesian plan to build two full-size nuclear reactors has outraged green groups and surprised analysts, who warned it would be a disaster-in-waiting for the volcanic island chain t

Jakarta – Indonesia is hoping the Experts Commission the UN has set up to reinvestigate the 1999 human rights violation cases in Timor Leste will not need to carry out its mandate or co

Jakarta – Paul Wolfowitz' candidacy for World Bank president has triggered criticism from rights activists in Indonesia, where he served as US ambassador during Suharto's dictatorship b

Jakarta – A number of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) on Monday urged the government to start deliberating the draft law on witness protection and to set up a special agency to pr

Eva C.

Jakarta – A faction in the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), calling itself the Reform Group, has suggested the upcoming party congress form a presidium to provide transi

Hera Diani, Jakarta – The unprecedented direct presidential and legislative elections last year were widely praised as free and fair.

Jakarta – Dozens of residents of Kebon Kacang sub-district in Central Jakarta protested on Monday a road elevation project in the area, fearing that it would only worsen floods there.

Tony Hotland, Jakarta – The Dutch government has agreed to hand over to Indonesian authorities much awaited information and evidence in the poisoning death of rights campaigner Munir.

Kupang – The Government of East Timor still did not have enough funds to reimburse the Indonesian government, state owned enterprises, and private Indonesian citizens for assets left be

Timothy Mapes, Jakarta – As Indonesia embarks on a massive effort to rebuild swaths of Aceh province wiped out by the Dec.

Theresia Sufa, Bogor – The majority of 277 animal conservation areas across the country are left unprotected, threatening the sustainability of animals here, a noted ornithologist warns

Kalinga Seneviratne, Jakarta – From Medan to Jakarta, Yogakarta, Surabaya, Solo and Batam, all across this vast archipelago Indonesian konfrontasi, or confrontation volunteer militias,

The establishment of a Commission of Truth and Friendship (CTF) by the Indonesian and East Timorese governments has been severely criticised by a group of non-governmental organisations

Muninggar Sri Saraswati, Jakarta – House faction leaders ignored an invitation from the government to discuss the fuel price increases on Friday night, saying they were preparing for a

Jakarta – Activists assisting victims of last year's police shooting in Manggarai regency on Flores island have criticized the National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) for "not

Tiarma Siboro, Jakarta – The Army plans to set up a new division of elite troops and station it in the country's westernmost province of Papua, where rebel groups have been fighting a l

[The following is an abridged translation of a selection of articles from Detik.com which were posted on its web site between March 15-18.

Those acquainted with politics looked on in amusement. The majority of those who had held their representatives in something like reverence stared in bemusement.

Dili – "Lia Foun", East Timor's first fully bilingual newspaper, hit the streets Friday, with the weekly's director forecasting it will underline the importance of Portuguese to the cou

Rendi A.

Indonesia has backed down on a threat to expel foreign aid workers from Aceh, granting them a two-month extension to continue relief efforts.

Aguswandi, London – It is almost impossible to imagine what the lives of tsunami survivors is like.

Muninggar Sri Saraswati, Jakarta – The government's plan to rehabilitate the civil and legal rights of past former political prisoners is expected to finally end all forms of discrimina

Tiarma Siboro, Jakarta – A former top official of the defunct Election Supervisory Commission (Panwaslu) said the central government should delay the country's first direct elections fo

Tony Hotland, Jakarta – The House of Representatives questioned on Wednesday the State Intelligence Agency (BIN) in a closed-door meeting to determine what knowledge the agency had rega

Samarinda, East Kalimantan – Though East Kalimantan is rich in natural resources, many of the schools in the province have fallen into disrepair from neglect.

Police in Indonesia's tsunami-hit Aceh province will rejoin the military pursuit of separatists because the rebels have started regrouping.

Muninggar Sri Saraswati, Jakarta – The National Human Rights Commission (Komnas HAM) has urged the government to set up mechanisms to control the conduct of police amid a rising trend o

Bob Burton, Canberra – The Australian government has been accused of hypocrisy in its attempt to draw maritime boundaries with its neighbors.

Muninggar Sri Saraswati, Jakarta – The government has moved to restore the rights of and provide compensation for former political prisoners exiled on Buru Island in Maluku between 1969

Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, Jakarta – Following the recent fuel price increase, the country's fuel consumption has declined by 16 percent compared to the previous month.

Jakarta – National flag carriers Garuda Indonesia has fired its entire 13-member board, in a government move to improve the management of the carrier and its financial performance, a mi

Tiarma Siboro, Jakarta – Provincial election commissions (KPUD) are facing a number of problems, including a lack of clear guidelines, in organizing the country's first direct elections

Tony Hotland and Rendi A.

Yuli Tri Suwarni, Bandung – The food and beverage allowance for the West Java governor and deputy governor for fiscal year 2005 has been increased by more than 60 percent to Rp 1.138 bi

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 losse

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

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 who

Nani Afrida, Banda Aceh – Rudy, a Banda Aceh resident, breathes a sigh of relief.

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