Jakarta – A prime suspect in the Bali bombing will recant in court his confession implicating Indonesian cleric Abu Bakar Bashir in the blasts because it was made under police torture,

Dadan Wijaksana, Jakarta – The Supreme Audit Agency (BPK) said on Tuesday it had found irregularities amounting to the value of Rp 456.3 trillion (about US$60 billion) in the use of sta

Don D'Cruz – When John Howard met recently with Indonesian President Megawati Soekarnoputri he got an important assurance from her: that Indonesia does not regard Australia as anti-Isla

Bambang Nurbianto, Jakarta – The Islam Defenders Front (FPI) is reactivating its feared paramilitary wing, with the same mission as before – fighting against immorality in its own way i

Danang Sangga Buwana, Jakarta – Just because they refused to withdraw a class action launched against Indonesian President Megawati Sukarnoputri which was linked to prince increases to

Suwarjono, Jakarta – An action by workers against the promulgation of a new labour law at the national parliament in Senayan, Jakarta, on Tuesday, ended in a clash.

Tangerang – Hundreds of workers of bag producer PT Tasindo in Carewet village of Cikupa district and security guard supplier for Soekarno-Hatta International Airport PT Tri Otomat Prata

Marianne Kearney, Jakarta – The Indonesian military has drafted a bill that would allow it to deploy troops anywhere in the country without having to inform the civilian government, spa

Jakarta – Hundreds of demonstrators from the People's Democratic Party (PRD) demonstrated on Monday against US plans to attack Iraq.

Moch. N. Kurniawan, Jakarta – An employers association hailed on Monday the planned endorsement of the labor bill, but trade unions remained divided over the draft.

Jakarta – Police used tear gas, water canons and sticks to disperse 1,000 protesters who attempted to storm the House of Representatives building before legislators approved a new labor

Jakarta – In what could mark the country's first judicial review under the amended 1945 Constitution, six political parties, each with less than 2 percent of seats at the House of Repre

Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, Kuala Lumpur – President Megawati Soekarnoputri made her first address on the Iraq crisis when she spoke before the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) summit which opened

Tiarma Siboro and Kurniawan Hari, Jakarta – Two more military analysts have criticized the draft law on the military currently being prepared by the government, saying the bull, which g

Devi Asmarani, Jakarta – A controversial Bill, being drafted, is set to revive the supremacy of the Indonesian Armed Forces (TNI) and even allow its commander to declare an emergency wi

Jakarta – Choose a rank, the security force, shell out Rp 300,000 (S$59), and a well-known shop in Central Jakarta will outfit its customer with everything one needs to be a military or

Vice President Hamzah Haz urges his opponents not to resort to slander to destroy his political career.

Robert Go, Jakarta – As war clouds loom nearer and the prospects for more mass demonstrations against a United States-led invasion against Iraq grow in Indonesia, at least one man is re

Moch. N.

Tiarma Siboro, Jakarta – The government has been preparing a controversial bill giving authority to the Indonesian military commander to deploy military personnel in an emergency withou

Jakarta – Although the wave of protests and street actions have raised strategic issues, the government of President Megawati Sukarnoputri and Vice-President Hamzah Haz has yet to be sh

Jakarta – A senior member of the ruling Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) warned student protesters as well as a Jakarta-based newspaper not to criticize his part

Hestiana Dharmastuti, Jakarta – Threats by the Minister of Labour and Transmigration, Jacob Nuwa Wea, in which he called for demonstrators to end their actions, if not they will face In

The Investment Coordinating Board (BKPM) released investment figures for the month of January late last week revealing a steep fall in foreign direct investment (FDI) approvals but an u

Bandung – Chairman of the fatwa (legal advice) commission of the Indonesian Ulemas Council (MUI) said here on Friday that the erotic stage act of dangdut singer Inul Andarista could be

The election bill passed by the parliament last week, with its demand for a 2% electoral threshold, predictably created dissatisfaction and disappointment among small political parties.

Devi Asmarani, Jakarta – Gang Macan (Tiger Lane), a densely populated alleyway in North Jakarta, was notorious for its tiny brothels and deadly fights between vicious gangs.

Bukittinggi – Scores of students from the West Sumatra branch of the Indonesian Muslim Students Action Front (KAMMI) rallied here on Friday to protest the privatization of state enterpr

Jakarta – Villagers demanding road improvementshave ended a blockade of an oil field owned by US company PT Caltex in Riau after police mediated in the dispute, AP reported.

Jakarta – PT Sony Electronics Indonesia (SEI) is preparing to lay off 884 employees after the closure of its Indonesian branch next month.

The police have blamed easily obtained police and military uniforms and badges and a lack of regulation governing the trade on the emergence of bogus police officers extorting people ar

Yuliansyah, Banjarmasin – Fearing the legal consequences, some South Kalimantan legislative councillors say they are planning to return a "reward" given to them by the local government

Robert Go, Jakarta – The turf battle between Indonesia's police and the military (TNI) over who should be in charge of Indonesia's domestic security showed signs of flaring again this w

Kurniawan Hari, Jakarta – The State Intelligence Agency (BIN) demanded on Friday that it be given extra powers that would enable it to carry out crucial tasks to prevent terrorist attac

Marian Wilkinson, Washington – The police chief who led the Bali bombing investigation has pleaded for training assistance from the US for a controversial Indonesian police unit accused

Tim Dodd, Jakarta – With Indonesia facing a new round of instability if war goes ahead in Iraq, the country's top political and military leaders say the army will not "return to barrack

On Thursday, Army Chief of Staff Gen.

The United States ambassador to Jakarta has said that Indonesia must make better progress in holding its military to account for human rights abuses before the US fully normalises relat

Damar Harsanto, Jakarta – In an apparent attempt to elude unwanted public interest in the February 3 bomb blast in the National Police's Wisma Bhayangkari building, the police issued on

Women's groups in Indonesia have welcomed a new law that paves the way for more women to enter parliament.

Jakarta – Indonesia has won universal praise for the nimble footwork its police have shown in investigating the Bali bombings and arresting nearly 30 suspects.

Jakarta – Six student protesters were in police detention after police cracked down on an anti-government demonstration involving about 60 students overnight Tuesday.

Devi Asmarani, Jakarta – Top leaders of Indonesia's ruling Indonesian Democratic Party-Struggle (PDI-P) yesterday called on one of their own ministers to resign after he charged that th

M.

Jakarta – A lawyer for the jailed youngest son of former Indonesian president Suharto will soon face charges of bribing a witness at his trial, a prosecutor said yesterday.

Bambang Nurbianto, Jakarta – Urban activists criticized the city administration's plan to evict Angke river squatters in North and West Jakarta, warning that it could spark social unres

Richel Dursin, Bekasi – "We're Indonesians. Why do we have to get a citizenship certificate proving that we're Indonesians?" asked Tjiong Tjoei Liong, 70.

Rachel Harvey, Jakarta – The Indonesian parliament this week passed measures designed to reform the electoral system, but regular street protests may be a sign that many people are stil

Devi Asmarani, Jakarta – Golkar, Indonesia's second-largest party which once ruled the country's politics for thirty years, is preparing to strike back after nearly a year of adversity.

As hopes grow that a US war with Iraq may be averted, much attention is being paid to the Justice Party (Partai Keadilan, PK), which has demonstrated strong grass roots support during t