Agnes Winarti, Jakarta – The National Commission on Human Rights has agreed to oppose the implementation of the city's public order bylaw this month.

Most of the severest of Suharto'c critics, inside and outside of Indonesia, rightly concentrate of the gross violations of human rights during his 33 years of power.

Andi Haswidi, Jakarta – The trade deficit with China in the non-oil and gas sector skyrocketed by more than 3500 percent from US$35 million in 2006 to $1.28 billion last year, the Centr

Erwida Maulia, Jakarta – Using a parliamentary threshold in the next legislative election would simplify Indonesia's multi-party system, a coalition of non-governmental organizations sa

Tony Hotland, Jakarta – US President George W.

M. Azis Tunny, Ambon – A soldier and two police officers were killed and six others injured in a clash between military and police personnel in Masohi, Central Maluku, on Saturday.

Ade Mardiyati, Jakarta – Heavy rains and high tides have caused chaos in Indonesia's capital for three days, highlighting its ailing infrastructure as roads to the airport became impass

Joseph Nevins – The death of Suharto, the strongman who ruled Indonesia for more than three decades, is cause for reflection in the United States, particularly as Americans choose our n

[Indonesia: Democracy and the Promise of Good Governance. Editors: Ross H. McLeod, Andrew MacIntyre. Publisher: Institute of Southeast Asian Studies (ISEAS). 207 pages, 2007.]

Abdul Khalik, Nusa Dua, Bali – Indonesia is seen to be a main target for money laundering, as a report by the Indonesian financial intelligence unit reveals, with a sharp increase in su

Dicky Christanto and Muhammad Nafik, Nusa Dua, Bali – A coalition of civil society groups said the international anti-graft conference wrapped up here Friday had seen "little progress"

Paul Keating – The death of Soeharto, the former president of Indonesia, gives all Australians a chance to assess the value of his life and the relationship between Indonesia and Austra

Apriadi Gunawan and Nana Rukmana, Medan/Cirebon – Mixed reactions have greeted a proposal to bestow national hero status upon controversial former president Soeharto.

Dicky Christanto, Nusa Dua, Bali – An alliance of civil society groups has prepared tougher measures to strengthen its anti-graft campaign against corrupt politicians across the country

Irawaty Wardany, Sanur, Bali – The Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) announced it will target 20 percent of votes in the 2009 legislative election, and welcomes non-Muslim constituents, th

Jakarta – Appointments were canceled, passengers were left stranded and residents were forced to leave their homes. Jakarta was chaotic on Friday.

In an article – The nation builder – in today's Sydney Morning Herald, Paul Keating attempts to justify his attendance at Suharto's funeral last week.

Jakarta is flooded, again. Just one day of incessant rain, from Thursday night through Friday morning, was enough to paralyze the capital with floods.

Jakarta – While promoting transparency, the public information bill poses a threat to the nation's hard-won press freedom as it contains articles which may criminalize some journalistic

Maryadi, Jakarta – Jakarta will again be decorated by protest actions on the first day of February 2008, so be on the lookout so as to avoid getting caught in traffic.

Adianto P.

Apriadi Gunawan, Medan – One more member of the Medan District Court judicial panel that refused punishment for logging boss Adelin Lis has been promoted.

[The following article was submitted for publication in Green Left Weekly in February 2008 but rejected.]

[The following article was submitted for publication in Green Left Weekly in response to a Dita Sari interview published on December 12, 2007 entitled "Indonesia: The struggle agains

Kopassus and Brimob are the worst of the worst among Indonesia's security forces.

Peter Symonds – Anyone who harbours any illusion that the current Labor government in Canberra will establish a more enlightened Australian foreign policy should examine the reaction th

Jakarta – The reform movement that started 10 years ago has failed to produce significant changes because of the corrupt political and economic systems inherited from the New Order regi

Bagus Kurniawan, Yogyakarta – Hundreds of protesters from the Yogyakarta People's and Worker Alliance (ARPY) held an action in the Central Java city of Yogyakarta on Thursday January 31

Khairul Ikhwan, Medan – On Thursday afternoon, January 31, hundreds of people from the Try Suharto People's Committee (Koras) held a protest action in front of the North Sumatra Regiona

Syed Badrul Ahsan – Mahathir Mohamad's assessment of the recently deceased Suharto does not hold up to scrutiny.

Peter Rodgers – "Enigma" has had a big workout this week.

The death of Indonesia's former dictator, General Suharto, must lead to a re-evaluation of his long years at the head of a regime mired in military brutality and corruption.

Stephen Fitzpatrick, Jakarta – The old general is in the ground and, in theory, Indonesia is marking seven days of mourning, with flags across the nation being flown at half-mast.

Devi Asmarani, Jakarta – An Indonesian court yesterday said a civil lawsuit against former president Suharto will now target his children, amid calls to pursue his family's allegedly il

Ben Terrall – In the last days of his life, the former Indonesian dictator Suharto, who died at the weekend, was visited in his private Jakarta hospital room by a parade of notables inc

Desy Nurhayati, Jakarta – Amid mounting calls for the government to grant Soeharto a hero status, the National Commission on Human Rights said Tuesday it would continue investigations i

Ambassador Cameron R. Hume
US Embassy
Jakarta, Indonesia
Via e-mail

Dear Ambassador Hume,

Adianto P.

Wellington – New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark said on Tuesday that former Indonesian President Suharto's human rights record was "appalling" and she would not sign a condolence bo

Jakarta – The national media are coming under fire for their "exaggerated" coverage of Soeharto's funeral.

Abdul Khalik, Nusa Dua, Bali – The Indonesian legal system, from police and prosecutors to the judicial system, have all been involved in power abuses and bribery, paralyzing efforts to

Muhammad Nafik, Nusa Dua, Bali – Indonesia's democratization and decentralization have virtually "opened new avenues for corruption" at the political and administrative levels, said a r

Blontank Poer, Surakarta – Former strongman Soeharto who died Sunday and was buried at a family mausoleum Monday, ruled Indonesia like a Javanese king, experts said.

The Indonesian Legal Aid Institute Foundation (YLBHI) said the late former president, Suharto, does not deserve the title of "national hero" because a number of legal cases against him

Marilyn Berger – Suharto of Indonesia, whose 32-year dictatorship was one of the most brutal and corrupt of the 20th century, died Sunday in Jakarta. He was 86.

Endy M. Bayuni, Jakarta – How much did Maj. Gen. Soeharto know about the plot to kidnap and murder six of his peers in the Army on the night of September 30, 1965?

Jakarta – Activists and human rights abuse victims on Sunday refused to join the week-long national mourning for former president Soeharto, saying he did not deserve pardon for his alle

Louise Williams – "I thank the people for their help and support during my leadership of this country and I beg forgiveness for any mistakes and shortcomings."

Hamish McDonald, Asia-Pacific Editor – For three decades Australian leaders looked to Indonesia as the key to acceptance in South-East Asia, and to one man, Soeharto, as the key to Indo