Josua Gantan, Jakarta – "Do you want to be led by a puppet?

Rohan Radheya – In 1969, Indonesia took over West Papua with the now infamous Act of Free Choice, a mock referendum where West Papuans were forced to relinquish their independence throu

Fitri Bintang Timur and Puri Kencana Putri, Jakarta – Recently, Indonesian Military (TNI) Commander Gen.

Patrick Tibke – In recent times Prabowo Subianto's presidential campaign has often manifested as a peculiar spectacle, characterised by colourful and highly unpredictable politicking.

Ati Nurbaiti, Jakarta – A 25-year-old woman died after delivering her only child.

Emily Mitchell – Last year, during a visit to Kupang, in West Timor, I met a fisherman with a 12 year old daughter and a seven year old son.

Dana Hasibuan, Jakarta – For the last 10 years, poverty reduction has been considered one of the most pertinent issues in Indonesia's development policies.

Forum Tau Matan – The tiny half island nation of Timor Leste is a young country in more ways than one.

Sarita Ryan – According to Alexander Downer, former Australian Foreign Minister and subsequent board advisor to Woodside Petroleum, a country's reputation is on the line.

Nivell Rayda, Rangkasbitung – Banten was just waking up.

With politicians currently crisscrossing the country on the campaign trail speaking to all-singing, all-dancing crowds of thousands, one subject is rarely touched upon, yet it is a subj

Gerry van Klinken – As everybody knows, one of the strongest candidates for the presidency has an image problem, related to his army days.

Edward Aspinall – At a meeting between a sitting member of the provincial parliament of Yogyakarta, and about 30 youths and men in a village on the outskirts of the city, the parliament

Pandaya – Following in the footsteps of Islamic countries in the Middle East, the government banned Hollywood biblical epic Noah on the grounds that the film's content "contradicts the

Bobby Anderson – In Papua, where state sovereignty and legitimacy is deeply contested, representation matters. So in this national election, who purports to represent Papua?

We have reason to question the logic behind the purchase of 103 Leopard tanks and 50 Marder tanks from Germany after former President B.J.

Keith Loveard, Jakarta – According to mystical beliefs in Java, the Indonesian island's volcanoes erupt to mark the advent of significant change.

Sayomi Ariyawansa – On 3 December 2013, Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO) officers entered premises owned by Bernard Collaery, the Australian lawyer representing East

Amron Hamdi, Jakarta – One heart-wrenching scene in the Academy Award-winning film 12 Years a Slave is the stripping and whipping of Patsey, a slave girl on a Louisiana plantation.

Papua has become an example of what happens when a nation's ruling elites fail to give everybody a piece of the economic pie.

It's official – after months of speculation and, undoubtedly, infighting – Jakarta Governor Joko "Jokowi" Widodo has been named by the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) as

On Wednesday, the Constitutional Court declared that female legislative candidates would be "prioritized" and not merely considered for legislative seats, in the event that both male an

Hikmahanto Juwana, Jakarta – There have been two incidents where orange lifeboats filled with asylum seekers bound for Australia were found in Indonesian territory.

Tom Clarke – Since the discovery of vast oil deposits under the Timor Sea in the early 1970s, oil has been the ever-present third player in Australia's relationship with East Timor.

Susan – In 1974, with the prospect of an Indonesian annexation of Timor on the horizon, Australia faced an important question: would Australia receive more favorable access to the gas a

Cillian Nolan, Jakarta – A draft law for reworking Papua's special autonomy contains potentially far-reaching proposals that need broader debate – within Papua, between Papua and Jakart

Hipolitus Yolisandry Ringgi Wangge, Evanston, Illinois – Why are populist figures in Indonesia being challenged to operate in a corrupt political system?

Phelim Kine – Indonesia has a problem with Joshua Oppenheimer's documentary "The Act of Killing." The groundbreaking film, nominated for best documentary at this year's Academy Awards,

Andreas Harsono, Jakarta, Indonesia – I grew up in the shadow of the Indonesian massacres exposed in Joshua Oppenheimer's extraordinary documentary, "The Act of Killing," which has been

Brad Simpson – In The Act of Killing, one of the nominees for an Academy Award for best documentary, a group of elderly Indonesian men re-enact their role in the killing of alleged Comm

Tomy Winata – In response to an article published on the Jakarta Globe's website on Feb.

Kennial Caroline Laia, Jakarta – When the documentary film The Act of Killing, which portrays the 1965 massacres of people accused of having ties to communism, was internationally relea

In its distinguished mandate, the Constitutional Court is granted a privilege that eludes the legislative and executive branches of power in the country's governance system.

Max Lane, Melbourne – It would appear that at least three times in recent weeks, the Australian navy and also the customs service has detained Indonesian and other foreign citizens trav

Mario Filomeno da Costa Pinheiro – The Government of Timor-Leste has indicated that it is committed to joining the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) by 2015, but as the dat

Riwanto Tirtosudarmo, Jakarta – Demography is rearing its ugly head, and as a result, political development in Papua has become convoluted.

John McBeth, Jakarta – Indonesia's exports of mineral ore are now at a standstill, with unprocessed bauxite and nickel the target of an outright ban and mining companies either refusing

Loro Horta – Contact between Chinese and Timorese dates back to the early 15th century when the ships of the legendary Chinese explorer Admiral Zheng He arrived on the island in search

Tom Davies – Imagine a protest. A protest against the actions of a tyrannical, oppressive military administration totally intolerant of dissent.

Tunggal Pawestri – In the second week of December 2013, I visited Dili, Timor Leste. It was not my first visit.

Rendi A.

Imanuddin Razak, Jakarta – The Constitutional Court took a bold and landmark stride on Thursday, announcing its ruling that Indonesia would hold the presidential election and legislativ

The East Timor spying scandal currently in the Hague is the latest in a long history of Australian aid being used as a cover for intelligence agencies, writes Greens Senator Lee Rhianno

Western Papua has become like "a pebble in the shoe" for Indonesia, as former Foreign Minister Ali Alatas put it when he referred to East Timor's struggle for independence from Indonesi

Daniel Ziv, Ubud, Bali – This week, for the first time ever, an Indonesian film will be nominated for an Academy Award.

Graham Davis, Suva – Foreign Ministers of the Melanesian Spearhead Group are set to tip-toe through a diplomatic minefield with news that a MSG delegation – led by Fiji's Ratu Inoke Kub

Michael Sainsbury, Bangkok – Deep under the Timor Sea, there is a huge reserve of gas.

Budi Hernawan, New York – The 2013 Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG) summit undoubtedly marked a historic moment on the long journey of Papua's international diplomacy.

Mimin Dwi Hartono, Jakarta – Attempts by the state to respect, protect and fulfill human rights in 2013 have been no better than those in 2012.

Prodita Sabarini – A military helicopter flew overhead, firing rounds, as a young protester named Tineke Rumakabu ran from soldiers.