Jakarta – General Endriartono Sutarto, Commander of the Indonesian Military (TNI), has stated that reforms carried out by the TNI were not to please the United States, nor the US government or Congress.

Hundreds of rescue workers and soldiers have struggled to reach villages devastated by floods and landslides in Indonesia's East Java. The known death toll has now climbed to 63.

Stevie Emilia, Jakarta – When the world's biggest timber smuggling operation from Papua to China was exposed last year, it marked a turning point in the fight against illegal logging in the country.

Oyos Saroso H.N., Bandarlampung – Sawmill owners operating in West Lampung can easily get permits saying wood taken from the Bukit Barisan Selatan National Park is legal, an activist says.

Tiarma Siboro, Jakarta – Consistent law enforcement remained elusive in 2005, which a legal aid foundation said was the fault of the Supreme Court.

Rendi A. Witular, Jakarta – Debate over the need to request a delay on the payment of government debts, both interest and principal, from overseas creditors is unlikely to ease anytime soon, with some senior lawmakers pledging to push ahead for the facility at all costs.

Tom Benedetti, Vancouver – The attention that the tsunami brought to the previously overlooked conflict in the Indonesian province of Aceh is contributing to an end to three decades of insecurity and terror there.

The first phase of the Aceh peace agreement ended pretty much on schedule before the turn of the year. The Indonesian Military (TNI) withdrew the last of its non-local troops. The Free Aceh Movement (GAM) handed over all its remaining fire arms and formally disbanded its military wing.

Abdi Mari, Palu – Authorities searched Sunday for the suspected Islamic militants who set off a bomb at a Christian market in central Indonesia, killing seven people and underscoring the ongoing battle against terror in the world's most populous Muslim nation.

Jakarta – NGO activists consider think that the security of foreign companies such as Freeport McMoran must be provided as a compensation for tax payments to the state.

Abdi Mari, Palu – A bomb tore through a meat market crowded with people shopping for New Year's celebrations Saturday in an Indonesian province plagued by sectarian violence, officials said. At least eight people were killed and 45 wounded – many of them Christians.

Tb. Arie Rukmantara, Jakarta – A dark cloud appears to be dogging PT Freeport Indonesia (PTFI) following news reports exposing its payments to soldiers guarding the world's largest gold and copper mining firm in Papua, and its alleged poor pollution record.

Ruslan Sangadji, Palu/Jakarta – Conservative Muslim groups have openly campaigned against transvestism and the use of condoms.

They rallied against on Friday a New Year's Eve contest for the most attractive transvestite in Pekanbaru, Riau and the installation of an automatic condom dispenser in Palu, Central Sulawesi.

Tiarma Siboro, Jakarta – The Indonesian Military (TNI) announced on Friday its latest reshuffle affecting three-star generals, including former Aceh commander Lt. Gen. Endang Suwarya as TNI's chief of general affairs.

Rendi A. Witular, Jakarta – With ailing Garuda Indonesia unlikely to get back in the black anytime soon, Vice President Jusuf Kalla, in response to the airline's privatization plan, sees little pride in the state owning a national flag carrier that keeps suffering losses.

This time last year, we ended 2004 on an extremely subdued note. The powerful earthquake and massive tsunami that killed over 160,000 people and rendered another half a million homeless in Aceh and Nias island towards the end of last year stunned the whole nation, and the whole world for that matter.

Jakarta – Indonesia's defense minister called Friday for an investigation into allegations that a US gold-mining giant paid US$20 million to military commanders guarding its mine on Papua island.

Abdul Khalik, Jakarta – In a move that many saw as unnecessary, Jakarta Police declared on Thursday Lia Eden and 32 of her followers suspects for defamation of religion a day after members of the cult were forcibly evacuated from their headquarters on Jl. Mahoni in Senen, Central Jakarta.

Tiarma Siboro, Jakarta – Minister of Defense Juwono Sudarsono has told local and international companies not to make direct payments to the military officers guarding their operations as the practice is illegal.

Damar Harsanto, Jakarta – Jakartans' out of sight, out of mind attitude to domestic and industrial waste has caused the city's 13 rivers to become so polluted that if the city administration does not clean them up it will have to give up on its dream of riverine transportation.

Jakarta – Dozens of local and international non-governmental organizations (NGOs) have sent a letter to President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, urging him to instruct the police to further investigate the murder of the country's top human rights activist Munir.

Multa Fidrus, Tangerang – The Tangerang municipal administration destroyed on Thursday thousands of bottles of name-brand alcoholic drinks, pornographic pirated VCDs and six gambling machines confiscated in a string of raids this month.

Jakarta – Twenty-two women's non-governmental organizations (NGOs) from Indonesia and foreign countries have urged the Indonesian government to give security protection to Munir's family.

Tb. Arie Rukmantara, Jakarta – For over 30 years, Wati has never enjoyed "free" public services. Each time she renews her ID card, her driver's license, or applied for marriage and land certificates, as well as birth certificates for her three sons, she always is forced to pay hundreds of thousands of rupiah in bribes to obtain her documents.

Muninggar Sri Saraswati, Jakarta – The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) complained on Thursday over a lack of support from other state institutions in its ambitious anticorruption drive.

Jakarta – In spite of mounting criticism of his administration following the fuel price increases, the latest survey shows that President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's popularity remains high, with over half of the population deeming that he is doing a good job.

However, they are unhappy with the government's economic performance.

Rita A. Widiadana, Kuta – Only a few days before the deadly bombing of Oct. 1, 2005, the tourism industry in Bali and other places in Indonesia was starting to enjoy robust business after three years of being in the doldrums.

Tiarma Siboro, Jakarta – A group of human rights activists has asked President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to order the police to continue the investigation into the murder of noted human rights defender Munir in a bid to reveal the masterminds.

Ruslan Sangadji, Palu – Some 250 residents observed the 7th anniversary of the Poso conflict on Wednesday by staging a protest outside the Central Sulawesi Police Headquarters.

Lisabona Rahman and Paul F. Agusta, Contributors, Jakarta – Indonesian cinema saw an eventful year in 2005, with more than 50 titles either released or produced, making it the most prolific year in Indonesia's film history in almost a decade.

Jakarta – The Indonesian Forum for the Environment (Walhi) has requested that the government immediately halt illegal logging in Southeast Aceh and Aceh Singkil which has been disguised as wood requirements for rehabilitation and reconstruction following the tsunami disaster.

Jakarta – The Reform Star Party (PBR) has ended its internal rift during a meeting mediated by Aksa Mahmud, a deputy speaker of the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) who is also a Golkar Party member.

Aksa was reportedly ordered by Vice President and Golkar leader Jusuf Kalla to help overcome the PBR dispute.

Jakarta – An object of resentment as it often seen as a source of sound and air pollution in the capital, the three-wheeled diesel-fueled bajaj will soon be modernized.

An official of Jakarta's Association of Public Transportation Owners (Organda DKI), Jauhari Perangin-angin, said on Tuesday that 3,000 bajaj belonging to 100 individuals would be modified.

Anissa S. Febrina, Jakarta – The already-ailing Indonesian textile sector had the ladder kicked away from it this year.

Early in 2005 it was charged with being ill-prepared to face the termination of the Multi Fabric Agreement (MFA), which 20 percent of textile manufacturers here were previously reliant upon. The termination agreement was in fact reached a decade ago.

Leony Aurora, Jakarta – From elementary school on, students have the postulate drummed into them that Indonesia is rich in natural resources, including abundant oil and gas, to be used for the greater good of all.

Urip Hudiono, Jakarta – "Philip Morris buys Sampoerna for US$5.2 billion." If there was one sentence that could summarize Indonesia's investment sector in 2005, that could well be it. The US tobacco giant's purchase in March of a 97 percent stake in Indonesia's third largest cigarette producer was clearly the event of the year for investors and the business community.

Banda Aceh – Indonesia's president is under threat of assassination, his spokesman said, amid stepped-up security nationwide for the New Year holiday period over fears of extremist attacks.

Bambang Nurbianto, Jakarta – The 75 city councillors have been in office for almost 18 months, long enough for them to illustrate commitment to their election pledges.

Hera Diani, Jakarta – The year 2005 saw a series of natural and health-related disasters in the country that putt huge pressures on the still wobbly healthcare system here.

It began with the colossal work of dealing with the health problems and the destruction of the healthcare system, in the aftermath of the Dec. 26 tsunami in Aceh province.

Damar Harsanto, Jakarta – Jakartans can easily recount the promises made by media-savvy Governor Sutiyoso for the city in 2005 by delving into his well-documented statements in various media.

But, asking which promises and plans have been materialized by his administration raises more concerns on unfulfilled promises and unmet plans than satisfaction over achievements.

Dwi Atmanta, Jakarta – President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's face stiffened prior to announcing the first Cabinet reshuffle that night of Dec. 5.

He spent most of his introductory speech denying media reports regarding an alleged tug-of-war that preceded the changes to his Cabinet team, which he said were speculative and baseless.

Tony Hotland, Jakarta – Vehemently, they took turns to press the speaker's button to voice their protests, while others impatiently moved forward from their seats to the House leadership bench. A brawl was imminent, and journalists readied themselves.

Abdul Khalik, Jakarta – Immediately after taking office in July, National Police chief Gen. Sutanto ordered police chiefs across the country to crack down on gambling, threatening that those who failed to deliver would lose their posts and face criminal charges.

Reiner S., Jakarta – A massive clean-up of the country, seen by most Indonesians as deeply corrupt after decades of authoritarian rule, has become a top priority of the country's first directly elected president. So far Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's results have been mixed; and there are worrying signs that corrupt forces are fighting back – and are equally as aggressive.

Abdul Khalik, Jakarta – Three days after his release from a police detention center in July, Salim, 23, was back on the streets, extorting money from drivers passing by Tanah Abang market.

Jakarta – Those detained in raids this year numbered 14,549 people, with Rp 133 million (about US$13,523) being collected in fines, Jakarta Population and Civil Registration Agency head Abdul Kadir Kamil said on Friday.

Muninggar Sri Saraswati, Jakarta – In what is seen as further proof that corruption is entrenched in Indonesian society, up to 30 percent of Indonesian adults may have bribed officials in 2005 for speedy government service in obtaining either an ID card, a driver's license or a business permit.

Tony Hotland, Jakarta – Mounting public criticism over a visit by lawmakers to Egypt appears to have taken its toll on their maturity.

A game of cat and mouse with journalists at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport on Friday appeared to be first on the agenda for the returning legislators.

Hera Diani, Jakarta – The new law on domestic violence passed last year has encouraged more abused women to seek help, a crisis center's report says.

Before the enactment of Law No. 23/2004, police, prosecutors and even hospital staff frequently ignored women's claims of abuse when they were brave enough to make a complaint.

Abdul Khalik, Jakarta – The Jakarta Police have arrested members of a gang and their leader Hercules in relation to the attack on the office of Indo Pos daily in South Jakarta last Tuesday.

Jakarta Police chief Insp. Gen. Firman Gani said on Friday that Hercules and 12 other men were arrested on Thursday evening and were being held at city police headquarters.