Oyos Saroso H.N., Bandarlampung – Lampung's Golkar Party secretary Oktaviano was sentenced on Thursday to four years in prison and fined Rp 200 million (US$22,222) in a graft scam involving the provincial education office. The Tanjungkarang District Court found Oktaviano guilty of embezzling Rp 6 billion allocated for the procurement of textbooks in Lampung province.

Devi Asmarani, Jakarta – President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono yesterday issued a decree stepping up the fight against corruption in Indonesia.

All government members have been ordered to help him embark on the ambitious task. In a ceremony marking National Anti-Corruption Day, the President also urged the nation to take part in a massive campaign against graft.

David Leigh – Disclosures in the Guardian that a British arms company paid 16 million pounds to Indonesia's president's daughter to obtain a government-backed sale are being investigated, the leader of the Commons, Peter Hain, told MPs yesterday.

[Indonesia's Struggle: Jemaah Islamiyah and the Soul of Islam, by Greg Barton, University of New South Wales Press, August 2004, Sydney. ISBN: 0-86840-759-3. Price: A$16.95 (paperback), 118 pages.]

We should count ourselves blessed that we live in an age where human rights are part of our daily vernacular. In both substance and speech Indonesians have succeeded in breaking the chains of authoritarianism and can now freely execute their political rights, by speaking out against repression, and addressing, if not correcting, injustices across the archipelago.

Timothy Mapes, Jakarta – BP PLC's plans to invest about $5 billion in a natural-gas project in Indonesia's remote eastern region are coming under fire from human-rights groups, which charge that the company isn't living up to promises to make it a model for investing in the developing world.

Devi Asmarani in Jakarta and Shefali Rekhi in Singapore – The former general is showing his colours.

Long used to a disciplined life, Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono seems to be taking this approach as he strives for order and prosperity in his country.

Rob Evans, David Leigh, David Pallister and John Aglionby in Jakarta – Britain's controversial sale of tanks to Indonesia was a thoroughly corrupt transaction, according to the Alvis documents released yesterday to the Guardian.

Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, Jakarta – Syamsir Siregar was sworn in as the new head of the National Intelligence Agency (BIN) by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono on Wednesday, promising to fight separatism and terrorism.

Indonesia says it won't shy away from the controversy of prosecuting the world's biggest gold mining company for alleged pollution.

Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, Jakarta – After 59 years of independence, poverty remains a major problem in 190 regencies in the country, a minister says.

Indonesian presidents after Soeharto are likely to have learned one important lesson from the former dictator: Don't slip on the oil. Politically, oil is indeed a slippery commodity for Indonesia.

Tiarma Siboro and Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, Jakarta – President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono spoiled the commemoration of rights defender Munir's birthday on Wednesday by shelving the establishment of an independent team to investigate his death.

Indonesia's powerful military is getting out of big business, so the newly elected democratic government can tighten control over its wealthy generals, curb corruption and reform the ranks.

John Aglionby, Jakarta – Three hundred non-governmental organisations and individuals yesterday wrote to Lord Browne, the chief executive of energy group BP, to express their "mounting concerns" over the company's failure to meet human rights commitments made two years ago in a multibillion pound natural gas project in Indonesia.

Arry Anggadha, Jakarta – The Jakarta Legal Aid Foundation (LBH) says that law enforcement agencies are incapable of upholding human rights in Indonesia. LBH is urging the government, law enforcement agencies and the people's representatives to be become more serious about upholding human rights.

Dimas Adityo, Jakarta – The DPR [House of Representatives] questioned Defence Minister Juwono Sudarsono's plans to lobby the United States Congress to withdraw its military embargo against Indonesia.

David Leigh, David Pallister, Rob Evans, and John Aglionby in Jakarta – The high court yesterday ordered the release of files disclosing payments by a leading British arms company to the daughter of the then president of Indonesia in a landmark ruling for freedom of information.

Salim Osman, Jakarta – The falling out between two key figures of Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) is threatening to break up Indonesia's largest Muslim organisation with millions of followers.

Suryani Ika Sari, Jakarta – Trade unions and labour groups from the United Workers' Alliance have demonstrated at the Jakarta Provincial Council building demanding to meet with the Jakarta governor, Sutiyoso, and calling on the governor to repeal Govenoral Decree Number 2515/2004 which sets the provincial minimum wage at 711,843 rupiah per month.

Indonesia's President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has appointed a fellow former general to head the nation's sensitive intelligence agency, BIN. Retired Lieutenant-General Sjamsir Siregar once served in the military's intelligence wing and some analysts see his appointment as a much-needed bridge between the police and the military.

Presenter/Interviewer: Sen Lam

Theresia Sufa, Bogor – Hundreds of women demonstrated on Monday to demand seven village heads in the area help secure the release of 19 residents detained by the Bogor Police following a violent clash at the Bojong waste treatment facility in Bogor regency on November 22.

Puji Santoso and Andi Hajramurni, Pekanbaru/Makassar – Violence triggered by the recent election of a Golkar Party leader in South Sulawesi spread to Siak regency, Riau province, on Sunday night.

As a result, Siak Police deployed dozens of personnel to prevent the riot from escalating as tensions ran high in the regency.

Australia will double anti-terrorism aid funding for Indonesia to $20 million over the next year, Foreign Minister Alexander Downer said.

Damar Harsanto, Jakarta – "Forget asking about how we're going to cope with the fuel price hike. Just asking the government to increase our wages to meet the minimum cost of living is difficult enough," complained Iqbal.

Fadli, Batam – Businesspeople oppose Riau Islands acting governor Ismeth Abdullah's plan to review the monthly minimum wage of Rp 635,000 (US$70.50) on the industrial island of Batam.

Indra Harsaputra and ID Nugroho, Surabaya/Blitar – More towns in East Java will likely follow Blitar's major flood with the Meteorology and Geophysics Agency (BMG) forecasting continuous torrential rain and strong winds this week in the province, which has been denuded of much of its protective forests.

Tony Hotland, Jakarta – Nurhasanah, 48, could not hold back the tears welling up her eyes as she shared the story of her son who disappeared more than six years ago during the May 1998 riots, one of the more tragic events in Indonesian history.

Indonesia's president has picked an army general who supported his recent rise to power to head the country's intelligence agency – a key post in the fight against terror in the world's most populous Muslim nation.

Dadan Wijaksana, Jakarta – A visiting team from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has recognized early signs that the administration of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono is serious about improving the business climate here.

Devi Asmarani, Yogyakarta – Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono yesterday urged religious leaders to play a strong role to build tolerance in their communities in the fight against terrorism.Opening a two-day meeting on inter-faith cooperation here, he said religious leaders must promote religion as an agent of peace in the world.

Medan – The chief of the Bukit Barisan military command, Maj. Gen. Tri Tamtomo, reiterated on Monday that any soldiers found providing protection for places of entertainment would be severely punished.

The Jakarta Police receive more money than any other police force in the country, yet residents say they are still 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.

Bill Guerin, Jakarta – Indonesia's prolonged transition to democracy may have distracted it from issues tied to its Association of South East Asia Nations (ASEAN) membership and lessened its political weight and influence there, but after last week's ASEAN summit in Laos, the country's sixth president, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, has grabbed the ASEAN free-trade ball and is running wi

Damar Harsanto, Jakarta – The city administration is sticking to its plan to simultaneously build new busway corridors from the Pulo Gebang bus terminal, currently under-construction in East Jakarta, to Kalideres, West Jakarta, even though land acquisition remains a problem.

Jakarta – On December 7, around 500 trade union members from the United Workers' Alliance held a demonstration in front of the offices of the Provincial Legislative Council (DPRD) in Jakarta on Jalan Kebon Sirih Central Jakarta.

Terrorism is the enemy of all faiths, Indonesian president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono told religious leaders from across Asia, Australia and the Pacific at a conference on how to curb rising religious extremism.

Semarang – The majority of regency and city branches of the Golkar Party will support the election of media magnate Surya Paloh over the incumbent leader, Akbar Tandjung, in its upcoming congress in Bali.

Jakarta – Last week, the former chairperson of the People's Democratic Party (PRD), Budiman Sudjatmiko, decided to join the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) along with 51 other democratic activists. After two years of study in England, Sudjatmiko's decision to enter the PDI-P appears to be the start of his return to the political arena.

Bambang Nurbianto, Jakarta – The recent call for thrift by People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) chairman Hidayat Nurwahid has apparently yet to be heeded by the city's 75 councillors.

Instead, they will start discussing draft bylaws on financial matters for city council leaders and members that will entitle them to numerous facilities, including cars.

Mudrajad Kuncoro, Yogyakarta – Problems with regional autonomy and increasing demands for bribes are further slowing Indonesia's exports in a highly competitive regional market, a survey of 100 top executive managers says.

Evi Mariani and Bambang Nurbianto, Jakarta – After 55 years of service, the prestigious Jakarta Police are still deemed a disappointment by taxpayers, who pointed to unresolved crimes and chaotic traffic management on Monday.

Kurniawan Hari, Jakarta – Scholars on Islamic studies warned on Saturday that religious radicalism would continue to grow over the next few years, partly due to perceived unfair treatment of Muslims around the world.

Religious leaders from 13 countries gathered in the heartland of Indonesia's al-Qaeda-linked Jemaah Islamiah group to discuss how to combat sectarian extremism.

Dwo, Jakarta – It is hoped that President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono will immediately form a special team which can handle the murder of human rights activist Munir.

Jakarta – A police expert urged the government on Saturday to establish the planned National Police Commission (KKN) immediately to allow the public at large to have a say in the work of the police and thus minimize abuses by police personnel.

It has been four years since the police force said it intended to institute reform in order to provide better service and protection to the public. Previously, the police force was an integral part of the military for over 30 years. However, many still consider that the police have yet to "reform" themselves.

Zakki P. Hakim, Jakarta – A 40 percent increase in fuel prices would have little direct impact on the production cost of food and beverages, but the prices of several commodities could rise significantly due to higher transportation and packaging costs.

Evi Mariani, Jakarta – It has been a week since kancil, 4-wheeled mini-taxis, hit the streets of Jakarta, but their presence is very limited because only 26 are in operation thus far.

The locally made vehicles were produced in a bid to phase out the Indian-made bajaj (three-wheeled motorized taxis) which are notorious for their shrill engines and thick, black smoke.

Rendi A. Witular, Jakarta – Poverty has not stopped the poor from smoking – the latest market research shows they have just switched to cheaper non-branded cigarettes, which is giving the country's traditional tobacco giants a proverbial kick in the butt.