Singapore – East Timor President Jose Ramos-Horta said Wednesday it would be symbolic if his fledgling country gained ASEAN membership next year when former occupier Indonesia takes ove

Armando Siahaan, Jakarta – Israel and Taiwan on Monday became the only two countries with no diplomatic links with Indonesia, after the government and House of Representatives agreed on

Nivell Rayda, Jakarta – A court in The Hague on Tuesday rejected a motion filed by the South Maluku Republic seeking the arrest of former Indonesian Foreign Minister Hassan Wirajuda dur

Mark Moloney, Jakarta – Ridiculing Indonesian Communications Minister Tifatul Sembiring has gone global with international television and online news portals taking turns to poke fun at

Jakarta – The Indonesian media and blogosphere continued on Thursday a campaign of condemnation against a conservative Muslim minister Tifatul Sembiring who expressed embarrassment abou

Anita Rachman & Mark Moloney, Jakarta – It has become the handshake seen and discussed around the world.

Tifatul Sembiring, the controversial and conservative minister of Communications and Information Technology, has found himself at the center of a media and Twitter maelstrom for shaking

Jakarta – Several moments before the arrival of US President Barack Obama in Jakarta on the afternoon of Wednesday November 10, thousands of workers held a protest action demanding the

Anita Rachman, Jakarta – For Deni Gustianto, 23, taking part in Tuesday's rally to protest the visit of US President Barack Obama was a no-brainer.

Tom Allard, Jakarta – The US President, Barack Obama, has praised Indonesia's transition from dictatorship to democracy and identified it as a "critical leader" in the region and on the

Jakarta, Indonesia – A conservative Muslim government minister admits he shook hands with first lady Michelle Obama in welcoming her to Indonesia but says it wasn't his choice.

Moksa Hutasoit, Jakarta – At least 30 people from the Papuan Student Alliance (AMP) demonstrated in Jakarta on Tuesday November 9 demanding that the PT Freeport Indonesia mine in Papua

Alie Usman, Jakarta – Scores of Papuan students from the Papuan Student Alliance (AMP) have again protested against the visit by US President Barrack Obama who is scheduled to arrive th

Jayapura – Three activists were arrested for staging a demonstration demanding to meet visiting US President Barrack Obama to convey their aspirations.

Jakarta – Indonesia and Australia will start negotiating a new economic partnership agreement aimed at liberalizing bilateral trade and boosting investment, the leaders of the two count

Jakarta – With 3,000 candidates vying for just 164 positions at the Indonesian Ministry of Trade, answering as many of the questions on the recruitment test correctly was always going t

Jayapura – US ambassador to Indonesia Scot Marciel reiterated his country's full support for Papua as part of the integrated nation of the Republic of Indonesia and for the implementati

Serious concerns have been raised in the United States about the treatment of West Papuans under Indonesian rule.

Shaun Tandon, Washington – The United States and Indonesia have pledged to expand co-operation to a global scale, saying they can play supporting roles on hot-button issues from the rol

Indonesia has welcomed Kevin Rudd's appointment as Australia's new foreign minister, saying the bilateral relationship will benefit from his knowledge and experience of the Asia-Pacific

Erwida Maulia, Jakarta – Condemnation greeted the President's "feeble" speech on mounting tensions between Indonesia and Malaysia, while a major party in the ruling coalition dropped pl

Peter Alford – Australia remains East Timor's key strategic partner, says its Foreign Minister, Zacarias da Costa.

Simon Roughneen, Bangkok – Burma Foreign Minister Nyan Win concluded a three-day goodwill visit to Timor Leste on Sunday, after being met by protestors at Dili's international airport o

Dili – East Timor's president said Friday his country is seeking to improve relations with Myanmar, including commercial ties.

Dili – Human rights activists clashed with police in East Timor on Friday as they protested the visit of Myanmar's foreign minister and demanded the release of Myanmar opposition leader

East Timor has taken exception to comments by Prime Minister Julia Gillard on the development of a gas field in the Timor Sea.

Dili – East Timorese Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao on Friday welcomed new Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard and thanked ousted leader Kevin Rudd for his "steadfast support".

A military operation is taking place in the Puncak Jaya region of West Papua.

Jakarta – A leader of the Free Papua movement, Nicolas Jouwe, has become an Indonesian citizen after living in exile in the Netherlands for 50 years.

Armando Siahaan – A violent tribal conflict between two groups in Kwamki Lama, a village in Mimika district in Papua, erupted again on Thursday, leaving three police officers injured a

An Australian Parliamentary delegation is visiting Indonesia (from 11 to 16 April) as part of regular official exchanges to strengthen links and engagement between the two parliaments.

Lindsay Murdoch, Darwin – In a fiercely anti-Western speech, East Timor's Prime Minister, Xanana Gusmao, has accused Australia of sacrificing the lives of 60,000 Timorese in World War I

US President Barack Obama on Thursday postponed his trip to Indonesia and Australia until June as he attempts to push his historic health care reform bill through Congress.

Sunanda Creagh – Some things in the Central Jakarta district of Matraman have barely changed since the late 1960s, when US President Barack Obama lived and played there.

Hamish McDonald – Domestic political change can do wonders for a foreign relationship.

Ati Nurbaiti, Canberra – Veteran Australian journalists have remarked that a string of negative incidents should not disrupt Australian-Indonesian relations in the long run.

Indonesia's partnership with Australia is now "solid and strong", but challenges remain, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has told federal parliament.

Kirsty Needham – The bestowing of one of Australia's highest honours on the Indonesian President, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, was a "pragmatic" move, human rights groups said.

Nethy Dharma Somba, Jayapura – A planned large-scale food production system in Merauke, Papua province, aimed at improving national food sustainability, could prove detrimental for loca

A prominent West Papuan human rights lawyer is using a speaking tour of Australia to promote the need for a peaceful solution to problems in Indonesia's troubled Papua region.

The demonstration which took place yesterday outside the Papua Legislative Assembly building consisted of several groups who had come from different parts of the city.

Tom Allard, Jakarta – Australian embassy officials in Jakarta have told Indonesian authorities the possible executions of three of the Bali Nine is a highly sensitive issue for the Rudd

Jakarta – Tycoon James Riady made it to Boston in September last year when President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono delivered a speech in front of US and Indonesian businesspeople.

It is to be hoped that Prime Minister Rudd will also raise the issue of West Papua on his trip to Indonesia for the inauguration of the Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono on

Lilian Budianto, Jakarta – Civil groups, legislators and experts expressed regret over Indonesia's decision to cancel a meeting held by members of the Burmese government in exile in Ja

Ary Hermawan, Jakarta – The historic election of US President Barack Obama has marked a new era in Indonesia-United States relations, however one cannot overlook the fact that relations

Nivell Rayda – US-based Human Rights Watch expressed outrage on Friday over the Ministry of Justice and Human Rights' decision not to investigate the alleged torture of prisoners at a s

Police in Indonesia's Papua province have named and charged three men in relation to a month-long airstrip occupation by 150 armed people in Memberamo regency.

It usually blows hot and cold in Indonesia-Malaysia ties.

Stephen Fitzpatrick, Jakarta – Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has thrown down the gauntlet to Malaysia as tensions rise over a disputed maritime zone, declaring there wil