Virginia Winder – East Timor needs fair trade to turn its economy around, says peace and environmental activist Ego Lemos.

The Timorese man…

Suherdjoko, Wonosobo – President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono told protesting subdistrict heads Thursday that he would not heed their demands for…

Ambon, Maluku – A protest at the State Islamic Institute in Ambon escalated Thursday when 500 students told lecturers and staff to…

Executive director of the Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) Hadi Soesastro said East Timor has abundant natural resources.…

Charles Honoris, Tokyo – The proposed pornography bill has created a nationwide controversy. Several interpretations of the bill suggest that the…

Muninggar Sri Saraswati, Jakarta – The government has extended its security operation in the conflict-scarred region of Poso, Central Sulawesi, by…

Rob Taylor, Jakarta – East Timor is at a tipping point and must use billions of dollars from the carve-up of undersea oil and gas reserves wisely…

Cara Jenkin – In Adelaide, Kirsty Sword Gusmao can see that women, young and old, enjoy equal opportunities. At her home in East Timor…

John Pilger – In 1993, I and four others travelled clandestinely across East Timor to gather evidence of the genocide committed by the Indonesian…

Dear friends,

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) writes to inform you of the progress in the case of the murdered Indonesian human…

ID Nugroho, Surabaya – Eighteen underage prostitutes were recently held at Surabaya Police Headquarters for several days after being picked up by…

Jakarta – Women's groups took to the nation's streets Wednesday to voice their opposition to sharia law and the controversial pornography bill,…

Jakarta, Kompas – Commemorating International Women's Day on March 8, women in Jakarta, Banda Aceh, Yogyakarta and Makassar held peaceful actions…

Mark Forbes, Jakarta – An Australian aid agency is among those to have lied about their lacklustre efforts in Aceh's $7 billion tsunami…

Jakarta – About 3,000 workers took to the streets outside Merdeka Palace on Wednesday to show their opposition to a plan by the government and the…

A US State Department report alleging torture and intimidation by Indonesian security forces against Papuan separatists may add weight to the case…

On March 8, no less than 400 mostly women activists from Perempuan Mahardhika, which is made up of urban poor, worker and student organisations…

Tb.Arie Rukmantara, Jakarta – A technical snafu Wednesday meant legislators were unable to scrutinize the government's controversial US$30 million…

Multa Fidrus, Tangerang – Some 1,500 people representing various groups staged a rally Monday at the Tangerang administration office on Jl. Satria…

Muninggar Sri Saraswati, Jakarta – Poor coordination among government agencies, a lack of security features and systemic corruption makes it all…

Abdul Khalik, Jakarta – The government's campaign against graft seems to be coming unstuck at the prosecutor's office, with a mountain of cases…

P.O. Box 15774, Washington, DC 20003

8 March 2006

Assistant Secretary Christopher R. Hill
Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs…

Craig Skehan – Entrenched poverty could destabilise East Timor unless earnings from oil and gas are fairly distributed, a United Nations report…

Anissa S. Febrina, Jakarta – Following complaints from local manufacturers over the extent of recent reductions in import duties, the Finance…

Bill Guerin, Jakarta – In a closely watched, highly contentious court case, a German bank is in the dock in an ongoing legal battle against a…

Jakarta – The business community, tired of the government failing to deliver on promises, is demanding it come through this time by implementing…

[The Battle of the Banners is underway in Surabaya and many other cities. They scream "SAY NO TO DRUGS". They're part of Indonesia's war against…

Oktamandjaya Wiguna, Jakarta – The government will continue observing alleged propaganda attempts by former members of the Free Aceh…

Duncan Wilson, Banda Aceh – Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Agency for Aceh and Nias (BRR) chief Kuntoro Mangkusubroto has blasted non-…

Jakarta – Cases of violence against women sharply increased last year and it is feared they will soar in the future with more regions introducing…

M. Azis Tunny, Ambon – Calm returned to Ambon on Tuesday following a weekend of violence between police and military personnel that left one…

Jakarta – The government should take the fight against graft to the regions where malfeasance is still widespread among officials, the National…

Muninggar Sri Saraswati, Jakarta – Legislation protecting state secrets should be passed before the freedom of information bill is made law, or…

Ratih Syara Maretta, Jakarta – Wednesday March 8 is International Women's Day. A number of beautiful and stylish women wearing sun-glasses and…

Dozens of employees of Klub Golf Senayan in Central Jakarta demonstrate on Tuesday outside the management's office.

The…

Muninggar Sri Saraswati, Jakarta – Edward "Edo" Hutabarat held up the coffee-table book he wrote on traditional Indonesian fashion, including…

Zoe Kenny – On February 25, the five-day blockade by several hundred West Papuan villagers of the sole access road to Freeport's Grasberg mine was…

Jakarta – Commemorating International Women's Day which falls on March 8, today, thousands of women in Jakarta held an action at the State Palace…

Jakarta – Around 100 women activists from the Women's Anti-Poverty Movement (GPAK) held a peaceful action at the State Palace in Jakarta on…

Bagus Kurniawan, Yogyakarta – Hundreds of students in the Central Java city of Yogyakarta held an action commemorating International Women's Day…

Radzie, Banda Aceh – Acehnese women are asking to be involved in the process of public policy making in Aceh. In addition to this they are also…

Zaky Almubarok, Jakarta – The government is targeting to send 700,000 Indonesian overseas contract workers this year, an increase of…

Jakarta/Ambon – An Ambon Police officer was questioned Monday following a clash between police and military personnel which sparked a weekend of…

Imanuddin Razak, Jakarta – At a glance, there was nothing significant about the proposal by departing Indonesian Military (TNI) chief Gen.…

Muninggar Sri Saraswati, Jakarta – A scientist dismissed on Monday nationalist fears that the bill on Aceh governance would lead to the province's…

Jakarta – The Indonesian army has lost 129 billion rupiah (14 million dollars) in an alleged embezzlement scheme involving a colonel and an…

Jakarta – Following the arrests of two soldiers Saturday for transporting marijuana, the Marine Corps conceded Monday that at least four other…

Two Indonesians suspected of having links to the Bali bombings and an attack on the Australian Embassy in Jakarta are being interrogated in East…

Anton Aliabbas, Jakarta – There are indications that the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) leadership is actively carrying out anti-government propaganda.…

Muninggar Sri Saraswati, Jakarta – The House of Representatives should exercise extra caution before passing the pornography bill into law because…