Ridwan Max Sijabat, Jakarta – The House of Representatives will ask President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to set up an ad hoc court to hear rights abuse cases from 1998 and 1999, allegedly

Mark Forbes – Indonesia is planning to abolish its anti-corruption court in a move likely to reduce sentences for graft, prompting a walkout by watchdog groups which had been helping to

Jakarta – The central bank uncovered more than 130 cases of banking-sector crimes involving losses of more than Rp 1.2 trillion (US$133 million) in 2006, revealing little improvement fr

Bill Guerin, Jakarta – Singapore's aggressive regional investment strategy has already taken bilateral relations with Thailand to an all-time low, but a rising tide of economic national

An Australian millionaire is preparing to run television ads across Southeast Asia urging Jakarta to let human rights monitors into the Indonesian province of Papua.

Jakarta – Indonesia needs to speed up development in the eastern area of Papua, a remote part the country where a low-level armed rebellion has simmered for decades, President Susilo Ba

Urip Hudiono, Jakarta – The government will speed up development in the provinces of Papua and West Papua after an assessment found both still lacking in terms of infrastructure and eco

Jakarta – When a new regulation comes into effect next month, all buildings in the city's protected upland areas must come down.

Ridwan Max Sijabat, Jakarta – Environmental organizations are at odds over a forest trade-in deal signed by the government and a number of forestry companies to enlarge a national park

Urip Hudiono, Jakarta – The government plans to reclaim, for a second time, up to 500,000 hectares of peatland in Central Kalimantan for agricultural and plantation use as part of a nat

Kate Corbett, Canberra – An Australian businessman has funnelled thousands of dollars into a TV advertising campaign attacking Prime Minister John Howard accusing him of ignoring human

Hamish McDonald – Indonesian special forces knew five Australian newsmen were in Balibo before they attacked the East Timor village 31 years ago, and intended to kill them, a Sydney cou

Stevie Emilia, Sanur – The government plans to introduce a mosque-based community empowerment program in 11 provinces this year to help in poverty alleviation and human resources develo

Jakarta – Citing improved security conditions in Poso, Central Sulawesi, National Police chief Gen.

Stevie Emilia, Sanur – Muslim leaders were urged Tuesday to thrown their weight behind a revitalized national family planning program, which had success during the New Order but has fla

Nethy Dharma Somba, Merauke – Papuans must not be sidelined in the possible establishment of an autonomous South Papua province, but should benefit from it as stipulated in the 2001 spe

Hamish McDonald – A former Timorese partisan told a state coroner yesterday he had seen Indonesian soldiers attack two white men trying to surrender after a battle at Balibo 31 years ag

Jakarta – The Indonesian Military and the National Police have been told by the House of Representatives to stop arguing over the national security bill.

Urip Hudiono, Jakarta – The government will import another 500,000 tons of rice to help keep prices from rising further after monsoonal flooding across the country disrupted the product

Lindsay Murdoch – The East Timorese Prime Minister, Jose Ramos-Horta, has urged the United Nations to bolster security in his country as Australian and other forces in the capital, Dili

David Nason, Mark Dodd – The riches from the Greater Sunrise gas field in the Timor Sea are set to be unlocked with East Timor's parliament expected to vote on the project next week.

Salim Osman, Jakarta – Soldiers from the United States and Indonesia should train together to strengthen military ties between the two countries, said visiting US military chief Marine

Adisti Sukma Sawitri, Jakarta – Lila Rohila, 38, had never thought the decision she took last Idul Fitri to wear a headscarf would ever become an issue for her or her company.

Issues facing Indonesia's domestic workers abroad get attention Indonesia is failing to protect its domestic workers and leaves them vulnerable to abusive employers, Amnesty Internation

Ridwan Max Sijabat and M.

Jakarta – The Indonesian Environmental Forum (Walhi) is suing gas exploration company PT Lapindo Brantas over the mudflow in Sidoarjo, East Java.

Abdul Khalik, Jakarta – Indonesia on Monday rejected Singapore's accusation that the ban on sand exports to the city-state was unnecessary, replying that Indonesia had good reason to im

Jakarta – The losses caused by the massive flooding in Greater Jakarta last week may reach up to Rp 8 trillion (US$879 million), almost double the earlier estimate of about Rp 4.3 trill

Ridwan Max Sijabat, Jakarta – Rukman, a former construction worker from Pondok Cabe, just south of Jakarta, cried out when Tangerang prison authorities recently turned down his request

Urip Hudiono, Jakarta – As a result of prudent macroeconomic policies, the Indonesian government now has sufficient resources to finance the country's infrastructure development and red

Andi Haswidi – The presidential regulation on the modern retail market scheduled to be issued in March will not restrict the operation of foreign retail chains, which have been criticiz

Jakarta – Police and soldiers opened fire on each other Tuesday in Indonesia's Papua province, leaving one officer dead, a police spokesman said.

James Dunn – The current coronial enquiry into the death of Brian Peters at Balibo in October 1975 has brought back vivid memories of a crisis in which I myself played a part.

Jakarta – The United States and Indonesia are discussing ways to further their military partnership and work together in the region, top US General Peter Pace said.

Adianto P.

Yuli Tri Suwarni, Bandung – Dozens of residents of Warung Satangkal kampong in Majalaya, Bandung, rallied in front of a house belonging to a Christian family Sunday in reaction to the u

Rob Taylor, Canberra – Australian rights activists on Monday criticised a security pact with Indonesia, telling parliament in a submission that it could help Jakarta brutally put down s

Jambi – Local police are investigating the disappearance of 69 poll booths that were being stored at Jelutung Sports Hall in Jambi city.

Irwan Firdaus, Muara Bakti – Farmers living outside Indonesia's flood-hit capital said Monday they were struggling to survive after hundreds of square miles of land were inundated, dest

Sandy Indra Pratama, Jakarta – The families of victims of gross human rights violations are disappointed with the endless foot dragging by the Attorney General and the House of Represen

Jakarta – The end of efforts to solve cases of human rights violations indicates the strength of the political influence of human rights violators on the government.

Jakarta – Activists plan to report Governor Sutiyoso and Coordinating Minister for the People's Welfare Aburizal Bakrie to the National Human Rights Commission over the recent deadly fl

Neles Tebay, Jayapura – Indigenous Papuans are supposed to be enjoying a peaceful life in Papua province.

Jakarta – Political observers have suggested that the country needs direct and open general elections that allow people to choose their own candidates.

Ade Mardiyati and Jerry Norton, Jakarta – Mud and debris from flood-damaged homes on Sunday after days of relatively dry weather, but for many it could be one or two months before they

Anthony Hubbard – The New Zealand government didn't want to make a fuss about the death of Gary Cunningham.

New Zealand's shameful record over East Timor comes into focus again this week.

Mark Forbes, Jakarta – Receding floods across Jakarta exposed a rank, muddy mess of sodden belongings littering countless streets and homes.

Fadli, Batam – The head of a waste management group says the repeated dumping of oil in the waters near the Riau Islands is causing serious environmental damage.

Donald E. Weatherbee, Honolulu – For six years the administration of George W. Bush has nurtured a restored relationship with Indonesia.