Frans Surdiasis, Jakarta – The late Elvis Presley's song It's now or never, perfectly depicts the situation faced by Amien Rais and his National Mandate Party (PAN) in confronting this

Kurniawan Hari, Jakarta – Taking the 1999 general elections as a lesson, the Elections Supervisory Committee (Panwaslu) has promised to improve supervision of the election process and f

Ardimas Sasdi – Like a body blow to many people who are longing for peace and order after a great dearth of positive news, the government has announced a controversial plan to expand th

After decades of official supression, Indonesia's ethnic Chinese minority is now able to openly celebrate the Lunar New Year but discrimination remains for the rest of the time.

Eva C.

Nani Farida, Banda Aceh – Maulidarrahmi and another 437 supposed former Free Aceh Movement (GAM) members appeared relieved as they were finally allowed to return home on Sunday after at

Jakarta – The Indonesia Military (TNI) headquarters in Cilangkap, East Jakarta has thwarted a possible bomb attack allegedly planned by the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) as the man picked fo

Nani Farida, Banda Aceh – After the six-month extension of martial law in Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam, civilians have been mobilized to set up militia groups across the war-torn province t

Sian Powell – A delegation of senior Australian diplomats last week toured an Indonesian region considered by the UN to be more dangerous than Baghdad.

Sophie Boudre – As violence against women is recognized as a major health concern worldwide, Timor-Leste is struggling to overcome domestic violence, which has been growing at an alarmi

Ian Timberlake, Jakarta – Thousands of former East Timorese refugees have been given homes of their own in Indonesian West Timor after more than four years of living in decrepit refugee

Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, Jakarta – Riau Governor Mohamad Rusli and Minister of Maritime and Fishery Rokhmin Dahuri competed on Friday for President Megawati Soekarnoputri's endorsement of

Ridwan Max Sijabat, Jakarta – Manpower and Transmigration Minister Jacob Nuwa Wea said on Friday that the number of unemployed people would increase by about 2.5 million to over 45 mill

A'an Suryana, Jakarta – While highlighting improvements in the economy and national stability as its main platforms, the Golkar Party has vowed not to snub the increasingly louder antic

Muninggar Sri Saraswati & Sandy Darmosumarto, Jakarta – An activist with a rights watchdog, which had reported in December that the national intelligence body was already beginning

Rendi A.

Jill Jolliffe, Dili – A headless skeleton discovered by workmen digging in the yard of East Timorese Prime Minister Mari Alkatiri is believed to be the remains of Nicolau Lobato, the ch

Andrew Burrell, Jakarta – Sharing lunch with an indicted war criminal accused of overseeing the slaughter of 1500 people is hardly an everyday experience.

Robert Go, Jakarta – Indonesia's reform initiatives have failed and the country needs a strong leader "who can do better", said retired General Wiranto.

Remember the People's Democratic Party (PRD), remember how radical these young people were in the struggling for democracy.

Moch. N.

Nethy Dharma Somba, Jayapura – The National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) has started investigating alleged gross abuses in the Papua province last year and in 2001 and plans

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta – Former State Logistics Agency (Bulog) head Beddu Amang began serving a four-year prison sentence for graft on Friday after the Supreme Court rejected his app

Kurniawan Hari, Jakarta – As most voters are unaware of the new electoral system, political parties are likely to encourage supporters to punch the logo of political parties on ballot p

Damar Harsanto, Jakarta – Four days after asking bus drivers to make the TransJakarta Busway project launch a perfect one, Governor Sutiyoso was shocked to discover 30 had gone on strik

Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, Jakarta – The Indonesian Museum of Records (Muri) will likely add to its collection thanks to President Megawati Soekarnoputri's generous plan to invite 5,300 peo

Multa Fidrus, Tangerang Water utility customers in Tangerang regency are irate over skyrocketing bills that are at least 300 percent higher than the bills they received in December.

Kurniawan Hari and Zakki Hakim, Jakarta – Thousands of people throughout the country took to the streets seeking the cancellation of utility price hikes on Thursday despite a decision b

Yemris Fointuna, Kupang, East Nusa Tenggara A senior Navy officer denied on Friday that a military exercise, held recently on Batek island that borders East Timor, was a display of mili

M.

Banda Aceh – Four people suspected to be members of the separatist Free Aceh Movement (GAM) were killed during separate exchanges of fire with the military in several districts of Aceh

Eva C.

Matthew Moore, Jakarta – The US State Department is to put several serving and former Indonesian military officers, including a leading presidential candidate, on a watch list of indict

Jakarta – Former Indonesian military chief and presidential hopeful Wiranto has shrugged off a reported move by United States to bar him from entry over accusations of rights violations

Yemris Fointuna, Kupang – A senior Indonesian Military (TNI) commander in Kupang denied on Thursday recent reports in several local media that 78 armed pro-Indonesia militiamen have inf

Jakarta – The Indonesia Procurement Watch (IPW) has called on the public to monitor the procurement of goods and services in the General Election Commission (KPU) for the 2004 election.

Kupang – The struggle of factions in East Timor to grab power in the government and political elite are viewed as having made the pro-integration group as the scapegoat.

Australia and East Timor are set to begin tough negotiations over marine boundaries this year, although Australia has refused to set a deadline.

Atambua – Indonesian immigration officers in Mota'ain, a town on the Indonesia-East Timor border, on Friday turned away a group of UN lawyers who intended to visit Atambua because the l

Gary LaMoshi, Denpasar – It was a merry Christmas and a happy new year for Bali.

The Wamena District Court sentenced on Thursday two more civilians to 20 years in prison each for their roles in breaking into a military arsenal in Wamena last year and stealing rifles

Dana Priest and Peter Slevin – The State Department has decided to put a half-dozen current and former Indonesian military officers, including a leading presidential candidate, on a wat

Bill Guerin.

Jerry Norton and Tomi Soetjipto, Jakarta – An Indonesian presidential candidate who once headed the country's armed forces said on Thursday that if elected he would move quickly to end

Kel Dummett – For the many human rights organizations and individual activists around the world concerned about ongoing human rights violations in the province of Papua, the announcemen

Dan Eaton, Jakarta – In a slum just a stone's throw from the gaudy mansions of Indonesia's elite, Rizal trades in human flesh and misery.

Dili – Foreign Minister Josi Ramos Horta said Thursday he was "convinced" the United Nations would extend its engagement with East Timor beyond the end of its current mission.

Jakarta – East Timor has expressed concern after Indonesian troops fired on an uninhabited island whose ownership has not yet been determined, a senior East Timor foreign ministry offic

Yemris Fointuna, Kupang – Pessure has been placed on the relevant authorities to investigate alleged irregularities in the use of Rp 53 billion (US$6.3 million) in aid for East Timorese

Ruslan Sangadji and Irvan NR, Palu – The major police operation "Sintuwu Maroso", aimed at maintaining security in the troubled regency of Poso, has been extended for another six months