Rendi A. Witular, Jakarta – The government is contemplating speeding up the sales of several unprofitable and burdensome state enterprises, a minister says, adding that the firms do not have any obligations to provide public services and are not strategic in any way.

Tony Hotland, Jakarta – Victims of the shootings of students during antigovernment protests in 1998 and 1999 were given solace on Thursday as lawmakers agreed to recommend the reopening of investigations into the incidents.

Pierre Rousset – A key figure in the democratic struggle, Munir died of arsenic poisoning in September 2004. The main murder suspect is a pilot for the Indonesian company Garuda Airlines, but everything indicates that this is the work of the secret services.

Jakarta – Observers criticized the government on Wednesday for what they see as its lack of commitment to transparency, as evidenced by its failure to respond to a House-drafted freedom of information bill.

There is widespread public frustration over the contentious verdicts recently handed down by the district courts and Supreme Court in trying several high-profile cases. Noted lawyer Todung Mulya Lubis spoke with The Jakarta Post's Ridwan Max Sijabat about the corrupt judiciary.

Bambang Nurbianto, Jakarta – A recent survey revealed that nearly 60 percent of 760 public vehicles taken as a sample in the study produced intolerable emission levels although they have passed the roadworthy test conducted by the Jakarta Transportation Agency.

Jakarta – A number of Indonesian students have stolen the limelight in international scientific contests, but in general the country's standard of public education has failed to match that of its neighbors in the Asia-Pacific region.

Muninggar Sri Saraswati, Jakarta – In contrast to a reported rise in the average pass grade, the number of students who failed the national final examinations this year rose by almost 100 percent, highlighting a widening gap between provinces in the quality of secondary education.

Thousands of farmers protest in the streets, carrying a large banner reading, "Land reform or SBY (President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono) resign", during a rally in Jakarta. During the protest, President Susilo's convoy drove past the police cordon guarding the protesters.

Jakarta – The Ministry of Defense wants an additional Rp 530.27 billion (US$55.23 million), which it requested last week to cover the costs of military operations in Aceh, to be disbursed by the end of this month.

A senior Indonesian diplomat, who has accused some Australian aid groups of fuelling separatist sentiment in restive Papua, has been nominated as Jakarta's new ambassador to Australia.

Just days after a flurry of speculation that national police chief Da'i Bachtiar could get the job, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono nominated Hamzah Thayeb, a 53-year-old Acehnese.

Christine Susanna Tjhin, Jakarta – Almost seven years after reform, the rule of law as one of the key pillars of democracy remains a fragile one. In law enforcement, we seek the certainty of the law, but what we get is the cruelty of the law.

Tony Hotland, Jakarta – The Indonesian Broadcasting Commission (KPI) says an inadequate budget and legal uncertainty regarding its power have prevented it from exercising its legitimate mandate since its inception two years ago, despite public calls for improvement in the country's broadcasting industry.

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has finally made up his mind to promote his long-time friend and a police officer with a good track record, Comr. Gen. Sutanto, as the new National Police (Polri) chief. The appointment comes five months after current chief Gen.

The East Timor and Indonesia Action Network (ETAN) condemned last night's move by the House of Representatives lifting all restrictions on military assistance for Indonesia in the FY 2006 Foreign Operations Appropriations bill.

Jakarta – Indonesia Military (TNI) chief Gen. Endriartono Sutarto expressed rejection on Tuesday of rotating the military leadership among its three forces.

"I disagree with leadership rotation, because it means that if (the military chief is) now from the Army, the next chief must be (someone) from the Navy," he said.

Jakarta – Indonesian Army Chief of Staff Gen. Djoko Santoso has stated that the Army was prepared to speed up the process of annulling all TNI businesses within two years and not five years as planned earlier.

As a follow-up to this order from the Indonesian Military (TN)I chief, the Army already held a meeting to gather business data within the Army on May 19 this year.

Jakarta – Indonesia's defence ministry has lodged a secret request for almost US$55 million dollars to continue military operations against separatists in tsunami-hit Aceh province, a report said Wednesday.

Aguswandi, London – A young girl falls into a hole and enters a world of confusion and absurdity. Everything has been turned upside down and she is trapped into dealing with small things, unable to focus on the world beyond.

The world of Alice in Wonderland is not dissimilar from the world the Acehnese now inhabit.

Jakarta – The strongest political parties flexed their muscles in the direct elections of regional heads across the country, with their nominees becoming democratically elected leaders in the landmark elections.

M Fajar Marta, Jakarta – The domination of foreign interests in the domestic banking industry continues to grow. As of March, banks owned by foreign interests were in control of as much as 42.33 per cent of the domestic banking industry meaning it has now eclipsed the domination by state owned banks.

Nothing seems to have changed within our customs service. It remains among the most corrupt public institutions in the country, together with the directorate general of taxation and the police.

Jakarta – A historian has said history can sometimes be "his story". Indonesia's prolonged controversy over the various historical accounts of the now-defunct Indonesian Communist Party (PKI) in the 1965 coup could fall into this description.

Jakarta – Poll cancellations, protests and rumors of clashes disrupted the landmark direct local leadership elections in some of the country's regencies and municipalities on Monday.

Jakarta – The establishment of military battalions in border areas is urgently needed due to the increasing threats to Indonesia from domestic and overseas elements, the Army chief said on Monday.

Eva C. Komandjaja and Muninggar Sri Saraswati, Jakarta – The fact-finding team probing last year's murder of human rights campaigner Munir has completed its work and submitted a report of its findings to the President, but it is unlikely that the high-profile case will be solved quickly.

Bandar Lampung – Hundreds of protesters attacked the Selagailingga Police station in Central Lampung on Sunday night, damaging two cars and setting office equipment and two motorcycles on fire.

Jakarta – Hendra, an 11-year-old street beggar and trash collector, stays silent and stares at the sky when asked whether he wants to continue his education.

He has given up on his dream of sitting in a classroom since his parents moved out of Jasinga in Bogor to Jakarta three years ago. The move forced him to quit after just two years of elementary school.

Harry Bhaskara, Surabaya – Some 1.9 million Surabayans will head for the polling booths today to vote for their city's first directly elected mayor. The poll is part of sweeping changes in the country's election system, a product of the 1998 political earthquake that forced president Soeharto to quit after 32 years of authoritarian rule.

Slamet Susanto, Yogyakarta – Allegations of money politics and unethical campaigning have overshadowed direct local leadership elections in three regencies of Yogyakarta province on Sunday.

However, the polls, which were simultaneously held in the regencies of Bantul, Sleman and Gunungkidul, generally passed off peacefully and smoothly.

Kornelius Purba – Each of three of our director generals has his own way of responding to criticism on corruption and poor-governance practices in their offices.

From putting the case into God's hands, to asking the public to refrain from bribery, to threatening to sue accusers who are unable to come up with proof.

Indra Harsaputra, Surabaya – Kopra, a 42-year-old vegetable seller, sat on the floor of a small hut standing on the edge of the Kalimas River in Surabaya. She was boiling water when The Jakarta Post called at the shack where she and her family have been living for three years.

A thick haze shrouding Malaysia's tourist island of Penang and caused by fires in neighbouring Indonesia has spread to the mainland, meteorological officials said.

Air quality levels in several towns on mainland Malaysia, across from Penang and extending into northern Perak state, were officially unhealthy, a meteorological official in the Kuala Lumpur bureau told AFP.

Tony Hotland, Jakarta – With rights campaigners already protesting a bill on state intelligence, more criticism is expected from lawmakers who worry the bill gives the state too much power and could lead to rights violations.

Surabaya – Indonesian Army Chief of Staff General Djoko Santoso has said that the army would prioritize the use of domestic weapons. According to Santoso, his soldiers already use many weapons made by PT Pindad.

Ridwan Max Sijabat, Jakarta – A renowned legal practitioner has called on the Supreme Court to awake from its long sleep and take measures against the corrupt judiciary system as part of the ongoing nationwide anticorruption drive.

Drivers in Jakarta need to be even more heedful and patient on the streets these days as they are full of speeding motorcyclists who invariably violate almost every traffic regulation that exists. Worse, most motorcyclists exhibit a strange habit of protesting or challenging car drivers who are just upset due to their dangerous behavior and maneuvers on the street.

Jakarta – Indonesia's Supreme Court has overturned a 15-year jail sentence against a son of former dictator Soeharto for murdering a judge, sentencing him instead to 10 years, a court official said yesterday.

Jakarta – The number of reported AIDS cases in Indonesia has more than doubled, with injecting drug users most affected, a report says.

Ardimas Sasdi, Jakarta – One of the bizarre aspects of the government's plan to revive the notorious regional intelligence network has been that it has ignored the anxiety of the people. Even more bizarrely, is its decision to secretly set up the agency despite the hue and cry about it.

Zakki P. Hakim and Urip Hudiono, Jakarta – The Consultative Group on Indonesia (CGI), a grouping of major foreign donors, was satisfied with the way Indonesia's economic reform was going, especially on efforts to improve the investment climate, a World Bank executive says.

Alan Sipress, Jakarta – The fatal, midair poisoning last year of Indonesia's best-known human rights campaigner, Munir Said Thalib, was a plot by operatives from the country's spy agency, according to members of a presidential commission probing the September murder.

Muninggar Sri Saraswati, Jakarta – The government-sanctioned team assigned to help the police in investigating the murder of prominent human rights activist Munir handed over the report of their six-months of work to President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono on Friday.

Susilo told the team that he was committed to bring the perpetrators of the murder to justice.

Zakki P. Hakim, Jakarta – The Central Statistics Agency (BPS)'s recent labor survey has revealed that the wood and textile weaving industries have lost about 500,000 and 300,000 jobs respectively last year.

In the past, journalists reporting on baffling cases had come to depend on the wisdom of rights activist Munir, who would discuss with them his suspicions or findings.

Jakarta – The Indonesian Air Force is hoping to fortify its minimum weaponry system with plans slated to procure more Sukhoi fighter jets and set up more radar units, particularly in border areas in the country's eastern parts.

Damar Harsanto, Jakarta – Young people in the capital have more permissive attitudes towards pornography, homosexuality, drug abuse and violence than their older siblings, according to one survey.

Jakarta – Former intelligence chief A.M. Hendropriyono denied on Thursday allegations that the National Intelligence Agency (BIN) was involved in the murder of human rights campaigner Munir. "I never ordered the murder. If it is the work of the institution, I should know.

Hera Diani, Jakarta – It seems that agnostics will have the last laugh, with the highly spiritual haj pilgrimage in this country being defiled by fraud and embezzlement.

Ridwan Max Sijabat, Jakarta – A career woman expressed her frustration when the justice system did not side with her, with police ignored her demand that a truck belonging to a businessman be confiscated pending a court verdict to settle their dispute.