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The babies could not wait – they died before our honorable legislators were able to complete their ongoing revision of the state budget, which would then determine the figures of "compe

Matthew Moore Herald, Jakarta – Imron Cotan has been told he will be returning to a new position, having barely completed half of his three-year term that began in November 2003.

John Roberts – Talks in the Finnish capital Helsinki between the Indonesian government and the exiled leadership of the separatist Free Aceh Movement (GAM) ended on May 31.

Wahyoe Boediwardhana, Denpasar – The jailing of a university student for insulting President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono is a reflection of the government's reluctance to accept public cri

Eva C.

Jakarta – Indonesian police found a partly assembled explosive device at a south Jakarta train station on Wednesday and a bomb squad was called in to dismantle it, a spokesman said.

Jakarta – The chairperson of the Association of Families of Missing Persons (Ikohi), Mugiyanto, says the 14 activists who disappeared between 1997-98 are dead.

Bill Guerin, Jakarta – Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono last week ordered the country's governors to revive the Regional Intelligence Coordinating Body (Bakorinda), a netwo

Cirebon, West Java – Some 4,000 children in Cirebon regency are suffering from malnutrition, a senior government official said on Tuesday.

Jakarta – If a province is wealthy enough to allocate Rp 12 billion (US$1.26 billion) for the renovation of its governor's residence, why do its children continue to suffer from malnutr

Ridwan Max Sijabat, Jakarta – The twin problems of school dropouts and child labor in the country have been blamed on widespread poverty.

Syofiardi Bachyul Jb, Padang – Thirteen out of 45 Padang councillors were sentenced to four years in jail each on Tuesday following their convictions on graft charges.

Multa Fidrus, Tangerang – With the sixth graders facing final exams and the new academic year about to start in July, officials at a state elementary school in Sepatan district, Tangera

Paul Dalton and Fergus Kerrigan, Jakarta – Since 1998, foreign observers have followed with hope and concern the progress of Indonesia on its uneven path towards democracy, the rule of

It is easy to become increasingly pessimistic about the ability of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's economic team to continue economic reforms – especially when new evidence emerges

Medan – Two soldiers and a staff official with the province's Bukit Barisan Military Command were dishonorably discharged from the military on Monday for their involvement in drug traff

Ridwan Max Sijabat, Jakarta – A new survey by the International Labor Organization (ILO) has revealed that 19 percent of Indonesia's school-aged children could not afford to attend scho

Despite its strong association with the New Order regime of former president Soeharto, the Golkar Party managed to dominate not only the last legislative election, but also direct regio

Jakarta – Reports on corruption and offerings of lucky charms were among the text messages received by the President via his cellular phone not long after he publicly disclosed its numb

Reporter: Anne Barker

Ahmad Dani, Jakarta – Slightly built human rights activist Munir appears to have been the target of a huge conspiracy by a 'rogue' group.

Tim Johnston – Indonesia's commitment to free speech and civil rights was questioned yesterday after a Balinese student was sentenced to six months in jail for showing disrespect to the

Damar Harsanto, Jakarta – In an attempt to finish a major backlog of big city projects, Governor Sutiyoso has set a deadline of six months for senior officials to shape up or ship out.

Jakarta – The Indonesian Association of Families of Missing Persons (Ikohi) is urging retired General Wiranto to clarify his statement that 14 activists who were disappeared between 199

Jakarta – A team set up by the National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) to investigate the abduction of prodemocracy activists between 1997 and 1998 failed to question four midd

Jakarta – The Fact Finding Team (TPF) investigating the death of Munir has found documents containing four plots to kill the human rights activist.

John McBeth, Jakarta – Indonesia's elite have always preferred to bury unsavoury events, such as those from the bloody upheavals of the mid-1960s.

An inquest will be held into the death of Balibo Five cameraman Brian Peters, killed 30 years ago in East Timor.

Jakarta – Indonesian lawmakers have objected to a controversial government anti-terror plan to revive a far-reaching intelligence network used to quell dissent during the dictatorial go

Jakarta – The government has defended the controversial presidential decree that allows the government to forcibly take over privately owned land that has been earmarked for development

An international relations academic says Australian peackeeping troops are being withdrawn from East Timor prematurely.

Jakarta – The National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) and the National Police signed an agreement on Friday on cooperation in handling human rights abuse cases.

Erwin Dariyanto, Jakarta – On Thursday June 16 the Fact Finding Team (TPF) in the death of human rights activist Munir will again invite Abdullah Mahkmud Hendropriyono in for questionin

Tiarma Siboro, Jakarta – With its June 23 deadline looming, the Munir murder fact-finding team has yet to complete its task of identifying the killers of the noted human rights campaign

Tony Hotland, Jakarta – After winning recognition from the government, the National Awakening Party (PKB) under Muhaimin Iskandar is mulling action against members of a rival camp.

Jakarta – Indonesia's foreign minister Monday defended peace talks between Jakarta and Aceh separatists amid growing criticism from lawmakers and the army, saying that other efforts to

Jakarta – More than 200 ex-separatist fighters have been freed in the tsunami-wracked province of Aceh after taking an oath of loyalty to a unified Indonesia, a local media report said

John Aglionby, Jakarta – If the Indonesian president, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, thought he could get closer to his people by giving out his mobile phone number and inviting complaints,

Jakarta – It was a Tuesday morning when a group of women gathered to chat on a narrow veranda of the house of a subdistrict head in Pangkalan Jati Baru, Depok.

Hera Diani, Jakarta – It is not exactly like a subtle rejection by a fellow who dutifully gives his number and asks you to call him but never picks up the phone.

Meidyatama Suryodiningrat, Jakarta – We frequently shake our heads in frustration at the misconduct and profiteering of public officials.

On Thursday, US President George W. Bush announced that Congress would extend the government's surveillance and law enforcement powers to track down potential terrorists.

Timor Leste – Canberra will on Monday begin withdrawing its last peacekeeping troops from Timor Leste, signaling the end of a six-year mission that heralded a controversial new era of r

Dan EatonSat – Fury in Australia over the jailing of a young woman in Bali for drugs smuggling has puzzled ordinary Indonesians, and given the world's most populous Muslim nation a chan

Rendi Witular, PurwakartaWest Java – For those of you who find the notoriously inept bureaucracy is posing a stumbling block in seeking a solution to your problems, add 0811109949 to yo

Damar Harsanto, Jakarta – At least 8,455 children under five in Jakarta are suffering from malnutrition, the City Health Agency reported on Friday.

Banda Aceh – At least 35 women academics, legal practitioners, activists and students visited the Aceh Provincial Legislative Council (DPRD) at midday on Friday June 10.

Rendi A.

Jakarta – The need for wood in Aceh's rehabilitation in Aceh post tsunami waves will be supplied from domestic sources.