Adisti Sukma Sawitri, Jakarta – Governor candidate Fauzi Bowo topped a poll of eligible Jakarta voters Sunday amid fears of a low turnout on the Aug. 8 election day.

The government escalated the attack on absolute poverty last week by launching a refurbished direct cash aid program called Hopeful Family Program (PKH) across almost 350 sub-districts

Tony Hotland, Jakarta – Standing as an independent candidate in a local election is the fastest path to power for those wishing to reform the country's bureaucracy, analysts told activi

Ridwan Max Sijabat, Jakarta – The recent verdict of the Constitutional Court allowing independent candidates to contend local elections will pose no threat to political parties, politic

Mustaqim Adamrah, Jakarta – The youth wing of Muhammadiyah, one of the country's largest Muslim organizations, said Thursday it was not taking part in the campaign of either of the gove

Jakarta – City spatial planners must listen to the voices of the urban poor in order to tackle poverty in the city, a study revealed Tuesday.

Adianto P.

Adianto P. Simamora, Jakarta – Housewife Siti Hawah, a resident of Cipinang Melayu, East Jakarta, concedes the environment is important.

Jakarta – An organization of journalists urged the local media Tuesday to be impartial in its coverage of the Jakarta gubernatorial election.

Jakarta – The death toll from devastating floods and landslides on Indonesia's eastern Sulawesi island has risen to 107, as aid distribution to survivors gained pace Friday, an official

Denpasar – Australia and Indonesia have agreed to launch a feasibility study on a free trade pact, their leaders said Friday after meeting on the Indonesian resort island of Bali.

Urip Hudiono, Jakarta – Although the chances of another crisis crippling Indonesia's economy may be slimmer now due to the improvements made to the banking sector and monetary policy, c

Jakarta – An Indonesian court jailed 17 Christians for up to 14 years on Thursday under anti-terrorism laws for the murder of two Muslims.

Jakarta – An anti-debt group is demanding the government stop adding debt to fund the state budget because they said most of the agreed loan commitments have not yet been disbursed.

Alvin Darlanika Soedarjo, Jakarta – The government has been urged to stop deforestation in order to protect the rapidly decreasing orangutan population on the island of Kalimantan.

The Attorney General's Office (AGO) is so confident it has proof that former Garuda Indonesia pilot Pollycarpus Budihari Priyanto was involved in the murder of rights activist Munir Sai

Merauke – The number of women dying in childbirth has risen in the past two years. In 2005, the rate was 464 per 1000,000 births which rose to 499 in 2006.

Adisti Sukma Sawitri, Jakarta – Any Jakarta resident who has spent some time on the streets over the last three days knows that the gubernatorial candidates are the source – rather than

Jakarta – The House of Representatives has come out in support of Monday's ruling by the Constitutional Court on independent candidates in regional elections.

Jakarta – Three flood victims have accused the city administration in court of failing to anticipate and mitigate the February floods and neglecting to assisting victims in the aftermat

Tony Hotland, Jakarta – Monday's ruling by the Constitutional Court to allow independent candidates to run in local elections came as a shock to the country's major political parties, w

Some strange things emerged from the two massive labor demonstrations against American sportswear giant Nike the last two Mondays.

Kanis Dursin and Alia, Jakarta – With more than 20 plays under her belt, you would think senior director Ratna Sarumpaet would have no problem finding investors for her film, particular

Mustaqim Adamrah, Jakarta – Thousands of workers from two local shoe manufacturing companies staged a rally Monday to extend their demands for American sportswear giant Nike Inc.

Ben Terrall – In a June 8 "web memo," The Heritage Foundation called Indonesia "a large, vibrant democracy and a key piece of the geostrategic puzzle in Asia." The right wing Washington

Urip Hudiono, Jakarta – Government officials will just have to put up with their cramped offices and bring their own pens into work next year as the government plans to divert money awa

Rizal Sukma, Jakarta – The decision by the Constitutional Court last week to scrap two undemocratic clauses in Indonesia's Criminal Code should indeed be celebrated.

Triono Wahyu Sudibyo, Semarang – Muria community representatives met with members of the Regional Representatives Council (DPD) on July 24 to ask them to oppose the planned construction

Desy Nurhayati, Jakarta – As part of its effort to alleviate poverty, the government has launched a new program that is expected to be more successful than previous poverty eradication

Adisti Sukma Sawitri, Jakarta – Following pressure from pro-democracy groups, failed independent candidates and student groups, the Constitutional Court has decided to allow independent

Nana Rukmana, Jakarta/Cirebon – In a split decision the Anti-Corruption Court sentenced former maritime affairs and fisheries minister Rokhmin Dahuri to seven years prison for corruptio

Andi Haswidi, Jakarta – As corporate social responsibility (CSR) becomes mandatory in the new law on corporations, analysts warn the implementation of the legislation could be abused by

Jakarta – A lawmaker, a government minister and a political expert called for a restructuring of the political system during a weekend seminar, saying the present system has numerous lo

Jakarta – The official campaign period for Jakarta's first-ever direct gubernatorial election kicked off on Sunday.

Vincent Lingga, Jakarta – In early July 1997, when the Thai baht crashed and lost more than 50 percent of its value against the dollar immediately after the Bank of Thailand floated the

James Castle, Jakarta – For anyone involved in business or policy in developing Asia, the boom and bust of the 1990s are the defining events of the last twenty years.

John A. Prasetio, Jakarta – A decade ago, almost without warning, the Asian economic crisis arrived to challenge the "East Asia Miracle" thesis of the World Bank.

Binny Buchori, Jakarta – What do we remember about the economic crisis of 10 years ago?

Urip Hudiono, Jakarta – Recent improvements in Indonesia's macroeconomic indicators are bringing about confidence in the economy as a whole, with the central bank's latest survey showin

Bill Guerin, Jakarta – Indonesia is now formally on the vanguard of the global green energy movement.

As Asia this month marks a decade since the region went into a deep financial crisis, one might well ask, what exactly has Indonesia been doing these last 10 years?

Ridwan Max Sijabat, Jakarta – Labor exporters and activists have called on President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to evaluate the implementation of a 2006 presidential instruction on rapid,

[Dreamseekers: Indonesian Women as Domestic Workers in Asia by Dewi Anggraeni. Equinox, Jakarta (2006) pp. 250.]

Urip Hudiono, Jakarta – The government hopes to reduce unemployment and poverty by diverting some routine spending in 2008 to help finance infrastructure development in the regions.

The newly passed Jakarta Special Administrative Law can be seen as promoting democracy in Jakarta, though only timidly, but lacks all the articles to necessary to transform Jakarta into

Jakarta – An activist and the widow of slain rights campaigner Munir Said Thalib have asked the Attorney General's Office to provide more evidence in seeking a review of a Supreme Court

Alvin Darlanika Soedarjo, Jakarta – The Indonesian Forum for the Environment (Walhi) has accused the government of encouraging deforestation by allowing eight industrial timber plantati

Jakarta – Jakarta Industrial Relations Court decided Thursday that retail giant Sogo must reemploy 45 staff who were fired due to the closing of the chain's Plaza Indonesia branch in Ce

Tony Hotland, Jakarta – Crystal clear jurisdiction of military tribunals is essential in curbing impunity and achieving transparency toward a more professional military, the Indonesian

Ridwan Max Sijabat, Jakarta – As in previous sitting periods, the House of Representatives seemed to spend little time passing laws to benefit the people, and lots of time criticizing t