Farouk Arnaz & Candra Malik, Indonesia – Police on Friday said firebrand cleric Abu Bakar Bashir was a step closer to facing trial with prosecutors now ready to prepare the indictme

Dessy Sagita & Shari Nijman, Jakarta – There are very serious consequences that could result from Indonesian society's continued reluctance to acknowledge that children need to lear

Jakarta – Corruption Eradication Corruption (KPK) deputy leaders insisted that to date they had found no indications of graft in the Bank Century bailout.

Jakarta – Co-founder of Islam Liberal Network Luthfi Assyaukanie expressed his concern on the decline of press freedom in Indonesia.

Medan, North Sumatra – Scores of people, naming themselves the North Sumatra People's Presidium (PMMU), rallied at Medan City Hall on Thursday urging Medan Mayor Rahudman Harahap to imm

Abdul Khalik, Jakarta – While President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono proudly plays up Indonesia's achievements in democracy and human rights to world leaders at the Bali Democracy Forum on

Jakarta – The National Human Rights Commission (Komnas HAM) said that the government violated the law by ignoring the commission's recommendation on 18 human rights violations related t

Camelia Pasandaran, Jakarta – A child born in Indonesia today can expect to live on average 17 years longer than his or her parents born 30 years ago.

Charlie Hill-Smith – As YouTube evidence of Indonesian soldiers burning the genitals of the West Papuan Tunaliwor Kiwo received its 50,000th viewer, the Indonesian military (TNI) was ex

Nurdin Hasan, Jantho, Indonesia – Two people received eight lashes each in Islamic Shariah law-controlled Aceh on Friday after being found engaging in an extramarital kiss.

Camelia Pasandaran, Jakarta – The government proposes to eliminate direct gubernatorial elections and have provincial heads elected by the local legislative council, an official said on

Andi Hajramurni and Ruslan Sangadji, Makassar/Palu – Some student rallies to mark International Anti-Corruption Day on Thursday in a number of big cities throughout country turned ugly.

Zaky Pawas, Jakarta – After churches, minority sects and night clubs, the hard-line Islamic Defenders' Front now has its sights on a new target: dangdut diva Dewi Persik.

Armando Siahaan, Jakarta – The government and the House of Representatives on Thursday agreed to the creation of an ad hoc tribunal to deal with judges who break the law, which would ef

Camelia Pasandaran & Armando Siahaan, Jakarta – A team investigating allegations of bribery within the Constitutional Court to fix electoral disputes has uncovered indications that

Nurfika Osman, Jakarta – In a damning indictment of the Indonesian public's perception of the Indonesian government, less than 4 in 10 people polled in a new survey trust authorities to

Jakarta – The Indonesian Corruption Watch and Corruption Eradication Commission are holding a 'Corruptor Carnival' to celebrate International Anti-Corruption Day today.

Anita Rachmanp, Jakarta – Anti-graft commissioners Bibit Samad Rianto and Chandra M. Hamzah may not have escaped trial on allegations of extortion after all.

Dion Bisarap, Jakarta – The government plans to hire independent auditors to conduct a forensic investigation into the 2008 Bank Century bailout scandal in order to finally put the issu

Heru Andriyantop, Jakarta – Gayus Tambunan took the stand again on Wednesday and talked more about behind-the-scenes dealings with police officers and a Tangerang judge who were later c

Eddy Pratama, Jakarta – A former Tangerang District Court chief was found guilty on Thursday of accepting a bribe of Rp 50 million ($5,500) from rogue taxman Gayus Tambunan and sentence

Arientha Primanita, Jakarta – Private companies are responsible for almost two-fifths of rights violations in the Greater Jakarta area over the past 10 months, activists said on Thursda

In excess of 1,700 Indonesian maids are "languishing in different jails" around Saudi Arabia, most on alleged charges of immorality, while another 300 are sheltering in Indonesian Embas

Armando Siahaan & Candra Malikp, Jakarta – Animosity is growing in Yogyakarta with the central government appearing set to propose a bill that would remove the sultan's automatic ri

Ulma Haryantop, Jakarta – Legal activists have sounded the alarm over a draft amendment to the 1992 Housing Law that they say could criminalize squatters and other low-income people.

Heru Andriyanto, Jakarta – The job of any defense lawyer is to prove his client innocent, or failing that to ensure the lightest punishment possible.

Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono conveyed his government's full support for Timor Leste's intention to join the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) next year, l

Dessy Sagitap, Jakarta – Most of the violence that breaks out in regional elections could be easily prevented if the local polling commissions were better respected by the public, a rep

Ross Kelly, Sydney – Three big oil companies have met a request by East Timor to submit different development concept studies for the Greater Sunrise gas field but an impasse over where

Anita Rachman & Ismira Lutfia, Jakarta – Twelve Indonesian Islamic organizations, including the two largest, demanded on Tuesday a temporary ban on sending migrant workers to Saudi

The National Commission on Violence against Women has reported that more than 85 bylaws in the country discriminate against women to this date with the figure tending to increase each y

Arlina Arshad, Rawa Lumbu, Indonesia – Undeterred by sickening tales of abuse, Indonesian women are lining up to work as maids in Saudi Arabia where in just a few years they can achieve

Slamet Susanto and Arya Dipa, Yogyakarta/Bandung – Thousands of survivors of the Mount Merapi eruptions staged a rally in Yogyakarta on Monday, demanding that the government fulfill its

The Supreme Court will form new corruption courts in three provinces – West Java, Central Java and East Java – this month, but doubts linger over whether the local tribunals can boost t

Depok – Anticorruption activists slammed the National Police for only planning to charge Gayus Tambunan under the gratuity article on a case involving Rp 28 billion (US$3.15 million).

Candra Malik & Farouk Arnazp, Solo – Police in Central Java are investigating a worrying surge in attacks or attempted attacks on churches and police stations there over the past we

Jakarta – Police in Central Java are investigating two attacks on churches in the lead-up to Christmas.

Markus Junianto Sihaloho, Jakarta – Despite increasing tension in Papua following the bombing of a military officer's house, the Army announced on Tuesday that it was not planning to de

Banjir Ambarita, Jakarta – The Papuan chapter of the National Commission for Human Rights (Komnas HAM) has called on the local police and military to immediately investigate the alleged

Human Rights Watch says Jakarta is in denial about the widely-publicised case of Indonesian troops allegedly torturing two Papuan men.

Anita Rachman, Jakarta – A budget watchdog has called for greater cost-cutting measures to stop regional elections from getting too expensive but warned against following through with a

Jakarta – Malaysian rights activists on Saturday demanded action over the "horrifying" number of killings by police, including 113 Indonesians out of a total of 279 killed over the past

Camelia Pasandaran, Jakarta – Governors from across the country are seeking immunity from prosecution over any policies issued by their administrations, but critics warn the move could

Rain Chudori-Soerjoatmodjo – "Belkibolang" is a compilation of nine short films and collected scenes created by young, up-and-coming Indonesian directors.

Bagus BT Saragih, Jakarta – The Supreme Audit Agency (BPK) has stopped publishing online reports, to the dismay of freedom of information proponents.

Slamet Susanto, Yogyakarta – Thousands of Yogyakartans assembled on Sunday along the famous Jl.

Armando Siahaan, Jakarta – Critics are wary of official discussions that could see an end to direct elections for governors, who would instead be appointed by regional legislatures, the

Farouk Arnaz, Adi Mulya & Heru Andriyanto, Jakarta – Terrorists planned to attack executives of an international oil company in Riau province as well as tourists visiting Anak Kraka

Armando Siahaan, Jakarta – Major political parties are taking advantage of their position at the House of Representatives to draft laws that would limit the participation of new and sma

Marcel Thee – Embedded within Indonesia's constitution are the following two lines: "all persons have the right to worship according to their own religion or belief" and "the nation is