Endy M.

Adianto P. Simamora, Jakarta – A voter education group distributed educational brochures for the gubernatorial election Thursday to encourage people to use their right to vote.

Mustaqim Adamrah, Jakarta – The Indonesian Survey Institute (LSI) says more than 65 percent of eligible voters in Jakarta will not cast ballots in the Aug. 8 gubernatorial election.

Jakarta – A recent survey by a coalition of non-governmental organizations active in the education sector found schools are still illegally making parents pay to register their children

Ridwan Max Sijabat, Jakarta – Legislators said Thursday the government should be able to allocate more money for the education sector, while thousands of teachers from Banten and West J

Ridwan Max Sijabat, Jakarta – The House of Representatives decided Thursday to suspend finalizing its proposed interpellation motion over the Sidoarjo mudflow after the House Consultati

An expert in criminal law told the Constitutional Court on Thursday that a regulation stipulating that ex-convicts cannot run for office is unjust and discriminative.

Andi Haswidi, Jakarta – Despite strong protests from the business community, the House of Representatives will press ahead with its plan to make corporate social responsibility (CSR) le

Release prisoners held under unconstitutional laws

Muhammad Wildan, Singapore – The spread of radical Islamism in Indonesia has led many people to assume that it has to do mostly with the incorrect interpretation of Islam.

Welcome back to New Perspectives (Perspektif Baru), I'm Jaleswari Pramodhawardani and I'm here with Zely Ariane, an activist from the Perempuan Mahardhika National Network.

Apriadi Gunawan, Medan – The trial of an illegal logging suspect was delayed Wednesday after a group of people disrupted court proceedings at Medan District Court in North Sumatra.

Jakarta – President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has a few tough decisions ahead of him in the wake of a recent spate of land disputes involving the Indonesian Military (TNI) and civilians.

Hikmahanto Juwana, Jakarta – This newspaper has published various opinions from writers discussing legal conditions in Indonesia.

Alvin Darlanika Soedarjo, Jakarta – Law and rights activists have labeled the Constitutional Court's revocation of Criminal Code articles concerning defamation against the government as

Alvin Darlanika Soedarjo, Jakarta – Rampant torture in Indonesian prisons could be minimized if the government ratified the Optional Protocol of the United Nations Convention against To

Multa Fidrus, Tangerang – It was business as usual Wednesday a PT Naga Parama Shoes Industry (NASA) and PT Hardaya Aneka Shoes Industry (HASI), manufacturers for American athletic appar

Alvin Darlanika Soedarjo, Jakarta – The government must improve the qualitative aspects, not quantitative aspects, of political parties through the package of political bills currently

Hambali Batubara, Medan – Student and social organisations in the North Sumatra provincial capital of Medan demonstrated at the Japanese Consulate and the representative offices of PT I

Jakarta – The government has made no significant progress toward implementing the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) 23 years after its r

Iwan Gunawan, Jakarta – The administration of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono seemed to be irritated by independence aspirations reflected in the display of separatist flag in Ambon

Tony Hotland, Jakarta – The Constitutional Court struck down on Tuesday articles in the Criminal Code banning speeches and writing expressing hostility toward or inciting hatred of the

Sohirin/Jems de Fortuna, Semarang – A leak at the Tokyo Electric Power Co (Tepco) nuclear-powered electric generator plant has made the residents around Gunung Muria (Jepara, Pati and K

Jakarta – The House of Representatives has enacted a new Energy Law that is aimed at securing sustainable energy supplies, and promoting energy conservation and the use of renewable ene

Aboeprijadi Santoso, Jakarta – Few issues have shaken the nation as the conflicts in East Timor and Aceh. Both have been resolved, yet their impact on our nationhood lingers on.

Jakarta Post – Commission I for defense and information at the House of Representatives and the government have agreed to delay the discussion of an article on military operations in th

Jakarta Post – Thousands of workers from two shoe manufacturers rallied Monday at the Jakarta Stock Exchange building to demand Nike, an American athletic apparel company, restore contr

Jakarta Post – Legal experts are recommending the government use the anti-corruption law, not forestry laws, to try illegal logging suspects.

Desy Nurhayati, Jakarta Post – Observers welcomed the dismissal of Maluku's provincial police chief following the recent flag-waving incident by a separatist group in Ambon.

Ciamis – As a fisherman wife, Saring lives a simple life. But the 53-year-old never imagined she would have to camp in a make-shift tent for more than a year.

Jakarta Post – Eight religious-based political parties are demanding the government lower the electoral threshold from three percent to two percent in the new legislative election bill

Jakarta – Indonesian authorities have removed the military chief of Maluku province following a surprise separatist protest in front of the president there last month, a military spokes

Jakarta – Giving the House of Representatives more power and money to deliberate laws could curb the flow of illegal funds from ministries to lawmakers, analysts say.

Iqbal Fadil, Jakarta – Mondays are usually the starting point of each persons activities for the week. Likewise also for demonstrations in the capital.

Last week United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Louise Arbour paid a five-day visit here, during which she met President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and Indonesian Military Com

The House of Representatives recently selected 11 new members of the National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM).

Jakarta – Females must make up at least 30 percent of a political party's candidate pool for the 2009 general elections and parties that do not adhere to this policy should be financial

Desy Nurhayati, Jakarta – The Democratic Party (PD) faction in the House of Representatives has recommended House leadership be determined according the number of votes obtained by each

Jakarta – The Justice and Human Rights Ministry will verify the validity of political parties running in the 2009 general election only after a new law on parties is enacted, to minimiz

Few newspapers gave space for the enactment last week of the Energy Law by the House of Representatives, as its 34 articles only provide a broad outline of national energy policies.

Rafiqa Qurrata A, Jakarta – Dissatisfied with the process of reform that they believe has failed, 1998 activists are threatening to make a comeback.

Simon Roughneen, Dili – After spending two years in prison on terror-related charges, Abu Bakar Ba'asyir, widely regarded as Indonesia's most radical Islamic cleric, is plotting his nex

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Urip Hudiono, Jakarta – Despite major improvements over the past few years, the country's banking sector has yet to fully recover from its worst crisis in living memory 10 years ago, th

Bandung/Makassar/Jakarta – A series of fatal land and sea accidents since last Saturday has claimed dozens of lives and further tarnished the country's public transportation reputation.

Abdul Khalik, Jakarta – A Canadian Muslim intellectual has questioned whether the rise of sharia-based ordinances in Indonesia has been driven by a desire for harmony and people's welfa

Zainal Fikri, Banjarmasin – More and more regencies and municipalities across the country have adopted sharia-inspired bylaws.

Ary Hermawan, Jimbaran, Bali – Indonesia will continue to adopt a society-oriented economic system aimed at guaranteeing an equal distribution of wealth to all citizens but remaining op

Jakarta – Teachers in the Indonesian Teachers Union (PGRI) held a rally in the capital city once again. Last Monday, PGRI deployed hundreds of members from East Java.

Siswanto, Jakarta – Around 100 residents from Cengkareng in West Jakarta held a demonstration in front of the State Palace on Jl. Medan Merdeka Utara on Friday July 13.