Bandung – West Java Governor Danny Setiawan rejected on Thursday workers' demand for a repeal of the governor's decree on the minimum wage.

Danny said the decree had been agreed by all parties concerned, including workers' representatives.

Yuli Tri Suwarni, Bandung – Thousands of West Java factory workers, grouped under the National Workers Union (SPN), staged a five hour protest on Wednesday outside the West Java governor's office, demanding that the governor raise the minimum wage in the province.

Muhammad Nafik, Jakarta – Although it is emerging as the world's largest Muslim democracy, the country still has a long way to go until it plays a greater role in the Muslim world and other international affairs due to lingering domestic problems, say analysts.

Indonesian prosecutors' bid to link a radical Muslim cleric to bomb attacks suffered another setback when a key witness withdrew a confession tying the militant to a regional extremist group.

Kornelius Purba and M. Taufiqurrahman, Nusa Dua/Bali – This week's Golkar Party congress will feature rich, deceptive and powerful people bidding to win the chairmanship of the party, which controls the most seats in the House of Representatives.

There's high drama in Bali at the annual conference of the powerful political party Golkar. Indonesian police have confirmed they're investigating a possible attempt to poison the Vice President Yusuf Kalla, whose attending the conference and is standing for its leadership.

Tony Hotland, Jakarta – A government-sanctioned joint team announced its official report on alleged Buyat Bay pollution here on Wednesday, maintaining its stance that PT Newmont Minahasa Raya (NMR) is guilty of contaminating the bay in North Sulawesi.

Muninggar Sri Saraswati, Jakarta – The Constitutional Court annulled on Wednesday Electricity Law No. 20/2002, ruling that it was against the nation's Constitution for opening the door to full competition in the electricity business. It was the first law to be annulled by the powerful court since its establishment last year.

Kurniawan Hari, Jakarta – The government must give authority to the General Elections Commission (KPU) in local elections to prevent the interference of regional legislatures, an observer says.

Under Law No. 32/2004 on regional administrations, local elections are organized by local election commissions (KPUDs), which are accountable to regional legislatures (DPRDs).

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.

Jakarta – Indonesian Military (TNI) chief General Endriartono Sutarto has said that the TNI is ready to be placed under the ministry of defense ministry only if this was aimed at reaching a better democratic life. The TNI is basically obliged to encourage the democratization process in Indonesia towards a better situation.

Kurniawan Hari, Jakarta – The Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) is considering modifying the prerogatives granted to party leader Megawati Soekarnoputri, in an attempt to become more modern.

PDI-P deputy secretary-general Pramono Anung Wibowo said here on Tuesday that special powers could only be exercised after consultation with other party leaders.

Ruslan Sangadji, Palu – Enraged by the latest attacks on churches in Palu, Central Sulawesi, Christian leaders demanded here on Tuesday that the government investigate the bloody incidents thoroughly.

Evi Mariani, Jakarta – Billions of rupiah in change from traffic fines remain idle at a state bank, as most people have been reluctant to go to court over traffic tickets and preferred to pay out-of-court settlements.

James Rose – Indonesian and international groups have called for a halt to BP's Tangguh liquefied natural gas project in Indonesia in a letter to BP chief executive Lord Browne, citing sustainability concerns.

The letter highlights concerns over progress on key human rights commitments, transparency, and issues surrounding the West Papua secessionist rebellion movement.

Muninggar Sri Saraswati, Jakarta – Attorney General Abdul Rachman Saleh says Indonesia will continue to impose the death penalty for certain crimes, as the country lacks competent law enforcement institutions. "I think the death penalty remains relevant," he said on the sidelines of a seminar on the death penalty sponsored by the European Union here on Tuesday.

Jakarta - Suciwati, the wife of the late Munir, is to seek international support. She will be forced to do this if an Indonesian independent investigation team is not able to work effectively.

Damar Harsanto, Jakarta – At least 2,500 families will lose their homes next year when the city administration launches a massive eviction operation to remove squatters who are living along riverbanks, under overpasses and on idle plots of land.

The administration, however, promised that the people would relocated to nearby low-cost apartments provided by the city.

Fabiola Desy Unidjaja and Kurniawan Hari, Jakarta – The government has finalized a draft presidential regulation to transfer control of the directorate general of post and telecommunications from the Ministry of Transportation to the Office of the State Minister of Information and Communication.

Tiarma Siboro, Jakarta – The Ministry of Defense is looking into the procurement of 100 Scorpion light tanks from a leading British arms company in the mid-1990s, in hopes of helping the anticorruption unit in a potential bribery investigation.

Devi Asmarani, Jakarta – Indonesia is planning mandatory military service for its citizens in a bid to beef up the country's defence forces.

Matthew Moore, Jakarta – The oldest daughter of former Indonesian president Soeharto is being investigated for corruption after revelations that she received a 16.5 million pounds ($A42.2 million) payment from a British arms company.

Slamet Susanto and Tarko Sudiarno, Yogyakarta – President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has called on the nation to avoid drugs, free sex and smoking as part of a healthy lifestyle campaign he launched on Friday.

Tony Hotland, Jakarta – Relatives and close friends of the late rights campaigner Munir have established a new award called the Munir Courage Award, and will present it beginning next year to exemplary human rights activists.

Jakarta – Police broke up a fine arts fair in Surakarta, Central Java, on Friday, as students and activists staged protests around the country to mark International Human Rights Day.

Attendees of the arts fair were forcibly dispersed by police intelligence officers, who said they were preventing a possible social disturbance.

Most residents say the Jakarta Police are unable to deal with crime and traffic in the capital. In conjunction with the Jakarta Police's 55th anniversary on December 6, The Jakarta Post asked residents for their opinion on this much-maligned force.

Tiarma Siboro, Jakarta – Marking International Human Rights Day, the National Commission on Human Rights recommended on Friday that President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono reopen probes into past shooting incidents that killed students who were demanding reform.

Eva C. Komandjaja, Jakarta – Police managed to recover only Rp 139.7 billion out of Rp 8 trillion (US$889 million) lost to corruption over the past three years, said a police officer on Friday.

John Aglionby in Jakarta, Rob Evans, David Pallister and David Leigh – Anti-corruption investigators in Indonesia launched an inquiry yesterday into the Guardian's disclosures that a British arms company paid 16.5 million pounds to ex-president Suharto's daughter over a deal to sell light tanks.

The House of Representatives and political parties have been labelled the most corrupt institutions in Indonesia by an international corruption watchdog. Transparency International Indonesia (TI Indonesia) ranked them first in its corruption barometer report for 2004 released earlier this week.

Jakarta – The International Monetary Fund (IMF) is upbeat on this country's economy, saying it could expand even more than predicted, due mostly to a favorable market response to the peaceful general elections and the new government's policy intentions.

Urip Hudiono and Zakki P. Hakim, Jakarta – Apparently irritated by recent reports highlighting the grotesque corruption within the directorates under his control, the finance minister has ordered the directors general dealing with taxation and customs and excise to sign an antigraft pledge.

A thief who cries thief, or maling teriak maling, is a famous old Indonesian expression that has come back into vogue with the dawn of the government's latest corruption campaign.

Shawn Donnan – Indonesian human rights activist Munir had plenty of powerful enemies. As an outspoken critic of the former Suharto regime and institutions such as the military, he had become so accustomed to death threats, friends say, that he long ago stopped counting them.

Tangerang – Thousands of workers held a rally at the Banten gubernatorial office in Serang on Friday, arguing that the Rp 693,500 (about US$77) monthly minimum wage set for 2005 was below the minimum cost of living.

Scholars have warned the public that they should not anchor much hope on President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's administration, as from the outset it has shown signs of incompetence.

Kurniawan Hari, Jakarta – The Golkar Party held a one-day meeting here on Friday, with several of its local leaders proposing that the party's regency branches be granted the right to vote at its upcoming election for a new chairman. Golkar is holding its national congress to elect a new leader from December 15 through December 20 in Nusa Dua, Bali.

Sri Wahyuni, Yogyakarta – A theater performance in the city during the weekend pulls in a packed house, but this is no usual theater audience. Instead of middle class actors playing to an upwardly mobile crowd, this was a play about and by "the help".

Rendi A. Witular, Jakarta – Few people could afford to buy the latest BMW 5 car at the age of 27, no matter how hard they work. But, Amien, not his real name, can buy one easily. He's a public official in one of the country's most corrupt institutions: the tax office.

Indramayu, West Java – A woman activist disclosed on Thursday that child traffickers are operating in at least 10 regions of Indonesia. Some areas are located near the Malaysian and Indonesian border, with Batam city tipped as the area with the highest incidence of child trafficking.

CAAT warmly welcomes the decision by Mr Justice Park to allow the Guardian access to the court file of the case Chan U Seek vs Alvis Vehicles Limited.

Patrick Guntensperger, Jakarta – Never before in Indonesia's long history has a leader's mandate come at so pivotal a time.

Kurniawan Hari and Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, Jakarta – House of Representatives legislators urged the government to take the suspicious death of human rights activist Munir seriously, if it did not want the country to come under mounting criticism from the international community.

Tiarma Siboro, Jakarta – Uncooperative lawmakers and law enforcers remain a persistent hurdle that the National Commission on Human Rights has to clear in upholding human rights in the country, the commission says.

Nani Afrida, Banda Aceh – A middle-ranking Navy officer, who shot dead four Army soldiers here in August and left another one critically wounded, has been jailed for 10 years and dishonorably discharged from the Navy, a military spokesman said on Thursday.

Jakarta – Indonesia's military, which is undergoing phased reforms intended to bring it under civilian control, may soon lose all its major businesses.

Bagus Kurniawan, Yogyakarta – Commemorating International Human Rights Day, on Friday December 10 students and activists in Yogyakarta, Central Java, held a long march carrying four biers and photographs of recently murdered human rights defender Munir.

Budi Hartadi, Surabaya – Around 300 activists from a number of groups in the East Java provincial capital of Surabaya held an action in front of the Grahadi Building and at the grounds of the provincial parliament on Friday December 10 to commemorate International Human Rights Day.

M. Rizal Maslan, Jakarta – The Human Rights Working Group (HRWG) is calling on the government to provide protection and legal certainty against threats which have been received by human rights defenders, and to punish the perpetrators.

Theresia Sufa, Bogor – Six police officers, who were found guilty of using unnecessary violence during the November 22 protest at the Bojong waste treatment facility in Bogor, have only been punished with administrative sanctions.

The ruling was read out by the chairman of the police disciplinary committee, Comr. Rastra Gunawan, at Bogor Police Headquarters on Thursday.