Fabio Scarpello in Banda Aceh – A draft sharia law in Aceh that calls for thieves to have their hands chopped off has angered many in the province.

Tony Hotland, Jakarta – The government has finalized a draft regulation to establish local political parties in Aceh, which will only allow candidates to run for national House of Repre

Rafiqa Qurrata Ayun, Jakarta – Political parties are already starting to make preparations in the lead up to the 2009 general elections. New parties are also emerging.

Dili – More than 400 Christians have been sheltered in East Timor's capital, Dili's largest mosque since Friday, when fighting between rival gangs forced them to flee.

Ary Hermawan, Jakarta – Planned revisions of political laws should include amendments to regulations on campaign funding to prevent corruption in future elections, a leading graft watch

Jakarta – The country has lost over Rp 219 billion (some US$24.3 million) in potential tax revenue annually because of counterfeiting, research by the Institute for Economics and Social

Jakarta – A documentary on the life of East Timor President Xanana Gusmao has won the human rights award from Amnesty International at an Indonesian film festival.

Hundreds of gang members battled with guns and machetes in East Timor's capital Dili today, officials and witnesses said, killing one and injuring two.

Ridwan Max Sijabat and Nani Afrida, Banda Aceh – A sharia bill that would see convicted thieves have their hands amputated has sparked strong opposition among Acehenese, who believe the

Tom Hyland – Two mysteries have shrouded the deaths of five Australia-based newsmen, killed while reporting the Indonesian attack on the East Timorese town of Balibo 31 years ago.

Karen Michelmore, Jakarta – The world had been too optimistic about the early achievement of East Timor, the new boss of the United Nations mission in the tiny nation says.

Tony Hotland, Jakarta – The Free Aceh Movement (GAM) should dissolve itself after establishing a local political party within six months, the EU-led international monitors for the forme

Jonathan Dart – The task of rebuilding Aceh after the war and the tsunami has changed the role traditionally played by women.

Jonathan Dart, Banda Aceh – Every time Ibrahim bin Yatim gets a new DVD, people squeeze into his tiny warung in Montasik, near Banda Aceh.

Yuli Tri Suwarni, Bandung – A youth organization, with backing from the police, raided a bookstore in Bandung on Thursday night that was hosting a discussion on Marxism.

James Kallman, Jakarta – "For seven months Jakarta's motorists have waited patiently in traffic even heavier than normal as they watched the latest public transport dream take shape in

Aboeprijadi Santoso, Banda Aceh – The imminent victory of the Irwandi-Nazar ticket in the Aceh gubernatorial election is a GAM (Free Aceh Movement) victory despite the fact that the for

Nani Afrida and Tony Hotland, Banda Aceh/Jakarta – The Aceh Monitoring Mission (AMM) on Friday officially ended its 15-month mandate to supervise the implementation of the peace agreeme

Ary Hermawan, Jakarta – Public doubt and skepticism of the government's anti-corruption moves were contributing to the downfall of programs meant to combat graft, a conference heard Thu

Nani Afrida and Ridwan Max Sijabat, Banda Aceh – Foreign monitors on Thursday reported to the local poll supervisory body (Panwaslih) a number of violations during Monday's landmark ele

Indra Harsaputra, Sidoarjo – The firm at the heart of the mudflow disaster in Sidoarjo, East Java might have agreed to buy all affected land, houses and rice fields but problems remain.

M.

Lisa Allan, Sydney – A NSW coroner says former intelligence workers may have important information about the deaths of the Balibo Five journalists in East Timor 30 years ago.

John McBeth, Jakarta – The new Democrat-dominated US Congress is not good news for Indonesia.

Nani Afrida and Ridwan Max Sijabat, Banda Aceh – While peace finally has descended upon Aceh, past wounds have yet to heal.

Janet Fife-Yeomans – Former prime minister Gough Whitlam should be forced to finally tell the truth about what his government knew of the fate of five young Australians killed in East T

Tony Hotland, Jakarta – The imminent victory of former rebel candidates in the Aceh gubernatorial election is a signal of the popularity the movement in the resource-rich province and A

Jayapura – Suspected Free Papua Movement (OPM) rebels on Wednesday seized a rifle from a police officer patrolling near the Kurilik police post, some 300 meters from the town of Mulia i

A display of individual commitment to peace by millions of Acehnese is what we are likely to see in the near future, following Monday's elections and the announcement of early unofficia

Banda Aceh – Human rights protesters demonstrated in Indonesia's Aceh province on Thursday, urging international monitors overseeing a historic peace deal between the government and sep

ID Nugroho, Surabaya – Hundreds of workers in East Java held street protests Wednesday to show their opposition to the new minimum wage level set to be implemented across the province n

The timing could not have been worse.

Jakarta – New Zealand has restored defence cooperation by inviting Indonesian officers to join a military training in the New Zealand Defense Force's Staff and Command Academy, a press

Ian Timberlake, Banda Aceh – Civilians in Indonesia's Aceh province show levels of combat-related stress, depression and anxiety comparable with those in Afghanistan and Bosnia, researc

Tony Hotland, Jakarta – The central government brushed off worries Tuesday about the likely victory of a former rebel leader in the landmark Aceh gubernatorial election, saying whoever

Mark Forbes, Banda Aceh – Voters in Aceh have delivered a massive rebuff to Jakarta, overwhelmingly endorsing a radical rebel candidate as their first elected governor and demonstrating

Jakarta – Tens of youths from Papua demonstrated in front of the Gedung Plaza 89 in Kuningan, South Jakarta, where PT Freeport Indonesia's Jakarta office is located on Wednesday to dema

M.

Alvin Darlanika Soedarjo, Jakarta – Microfinance programs led by women tend to be better run and more successful than those controlled by men, according to a report from an anti-poverty

Hera Diani, Jakarta – Women's crisis centers in Indonesia are in dire need of financial support, say women's rights activists.

Tanja Vestergaard – The elections constitute the culmination of the peace process initiated in 2005 between the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) and the Indonesian government, following a drawn

One bad article in the newly passed Civil Registration Law spoils the whole legislation.

Banda Aceh – Thieves could have their hands amputated in Indonesia's Aceh province under a proposed Islamic law that may alarm rights activists and Western governments.

Jakarta – Elections in Indonesia's tsunami-devastated Aceh province have swept a former rebel leader to victory, unofficial results show as officials tot up the ballots.

Nani Afrida and Ati Nurbaiti, Banda Aceh – Former Free Aceh Movement (GAM) spokesman Irwandi Yusuf is leading with over 39 percent in unofficial results from the landmark gubernatorial

Jakarta – A group of non-governmental organizations hailed Monday the Constitutional Court's decision to remove articles dealing with defamation from the Criminal Code.

Apriadi Gunawan, Medan – The North Sumatra provincial administration has seen the number of people living below the poverty line in the province increase progressively from 14.93 percen

Elistiawaty, Jakarta – Not satisfied with the Constitutional Court's decision of only abolishing the articles on insulting the president, former political prisoners are demanding that t

Nur Raihan, Banda Aceh - Around 100 Aceh activist held a demonstration in front of the Aceh Independent Election Commission (KIP) offices on Monday December 10.

Hera Diani, Jakarta – Sex discrimination in the home is dangerous to the health and prosperity of the family, according to a new report.