Alvin Darlanika Soedarjo, Jakarta – A plan to plug the Lapindo exploratory gas well at the heart of the East Java mudflow might be ineffective and dangerous, an expert said Tuesday.

Ridwan Max Sijabat, Jakarta – Rectors of 61 universities told the government Tuesday to tackle poverty and unemployment, as they were key problems that could threaten the security and s

Syarif Hidayatullah, Jakarta – Jakarta Governor Sutiyoso is still a popular target of protests by victims of recent floods.

Peter Boyle, Jakarta – Dita Sari is arguably the most well-known progressive activist in Indonesia today.

Commercialized courts and limited access to legal aid have caused poor people to face inequality before the law, say observers.

Jakarta – The National Commission for Child Protection urged the House of Representatives on Tuesday to pressure the government to restrict the sale of single cigarettes, in a bid to pr

Andi Haswidi, Jakarta – To help make state companies more efficient and competitive, the government plans to reduce the number of nationalized firms to 69 over three years from the curr

Jakarta – Legislators in the House of Representatives said Monday the National Police had performed well under the leadership of Gen. Sutanto, but not well enough.

Ridwan Max Sijabat, Jakarta – Legislators have described as unethical a minister's move to counter an ongoing investigation by the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK).

Jakarta – Devastating floods in the Indonesian capital earlier this month have caused nearly one billion dollars worth of damage and losses.

The mudslinging between the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) and State Secretary Yusril Ihza Mahendra poses yet another test for the government's graft fight.

Jakarta – Activists said Sunday that district and Islamic religious courts, particularly in Jakarta, had violated the child protection law in their handling of custody decisions.

Adisti Sukma Sawitri, Jakarta – Lenny had been waiting almost two hours Sunday for the truck delivering low-cost rice to arrive at the Pasar Minggu traditional market in South Jakarta.

Fadli, Batam – Sand continues to be smuggled from Indonesia to Singapore despite a recent crackdown, Riau Islands Police chief Brig. Gen. Sutarman said in Batam on Friday.

Jakarta – Indonesia faces a growing AIDS problem – particularly among drug users and prostitutes – while a recent survey shows two percent of the Papua population infected with HIV, the

Jakarta – Outstanding loans to small and medium enterprises amount to Rp 426 trillion (about US$47.33 billion), or more than 50 percent of the total loans extended by the banking indust

Slamet Susanto and Oyos Saroso H.N., Yogyakarta/Bandarlampung – Authorities have responded to rising rice prices by releasing stocks of the subsidized commodity to the market, but Yogya

Ridwan Max Sijabat, Jakarta – New York-based Human Rights Watch on Friday urged the Indonesian government to take over all military-owned businesses in a bid to make the country's armed

Ridwan Max Sijabat, Jakarta – Activists have said that they are skeptical of the House of Representatives' commitment to bringing to justice retired and active Army generals implicated

Jakarta – A coalition consisting of 56 non-governmental organizations is seeking support from religious organizations to revoke the government allowance for regional councillors, which

Adianto P.

ID Nugroho and Yemris Fointuna, Jakarta – The draft revised Criminal Code currently being deliberated at the House of Representatives contains articles that limit freedom of expression

Indrasari Tjandraningsih, Bandung – On Jan. 29, 2007, The Jakarta Post editorialized about labor and business.

Rita A.

The Commission for Disappeared and Victims of Violence (Kontras) expresses regret toward the tardiness of Indonesian government to release President Decision on implementation of Law No

Bill Guerin, Jakarta – Singapore's aggressive regional investment strategy has already taken bilateral relations with Thailand to an all-time low, but a rising tide of economic national

Jakarta – The central bank uncovered more than 130 cases of banking-sector crimes involving losses of more than Rp 1.2 trillion (US$133 million) in 2006, revealing little improvement fr

Ridwan Max Sijabat, Jakarta – The House of Representatives will ask President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to set up an ad hoc court to hear rights abuse cases from 1998 and 1999, allegedly

Mark Forbes – Indonesia is planning to abolish its anti-corruption court in a move likely to reduce sentences for graft, prompting a walkout by watchdog groups which had been helping to

Ridwan Max Sijabat, Jakarta – The International Labor Organization (ILO) urged the government to take a comprehensive approach to eliminating the worst forms of child labor, with school

Ridwan Max Sijabat, Jakarta – Environmental organizations are at odds over a forest trade-in deal signed by the government and a number of forestry companies to enlarge a national park

Jakarta – When a new regulation comes into effect next month, all buildings in the city's protected upland areas must come down.

Urip Hudiono, Jakarta – The government plans to reclaim, for a second time, up to 500,000 hectares of peatland in Central Kalimantan for agricultural and plantation use as part of a nat

Stevie Emilia, Sanur – The government plans to introduce a mosque-based community empowerment program in 11 provinces this year to help in poverty alleviation and human resources develo

Jakarta – Citing improved security conditions in Poso, Central Sulawesi, National Police chief Gen.

Jakarta – The Indonesian Military and the National Police have been told by the House of Representatives to stop arguing over the national security bill.

Urip Hudiono, Jakarta – The government will import another 500,000 tons of rice to help keep prices from rising further after monsoonal flooding across the country disrupted the product

Adisti Sukma Sawitri, Jakarta – Lila Rohila, 38, had never thought the decision she took last Idul Fitri to wear a headscarf would ever become an issue for her or her company.

Issues facing Indonesia's domestic workers abroad get attention Indonesia is failing to protect its domestic workers and leaves them vulnerable to abusive employers, Amnesty Internation

Salim Osman, Jakarta – Soldiers from the United States and Indonesia should train together to strengthen military ties between the two countries, said visiting US military chief Marine

Stevie Emilia, Sanur – Muslim leaders were urged Tuesday to thrown their weight behind a revitalized national family planning program, which had success during the New Order but has fla

Jakarta – The Indonesian Environmental Forum (Walhi) is suing gas exploration company PT Lapindo Brantas over the mudflow in Sidoarjo, East Java.

Abdul Khalik, Jakarta – Indonesia on Monday rejected Singapore's accusation that the ban on sand exports to the city-state was unnecessary, replying that Indonesia had good reason to im

Jakarta – The United States and Indonesia are discussing ways to further their military partnership and work together in the region, top US General Peter Pace said.

Ridwan Max Sijabat and M.

Ridwan Max Sijabat, Jakarta – Rukman, a former construction worker from Pondok Cabe, just south of Jakarta, cried out when Tangerang prison authorities recently turned down his request

Jakarta – The losses caused by the massive flooding in Greater Jakarta last week may reach up to Rp 8 trillion (US$879 million), almost double the earlier estimate of about Rp 4.3 trill

Urip Hudiono, Jakarta – As a result of prudent macroeconomic policies, the Indonesian government now has sufficient resources to finance the country's infrastructure development and red

Andi Haswidi – The presidential regulation on the modern retail market scheduled to be issued in March will not restrict the operation of foreign retail chains, which have been criticiz

Jakarta – Activists plan to report Governor Sutiyoso and Coordinating Minister for the People's Welfare Aburizal Bakrie to the National Human Rights Commission over the recent deadly fl