M.

Rudy Madanir and Christine Tjandraningsih, Jakarta – A recent survey has found that the majority of people in Aceh are satisfied with the current condition in the northernmost Indonesia

Achmad Sukarsono, Jakarta – Indonesia plans to hold the first direct elections in once-volatile Aceh province by December 10, a government minister said on Thursday.

Nothing has changed since John Howard's ill-judged and dangerous migration amendment bill was first introduced into the federal parliament in May to suggest it now deserves support.

Agus Maryono, Purwokerto – Corruption is a deep-seated and pervasive problem that affects all levels of governance, from neighborhood level up.

Ridwan Max Sijabat and Tony Hotland, Jakarta – A military police investigation found the massive arms hoard of a deceased Army officer was for his personal collection and not politicall

Gary LaMoshi, Bali – Another high season after another bomb attack, and another struggle to recover for Bali's tourism-driven economy.

Andy Alcock – For those who have supported the independence of Timor Leste (TL) for over 30 years, Timorese and others, the events occurring there over the past few months are heartbrea

Jakarta – An Indonesian appeal court has ruled that a corruption case against former dictator Suharto should be dropped, overruling a lower court's order to reopen the case.

East Timor's parliament has passed the 2006-7 fiscal year budget, the young nation's largest ever at 315 million dollars, after a delay caused by violence and political upheaval in May.

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's recent visit to Papua marked the government's renewed commitment to addressing the multitude of problems facing the local people.

Pip Hinman – Refugee-rights campaigners and supporters of a free West Papua welcomed the Refugee Review Tribunal's (RRT) ruling on July 31 to overturn the government's decision not to g

Ary Hermawan, Jakarta – Lawyers for seven men charged with the 2002 killings of two Americans and one Indonesian in Papua province entered a not guilty plea for their clients Tuesday, s

Yuli Tri Suwarni, Bandung – Hundreds of residents of Cipanjalu village in Bandung regency, who have been struggling to survive since 90 percent of them lost their jobs three years ago,

Yuli Tri Suwarni, Bandung – Police arrested at least 15 students Monday during a protest against Israeli military aggression in Palestine and Lebanon in front of the Sate Building on Jl

Violence erupted again in Dili at the weekend as gang members armed with slingshots and rocks roamed the streets.

Ary Hermawan, Jakarta – Critics are accusing the Indonesian media of encouraging intolerance by failing to cover issues thoroughly.

Andi Hajramurni, Makassar – Tensions were running high Monday in Makassar, South Sulawesi, as dozens of university students held sometimes violent protests and threatened to expel ethni

Lhokseumawe – Around 1000 women from the Inong Aceh League demonstrated in the North Acehnese city of Lhokseumawe on Monday August 7.

Windoro Adi – It was just like the good old days when on the afternoon of Friday July 28, RMH Heroe Syswanto NS Soerio Soebagio, who is affectionately called Sys NS, appeared once again

Jakarta – The House of Representatives speaker is refusing to submit the names of lawmakers accused of blackmailing government officials for disaster relief funds to the body's discipli

Ridwan Max Sijabat, Jakarta – The National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas-HAM) has asked the Central Jakarta District Court to use its authority to grill 12 soldiers, including two

Andi Haswidi, Jakarta – The Supreme Audit Agency (BPK) has urged the Finance Ministry to revoke the business licenses of a number of accounting and appraisal firms due to malpractice an

Tb.

Environmentalists have praised the government for issuing a transparent report on the state of the nation's environment, but have criticized it for failing to inform the public of the g

A grim illustration of the rapid degradation of Indonesia's environment is recorded in 2005 State of Environment, a document published recently by the Office of the State Minister of th

Despite sobering statistics about environmental degradation last year, the 2005 State of the Environment report also highlights some welcome news about the stratosphere above the archip

Victor Tjahjadi, Jakarta – Two Indonesian teenagers are confirmed to have died of bird flu, making the nation the world's worst-hit in terms of human fatalities with 44 deaths recognise

Aside from the increasing threat of natural disasters as a consequence of environmental degradation, the 2005 State of the Environment report also warns of a looming crisis in public he

Yogyakarta – A team of lawyers representing Yogyakarta earthquake victims plan to sue Vice President Jusuf Kalla for allegedly lying about the provision of relief aid.

Tb.

Jakarta – Leaders of major religions came together Sunday in a united stance against Israeli attacks on Lebanon, with thousands bringing traffic to a standstill on main thoroughfares in

Jakarta – Indonesian deforestation has been so severe it would take 120 years to regain the 60 million hectares of lost forests, Forestry Minister M.S. Kaban says.

Adianto P.

Jakarta – Thousands of Indonesians have held street rallies to condemn Israel's offensive in the Middle East as the capital Jakarta braced for a major protest.

Dave Hage, Jakarta – If you were an American president scanning the map for allies in the war on terror, sooner or later your finger would surely fall on Indonesia.

Telly Nathalia, Jakarta – Protesters from a wide ideological and religious spectrum demonstrated in cities across Indonesia on Sunday against Israeli actions in Lebanon, but a key rally

Nelson da Cruz, Dili – More than two months after battalions of foreign troops arrived in East Timor to restore calm, tens of thousands of refugees are still living in grim camps, sayin

Jakarta – The National Movement to Prevent Smoking Problems has asked President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to stop the expansion of cigarette companies in the country.

Hundreds of Papuan students on the run from the police following the clashes on 16 March this year are still hiding in the forests around Jayapura District and City, and the District of

Hera Diani, Jakarta – The passing of the consumer protection law seven years ago was lauded as a landmark step toward allowing public recourse against poor and negligent service.

Ridwan Max Sijabat, Jakarta – Muslim scholars are questioning a recent survey that suggested there is a relationship between Islam and violence in Indonesia, saying the survey was not b

Lam Kabeue – Rebels in Indonesia's Aceh province are trading their guns for chain saws and cashing in on a logging binge that is jeopardizing the future of the world's third largest tro

Ridwan Max Sijabat, Jakarta – House Speaker Agung Laksono joined growing calls Thursday for the immediate review of production-sharing contracts granted to multinational corporations to

Jephraim P Gundzik – Indonesian government officials and foreign analysts are excessively optimistic about the country's medium-term economic outlook.

Nani Afrida, Banda Aceh – The Free Aceh Movement (GAM) has demanded the immediate revision of a number of articles of the Aceh Governance Law that are not in compliance with the Helsink

Ridwan Max Sijabat, Jakarta – The recent major disasters have not only forced the government to review this year's budget, but have also tempted legislators at the House of Representati

Andra Jackson – A Papuan asylum seeker whose visa refusal has been overturned says he believes the refusal was made on political grounds to appease Indonesia.

Jakarta – President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has asked foreign monitors in Aceh to stay on through the province's crucial elections, planned for later this year, a spokeswoman said Wedn

Ary Hermawan, Jakarta – Anticorruption activists are attacking the Supreme Court for what they call its strong resistance to internal judicial reforms being advocated by the independent