Coordinating Minister for Political and Security Affairs Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono says democracy and human rights should not be considered the absolute goals of the Indonesian nation.

Gerard McManus – Don't run over the chooks or goats ... that's unofficial rule No.

Atambua – The Indonesian Defence Forces (TNI) is mulling the reopening of traditional markets on the Indonesian-East Timor border, a local military official said.

Bill Guerin, Jakarta – Jakarta plans to sell small stakes in three state-owned mining companies this year as part of efforts to meet its privatization target of Rp5 trillion (US$590 mil

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Marilin, Depok – Residents of Curug subdistrict, Cimanggis district, Depok, have complained about pollution in the nearby Rawa Kalong pond that killed thousands of their fish last Octob

Dewi Santoso and M.

Magelang – Some Rp 24 billion (US$2.8 million) has been embezzled from Bank Mandiri's Magelang branch, adding yet another scandal to Indonesia's bank industry.

Sri Wahyuni, Yogyakarta – Gadjah Mada University (UGM) is planning to replace the obligatory community service program – which is traditionally undertaken by undergraduate students in t

Kurniawan Hari, Jakarta – People's Consultative Assembly Speaker Amien Rais and President Megawati Soekarnoputri's husband Taufik Kiemas top the list of lawmakers who rarely or never at

Kelly McEvers, Jakarta – Mira Augustina married her husband the same day she met him. It was the first time he had proposed, by way of the 21-year-old's father.

Surabaya – An activist of the Tanwir Mosque, Adi Suryana, who happened to be a resident of Asemrowo village, North Surabaya, was abducted on Friday by an anti-terror team from the Natio

Nethy Dharma Somba, Jayapura – An ad hoc team with the National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) will probe alleged gross violations of human rights in the province of Papua.

Detikcom, Jakarta – The Indonesian Intelligence Network (JII) is not part of intelligence activities undertaken by TNI Indonesian National Military Forces.

Rachel Harvey, Jakarta – Journalists covering events in Indonesia's troubled Aceh province have faced a particularly difficult task since martial law was declared last year.

Nani Farida and Teuku Agam Muzakir, Banda Aceh/Lhokseumawe – Two anti-separatist groups in Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam held rallies in separate towns, demanding the government help with th

Banda Aceh – Indonesian troops hunting separatist rebels in the restive province of Aceh mistakenly shot dead a teenager and wounded his younger brother, the victims' mother said yester

Jakarta – Army chief Gen. Ryamizard Ryacudu installed on Thursday Maj. Gen. Djoko Santoso as his deputy to replace Lt. Gen. Darsono, who is retiring.

Fabiola Desy Unidjaja & Moch. N.

Jakarta – Dozens of members of several associations staged a protest outside the House of Representatives compound over the recent attack on a temple on Jl.

Jakarta – Indonesia's Attorney-General has reopened the corruption case against former president Suharto, who seems well enough to give his eldest daughter the green light to run for pr

Sandy Darmosumarto and Muninggar Sri Saraswati, Jakarta – One tribesman on the North Maluku island of Halmahera was shot dead and four others were injured when paramilitary Mobile Briga

Nethy Dharma Somba, Jayapura – Following a public meeting held by the Papua provincial legislative council in December last year, the council will convey the outcome of it to President

Jakarta – The city administration told political parties on Thursday not to place their flags and banners in public places before the campaign period for the 2004 General Election begin

Surabaya – Dozens of people grouped under the banner of the Indonesian Youth Struggle Front (FPPI) rallied on Thursday to support a poll boycott, saying the political parties contesting

Moch. N. Kurniawan, Jakarta – The General Elections Commission (KPU) said on Thursday it would carry out daily monitoring of the ballot box production process beginning Saturday.

Moch. N.

Kurniawan Hari, Jakarta – The Elections Supervisory Committee (Panwaslu) asked the General Elections Commission (KPU) and the 24 political parties eligible for the elections to reach a

Frans Sudiarsis, Research and Development Unit, Jakarta – One of the leaders of the reform movement to topple Soeharto in 1998, Amien Rais was once very confident that we could bid good

Lee Kim Chew – Indonesia's Golkar party could stage a major political comeback and beat President Megawati Sukarnoputri in the presidential election this year.

Jayapura – Two years after the implementation of the Law on Special Autonomy in West Papua, the level of human rights violations remains high.

Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, Jakarta – The National Intelligence Agency (BIN) will have much broader powers soon after President Megawati Soekarnoputri signs a decree authorizing the agency t

Bambang Nurbianto, Jakarta – Amid criticism from various parties, the Jakarta administration still plans to go ahead with its eviction program which is expected to affect at least 8,500

Muninggar Sri Saraswati, Jakarta – The Attorney General's Office (AGO) claimed on Wednesday that it had ordered another medical examination for former president Soeharto in a bid to rea

Jakarta – One person was killed and four injured when police opened fire to disperse illegal miners occupying a gold mine operated by Australian firm Newcrest, police said Thursday.

Kurniawan Hari, Jakarta – A recent survey reveals that although many respondents trust the current presidential candidates, most of them prefer other candidates to lead the nation for t

Jakarta – The involvement of the TNI-AD (the army) in making the 2004 general elections a success does not represent an effort or ambition on the part of the TNI-AD to extend its role.

Jakarta – Holding the elections in conflict areas such as Aceh will not result in quality elections.

Kurniawan Hari, Jakarta – The government has drafted a campaign regulation that will ban top state officials, including the President and her ministers, from using state facilities duri

A. Junaidi, Jakarta – The Habibie Center, a study center founded by former president B.J.

Yogyakarta – One thousand students of Gadjah Mada State University (UGM) will actively empower eligible voters and watch the 2004 electoral process in Yogyakarta villages as part of the

John Roberts – For more than seven months, the Indonesian armed forces (TNI) have been waging a war of repression in the province of Aceh, aimed at crushing the separatist Free Aceh Mov

Peter King – Ever since East Timor was "lost" in September 1999 the Indonesian military (TNI) have shown strong determination to hold the line against what they see as the next most cre

Jakarta – Separatist rebels in war-torn Aceh province said Wednesday they were willing to release 80 captives including a television cameraman in return for a two-day ceasefire.

Pulo Aceh – Social Affairs Minister Bachtiar Chamsyah said the people of Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam (NAD) province should be brave and act against separatist rebels in order to restore se

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Allesandra Fabro – The sustainability of Australian aid activities in East Timor is at risk despite the significant contribution made by bilateral aid programs, an Audit Office report h

Australia has made a huge investment in East Timor for which the nation can be proud, but now is not the time to give up on it.

Jakarta – Indonesian Finance Minister Boediono said Indonesia's economic growth would persist if the next election was run well and the political situation remained stable.

Ahmad Fikri, Bandung – In order to fulfill the requirements of the National Election Commission (KPU), a number of provincial legislative candidates have submitted copies of diplomas wh