After new Indonesian president Joko Widodo appointed his self-consciously titled 'working cabinet' late last year, activist Andreas Harsono from Human Rights Watch took calls from no fewer than nin

The Constitutional Court on June 18 announced its ruling on the 1974 Marriage Law, rejecting requests to change the marriageable age for girls from 16 to 18 and to make it possible to legalize inte

The Deputy Director-General of the Secretariat of the Pacific Community says the addition of East Timor or Timor-Leste to the organisation will strengthen the region.

The Melanesian Spearhead Group has knocked back West Papua's bid to become a full member of the group, while elevating Indonesia's status.

Sita W. Dewi and Dewanti A.

Sydney, Australia – Indonesia has been admitted to a Melanesian intergovernment group, Papua New Guinea Prime Minister Peter O'Neill announced Thursday, welcoming the move as an important way to st

Beh Lih Yi in Pelabuhan Ratu, Indonesia – Business has been bad for Gandi, a fisherman who rides the waves off Indonesia's rugged southern Java coast.

Kanupriya Kapoor, Jakarta – Indonesia's parliament has voted to allow MPs use of nearly a billion dollars in state funds to develop their constituencies, which a minister said on Wednesday would on

Fedina S.

Jakarta – Indonesia has been bumped up to an associate member of the Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG), while a pro-independence coalition from West Papua has been granted observer status.

Jakarta – Indonesia has set up a new team to reduce noise from mosques, an official said on Thursday, as places of worship go into overdrive during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

Markus Junianto Sihaloho, Jakarta – Lawmakers fuming over President Joko Widodo's decision to reject their proposed "aspirational funds" have played down criticism that the funds are vulnerable to

Michael Bachelard's – On a sunlit afternoon in the tiny village of Lolat, I ask a local school teacher, Natani Kobak, what subject he teaches.

Paul Farrell – Whistleblowers with dual citizenship who speak out on Australia's national security – including those involved in allegations that Timor-Leste's cabinet room was bugged – could face

Michael Bachelard – Few work harder to advocate for the Papuan people than Victor Mambor.

Tassia Sipahutar, Jakarta – Bank Indonesia (BI) has eased loan requirements for the purchase of property, cars and motorcycles in a move designed to spur the country's weak economy, which has been

Richard Bennett, Hong Kong – As far as Indonesia has come on human rights since the repressive Soeharto years, the authorities have stubbornly refused to deal with crimes of the past.

[In an exclusive interview with Channel NewsAsia's Sujadi Siswo, Timor Leste Prime Minister Dr Rui Maria de Araujo discussed plans for reform and the future needs of his people.]

Jenny Munro, Guest Contributor – Jokowi's actions, whether those of the powerless or duplicitous, could lead to disaster in Papua.

Margareth S.

Nic Maclellan, Honiara – In a vibrant cultural display, Solomon Islands dancers, pan pipers and customary presentations welcomed Melanesian Spearhead Group delegations at the official opening of th

Jakarta – Child abuse in Indonesia is on the rise and the majority of perpetrators are those close to their victims, data from the Indonesian Child Protection Commission (KPAI) has shown.

Hans Nicholas Jong, Jakarta – Female activists have called on women all across the country to be at the forefront of environmental movements, arguing that it is women who are affected the most from

Ina Parlina, Jakarta – Religious Affairs Minister Lukman Hakim Saifuddin has expressed his support for the recent Constitutional Court ruling that upholds a provision in the 1974 Marriage Law that

Ina Parlina, Fedina S.

Novy Lumanauw, Jakarta – President Joko Widodo has rejected the controversial "aspirational funds" proposed by legislators, an official announced on Wednesday, saying the scheme would "clash" with

Tama Salim and Margaret S.

Indra Budiari, Jakarta – Increasingly infrequent service on most corridors of the Transjakarta bus network has contributed to falling passenger numbers, according to a think tank.

Benny Wenda – For more than half a century, my people have suffered under a repressive military occupation that is estimated to have claimed 500,000 West Papuan lives.

Tom Benner, Dili, East Timor – Following his first 100 days in office, the new prime minister of East Timor marvelled at how the peaceful transition of power from his predecessor stood in stark con

Michael Bachelard – 'In June last year, seven doctors were sent to this town, but five didn't want to come. In September they tried to send another four and all four went back to Jakarta.'

Margareth S.

Jakarta – Indonesian Military Chief General Moeldoko said his institution was considering implementing a policy of having security personnel accompany foreign journalists in Papua to avoid untoward

14 members of a student group have been arrested by police in the Papuan town of Abepura, as they raised funds for a probe into the shooting deaths of fellow students last year.

Andreyka Natalegawa, Jakarta – A recent report by a United Nations agency reveals that nations across the world, including Indonesia, have made significant strides in ensuring the basic rights and

Randy Fabi, Palembang – Fed up with capitalists plundering Indonesia's riches, members of the country's second-largest Islamic group have drawn up plans to launch a "people's power" movement.

Satria Sambijantoro, Jakarta – The government's plan to implement a tax amnesty for financial criminals might bring more harm than good to the Indonesian economy, analysts are warning.

Michael Taylor, Jakarta – Nationalistic policies imposed by Indonesia's previous administration – including a ban on unprocessed mineral exports – threw the resources sector into turmoil last year.

Dylan Amirio, Jakarta – The House of Representatives approved on Tuesday a bill allowing the distribution of funds worth Rp 20 billion [US$1.5 million] to each member for the development of their r

Novianti Setuningsih, Jakarta – A bill to rein in the powers of Indonesia's vaunted antigraft commission will go before a parliament historically inclined to that end, after President Joko Widodo r

Margareth S.

Fadli, Batam – President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo has instructed the National Intelligence Agency (BIN) to investigate alleged foreign involvement in labor rallies in Batam, Riau Islands, that have led

It is under the administration of President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo that the campaign against the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) has gained the most momentum and looks to have reached the poi

Inacia Tamele huddled in the jungle to learn to read, became a campaigner for independence in East Timor, and returned to the jungle to hide when pro-Indonesian militias were hunting her.

Dylan Amirio, Jakarta – Foreign Minister Retno LP Marsudi said the Jokowi government never restricted foreign visitors or journalists from visiting Papua, with 22 foreign applications granted in 20

The West Papuan independence leader, Benny Wenda, says he has still not heard why he was blocked from travelling to the United States a month ago.

Dylan Amirio, Jakarta – Foreign Minister Retno LP Marsudi revealed that her ministry had approved eight applications for foreign journalistic visits to resource-rich Papua in the past six months.

Andreyka Natalegawa & Kennial Caroline Laia, Jakarta – Human rights activists and legal experts have again called on President Joko Widodo to halt the execution of drug traffickers following th

Tom Allard – A former Australian Secret Intelligence Service officer and star witness for East Timor in a bitter dispute with the Abbott government over $40 billion in oil and gas revenue is facing

One sunny November school day at a school in Tagime, hundreds of primary and secondary students are outside having a whale of a time.