Hanan Nugroho, Jakarta – The energy and mineral resources minister was recently blamed for his failure to meet domestic oil production targets.

If the United States is obsessed with gauging its popularity in the world through conducting regular opinion polls with simple questions like "Do you like or hate America?", Indonesia i

Jesse Wright, Dili – While East Timor President Jose Ramos-Horta is on a shortlist of candidates to become the United Nations' next high commissioner for human rights, critics at home a

Marie Leadbeater – Indonesia is trying to build an international reputation as a nascent democracy and is proud of having been re-elected in 2007 to the United Nations Human Rights Coun

Lucy Williamson, Dili – Lily's wide, gentle face crumples when I ask her why she is doing it.

Ahmad Junaidi, Jakarta – "Awas, ada orang Islam!" (Watch out, Muslims are coming!) is now a joke among activists after the brutal attack by members of the Islam Defenders Front (FPI) on

A former general and a successful entrepreneur once sounded like the perfect partnership to lead this vast archipelagic country given their diverse socioeconomic and sociocultural backg

The government finally issued a decision on Ahmadiyah, imposing restrictions on the leaders and followers of the minority Islamic sect.

Philip Setunga, Hong Kong, China – Since the amendment to the Indonesian constitution in 2000, Indonesian citizens are guaranteed the right to freedom of religion and belief in accordan

Explain Yourself to Cameron Broadhurst

Ariel Heryanto, Victoria – Fear has prevailed in the lives of Indonesians for much too long. The reign of fear has affected both the state and ordinary people.

Ariel Heryanto, Victoria, Australia – The use and abuse of Islamic politics by the Soeharto government (1966-1998) and his immediate successor in transition, BJ Habibie (1998-1999), hav

Abdul Khalik, Jakarta – Members of the Islam Defenders Front (FPI) roam freely despite a history of frequently taking the law into their own hands and attacking and burning buildings of

The attack on participants of a peaceful rally organized to defend freedom of religion at Monas Square in Jakarta on Sunday afternoon shows just how tenuous our freedoms are today.

The Government is reportedly undertaking a far-reaching review of the nation's foreign relationships. As we have previously noted, this is not before time.

Today is the two-year anniversary since the mudflow in Sidoarjo, East Java, began, and it's appropriate to reflect on why problems remain unresolved and the government seems toothless t

Step Vaessen, Papua – While much of Indonesia has moved on to become a vibrant democracy, the province of Papua in the far east of the archipelago has been left behind.

It's improving, but there's a long way to go.

Irene Hadiprayitno, Utrecht – The palm oil industry is not only popular in the discourse of biofuels, but it is also economically lucrative.

Umi Kulsum – Indonesia's 100th National Awakening day, which fell on May 20, was noisily celebrated at the Bung Karno Sports Stadium during a ceremony led by President Susilo Bambang Yu

Abdul Khalik, Jakarta – While some observers say there has been significant progress in the professionalism of the Indonesian military (TNI), many others think military reform has been

On this date 10 years ago, when Soeharto ended his 32-year iron-fisted rule, the country's economy was in total chaos, partly – some say mostly – because of the president's inability to

Paul Toohey – Xanana Gusmao, his Australian wife Kirsty and their kids haven't been back to their home in the hills overlooking the East Timorese capital, Dili, since the morning of Feb

[The following comment was posted on the East Timor list in response to a May 14 report that appeared in Green Left Weekly titled "East Timor: Governing coalition on brink of collaps

Achmad Syafriel, Analyst – Many problems need to be solved before Indonesia can increase food production and mitigate food prices.

What a mess greeted air travelers to Jakarta last Thursday when for the third time in the past six months the toll road to Soekarno-Hatta International Airport became impassable because

Our founding fathers hit it on the nail when they declared that one of the goals for establishing the state of the republic of Indonesia was to "enlighten the life of the nation" (mence

Julia Suryakusuma, Jakarta – With everyone becoming more health-conscious there's a growing trend away from unhealthy and calorific food.

Hendarsyah Tarmizi, Jakarta – Many of us are unaware that besides receiving a government subsidy of about Rp 2,500 (27 US cents) for every liter of gasoline we buy, we also get another

It is urgent that Abdurrahman "Gus Dur" Wahid realize millions of Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) followers have suffered and will continue to suffer unless he is able to control himself and his t

Aboeprijadi Santoso, Jakarta – Retired General Wiranto, backed by hundreds of his colleagues, has in effect begged for impunity for human rights violations by claiming that their missio

Olle Tvrnquist, Jakarta and Oslo – Ten years ago, Soeharto's New Order began to be replaced by the world's largest New Democracy. It is time for an evaluation.

We don't know what was on the mind of Public Works Minister Djoko Kirmanto when he announced his ideas on the creation of sustainable cities in confronting the worsening climate and the

Loro Horta, Dili – With its political and security institutions in shambles, East Timor, also known as Timor Leste, is now emerging as a soft landing spot for regional organized crime s

John Aglionby, Jakarta – Justice for the victims of Indonesia's occupation of East Timor appeared more remote than ever on Tuesday after the two nations' leaders said they would draw a

Dicky Christanto, Denpasar – Indonesia's regimes since 1998 have made all sorts of promises but few have been implemented and – even worse – the oppressive political system persists, a

Frenky Simanjuntak, Jakarta – A recent statement by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono makes us wonder whether he, or his administration, is actually serious in their effort to fight co

John McBeth – When Mr Xanana Gusmao pays his first visit to Indonesia as Timor Leste's Prime Minister next week, the former guerilla leader and President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono will h

"Nenek moyangku orang pelaut/Gemar mengarung luas samudera/Menerjang ombak tiada takut/Menempuh badai sudah biasa...."

The longer the Indonesian government waits before deciding to bring domestic fuel prices closer to international market levels, the more devastating will be the impact on the long-term

Paul Toohey – East Timor has been consumed with rumours since President Jose Ramos Horta began looking beyond his own shores to an international conspiracy to assassinate him on Februar

Here is an important announcement. Indonesia has officially stopped being the tolerant nation it has always proclaimed to be, especially when it comes to religion.

Marvel Comics fictional vigilante Frank Castle is dubbed The Punisher for justifying the use of violence to fight crime.

Finally, hope for the forgotten Melanesians. And a chance for Prime Minister Derek Sikua and this country to try to help right one of the great wrongs of Melanesia.

Angus Grigg, Jakarta – It will be one of the more awkward handshakes of recent memory.

Bramantyo Prijosusilo, Ngawi, East Java – It is official: no one was responsible for human rights abuses that occurred around the 1999 East Timor referendum in which more than 1,000 peo

The first thought that came to mind when the government said it planned to block Internet sites that host the anti-Islam documentary Fitna was: What a dumb idea.

No one is guilty for the 1999 mayhem in the then Indonesian province of East Timor. This is the conclusion of all the cases tried at Indonesia's ad hoc human rights court.

Our society is a caring one.

Setyo Budi, Dili – If the renegade soldiers who attempted to assassinate East Timor President Jose Ramos-Horta on Feb.