This question should make it into a pocketbook of party jokes: What is it that students hate, teachers dislike, parents abhor, the public decries, but bureaucrats love?

Gary LaMoshi, Denpasar (Bali) – Praise poured in to honor Indonesia's fourth president, Abdurrahman Wahid, on his death last week at the age of 69.

Many of us are grappling with Twitter and the language of the young, which increasingly resembles an obscure Morse code with a brazen and come-what-may sense of ethics.

Evan A. Laksmana, Jakarta – "To defend everything is to defend nothing." There is a lot of wisdom in this old military axiom.

Greg Poulgrain – When Indonesia officially became independent of the Dutch 60 years ago this week, Australia's role as midwife was crucial.

The year 2009 is coming to an end and given the spat of bad news these past 12 months, it is probably better to count our blessings than the missed opportunities, of which there are cer

As we put out the last issue of the Jakarta Globe for the year, we take a customary look back on the 12 months gone by and reflect on how the drama, tragedy and comedy of 2009 reveal th

Endy M.

There is justice after all.

Jakarta – Like previous years, 2008 was marked by a variety of actions by students who took to the streets opposing government policies that they believe harm the people.

Disciplinary action against police officers involved in abuse of power and other crimes often falls far short of the general public's sense of justice.

Tom Allard, Jakarta – As anti-corruption rallies swept Indonesia's main cities this month, the two villains in the protesters' sights were readily identifiable.

Famous American politician Henry Adam's observation "practical politics consists of ignoring facts" aptly describes the mindset of most members of the House of Representatives' special

Ashlee Betteridge – This year in Indonesia has been rather eventful, with terror bombings, terror raids, legislative and presidential elections, two major earthquakes and a raging corru

Usman Hamid, Jakarta – Final days of each year are always the best opportunity to reflect on what happened during the year in order to predict or project the future.

Adam Gartrell, Jakarta – Australia and Indonesia kicked off 2009 with an orgy of bilateral backslapping.

Damien Kingsbury – The shooting of one of West Papua's independence leaders, Kelly Kwalik, has opened up new opportunities for a negotiated resolution to that troubled territory's long-

Wendy Bruere – A young Jose Ramos-Horta, shown as the foreign minister of a newly independent East Timor, implores Roger East, an aging Australian journalist, to travel to his country t

Theo Hesegem and Chrisbiantoro, Jakarta – Even though Papua became a province of Indonesia by an ambiguous referendum in 1969, peace between the indigenous Papuans and Indonesia's secur

John McBeth, Jakarta – Something strange has happened to Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono since his sweeping victory in July's presidential elections, showing a side of him

Sara Webb, Jakarta – Indonesia's improving political and economic outlook was a big draw for investors this year, but a fight between reformers and cronies may prove to be a tipping poi

There is not a single reason why the Film Censorship Board should ban the screening of Balibo at the current Jakarta International Film Festival.

Censoring a film is a step backward for the Indonesian democratic progress.

Patrick Guntensperger, Jakarta – Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's political troubles are being compounded by a street movement led by several of the democracy-promoting n

Aboeprijadi Santoso, Amsterdam – Balibo is just one shameful chapter in our Indonesia's past, but it could be viewed as a symbol for so many human wrongs, for so many shameful things, t

Riyadi Suparno, Jakarta – An alliance of mysterious forces is aligning its power to unseat Vice President Boediono and/or Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati.

Simon Montlake Bangkok – A movie that depicts Indonesian war crimes in East Timor has become a lightning rod for free-speech activists in Indonesia, who have defied a government ban on

This weekend, the 11th Jakarta Film Festival kicks off again with exciting promises for movie buffs.

Former Australian Foreign Minister Gareth Evans has been appointed Chancellor of The Australian National University by the University Council today.

Sara Schonhardt, Jakarta – The image of a giant condom draped in Indonesia's national red and white colors towered over the opening ceremonies of National Condom Week in Jakarta.

Jon Lamb – Twenty years ago, on December 11, 1989, the Australian and Indonesian governments signed the Timor Gap Treaty (TGT), giving the go-ahead to energy corporations to exploit the

M. Hilaly Basya, Leiden – Based on the Hijriyah (Islamic) calendar, on 8 Dzulhijjah 1430 (Nov. 26, 2009), Muhammadiyah will mark the one hundredth anniversary of its existence.

When Ahmad Dahlan founded Muhammadiyah in 1912, he shocked his compatriots with the "Western" style of his organization.

If you are going to steal, make sure you steal big. You're more likely to get away with it, or get off lightly, compared to what a small time thief will get.

Jonathan Pearlman – As dawn was breaking across the Indonesian province of Papua on a Saturday last July, an Australian mine worker, Drew Grant, set out with friends along the winding r

Usman Hamid, Jakarta – The newly sworn in Army Chief Lt. Gen.

Gary LaMoshi, Denpasar (Bali) – The honeymoon ended for Indonesia's President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono less than a month into his second term.

Attempts to shed light on the controversial bailout of a private bank got a minor boost Tuesday after legislators asked a plenary session to set up a special inquiry committee.

Fabio Scarpello, Jakarta – Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono is widely expected to use his strong electoral mandate to push reforms in his second term to attract foreign inv

It's all getting a bit out of hand. As the world's third-largest democracy, Indonesia's legal system seems to have taken on a Wild West character.

Sara Schonhardtm Jakarta – Thousands of Indonesians have taken to the streets in the past week to protest the arrests of two anti-corruption commissioners and demand that President Susi

Patrick Guntensperger, Jakarta – Only a few short months since Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono was re-elected with an overwhelming mandate on an anti-corruption platform,

Jakarta Globe – The war between the Corruption Eradication Commission and almost every other government institution allegedly responsible for enforcing the nation's laws fulfills all th

The tape recordings played publicly by the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) Tuesday at the order of the Constitutional Court sent a chilling shudder through the spine.

The arrogance of power is something we did not expect to see in a democratic setting like today's Indonesia.

John McBeth, Jakarta – Florida's Dade County police special weapons and tactics (SWAT) squad conducts as many as five forced entries a day.

Carmel Budiardjo, London – As Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono begins his second term as President, it is worth considering the prospects for dialogue to resolve Indonesia's most intractable co

Jacqueline Hicks, Jakarta – Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's announcement late on Wednesday of his government's new cabinet was a function of a complicated political calc

Sara Schonhardt, Jakarta – Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono on Tuesday took the presidential oath of office before Indonesia's 240 million people, marking the beginning of his second term in of

Debnath Guharoy, Consultant – Election fever has died down. A new Cabinet is in the making. And a new poll reflects an upbeat Indonesia.