Bandarlampung – Hundreds of residents of West Telukbetung blocked off access to the local dump over the weekend to protest what they said was pollution caused by the dump.
The residents demanded the city administration relocate the dump away from their neighborhood after a meeting with Mayor Achmad Yulizar on Friday ended without resolving the issue.
Apriadi Gunawan, Medan – An Islamic extremist group led by elderly cleric Abu Bakar Ba'asyir, currently standing trial in Jakarta on terror charges, has established dozens of new branches in at least eight provinces across Indonesia.
Sari P. Setiogi, Jakarta – The joy of having a second child proved to be short-lived for Hasan Kesuma, 33, a self-employed resident of Bogor, West Java.
Muninggar Sri Saraswati, Jakarta – The year 2004 was capped by the appointment of Indonesia's senior diplomat, Makarim Wibisono, as head of the United Nation's Human Rights Commission for the next year.
Starting January 17, 2005, Indonesia will officially see its representative at the helm of this prestigious commission.
Muninggar Sri Saraswati, Jakarta – A high ranking official with the (then) Trade and Industry Ministry was clearly puzzled when a journalist asked for his comment about a number of companies accused of polluting a river in West Java. Seconds later, he laughed and asked the journalist to solicit comments from the State Minister for the Environment instead.
Bambang Nurbianto, Jakarta – Incidents surrounding garbage disposal opened and closed the year 2004.
Damar Harsanto, Jakarta – When one looks at the evolution of Jakarta one cannot go past Governor Ali Sadikin who was once dubbed the city's "father of development".
Bambang Nurbianto, Jakarta – With less than one week before the December 31 budget deadline, the city administration has been told to fix an error in the draft budget that could cause a deficit of about Rp 1.2 trillion (US$133.33 million) next year.
Muninggar Sri Saraswati, Jakarta – The government is making a breakthrough in its anticorruption campaign with the drafting of a regulation that will shift the burden of proof to suspects.
Minister of Justice and Human Rights Hamid Awaluddin said over the weekend that the regulation would consider corruption an extraordinary crime, equivalent to that of terrorism.
Jakarta – The National Police investigators are set to hold a disciplinary hearing, which could spell the dismissal of 16 officers alleged to have received bribes during the Bank BNI scandal investigation.
Tiarma Siboro, Jakarta – During the initial years of the "reform" euphoria, the streets were abuzz with spirited talk about removing the military from politics.
Ridwan Max Sijabat, Jakarta – Regional autonomy, including special autonomy in the conflict-ridden provinces of Aceh and Papua, has made little headway in the years since its introduction, not only due to the government's apparent reluctance to implement the law, but also local leadership problems.
Jakarta – The dream for better legislative representation appeared to have come true when the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) agreed in 2002 to adopt a bicameral legislative system.
Yang Razali Kassim – Indonesia's new President, Dr Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, has just demonstrated that while he may be new in his job, he is a political leader not to be trifled with.
Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, Jakarta – In the last 10 months of her presidency, Megawati Soekarnoputri tried to do the impossible: make up for the disappointment of her first 28 months in office.
Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, Jakarta – With a sorrowful and troubled look in her eyes, Megawati Soekarnoputri pleaded for the lives of two Indonesian maids held hostage by militants in Iraq.
Jakarta – Indonesia's economy has been given a real boost by recent promises of financial reform. But a controversial ruling barring foreign investors from the country's struggling power sector could short circuit efforts to pull in vital overseas cash.
Palembang – Some 250 travel drivers from various cities of South Sumatra province visited Palembang Municipal Council on Thursday, to demand that city councillors revoke a bylaw that prevents minivans for hire or travel vans from entering the city.
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 political and legal power to prevent market forces from hurting the public, a businessman said on Thursday.
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. Is God being held hostage by worldly threats, or is it the people?
Damar Harsanto, Jakarta – Activists slammed the Rp 13.839 trillion (US$1.483 billion) draft city budget on Thursday, saying would be a gold mine for dodgy deals because it had not been allocated transparently.
Apriadi Gunawan, Medan – About 8,000 illegal firearms are circulating in North Sumatra, many of which are being used for violent crimes, provincial police chief Insp. Gen. Iwan Pandjiwinata said on Thursday. Iwan did not say how police had arrived at the estimate.
Jakarta – Ahead of Christmas and New Year's Eve, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has given two precious gifts to Papuans and the family of the late rights campaigner, Munir.
He signed on Wednesday night presidential regulations on the establishment of the long-awaited Papua People's Assembly and an independent team to probe Munir's death.
Jakarta – Police have arrested nine businessmen and confiscated trucks, boats, heavy machinery and 107,337 cubic meters of timber worth Rp 600 billion (US$66 million) in a series of raids on illegal logging operators over the past month.
The series of raids took places from Nov. 28 to December 18, in East Kalimantan.
Tony Hotland, Jakarta – Newmont Mining Corp. has admitted to having put tons of mercury vapors into the air in Buyat Bay, North Sulawesi, but insists that the mercury did not have negative impacts on the bay and its people.
M. Taufiqurrahman, Jakarta – Most political parties contesting the legislative elections have turned a blind eye to the Election Law requiring them to be financially accountable and have gotten away with failing to submit reports on campaign funds, an international poll watchdog says.
Jakarta – Fears of attacks by Islamic militants are forcing some Christians in Indonesia to abandon traditional churches in favour of more discreet and secure venues this Christmas.
Jakarta – Around 80 per cent of TNI (armed forces) businesses have no definable assets, in other words they are illegal. These undefined types of businesses are those outside of businesses managed by TNI foundations or economic enterprises which have clearly definable assets.
Rusman, Tenggarong – Police officers violently broke up a picket inside the Kutai Kartanegara regental administration compound here on Wednesday, beating several picketers who were camping out to protest the appointment of an acting regent.
Marwaan Macan-Markar, Bangkok – The new leader of the world's most populous Muslim country, Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, has a serious challenge ahead, having stepped into the political limelight just as Southeast Asia's identity as a symbol of moderate Islam becomes increasingly bruised by the region's own Muslims.
Jakarta – Hundreds of workers took part in a rally in front of City Hall on Tuesday, demanding the administration to increase the monthly minimum wage to Rp 759,953 (US$81.72) for 2005.
Jakarta – A group of Muslim hard-liners called on the House of Representatives on Wednesday to begin work on a bill that would limit the construction of other religions' places of worship.
The activists, from the Muslims Forum, said the regulation would serve to prevent unchecked proselytization by each of the religions in the country.
Dewi Santoso, Jakarta – Pasar Pagi (the morning market) existed long before most malls and shopping centers in the city.
"I used to have a lot of customers. They came here for many things, from clothes and toys to school supplies and kitchenware, because they could get them here at cheaper prices," said Amen, the owner of a grocery shop in the Pasar Pagi complex.
Indonesia's military needs at least 70,000 more troops to ensure security and would ideally be almost double its current size, a report quoted the head of the army as saying.
Slamet Susanto, Sleman – A former general manager of a Yogyakarta start-up newspaper was sentenced to nine months in jail on Wednesday for defamation.
The verdict ignored demands earlier by media workers outside court room, who said that the judge must not criminalize the media and should respect the freedom of expression.
Muninggar Sri Saraswati, Jakarta – As the Anticorruption Court scheduled the first hearing for his graft case, Aceh Governor Abdullah Puteh was rushed to the hospital with an unspecified ailment in the wee hours of Wednesday.
His legal counsel, O.C. Kaligis, said Puteh was taken to the M.H. Thamrin hospital in Salemba, Central Jakarta, due to asthma.
Muninggar Sri Saraswati, Jakarta – The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) announced on Wednesday that all members of the United Indonesia Cabinet have submitted their wealth reports ahead of the December 20 deadline.
Yuli Tri Suwarni and Luh Putu Trisna Wahyuni, Bandung – Former West Java governor Nuriana has been accused of bribing all 100 members of the previous provincial legislative council to cover up his alleged role in a Rp 224 billion (US$24.8 million) graft case.
John Mcbeth, Jakarta – With palace aides already worried about a slide in his popularity, the time has arrived earlier than he would have wished for President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to demonstrate a much more assertive brand of leadership.
Kurniawan Hari, Jakarta – The popularity of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has dropped sharply over the past month due to people's unmet reform expectations, according to a survey by the Indonesian Survey Institute (LSI).
Semarang – The Central Java provincial government has proposed that, starting from January next year, provincial councillors will get a monthly payment of Rp 5 million as a housing allowance.
M. Taufiqurrahman and Kurniawan Hari, Jakarta – A Golkar party leader said on Wednesday that there would be no abrupt changes in relations between the House of Representatives (DPR) and the executive following the election of Vice President Jusuf Kalla as the party's new chairman.
Eva C. Komandjaja – Public enemy No. 1 and bombing fugitive Azahari bin Husin had worked undetected in a building near the Australian Embassy to plan the September 9 attack, a top police officer said on Wednesday.
Medan – Leaders of a union on Wednesday reported alleged arbitrariness by plantation company PT Tolan Tiga Indonesia to Medan councillors.
Jakarta – Army chief of staff General Ryamizard Ryacudu has revealed that army businesses, particularly those which are part of foundations "only" generate 30 billion rupiah per year. "That's if [we're] lucky. Perhaps this amount could decline further in the future", he told Tempo at the army's headquarters in Jakarta.
Veeramalla Anjaiah, Jakarta – With its huge population and dynamic economies, Asia is increasingly poised to become the new strategic center of gravity in global politics, and Indonesia, a Southeast Asian regional power, has a big role to play in that set up.
Zakki P. Hakim, Jakarta – It seems that confidence in investment climate in Indonesia may have started to improve, with hundreds of potential investors, foreign and domestic, having expressed enthusiasm to participate in next month's infrastructure summit.
What is a good inconsistency?! For our honored Constitutional Court, that is probably the only way to describe their recent decisions. Last week, we were baffled by the court's decision to annul the Electricity Law. This week, however, we are encouraged by the court's verdict to uphold the Oil and Gas Law.
Uba/Ant, Jakarta – Muhammadiyah, Indonesia's second largest Islamic mass organisations, is moving to establish a new political party. Not because of discontent with the National Mandate Party (PAN) – but the longing and enthusiasm of the new generation of Muhammadiyah members to have their own party.
Jakarta – Fresh from his election as the new leader of the Golkar Party, Mr Jusuf Kalla has strongly signalled that Golkar is out of the Nationhood Coalition of opposition parties, saying there is no such permanent bloc in the country's Parliament.