Those acquainted with politics looked on in amusement. The majority of those who had held their representatives in something like reverence stared in bemusement.

The arguments made by several factions at the House of Representatives to support their stubborn demands for the total cancellation of the March 1 fuel price hikes not only miss the who

Every time the government raises domestic fuel prices closer to their real economic cost, businesspeople always raise a rumpus, urging the government to deal firmly with the old problem

Azas Tigor Nainggolan, Jakarta – On March 1 the government raised the prices of most fuel products despite many protests from the community.

Now that the tsunami relief money for Aceh is on the table, there is a tussle looming over how to spend it.

There is a common joke among government officials that attempts to explain the supposedly assertive nature of the Acehnese people: "When 10 Acehnese gather to work out a consensus, they

About 30 members of the House of Representatives have asked the legislature to exercise its right of inquiry into the government decision to raise on March 1 fuel prices by an average o

Whatever others may say about it, here in Indonesia the trial and subsequent conviction on Thursday of Abu Bakar Ba'asyir to 30 months' imprisonment for partaking in the "evil conspirac

The brouhaha of politics often belie the soundness of ties between two nations.

We should commend President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's determination to make the unpopular-but-necessary decision to forge ahead and increase fuel prices.

Regencies and cities, which lack resources – or the capacity to capitalize on them – should not despair when it comes to attracting private investment, because investors consider policy

Some say the best way to stop corruption among state officials and officeholders is to pay them better salaries.

There never was a good war or a bad peace.

It has taken Indonesia many years, and an international scandal, for the country to finally wake up to the immensity of the looting that has been going on for decades in its lush tropic

Edward Aspinall – The international community needs to be cautious in welcoming signs of an apparent breakthrough in the recent Aceh peace talks in Finland.

Jakarta – Indonesia's top intellectual and a longtime contender for the Nobel Literature prize believes that the influx of foreigners and aid money into tsunami-devastated Aceh could br

The president is the supreme commander of the Indonesian armed forces. The 1945 Constitution – both in its amended and original forms – clearly stipulates such.

"I don't care," has apparently become a catchphrase among government officials, following President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's example.

The reconstruction of Aceh moved into a new stage this week with the completion of military-style barracks to shelter victims of the December 26 tsunami.

Much has been made of Makarim Wibisono's appointment as chairman of the UN Commission on Human Rights (UNCHR).

Yang Razali Kassim – Within days of the tsunami disaster, several Indonesian organisations sent volunteers to Banda Aceh to provide humanitarian relief.

Not too long ago there was a time when the public, and journalists in particular, lived with a collective daily dose of fear.

The measure of a nation's greatness lies in its ability to reconcile its diversity.

John Mcbeth – Moulding tragedy into a political turning point in disaster-stricken Aceh presents both a glittering opportunity and a dangerous pitfall for President Susilo Bambang Yudho

After years of much talk and effectively no action at all, Jakarta's administrators seem at long last to have arrived at the realization that the problem of pollution in the Indonesian

It all sounds very good, but what does it all mean?

Those who regularly follow the summaries of the Supreme Audit Agency's reports on the state budget accounts would find nothing surprising in the latest findings related to the governmen

Desperate positivism.

Outrageous is one word to describe a beating Indonesian soldiers meted out to anticorruption activist Farid Faqih in Banda Aceh, an outspoken critic of the military, who now faces charg

There was little to talk about when the widely trumpeted first 100-day economic agenda of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's government ended.

It has been exactly one month since the magnitude-9 earthquake and tsunami devastated parts of Aceh and North Sumatra.

Damien Kingsbury, Melbourne – It is a truism in politics that a cathartic experience can result in unrelated change.

The scale of the tsunami disaster and continuing health risks in Indonesia's Aceh province are almost beyond comprehension.

Amy Goodman: We're joined by journalist and activist, Allan Nairn.

As if the people of Aceh, where at least 108,000 died in the tsunami, didn't have enough problems already.

On Wednesday morning, a major radio station in Jakarta invited its listeners to comment on the Indonesian Military's (TNI) decision to restrict the movements of international aid worker

John Pilger – The west's crusaders, the United States and Britain, are giving less to help the tsunami victims than the cost of a Stealth bomber or a week's bloody occupation of Iraq.

Matthew Moore and Karuni Rompies – They look like barbeque chips or mulga roots and exude a comforting smell drifting between fresh timber and flowers.

Danang Widoyoko – The new government has vowed to take real action against corrupt officials in its first 100 days as a form of "shock therapy" in an effort to gain public trust.

Agus Widjojo, Jakarta – The term de-politicization is central to the whole concept of reforming the Indonesian Military (TNI).

Sidney Jones – Indonesia continues to be plagued by astonishingly diverse forms of violence: vigilantism, communal conflict, armed insurgencies and counter-insurgency responses, terrori

Rizal Sukma – This article examines recent changes in Indonesia's politics, perceived and real, since the election of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, affectionately called SBY, as I

From Sabang to Merauke, Indonesians acted without deliberation to support their brothers and sisters facing Sunday's calamity.

Perhaps no one ever imagined that the citizens of this country would need a police guard to commune with God; yet, this has now become a reality.

Jakarta – In the era of free competition, it is not necessary for the government to have a controlling stake in "important commodities" to protect the public interest, as it still has p

What is a good inconsistency?! For our honored Constitutional Court, that is probably the only way to describe their recent decisions.

How many times a day do we gripe about traffic in the capital?

Indonesia after Soeharto is full of surprises. Almost daily we are greeted by more surprises, both pleasant and unpleasant.

Ridwan Max Sijabat, Jakarta – Everyone is deeply concerned about the poor human development index (HDI), drug abuse and the increasing prevalence of HIV/AIDS among school-aged children

Born of a long, bloody revolution which taxed immeasurable sacrifice, it is no wonder that the words "war" and "struggle" are etched into the fables of Indonesian nationalism.