Jakarta – The government plans to privatize 44 state companies this year, including 10 companies initially planned to be privatized last year,…

Canberra – Australia and Indonesia said they were making inroads into combating extremists in Southeast Asia, agreeing on Thursday to step up…

Jakarta – Most workers in industrial estates in Sumatra and Java have yet to benefit from higher monthly wages, despite the regional minimum wage…

Jakarta – Rescuers dug for survivors after a landslide on Indonesia's main island pummeled a village on Wednesday, killing at least…

Abdul Khalik, Jakarta – Reform within intelligence agencies is necessary to make those bodies accountable and prevent arbitrary killings such as…

Jakarta – The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) must rid itself of the "invisible hands" hampering its fight against corruption, a workshop…

Jakarta – One of Indonesia's top news weeklies apologised Wednesday about the cover of its latest issue, which depicts Suharto and his children in…

Jakarta – Soeharto's alleged past crimes, including allowing the deaths of thousands and other human rights abuses, should effectively…

Sam King – Hundreds of people took protest action in North Sumatra, East Kalimantan, Central Sulewesi, East and West Java and…

Iqbal Fadil, Jakarta – A warning signal was raised today for political parties referring to themselves as Islamic parties. It is predicted that…

M. Azis Tunny, Ambon – A local military chief in Central Maluku was fired Tuesday over last weekend's deadly attack on the local police command…

Irwan Nugroho, Jakarta – Apparently on account of being accused of being communists, an activity organised by the Joint School Forum (Sekber) was…

Jakarta – In a review of the government's performance in 2007, the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin) says that it is…

Agnes Winarti, Jakarta – The National Commission on Human Rights has agreed to oppose the implementation of the city's public order bylaw this…

Jakarta – Police plan to name new suspects in the case of the murder of human rights activist Munir Said Thalib by June at the latest, a former…

Padang, West Sumatra – Padang-based biscuit maker PT Asia Megah Biskuit has halted operations since Dec. 22 last year after a series…

Nethy Dharma Somba, Jayapura – The Papuan People's Assembly (MRP) and the Papuan Legislative Council (DPRP) have rejected a proposal by the House…

John Passant – War criminal Suharto is dead. Look for the tears from his Western supporters. In their hypocrisy they may recognise he was a…

Loro Horta, Dili – Since the 2006 deployment of Australian peacekeeping troops to East Timor, the Australian Defense Force (ADF) has been…

Erwida Maulia, Jakarta – Using a parliamentary threshold in the next legislative election would simplify Indonesia's multi-party system, a…

Andi Haswidi, Jakarta – The trade deficit with China in the non-oil and gas sector skyrocketed by more than 3500 percent from US$35 million in…

Most of the severest of Suharto'c critics, inside and outside of Indonesia, rightly concentrate of the gross violations of human rights during his…

James Madden – The widow of one of the five journalists killed by the Indonesian military at Balibo in 1975 has labelled Paul Keating "ignorant"…

Dili – "It's when you see a child who looks nine but is actually 12 that you realise the extent of malnutrition in Timor Leste," Jean Flueren, the…

Tony Hotland, Jakarta – US President George W. Bush is poised to deliver his annual budget request Monday, proposing US$186 million in bilateral…

Joseph Nevins – The death of Suharto, the strongman who ruled Indonesia for more than three decades, is cause for reflection in the United States…

M. Azis Tunny, Ambon – A soldier and two police officers were killed and six others injured in a clash between military and police personnel in…

Ade Mardiyati, Jakarta – Heavy rains and high tides have caused chaos in Indonesia's capital for three days, highlighting its ailing…

[Indonesia: Democracy and the Promise of Good Governance. Editors: Ross H. McLeod, Andrew MacIntyre. Publisher: Institute of Southeast Asian…

Jakarta is flooded, again. Just one day of incessant rain, from Thursday night through Friday morning, was enough to paralyze the capital with…

Dicky Christanto, Nusa Dua, Bali – An alliance of civil society groups has prepared tougher measures to strengthen its anti-graft campaign against…

Irawaty Wardany, Sanur, Bali – The Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) announced it will target 20 percent of votes in the 2009 legislative election,…

Dicky Christanto and Muhammad Nafik, Nusa Dua, Bali – A coalition of civil society groups said the international anti-graft conference wrapped up…

Jakarta – Appointments were canceled, passengers were left stranded and residents were forced to leave their homes. Jakarta was chaotic on Friday…

Abdul Khalik, Nusa Dua, Bali – Indonesia is seen to be a main target for money laundering, as a report by the Indonesian financial intelligence…

Paul Keating – The death of Soeharto, the former president of Indonesia, gives all Australians a chance to assess the value of his life and the…

Apriadi Gunawan and Nana Rukmana, Medan/Cirebon – Mixed reactions have greeted a proposal to bestow national hero status upon controversial former…

In an article – The nation builder – in today's Sydney Morning Herald, Paul Keating attempts to justify his attendance at Suharto's funeral last…

President Suharto of Indonesia, who died last month, was responsible for the invasion of East Timor in 1975, for its occupation for almost 25…

Dili – The building of the former Portuguese and Indonesian prison of Balide, Dili, hosts this week-end an exhibition dedicated to former…

Neil Campbell – An incident during my recent visit to Timor-Leste gave a useful insight into the difficult security conditions in the small, young…

Apriadi Gunawan, Medan – One more member of the Medan District Court judicial panel that refused punishment for logging boss Adelin Lis has been…

Tony Hotland, Jakarta – Threats and intimidation against rights defenders increased in Papua and West Papua provinces in 2007 while efforts at…

Maryadi, Jakarta – Jakarta will again be decorated by protest actions on the first day of February 2008, so be on the lookout so as to…

Jakarta – While promoting transparency, the public information bill poses a threat to the nation's hard-won press freedom as it contains articles…

Adianto P. Simamora, Jakarta – Over two-thirds of 278 existing regional ordinances across Java island are not eco-friendly, allowing locals to…

Backgrounder on the Indonesia/Timor-Leste Commission of Truth and Friendship

1. This backgrounder provides a brief summary of the…

Kopassus and Brimob are the worst of the worst among Indonesia's security forces. Both organizations have long histories of violating human…

• Police and security forces
• Freedom of expression…

[The following article was submitted for publication in Green Left Weekly in February 2008 but rejected.]

Jakarta – On January 31 the…