Among the many reforms Indonesia instituted after 1998, the resolution to downsize a bloated bureaucracy and make government more efficient stands out as one of the most significant.

Matt Crook, Dili – It was a humid night and I wandered home in the dark, cursing the government of Timor-Leste for yet another power cut in Dili, the country's tiny capital.

It has been three months since President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono put his signature on a landmark immigration bill.

Nadya Khalife and Aruna Kashyap – The Indonesian government has long praised its migrant workers as "economic heroes" for their immense contributions to the economy in their home countr

"Polling is merely an instrument for gauging public opinion.

Niniek Karmini – A sweeping crackdown on terrorism in the past decade has spawned a new problem in Indonesia, the world's most populous Muslim nation: Militants in jail are recruiting n

Brad Nelson & Yohanes Sulaiman – The recent arrest and sentencing of Abu Bakar Bashir, co-founder and spiritual leader of the terrorist group Jemaah Islamiyah, to 15 years in prison

Pandaya, Jakarta – The surprise passage of a bill amending the Law on the Constitutional Court after secretive deliberations on Tuesday smacks of collusion between political parties and

Armando Siahaan – The nation fumed with rage upon hearing of the unexpected beheading of migrant worker Royati binti Sapubi in Saudi Arabia last week, prompting the Indonesian governmen

Vincent Lingga, Jakarta – The Indonesian government's decision last week to stop sending maids to Saudi Arabia starting as early as next month should only be a temporary ad hoc measure

During the past month, Jakarta has hosted a number of regional and global conferences.

Marcel Thee & Tasa Nugraza Barley – The current dearth of Hollywood movies in our theaters has once again cast the spotlight on the Indonesian film industry's output, specifically t

Armando Siahaan – So far, 2011 has not been a good year for the Democratic Party.

Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa – Indonesia's improving economy has triggered foreign investment inflows.

The 15-year jail sentence for internationally known Abu Bakar Ba'asyir definitely fails to satisfy both his supporters and those who demanded maximum punishment for the firebrand Muslim

Harison Citrawan, Jakarta – A recent IndoBarometer survey found that 29.7 percent of 1,200 respondents were satisfied with the Yudhoyono administration and 40 percent thought the New Or

The country's path to becoming a full-fledged democracy is at stake.

Yohanes Sulaiman – The debate on the legacy of Suharto and the New Order began immediately after his fall in May 1998.

Erik Meijaard – In December 2007, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono launched Indonesia's orangutan conservation strategy and action plan, which calls for all wild orangutan populations

Is Indonesia a nation that abides by the rule of law? Do its elected officials respect the law and govern in accordance with the edicts of the courts?

Armando Siahaan – Sometimes we applaud the police. Sometimes we criticize their actions. And sometimes we just have no idea what they were thinking.

Nila Ardhianie, Semarang – Time has passed quickly. The privatization of piped water service in Jakarta will mark its 13th anniversary on June 6.

Nivell Rayda – It has been a year since I visited the tiny goat shed that brought the town of Karangasem, in West Java's Indramayu district to infamy.

Al Araf, Jakarta – The democratic transition in Indonesia is undoubtedly a complex and fragile process.

Armando Siahaan – Recent political shenanigans have certainly raised questions about how much Indonesian politics have progressed since the end of the New Order regime.

Franz Magnis-Suseno, Jakarta - June 1 is Pancasila Day in Indonesia.

1. Introduction

Joe Cochrane & SK Zainuddin – Fortune has favored Indonesia's business barons and captains of industry these past 12 months.

H. Drake, Honolulu, Hawaii – This Sunday May 29, 2011, marks the fifth anniversary of the eruption of the Lapindo mudflow.

Rebecca Lunnon – Jemaah Islamiyah is still often the first name associated with terrorism in Indonesia.

"Everything was much better under Pak Harto," concluded an opinion generated in a recent polling which has been the hot topic these days.

In a vibrant democracy, politics is critical to ensuring the interest of the people is not only met but enhanced through an electoral system.

The western movies showing in Jakarta last weekend included My Sassy Girl, released in 2008, New Daughter and Blood Creek, both released in 2009, and Source Code, released last April.

Edilberto C.

Sara Schonhardt, Jakarta – The death of Osama bin Laden at the hands of United States Special Forces in Pakistan this month has turned a lens on the sustainability of his al-Qaeda radic

Armando Siahaan – Speaking at an international conference in Jakarta last week, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono mentioned that he was trying "to get Oprah Winfrey to say something ab

With the general election now three years off, the political climate is heating up every day as politicians begin jockeying for positions, heightening the rivalry.

Beyond our imagination, the Indonesian Islamic State (NII) teachings have spread to many layers of society, but the way the government plays down the lurking danger that may cost the ex

Al Araf – Every act of terrorism will be followed by the government's desire to reassess and strengthen the role of state security institutions.

Wawan Sobari, Malang – The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) released a seminal report this month on local governments' social assistance fund policies.

Rebecca Lunnon & Muh Taufiqurrohman – Indonesia's Detachment 88 has once again struck a blow against terrorism by making arrests linked to March's spate of book bombs and by foiling

With the war on terrorism far from over, Indonesia has seen mounting attacks on corruption fighters, despite the nationwide acceptance that graft is an extraordinary crime, separate fro

Armando Siahaan – Those dreaming, or drooling, to see American porn starlet Sasha Grey strut her stuff in person here in Jakarta can, well, just keep on dreaming.

Yanto Soegiarto – Two things members of the House of Representatives just won't stop from doing: building a new Rp 1.13 trillion luxurious office building, and making expensive comparis

Julia Suryakusuma, Jakarta – First we had Ariel "Peterporn", then something even better.

Loro Horta – After 400 years of inept Portuguese colonial rule and 24 years of brutal Indonesian occupation, Timor-Leste (formerly East Timor) gained its independence in 2002 following

The floodgates of reform opened at the end of president Soeharto's repressive and monarchial New Order have, directly and indirectly, paved the way for unlimited political freedom in In

Pandaya, Jakarta – First, a revered figure made earth-shaking revelations on corruption, a breach of electoral laws and commonplace polygamy among leaders of the Islamist Prosperous Jus

With the political rumor mill in full swing over an impending cabinet reshuffle and a senior conservative lawmaker photographed watching pornography during a plenary session, the behavi

Yohanes Sulaiman – A scan of recent news offers more evidence, if any were needed, that accountability means little in the upper ranks of politics and business in Indonesia.