Damien Kingsbury – In 2010, a senior Timorese political figure remarked in private conversation that Timor-Leste had never been better.

Bagus BT Saragih, Jakarta – The Indonesian Army has decided to procure up to 100 refurbished Leopard 2A6 main battle tanks (MBT) worth US$280 million from Germany and ruled out previous

Jakarta – Golkar Party chairman Aburizal Bakrie made a show of strength after securing his party's nomination for the 2014 presidential election.

One of the country's largest labor unions rejected on Monday the government's "inconsequential" proposed revisions to the Reasonable Living Cost Index (KHL), and threatened to hold mass

Novia D.

Farouk Arnaz – A police station and local office of a youth organization were allegedly vandalized by members of the Islamic Defenders Front (FPI) on Sunday after the hard-line Islamist

Jakarta – The House of Representatives has appointed a former National Police deputy chief to chair the deliberation of another bill on terrorism amid concerns from some groups, includi

Nethy Dharma Somba, Jayapura – Papuan leaders have applauded President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's open-handed stance for dialogue over Papuan issues and urged him to put the statement i

Jakarta – Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) investigators need to show the public that recent investigations into graft cases allegedly involving the country's top politicians are

Rizky Amelia & Rahmat – The Corruption Eradication Commission has picked up another big-name supporter in its campaign for a new headquarters, with Constitutional Court chief justic

Angela Dewan – A spate of shootings in Papua over the past month is fueling charges that trigger-happy Indonesian soldiers are only exacerbating unrest and pro-independence sentiment in

Jayapura – A village chief was shot dead in Indonesia's restive Papua province on Sunday, Indonesian military said, blaming separatists who are celebrating the founding of an independen

Banjir Ambarita, Jayapura – Tribal leaders in Papua urged residents not to fly the Morning Star flag in commemoration of the Free Papua Movement's July 1 anniversary, warning that the f

An open letter from Victor Mambor, Head of the Jayapura Branch of the Alliance for Independent Journalists, has been circulated around Papua, highlighting the pervasive involvement of I

Ruslan Sangadji, Donggala, Central Sulawesi – Hundreds of residents vented their outrage in Balaesang Tanjung district, Donggala regency, Central Sulawesi, on Thursday afternoon over go

Rangga Prakoso – Antigraft groups expressed high hopes on Thursday that the recent appointment of economist Anggito Abimanyu as director general of hajj pilgrimage management will bring

Rangga D.

Bagus BT Saragih, Jakarta – The Golkar Party officially endorsed the nomination of chairman Aburizal Bakrie as the party's presidential hopeful at a national leadership meeting in Bogor

Markus Junianto Sihaloho, Ezra Sihite & Arientha Primanita – Democratic Party chairman Anas Urbaningrum's calm demeanor following a grilling by antigraft officials on Wednesday was

Markus Junianto Sihaloho, Rizky Amelia & SP/Robertus Wardi – While a series of recent surveys show that Golkar will win the 2014 election, chairman Aburizal Bakrie, who on Friday wa

Jakarta – A human rights advocacy body has called on the government to sign and ratify an anti-torture protocol in a show of its commitment to fighting all human rights violations.

Jakarta – The commemoration of the abortive coup blamed on the Indonesian Communist Party (PKI) is still a few months away, but former political prisoners always remember Sept.

Arya Dipa, Bandung – President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has reiterated that he will not pursue dialogue with any party intending to push for a referendum or plebiscite in Papua.

Banjir Ambarita, Papua – The Papua Council Presidium (PDP) threw its support behind a plan to bring Yogyakarta's Sri Sultan Hamengkubowono X to the restive province to mediate talks bet

The spread of HIV infections in Papua is alarming, with those in remote regions being deprived of transportation facilities reported to have contracted the disease.

Markus Junianto Sihaloho – The Great Indonesia Movement Party has thrown its support behind the Democratic Party because its founder, Prabowo Subianto, is seeking the ruling party's sup

The Democratic Party still believes it can be victorious at the polls in the 2014 election, despite a flood of data pointing to the party's dwindling popularity.

Markus Junianto Sihaloho – The East Java administration's refusal to grant a gas drilling permit to a notorious company linked to Golkar Party chairman Aburizal Bakrie has been blasted

Jakarta – Woman politicians from the United Development Party (PPP) strongly opposed the plan by the Health Ministry to distribute free condoms to people with high risk of contracting s

Jim Efstathiou Jr.

Rizky Amelia & Ezra Sihite – Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) investigators searched the office of the Religious Affairs Ministry Friday morning after a Golkar Party lawmaker

Rabby Pramudatama, Jakarta – Controversy over the Corruption Eradication Commission's (KPK) proposal to build a new office building reached new heights on Thursday with some lawmakers b

Jakarta – The Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (KontraS) claims it has located 17 mass graves in Central Java where suspected communists murdered during the 1965 p

Issues on Papua – and its sister West Papua – have always drawn the interest of both domestic and international communities.

Jakarta – Indonesia Police Watch (IPW) released on Friday a sobering report on the state of the National Police, just days away from its 66th anniversary, which falls on July 1.

Rangga Prakoso & Gita Aqso – The Islamic Defenders Front (FPI)'s aggressive efforts to "defend" Islam have won it growing notoriety, but the hard-line group apparently doesn't consi

Banjir Ambarita, Jayapura – A person claiming to speak for the West Papua National Committee (KNPB) says members of the pro-independence group will soon surrender themselves to Indonesi

Bandung – President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (SBY) asserts there are will not space be open up for dialogue with any party who intends to push the referendum or poll in Papua.

Bagus BT Saragih, Jakarta – President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has turned to religious leaders for help after being criticized over an international survey that ranked Indonesia as bein

Arya Dipa and Nana Rukmana, Bandung/Cirebon – Fifty-two percent of the nation's network of irrigation systems needs repair, a top agriculture official says.

Jakarta – The cycle of violence in Papua has deep roots back in the earliest days of Indonesia's history as a nation.

Noah Beaudette – In March, Religious Affairs Minister Suryadharma Ali made headlines by announcing plans to ban skirts above the knee, calling such attire "pornographic."

Despite a peace declaration signed by candidates competing for Jakarta's governor slot, a second attack on campaign headquarters took place on Tuesday.

Markus Junianto Sihaloho – Former President Megawati Sukarnoputri has given her strongest hint yet that she may contest the 2014 presidential election, suggesting on Monday that moves t

Indonesia's government is close to implementing changes to Yogyakarta's monarchy system that would effectively put an end to Sri Sultan Hamengkubuwono X's 14 years of uncontested rule.

Robertus Wardi – Golkar Party chairman Aburizal Bakrie on Thursday named five potential vice presidential candidates to run with him in the 2014 election.

Jakarta – In anticipation of the upcoming Free Papua Movement (OPM) anniversary, the National Police aim to increase security measures in the easternmost province.

Rabby Pramudatama and Margareth Aritonang, Jakarta – Several politicians have defended their parties' decisions to keep financial reports from the public, saying they had submitted the

Tangerang Police arrested three members of Pemuda Pancasila on Thursday in connection with yesterday's deadly attack on the hard-line Betawi Brotherhood Forum's (FBR) headquarters.

Murizal Hamzah – More than a week after the author of the controversial book "Lumpur Lapindo File: Konspirasi SBY-Bakrie" ("The Lapindo Mud File: SBY-Bakrie Conspiracy"), Ali Azhar Akba