Prodita Sabarini, Sampang, East Java – Sampang Regent Noer Tjahja is upset.

Jakarta – Despite a court ruling allowing the Taman Yasmin Indonesian Christian Church (GKI) in Bogor to stay at its current location, the saga surrounding it is apparently far from ove

Jakarta – The National Counterterrorism Agency (BNPT) has targeted the wrong groups in its counterterrorism drive, resulting in the recurrence of bomb attacks in the country, observers

Niniek Karmini, Jakarta – A suspected militant was critically injured when a bomb apparently being prepared for terrorist attacks exploded at a house near Indonesia's capital, police sa

Margareth S. Aritonang, Jakarta – A group of lawmakers on an official trip to Denmark were photographed having a boat tour along a Copenhagen Canal in the Scandinavian city.

Jakarta – The gubernatorial candidates could be pulling out all the stops by using dirty tricks such as money politics, vote-swaying through bureaucratic means and manipulating reports

Jakarta – The General Election Commission (KPU) said on Friday that it had closed registrations for political parties wishing to contest the upcoming 2014 general election and announced

Aboeprijadi Santoso, Jakarta – "It's Jokowi, stupid, not Prabowo!" one friend replied, paraphrasing Bill Clinton's famous slogan, to a colleague who had argued that it was the Prabowo f

Jakarta – After much anticipation, the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) detained Golkar Party lawmaker Zulkarnaen Djabar on Friday for his alleged role in the Koran procurement s

Ulma Haryanto – Friday marked the eight-year anniversary of the death of human rights activist Munir Said Thalib, but his struggle lives on in a new generation of activists.

The government's failure to bring to justice all parties responsible for the killing of prominent human rights activist Munir Said Thalib raises serious concerns about Indonesia's willi

Jakarta – The Sampang administration's plan to either relocate Shiite refugees or move them to an uninhibited housing complex in the regency has been deemed irrelevant in solving the mi

Sukamaju – With dozens of bright green rice paddies, flocks of kites in the sky and children laughing nearby, at first glance the village of Sukamaju in western Java has all the charms

Amir Tejo, Surabaya – Religious Affairs Minister Suryadharma Ali said he regrets a Shia community's rejection to be moved away from Sampang, where a recent attack left two people dead.

Margareth S.

Fadli, Batam – Japan-based company PT Toyo Kanetsu Indonesia's plant in Batam, Riau Islands, has been forced to suspend operations after 400 of its workers, demanding an increase in the

Ulin Yusron & Ulma Haryanto – A small girl ran around on Thursday as dozens of her adult counterparts staged a protest to commemorate those kidnapped and killed in a string of unres

Hundreds of coal truck drivers in South Sumatra are striking against a recent increase in non-subsidized fuel prices.

Ridwan Max Sijabat, Jakarta – As the nation observed the eighth anniversary of the murder of Munir Said Thalib, people urged the government to launch a new investigation into the killin

Kornelius Purba, Jakarta – How can we believe in President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's ability to realize his promises on big issues when he intentionally broke the pledges he expressed

Ezra Sihite – The Prosperous Justice Party will likely nominate its chairman, Luthfi Hasan Ishaaq, as the party's candidate for the 2014 presidential election.

Fidelis E.

Hotli Simanjuntak, Banda Aceh – Aceh's title as a "green" province may likely end with the reactivation of production forest concessions (HPH) in Aceh by the new administration of Zaini

Michael Bachelard – Australia will begin work on selling military hardware to Indonesia as Defence Minister Stephen Smith says he has "no concerns" about alleged human rights abuses by

Jayapura – At a time when the media is busily reporting about plans for a dialogue between Papua and Jakarta, following the visit to Papua by the Presidential Consultative Council under

Bambang Muryanto, Yogyakarta – The Yogyakarta Police have been reported to the Indonesian Ombudsman (ORI) for their slow handling of the attack by a Muslim organization against Canadian

Margareth S.

Ezra Sihite – A trip to Turkey and Denmark by members of the House of Representatives' Legislative Council to determine whether or not to change the Indonesian Red Cross logo has been c

Ridwan Max Sijabat, Jakarta – The House of Representatives has sent 22 legislators on a Rp 1.3 billion (US$135,804) junket to Turkey and Denmark, in a move activists have criticized as

Jakarta – Legal and political analysts are calling on law enforcers to investigate graft allegations against Jakarta Governor Fauzi Bowo's administration, as stated in a book authored b

Margareth S.

Linda Yulisman and Rendi A.

Matthew Lee, Dili, East Timor – US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton praised East Timor on Thursday for holding fair elections this year, and said it was up to the government of

Andrew Quinn, Dili – US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton made a short visit to East Timor on Thursday, throwing her considerable diplomatic weight behind a fledgling government trying

Sue Ingram – On 8 August 2012 the Fifth Constitutional Government of Timor-Leste, formed following Parliamentary elections on 7 July and led by Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao, was sworn i

Hundreds of Indonesians are on the brink of being driven permanently from their homes by fellow citizens, sharing the fate of thousands before them in other sectarian conflicts.

Richard Di Natale – Severe abuses of human and democratic rights continue in West Papua as the indigenous population struggles for the right to decide their own future as a people.

Jakarta – A graft watchdog warned on Tuesday that the country's corruption court could face credibility issues, as at least 84 judges in 14 courts were found to be problematic.

Aceh's Shariah Police continued their crackdown on punks on Tuesday, arresting five youths in a raid on an internet cafe in the provincial capital that had allegedly become a hangout fo

Margareth S.

Jakarta – As many parts of the world face growing threats against religious tolerance from radical Muslims, the role of moderate Muslims is much needed, especially to counter such hosti

Ezra Sihite, Febriamy Hutapea & Ismira Lutfia – Officials and rights activists have lashed out at National Police Chief Gen.

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton called Monday on Indonesia to pursue dialogue and ensure autonomy for restive Papua but made it clear that the United States did not support indepe

Michael Bachelard, Indonesia – Hillary Clinton has defended the Obama administration's decision to provide air-to-surface missiles to the Indonesian military despite its record of human

Jayapura – One of the leaders of the OPM, Danny Kogoya along with seven others were arrested on Sunday just before midnight, in a hotel in Entrop.

Farouk Arnaz – Six out of 25 members of the Free Papua Organization (OPM) who were arrested in a series of raids on Sunday and Monday have been named as suspects by the police, and rema

Margareth S.

Deputy governor candidate Nachrowi Ramli urged voters to look on the bright side of Jakarta's choking traffic jams – congested roads mean that more Jakarta residents can afford to buy a

Ridwan Max Sijabat, Hong Kong – Female migrant workers took to the streets of Hong Kong late last week to stage a protest in front of the Indonesian Consulate General building, calling

Iman Mahditama, Jakarta – National Police chief Gen. Timur Pradopo dismissed Insp. Gen. Djoko Susilo from his position as head of the National Police Academy and Brig. Gen.