Hamish McDonald – In 1977, only 12 years after they started, the massacre of Indonesian communists haunted Java's exquisite landscape of tiled-roof villages, fast-flowing rivers and irrigation chan

Laksmi Pamuntjak – A week ago I received a message from Janet DeNeefe, director of the Ubud Writers and Readers Festival.

John Sifton – There are lots of reasons why President Barack Obama is meeting with Indonesian President Joko Widodo today in Washington.

Kyle Knight – Draconian new by-laws came into effect in Indonesia's Aceh province last week, mandating harsh punishments for gambling and adultery, and the option of 100 lashes for gay people "caug

To prevent a rapid return to the fearful, censored and militaristic days of the New Order, President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo, after a year in office, can and must lay down the law.

Janet DeNeefe – Twelve years ago, the Ubud Writers and Readers Festival was born of a terrorist attack in Bali; one that took many innocent lives in a tragedy that shocked us all.

Neles Tebay, Abepura – This year has seen a new development in the Papuan struggle.

It is the duty of every citizen to contribute to this nation, including in the defense of Ibu Pertiwi (the motherland). That contribution can take many shapes and forms.

Jakarta, the city with the "worst traffic in the world", as many say, plans to open at least 16 new transit routes and develop six-inner city toll roads.

Disappointed by the lack of an adequate deterrent effect built in to the country's legislation on anticorruption, many have suggested the death penalty for graft convicts.

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Jayapura, Jubi – Human right activist said the apology conveyed by Cenderawasih XVII Regional Military Commander in the 70th Anniversary of Indonesian Military on Monday (5/10/2015) should be follo

Rui Maria de Araujo – Most people will not have even heard of the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, let alone be able to point out where it is on the world map.

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A murder in public view in an East Java village takes us back to the dark days of impunity, an end to which was promised by President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo during his election campaign.

Bhatara Ibnu Reza, Sydney – The Indonesian Military (TNI) celebrates its 70th anniversary on Oct. 5. This makes TNI one of Asia's oldest national defense forces.

Pandaya – Recent hearings at the Jakarta Corruption Court gave the public a glimpse of how two former Cabinet ministers allegedly spent public funds like their private wealth.

Prodita Sabarini, Jakarta – This month marks the 50th year Indonesia has been ignoring the murder of more than half a million people.

John Roosa, Vancouver – At the base of the Pancasila Sakti Monument, below the towering statue of Gen.

Fynn-Niklas Franke, Yogyakarta – Prior to the Independence Day celebrations last month, the international European Association for Southeast Asian Studies (EuroSEAS) conference was held in Vienna,

Hamish McDonald – It was a night depicted in the film "The Year of Living Dangerously"; a time when a reckless president ruled a country in economic freefall.

Laksmi Pamuntjak – As 250 million Indonesians face up to the 50th anniversary of one of the most crushing episodes of our nation's history – the massacre of up to 500,000 or more alleged Communists

Marlene Millott – Fifty years ago, on September 30, one of the worst atrocities of the 20th century took place on Australia's doorstep.

Pat Walsh – Like Tony Abbott before him, Malcolm Turnbull is slated to make Jakarta one of his first overseas ports of call as prime minister.

Greg Poulgrain, Brisbane – Two months ago President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo tried to stop the discrimination still suffered by descendants of family members accused of being linked to the Indonesian C

Joshua Oppenheimer – This week marks the 50th anniversary of the beginning of a mass slaughter in Indonesia.

Neles Tebay, Jayapura, Papua – The conflict between the government and indigenous Papuans, particularly those Papuans involved with the Free Papua Movement (OPM), has long been considered an Indone

Michael Vatikiotis, Guest Contributor – Fear of the future explains failure to grapple with the past.

Chip Henriss – Sixteen years ago on September 20, I was with the Australian Army's 3rd Brigade, the Townsville-based ready Deployment Force.

On Wednesday, the government announced what President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo called the first of a series of regulatory and bureaucratic reforms designed to boost business and economic activity and s

Kanupriya Kapoor and Randy Fabi, Jakarta – As Indonesian President Joko Widodo was preparing on Wednesday to present a grand package of measures aimed at restoring investors' faith in the competenc

President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo pledged last week to revise 154 regulations pinpointed by the chief economics minister as major barriers to economic activity.

Ary Hermawan, Tucson, Arizona – At first it was funny, but then just sad.

Regardless of the motives behind the latest major reshuffle within the National Police, there is a pressing need for President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo to stamp his authority over the law enforcement a

John McBeth – It took 24 hours – and apparently an angry call from a blindsided President Joko Widodo – for Home Affairs Minister Tjahjo Kumolo to revoke a raft of new restrictions on visiting fore

More than six months after President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo's administration launched the one-stop integrated investment services (PTSP) in Jakarta, business-licensing processes remain lengthy and co

Vincent Lingga, Jakarta – Publicly listed PT Multi Bintang Indonesia, the country's largest brewery, has put on hold its US$42 million plant expansion projects in East Java after the ban on alcohol

Margareth Aritonang – The relationship between Indonesia and Timor Leste has improved steadily in the last few years.

Kristio Wahyono, Yogyakarta – Timor Leste on Aug. 30 celebrates the anniversary of a historic referendum that resulted in a landslide vote for separation from Indonesia 16 years ago.

On Aug. 26, President Joko Widodo revoked a new regulation that would have imposed onerous restrictions on foreign media in Indonesia.

Back in May both national and international media greeted President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo's decision to lift decades-long restrictions on foreign media access in Papua, calling the move a step in th

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Endy Bayuni – President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo came up with a short and catchy slogan, Ayo Kerja (Let's Work), to mark Indonesia's 70th Independence Day anniversary on Aug. 17.

Mong Palatino – Timor-Leste's Ministry of Finance issued a press statement claiming that the small Southeast Asian nation is already among the richest countries in the world.

If only Jakarta Governor Basuki "Ahok" Tjahaja Purnama had been eager to listen to a proposal on the kampung susun (elevated village) development in Kampung Pulo, violence would not have marred the

Bhatara Ibnu Reza, Sydney – Ten years ago at the end of summer in Helsinki, the government and the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) signed a memorandum of understanding to end more than 30 years of the con

Anne-Sophie Gindroz, Denpasar, Bali – "Why are you leaving now? Come back here! I have told the truth but you do not believe me.

Thursday's Cabinet reshuffle was probably the source of the upbeat tone of the first State of the Nation address from President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo, presented in conjunction with Independence Day.

Param-Preet Singh, Bangkok – Indonesia's government is preparing to lift the lid on decades of gross human rights violations whose victims have gone without redress and whose perpetrators have neve

Our democracy has remained a work in progress since the beginning of reformasi more than 17 years ago.