David Hutt – Last year, Timor Leste was held up as a shining example of democratic progress after staging two successful elections after years of volatile and often violent politics.

Kyle Knight – In mid-December, Indonesia's Constitutional Court dismissed a petition that had sought to criminalize all consensual sex outside of marriage, as well as adult consensual s

Jakarta – Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati said the government might offer other incentives – such as a tax holiday and tax allowance – to investors because no one applied for it

Bachtiar Usir is both famous and infamous for many reasons.

Indonesian activists and church people have reacted angrily to a draft bill set to go before legislators aimed at regulating the palm oil industry, saying it panders to large scale palm

Few would have guessed that the next high-profile blasphemy case in Indonesia, after that of former Jakarta Governor Basuki "Ahok" Tjahaja Purnama, would involve the former child singer

Jon Afrizal, Jambi – The West Tanjung Jabung District Court in Jambi has sentenced local councillor Riano Jaya Wardhana to one year in prison and Rp 5 million (US$350) in fines for blas

Jakarta – President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo has urged all hopefuls taking part in this year's regional elections to contest it fairly and avoid smear campaigns for the sake of peaceful ele

Jakarta – Chairwoman of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDIP) Megawati Soekarnoputri expressed her frustration during a speech in the declaration of six candidates for gove

Ika Ningtyas, Jakarta – Scores of residents in the Pesanggaran sub-district of Banyuwangi, East Java, held a protest action demanding the release of their colleague, Heri Budiawan, who

Helen Davidson – West Papuan independence campaigners have called for the release of an activist who has been put on trial for treason after he helped gather signatures for a petition.

Jakarta – This year, the government is set to increase tax revenue by 10.94 percent of Rp 1.42 quadrillion (US$99.39 billion) as stipulated in the 2017 state budget.

Jakarta – House of Representatives (DPR) acting Speaker Fadli Zon responded to the statement made by the National Cyber and Encryption Agency (BSSN) chief Djoko Setiadi related the need

Jakarta – Coordinating Maritime Affairs Minister Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan has prohibited Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Mister Susi Pudjiastuti from continuing her policy of sinking fish

A West Papua independence campaigner, held for over six months without charges, is due in court tomorrow.

Andreas Harsono – Last week an activist famous in Indonesia for peacefully advocating for the independence of the country's Papua and West Papua provinces, Filep Karma, briefly became a

Jakarta – Police generals seeking candidacy in the 2018 simultaneous regional elections have been told to resign from the force once the General Elections Commission (KPU) confirms thei

Although many human rights defenders cheered last month when Indonesia's Constitutional Court rejected a petition that would have criminalized homosexual acts, the court decision did li

The Indonesian government unfortunately still has a long way to go when it comes to making life easier for both pedestrians and people with disabilities, and not just in terms of infras

Along with anti-LGBT paranoia, Indonesia has also seen a surge in communist paranoia in the last few years.

Jakarta – The Bali provincial administration has accused countries that have destinations similar to Bali of spreading hoaxes about the impact of the volcanic activity at Mount Agung in

Jakarta – The Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry has announced that, as of December 2017, renewable energy contributed to 12.62 percent of the total national electricity supply, exce

Vedi Hadiz and Inaya Rakhmani, Jakarta – The first anniversary of the largest religiously-driven mass demonstration in Indonesia has just been celebrated by some of the organisations th

Jewel Topsfield – On the impoverished Indonesian island of Madura is a house that looks like it has taken an acid trip.

Jakarta (Antara) – In this day of age, punishment with shackles still exists. Social Worker Association (IPSM) recently found such a practice in Aceh province.

Adinda Putri, Jakarta – Indonesia will refurbish 1,592 traditional markets across the country this year as part of President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo's nine-pronged and domestic-focused Naw

Jakarta – National Police chief Gen. Tito Karnavian is re-assigning 32 retiring police officers, including State Intelligence Agency (BIN) chief Gen. Budi Gunawan.

Jakarta – Social Affairs Minister Khofifah Indar Parawansa has offered to provide psychosocial treatment to 41 children who were allegedly raped by a man arrested on Thursday in Sakem v

Anton Hermansyah, Jakarta – President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo has questioned the reasons behind Indonesia's sluggish growth despite receiving praise from various international organization

Since the latter part of 2017, fighters with the West Papuan Liberation Army, or TPN, have intensified hostilities with Indonesia's military and police in Tembagapura and its surroundin

Jakarta – Commuter train operator PT Kereta Api Commuter Indonesia (KCI) president director Muhamamd Nurul Fadhila has said the government subsidy allocated to KCI's public service obli

Krithika Varagur, Jakarta – Mount Merapi, in Central Java, is one of the most important volcanoes in Indonesia, one of the most volcanically active countries in the world.

Jakarta – Indonesia's foreign exchange reserves increased to a record high of $130 billion in December from $125.97 billion a month earlier, Bank Indonesia's governor Agus Martowardojo

Jakarta (Antara) – Maqdir Ismail, the defense lawyer of Setya Novanto, said his client is unsure about becoming a justice collaborator.

Jakarta – Indonesian Military (TNI) commander Marshal Hadi Tjahjanto has appointed Lt. Gen. Agus Kriswanto as the chief of the Army Strategic Reserves Command (Kostrad).

Jakarta – The Ternate Military Police Detachment (Denpom) has named 10 people as suspects for allegedly torturing and abusing a man to his death.

Jakarta – Banyuwangi Regent and East Java deputy gubernatorial candidate Abdullah Azwar Anas has told running mate Saifullah "Gus Ipul" Yusuf that he wants to pull out of the election.

Michael Leach – Nearly six months after an election that left Timorese politics in a state of protracted uncertainty, the manoeuvrings in the young nation's parliament seem likely to re

A former West Papuan political prisoner has been interrogated by Indonesian security forces for wearing the Papua Morning Star symbol.

Amanda Hodge, Nivell Rayda – Indonesia's military chief, who suspended military co-operation with Australia a year ago and accused Canberra of trying to "recruit" his officers, looks se

Ganug Nugroho Adi, Surakarta, Central Java – The Karanganyar Legislative Council (DPRD) plans to issue a bylaw that will prohibit parents from giving their children "Western" names.

Jakarta – Indonesia ranks among the world's happiest and most optimistic countries, according to US-based Gallup International's 41st Annual Global End of Year Survey.

Jakarta – The Democratic Party called a meeting on Wednesday led by party chairman Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to discuss matters concerning the party's contenders in regional elections.

Simon Philpott – John Ondawame greatly admired the independence struggle in East Timor, especially its ability to win active support from people in Europe, the United States and Austral

Sexual harassment has unfortunately long been a problem on Jakarta's KRL Commuterline trains, as evidenced by the existence of women-only carriages that were introduced by the train com

Telly Nathalia, Serang – The Banten branch of the Indonesian Ulema Council, or MUI, issued a statement on Wednesday (03/01) urging Muslim parents to get their children vaccinated agains

Ika Ningtyas, Banyuwangi – The state prosecutor in a hearing at the Banyuwangi District Court in East Java on January 4 has demanded that activist Heri Budiawan alias Budi Pego be jaile

Dili – Foreign Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation of Timor Leste, Aurelio Guterres, expressed his solidarity with the Cuban people and government, and hopes for the end of the

Jakarta – The Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras) has called on the government to speed up the legal process of two persecution cases allegedly committed by

Kharishar Kahfi, Jakarta – The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) arrested several public officials for alleged corruption during a string of operations in South Kalimantan and Eas