Tony Abbott has backed away from his pledge to visit Indonesia in his first week in office, but the promise stands to make it his first overseas destination as prime minister.

Ary Hermawan, Jakarta – We who are concerned about the state of religious freedom in the country are likely enduring what the character Gil Pender suffers from in Woody Allen's Midnight

Jason MacLeod – Tineke Rumkabu handed me a bright yellow piece of A4 paper, double-sided, and folded in half.

Nadia Bulkin – The Act of Killing, a new documentary on Indonesia's anti-Communist mass killings, is making the rounds globally and earning praise for its innovative cinematography.

Loro Horta – Following the July 2012 elections Timor-Leste formed one of the largest governments in the region made up of 57 cabinet members.

Phelim Kine – It's degrading, discriminatory, not to mention junk science – so why does the notion of "virginity tests" keep rearing its ugly head?

Andreas Harsono – This week fresh violence erupted against some of Indonesia's religious minorities.

Jess O'Callaghan – More than decade on from when Timor-Leste gained independence, and six month since troops left the country, Minister of Foreign Affairs Bob Carr has initiated an inqu

Endy M. Bayuni, Jakarta – The Islam Defenders Front (FPI) came under another round of scathing attacks this week in the wake of the latest violence involving its members.

Selpius Bobbi – The planned visit by a delegation of member Foreign Ministers of the Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG) to Jakarta and West Papua arose as a decision of the MSG Forum held

Ati Nurbaiti, Jakarta – This week the UN scrutinized Indonesia for the first time regarding its reports on civil and political rights, eight years after we ratified the international co

Josef Benedict, Geneva – This week, the eyes of the international human rights community – and in particular those of the diplomats working at the United Nations headquarters in Geneva,

Pandaya – There is something strange in the latest raucous, uninspiring commercials bombarding our brains on local TV channels: A host of advertisements for commercial products starring

Tracee Hutchison – To many Australians, Indonesia has come to be seen through the prism of pesky boats and brutalised beef – either that or a cheap and easy surfing destination.

Pat Walsh – PM Rudd's visit to Jakarta this week will almost certainly be marked up or down depending on the outcome of his talks with President SBY on the trafficking of asylum seekers

Henri Tiphagne, Bangkok – After much stalling, it now seems that the controversial and highly restrictive bill on mass organizations is expected to be presented to the House of Represen

Jason MacLeod – West Papua has just won an extraordinary victory at the Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG) meeting in Noumea.

Ap Inyerop – Otto is sitting in his cell in Abepura prison. It is early evening, and he is drinking coffee and discussing politics with his cellmates.

Fitri Bintang Timur, Singapore – Timor Leste Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao is often said to be the Che Guevara of the country.

Angela Macdonald-Smith – The Timor Sea has never been famed for offering oil and gas operators smooth sailing over the years.

Jacob Zenn, Jakarta – Driven by strong exports and buoyant domestic markets, Indonesia is projected to be among the world's top 10 economies by 2025.

Aboeprijadi Santoso, Amsterdam – The controversy over Aceh's flag and symbol between the Aceh administration and the central administration in Jakarta lingers on, despite weeks of "cool

Clinton Fernandes – A parliamentary inquiry examining Australia's relationship with East Timor is underway and the proceedings so far do not make for comfortable reading.

Rebecca Lake – As local authorities debate over banishing Indonesia's Ahmadiyah Muslim sect and several congregations remain barred from their houses of worship, President Susilo Bamban

Ali Said, Jakarta – Indonesia has experienced relatively high economic growth for almost a decade, but the question remains why has this high growth not been followed by a rapid improve

James Ross, New York – It's not every day that a world leader whose country frequently makes the news for sectarian violence wins a religious freedom award.

Lauren Gumbs, Perth, Australia – Indonesia's booming middle-class is a hot topic these days; they spend more, earn more and will supersize the economy in the next decade.

Lauren Gumbs – Indonesia is indicating increased concern for its territorial integrity and international image in the wake of public pressure over deteriorating situations for minoritie

It was not as heroic as the country's Independence Day of Aug. 17, 1945, nor as dramatic and horrific as the Sept.

Over the weekend 34 young workers finally regained their freedom, after being forced to work for two years at a factory in Tangerang, Banten.

Fitri Bintang Timur, Jakarta – The Pew Research Center's research World's Muslims: Religion, Politics and Society published last month caused controversy in Indonesia, particularly the

Arif Nurdiansah & Hindijani Novita – Indonesia is a signatory to the UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), ratified in Law No.

Padre James Bhagwan – At next month's Melanesian Spearhead Group meeting in New Caledonia, leaders from Melanesia will be asked to respond to the cry for liberation by their brothers an

Ted McDonnell – East Timor is now a peaceful and happy place. The scars of the brutal 24 year Indonesian reign still exist, but the East Timorese are forgiving people.

Ati Nurbaiti, Jakarta – "The children never cease asking for their parents and siblings. Families continue to dig up mass graves in the search for their relatives for years."

The fruits of reforms, initiated almost 15 years ago, have been visible in the checks and balances that work in our political system, fairer business competition and perhaps protection

Johannes Nugroho – "Religion must guard us against committing sins, but more often, sins are committed in the name of religion," wrote early 20th century Indonesian women's rights pione

West Java Governor Achmad Heryawan is excited about hosting the Miss World global pageant.

Lauren Gumbs, Perth – Indonesia's flourishing civil society activists and advocacy organizations stand in contrast to a darker culture of mob violence, militarism and extremist groups.

On Thursday, the House of Representatives halted deliberation of the controversial bill on mass organizations, delaying it to the next sitting, only after mounting public resistance to

As Friday prayers begin today, we might ask if all Indonesians truly enjoy the equal right to worship.

Oei Eng Goan – When law enforcement agencies fail to guarantee public safety and security and the judicial process does not work accordingly, it is certain that people will take the law

Sabam Siagian, Jakarta – Everywhere, including in democratic countries, gaps are always noticeable between strong and clear statements delivered by their leaders and concrete actions im

Sabam Siagian, Jakarta – On Good Friday, March 29, Army chief of staff Gen.

Enter the most controversial number, 10 years after the law on political parties lamely stated that parties "may" field 30 percent of women among their legislative candidates.

Acts of violence are creating an image for the nation that is quite different from that presented in hospitality advertisements to woo foreign tourists.

Yohanes Sulaiman – The proposed criminal law that is currently being discussed in the parliament is, to put it bluntly, a disaster in the making.

Wiretapping corruption suspects is one of several powers that the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) possesses when carrying out its duties.

Prabowo is "somebody who is perhaps the greatest violator of human rights in contemporary times among the Indonesian military."

Phelim Kine – Denial and blame the messenger.