Eva C. Komandjaja, Jakarta – Growers have blamed the high cost of locally-produced sugar on the old and inefficient manufacturing facilities of producers, and accused them of deliberately organizing damaging and misleading campaigns designed to put the blame on growers in order to obtain profitable import licenses.

Dadan Wijaksana, Jakarta – It has been six years since the banking sector started its restructuring efforts. Still, while improvement in its financial health is undeniable, certain flaws remain – indicating that the recovery process is still a long way off.

Kompas – A reexamination, evaluation and refinement of People's Representative Assembly (MPR) Decree Number VI/MPR/1999 and MPR Decree Number VII/MPR/1999 is being carried out by the department of defense and members of the People's Representative Assembly (DPR).

Ridwan Max Sijabat, Jakarta – How tragic and terrible has been the violence against a great number of Indonesian women employed overseas this year! Not only were they harassed, physically abused or even raped but were also sent home without proper payment or traded from one employer to another.

Dadan Wijaksana, Jakarta – The Indonesian Bank Restructuring Agency (IBRA) has so far handed over Rp 26.1 trillion (about US$3.1 billion) to the state coffers from its assets sale programs this year, slightly exceeding the target of Rp 26 trillion.

Jakarta – Christmas celebrations across the country proceeded peacefully on Wednesday and Thursday amid the heightened presence of police.

Fitri Wulandari, Jakarta – The government expects investment in oil and gas, as well as power sectors, to improve next year on the back of attractive oil and gas resources and the liberalization programs in the power sector.

Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Purnomo Yusgiantoro said the government expects to sign 15 new oil and gas contracts next year.

Rizal Maslan, Jakarta – Indonesian Human Rights Watch director, Munir, has said that the statement by army chief General Ryamizard Ryacudu that 60,000 foreign agents have entered Indonesia in order to weaken the military represents an endeavour to create new tensions. This could also damage foreign diplomatic relations.

Kurniawan Hari, Jakarta – Despite their pledge to fight for the aspirations of the public at large, legislators in the House of Representatives continue to display a willingness to betray their constituents in order to further their own interests.

Tiarma Siboro, Jakarta – Down but not out, is perhaps the idiom that fits the Indonesian Military (TNI) the most after the reform movement in 1998 put an end to three decades of undemocratic rule, placing much on security for the sake of economic growth.

Urip Hudiono, Jakarta – The Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation (YLBHI) has slammed the Army chief's statement that he would deploy troops if the 2004 elections turn into bloody chaos, saying such a remark was politically unethical and could pose a serious threat to the nation's newly born democracy.

Robert Go, Jakarta – Indonesia's Religious Affairs Minister Said Agil Al Munawar is under fire after the government admitted errors and cancelled bookings for 30,000 Muslims who had registered to undertake the haj next month.

Abdul Khalik, Jakarta – A middle-aged lady carrying a stack of papers rushes into the National Police Headquarters' detective building, mumbling almost hysterically as bystanders try to understand.

Samarinda – The orangutans (Pongo pygmaues) in East Kalimantan province are now on the brink of extinction, because rampant and expanding illegal logging in the province.

M. Rizal Maslan, Jakarta – Army chief Ryamizard Ryacudu has again said that at least 60,000 foreign agents have entered Indonesia. According to Ryacudu, these foreign agents are linked with a modern war plan to weaken the role of the TNI (armed forces) and to play people off against each other.

The candidacy of three daughters of founding President Sukarno in the upcoming 2004 general elections has opened up new potential for a test of the loyalty of nationalist voters and possible scenarios concerning the ability of President Megawati Sukarnoputri and her Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) to retain power.

Jakarta – In Jakarta on Thursday December 25, army chief of staff General Ryamizard Ryacudu, explained that army intelligence has obtained indications that the 2004 elections will be tainted by disturbances. He gave the example of the 60,000 foreign agents from large foreign countries which are in Indonesia at the moment.

Jakarta – Indonesia's General Elections Commission (KPU) Chairman Nazaruddin Sjamsuddin expressed hope that people in the provinces of Maluku, North Sulawesi and Papua would not boycott the 2004 general elections.

"We hope the elections would run well and people in Maluku, North Sulawesi and Papua could accept the reality," he said on Wednesday.

Samarinda – Dozens of disabled persons in East Kalimantan staged a protest on Tuesday, demanding the government to end discrimination against them in the work place.

Jakarta – President Megawati Sukarnoputri has questioned the motives behind the assumptions which have been made about the organisation of the 2004 general elections which claim they will be susceptible to turmoil and disturbances.

Robert Go, Jakarta – Indonesian soldiers will be mobilised to take control of the situation should next year's elections "turn bloody", the army's top officer has warned.

The remarks by the Army Chief of Staff, General Ryamizard Ryacudu, has rekindled talk about the military seeking to reassert itself in domestic politics.

Kurniawan Hari, Jakarta – Government critics, students, and non-governmental organization activists on Tuesday launched a nationwide drive aimed at urging the people not to elect "dirty rotten politicians" in the 2004 elections.

Devi Asmarani, Jakarta – High-profile minister Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono is a dark horse likely to steal the spotlight from incumbent President Megawati Sukarnoputri as she strives for re-election next year.

Thousands of Indonesian police went on alert as Christians in the world's largest Muslim-populated nation prepared to celebrate Christmas under the shadow of a continuing terror threat.

Almost 166,000 officers, or two-thirds of the entire force, will be deployed nationwide to safeguard the Christmas and New Year festivities – more than 22,000 of them in the capital alone.

Abdul Khalik, Jakarta – The National Police announced on Tuesday another financial scandal at Bank Rakyat Indonesia (BRI) involving Rp 200 billion (US$23.5 million) from the workers insurance fund, PT Jamsostek.

Urip Hudiono, Jakarta – The Jakarta Legal Aid Institute (LBH Jakarta) criticized the House of Representatives for producing legislation that served the interests of capital owners more than the general public.

Moch. N. Kurniawan, Jakarta – The commitment of political parties that will contest next year's elections to transparency is in doubt as they remain reluctant to disclose the source of their initial campaign funds to the General Elections Commission (KPU), a week after the deadline.

Fitri Wulandari, Jakarta – The country's economic growth is projected to remain at a moderate level of around 4 percent next year as uncertainty during the seven-month voting and campaigning periods will cause investment to remain weak.

Urip Hudiono, Jakarta – The Coalition Against Forests for Mining and representatives of about 5,000 Kao and Malifut tribespeople of Halmahera island in North Maluku are demanding Australian company PT Nusa Halmahera Minerals (NHM) to immediately stop its open-pit mining in the protected forest of Toguraci.

A. Junaidi, Jakarta – Many officers from the Indonesian Military (TNI) and police, as well as politicians and government officials are involved in the rare animal trade in the country, allowing the illicit practice to flourish, activists claim.

Tony Hotland, Jakarta – The tryout of the new extended three-in-one traffic policy to support the Jakarta busway project is set to start on Wednesday despite strong objections from Jakartans, who say the new policy is unlikely to work any better than the old policy.

Jakarta – Indonesia's economic growth rate in 2004 will increase to between 4.2 and 4.4 per cent despite the possibility of heightened tensions at home during the general and presidential elections, an economic research organization said.

Jakarta - There has been almost no meaningful progress in the functioning or political performance of the executive, legislative and judicial institutions in 2003, either at the national or local level.

Robert Go, Jakarta – Around 150,000 police officers, about two-thirds of the total force, will be deployed in Indonesia to thwart possible terrorist strikes against churches during the Christmas season.

A. Junaidi, Jakarta – Heightened illegal logging activities and poor law enforcement worsened forest destruction across the country in 2003, a noted non-governmental organization said in its year-end review on Monday.

Muninggar Sri Saraswati, Jakarta – The bill on water resources, which has been widely criticized for regarding water as a commodity, does not guarantee the rights of ethnic minority groups and poor people to access to clean and affordable water, experts say.

Muninggar Sri Saraswati, Jakarta – Army chief Gen. Ryamizard Ryacudu called on the people on Monday not to promote a civilian-military dichotomy, arguing that such a division was part of a foreign scenario to destroy the country.

Jakarta – A researcher said here on Monday that a revolution could break out if conflicts occur between anti-democracy and reform forces in next year's general elections.

Moch. N. Kurniawan, Jakarta – The General Elections Commission (KPU) dismissed on Monday a demand from a number of new political parties to delay the December 29 deadline for the submission of the names of legislative candidates.

Moch. N. Kurniawan, Jakarta – According to a new survey, next year's elections are likely to produce unscrupulous politicians who have no commitment to fighting corruption and enforcing the law, and more and more people are becoming disillusioned with the so-called reform movement.

Jakarta - Human rights violations perpetrated in 2003 cannot be separated from military control, particularly the army. The government of President Megawati Sukarnoputri has not worked as hard as its predecessors, like [former presidents] B.J. Habibie and Abdurrahman Wahid to control the TNI [Indonesian armed forces].

Jakarta – The TNI-AD (the army) sincerely hopes that the 2004 elections will proceed safely, smoothly and orderly. TNI-AD has no wish for the festival of democracy, which will be crucial in determining the course of the nation for at least the next five years, to turn bloody as a result of conflict between the children of the nation for the sake of the ambitions of certain groups.

A'an Suryana, Jakarta – The Army, which is the most dominant service within the ranks of the Indonesian Military (TNI), has been praised for keeping its distance from politics and better respecting human rights.

Jakarta – The Indonesian Bank Restructuring Agency (IBRA) said that it would transfer all remaining unsold assets to new companies operating under the Office of State Minister of State Enterprises.

Previously, it was planned that the assets would be taken over by a holding company under the Ministry of Finance, after IBRA's termination on Feburary 27, 2004.

Jakarta – Indonesia made progress in promoting respect for religious freedom, but in a number of cases the government failed to punish extremists responsible for murder and other crimes.

Jacqueline Mackenzie, Jakarta – Gadis Arivia is the Executive Director of Yayasan Jurnal Perempuan (YJP, Women's Journal Foundation), which initiated the Suara Ibu Peduli (Voice of Concerned Mothers), among the crucial movements capitalizing on the early days of the economic crisis to raise people's political awareness.

Urip Hudiono, Jakarta – With the elections fast approaching, Indonesians of Chinese origin have set conditions for legislative and presidential candidates to win their support, namely the ending of all discriminatory policies and regulations.

Jakarta – The International Monetary Fund has concluded its high-profile role in designing the country's economic reform program over six years with the announcement late last week of its last loan tranche.

Palembang – Indonesia will fail to attract any foreign direct investment (FDI) next year if chaos occurs in the general elections, prominent businessman Sofyan Wanandi said.

Foreign investors would then think that saving their money in banks was better than investing it, he told a seminar on creating harmonious industrial relations.

Kurniawan Hari, Jakarta – A group of 13 political parties, mostly Muslim-based, have agreed to form a coalition immediately after the legislative election on April 5 next year, one party leader confirmed.