The Indonesia Human Rights Committee has written to the Prime Minister to express its support for her statement made at the East Asia Summit that re-starting military ties with Indonesia is not on the agenda.

Helen Clark's concern about the lack of accountability for the perpetrators of human rights abuses in East Timor is also welcome.

Tb. Arie Rukmantara, Jakarta – Indonesia has been unable to effectively implement three United Nations (UN) conventions relating to environment protection due to the classic problems of lack of information dissemination and weak coordination.

ID Nugroho, Surabaya – The cemetery was quiet in the afternoon, with only the sounds of birds chirping in tamarind trees and the bleat of grazing goats being audible. A grave, covered with blue tiles and sheltered by a gray dome, appeared unkempt. Cracks have started to appear and one section of it is littered with dead leaves.

Ridwan Max Sijabat, Jakarta – The true picture of the country's unemployment is much worse than is being acknowledged by the government, a prominent labor analyst said.

Bomer Pasaribu, director of the Center for Labor and Development Studies (CLDS), said on Friday that the number of workers who had lost their jobs this year was estimated at 1.2 million.

Urip Hudiono and Mustaqim, Jakarta – As high inflation and interest rates continue to climb, the economy is expected to remain sluggish until the end of 2006, Bank Indonesia said, wrapping up both this year and next with weaker than expected growth.

Benteng Reges, Jakarta – Following the revelations of Fabianus Tibo-one of three Catholics sentenced to death for the 2000 sectarian violence in Poso-demands are growing that the real culprits of the violence of that period be identified. Increasingly, religious hatred does not seem to be the sole motive.

Bambang Nurbianto, Jakarta – Members of several Muslim organizations will help guard churches over the Christmas and New Year period, a city official says.

M. Aziz Tunny, Ambon – The Southeast Maluku regency administration has ordered the closure of a radio station that often aired stories criticizing the local authorities.

Jakarta – Aiming to boost efficiency, the world's largest instant noodle maker, PT Indofood Sukses Makmur, has dismissed thousands of workers and plans to keep on doing so until at least 3,500 workers have been laid off by the end of the year.

Tiarma Siboro, Jakarta – Human rights campaigners on Wednesday blamed the slow investigation into last year's murder of pro-democracy activist Munir on President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's reluctance to unravel the case and bring all of the perpetrators to justice.

Members of the House of Representatives Commission I on defense Permadi and Djoko Susilo examine various types of weaponry belonging to the Army Special Forces (Kopassus) at the unit's headquarters near the Central Java town of Surakarta.

Ben Terrall – As the US empire continues its so-called "war on terror" via blank checks for the military-industrial complex, the Bush Administration recently overrode a congressional ban on military aid to Indonesia and restored all such assistance by exploiting a "national security waiver."

Abdul Khalik, Jakarta – Jakarta Police are requiring all hotels across the capital to report the identities of their guests to police as soon as they check in.

Ridwan Max Sijabat, Jakarta – General Elections Commission (KPU) chairman Nazaruddin Sjamsuddin was sentenced on Wednesday to seven years in jail for corruption in a high profile case that could eventually implicate other prominent figures, including some close to the administration.

The reports coming out of Papua about a famine that has taken the lives of 55 people since November punctuate the suffering of a country still reeling from the recent fuel price increases.

This despite the newly gained sense of optimism following the shake-up of the economics team in the Cabinet.

Joyce Barnathan – It has been a tough road for Indonesia. Since the Asian financial crisis led to the toppling of its long-time corrupt strongman Suharto in 1998, the world's fourth-largest country has faced one major test after another. Its great challenge is to demonstrate that democracy can grow and thrive in a moderate Islamic state.

Jakarta – In spite of the public uproar, the government has disbursed Rp 10 million (US$1,030) in monthly operational allowances for each of 550 House of Representatives lawmakers, Antara has reported.

Jakarta – The USA, according to US-Indonesia (USINDO) society President Alphonse Laporta, might impose a new military embargo on Indonesia because every year the Congress has a different budget committee that will discuss the new legislation.

Jakarta – No matter what verdict is delivered in the murder trial of prominent Indonesian rights activist Munir on Friday, activists and legal experts say the true mastermind may never face justice.

Jakarta – The Islamic-oriented Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) has claimed it senses a conspiracy to alienate it from the coalition that supports the current administration.

Arin Widiyanti, Jakarta – Concerned about their livelihoods that are being ground down by the advanced countries, though policies being driven by the World Trade Organisation (WTO), farmers, workers and fisherpeople are urging the minister of trade, Mari Elka Pengestu, to struggle for and to protect their welfare.

Jakarta – The National Police have announced the largest-ever reshuffle under chief Gen. Sutanto, which an analyst claims kick-starts a new paradigm that will promote meritocracy. In a telegram dated Dec. 9, made public on Saturday, Sutanto appointed 13 new regional police chiefs, of whom eight will get a promotion in rank.

Rusman, Balikpapan – Illegal logging on Borneo along the Indonesia-Malaysia border has increased in recent years, leading to rapid deforestation, a non-governmental organization (NGO) activist has said.

ID Nugroho, Surabaya – Deddy Prihambudi, the chairman of the Surabaya Legal Aid Institute, who usually speaks in an explosive manner, was, for a moment, unusually quiet.

Tiarma Siboro, Jakarta – Australia has invited Indonesia's special forces Kopassus to join a two-week counterterrorism exercise next year, a move which rights activists say is inconsistent.

Reporter: Alexandra Kirk

Mark Colvin: There's been a mixed reaction to the Federal Government's decision to resume training with Indonesia's special forces.

Military cooperation was cut in 1999 when Kopassus trained militias which killed East Timorese people while Australia was leading a peacekeeping mission there.

Labor says the Government must ensure proper safeguards are in place when Australia resumes training exercises with Indonesia's notorious Kopassus special forces early next year.

We are shocked and disappointed by the Australia-Indonesia Institute's (AII's) last-minute withdrawal of support for this year's Jakarta International Film Festival (JiFFest) – funds that were committed fully five months ago in support of Australian films and workshops at this year's festival.

Jakarta – Indonesia welcomed Australia's decision Sunday to resume ties with its elite commando unit to help fight terrorism, but human rights activists questioned whether the force had improved its record since Canberra imposed the ban.

Human rights have become part of the daily vocabulary of people at all levels of society. However, it is obvious that not everyone, including the most educated in society, have a correct understanding or a true grasp of just what is meant by human rights.

Jakarta – The International Monetary Fund (IMF) foresees stronger coordination between the fiscal and monetary authorities in navigating Indonesia's economy through the high inflationary and high-interest rate environment.

Eva C. Komandjaja and Wahyoe Boediwardhana, Jakarta/Malang – In an effort to fight terrorism and other crimes, the government would fingerprint all citizens instead of only students of Islamic boarding schools, police here said on Friday.

As the world community prepared to commemorate International Human Rights Day on Dec. 10, human rights activist Todung Mulya Lubis shared on Thursday his observations on the advancement of human rights in the country over the past year with The Jakarta Post's Ridwan Max Sijabat.

Tb. Arie Rukmantara, Jakarta – The Indonesian Forum for the Environment (Walhi) has urged the government to address environmental problems from a human rights point of view.

Sian Powell, Jakarta – Australia has left organisers of an Indonesian film festival in the lurch on the eve of its opening by withdrawing funding because it objects to a documentary about Guantanamo Bay inmate David Hicks and three other works.

Ridwan Max Sijabat, Jakarta – Freedom of association is not being upheld in many workplaces here in spite of the seven-year reform movement, a labor union has reported ahead of International Human Rights Day.

Cirebon – An NGO activist lashed out on Friday at new minimum wage set up by the local administration, saying that it was well below workers' expectations.

"The government is ignoring the rights of workers to enjoy decent lives," said Yoyon Suharyono, an activist with the Worker and Environment Foundation (YBLH).

Anna Piekarski – Yan Christian Warinussy is a wanted man. Not because he has committed a crime, but because he is trying to protect the law.

Mr. Warinussy is a human rights lawyer in West Papua, a land where, he says, more than 100,000 people have been killed since the Indonesian government took control in 1963.

Tb. Arie Rukmantara, Jakarta – All Indonesians will soon enjoy equal opportunities as regards employment recruitment and placement, and in the remuneration they receive, regardless of gender, religion, race, ethnic group, political affiliation or social status... on paper at least.

Muninggar Sri Saraswati and Rendi A. Witular, Jakarta – President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono swore in six economic ministers on Wednesday, emphasizing the importance of improving the country's macroeconomic condition currently in a meltdown due to higher inflation.

Serang – High Commissioner Badrodin Haiti, the Banten Chief of Police, regrets the lack of participation by members of the general public as regards pursuing terrorists.

Ridwan Max Sijabat, Jakarta – An alliance of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) launched on Wednesday a national movement to fight corruption in the country's judiciary system, which they said had reached an alarming level.

Muninggar Sri Saraswati, Jakarta – The government defended its plan to fingerprint all students of Islamic boarding schools (pesantren) as part of the antiterrorism drive despite opposition from some lawmakers and religious leaders, whom he asked not to display an "allergic reaction" to the proposal.

Machhendra Setyo Atmaja, Jakarta – A sentence of life imprisonment for Pollycarpus Budihari Prijanto is unsatisfactory as he is only a scapegoat. There is concern that the state is protecting the mastermind behind the Munir murder case.

Yuli Tri Suwarni and Eva C. Komandjaja, Bandung/Jakarta – The crackdown on terrorism conducted by an elite police unit has resulted in numerous instances of rights violations as most of the arrests made were illegal, rights campaigners allege.

Yuli Tri Suwarni, Bandung – More than 300 pedicab drivers staged a protest on Wednesday outside the Bandung municipal council building here, demanding that the government revoke a bylaw that bans pedicab drivers from operating in 15 areas in the city.

A new survey of foreign executives has ranked Indonesia the most corrupt country in the Asia Pacific region.

Presenter/Interviewer: Emily Bourke

Speakers: Robert Broadfoot, managing director of Political and Economic Risk Consultancy, Hong Kong

Nani Afrida, Banda Aceh – A leading non-governmental organization (NGO) has opposed a plan by the government to grant forest concessions to 11 businessmen intended to secure a supply of timber for reconstruction work in Aceh.

Jakarta – With little fanfare, the House of Representatives unanimously agreed on Tuesday to pass the bill on teachers and lecturers, which aims to improve the educators' welfare.

Muninggar Sri Saraswati, Jakarta – Vice President Jusuf Kalla was not feeling well, according to his aides, but his face was wreathed in smiles as he boarded the Fokker F-28 presidential plane that would take him back to Jakarta on Monday night.