Jakarta – The International Labor Organization (ILO) launched a report on Wednesday, which for the first time presents comprehensive global and regional data on forced labor and call for a global alliance to eliminate the practice.

Jakarta – The multiparty political system has not significantly contributed to regional autonomy and politicians continue to ignore their constituents demands and aspirations, a study says.

Muninggar Sri Saraswati, Jakarta – The Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle's (PDI-P) decision to expel 12 members of a dissenting group opposed to Megawati Soekarnoputri's leadership is likely to deepen the party's internal conflict, says a respected party member.

Jemris Fointuna, The Jakarta Post, Kupang – Hundreds of Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) supporters went on a rampage on Tuesday night in Manggarai, after their candidates for regent and vice regent were refused registration by the local General Elections Commission (KPU). Their candidacy was rejected because they had missed the registration deadline.

Tiarma Siboro, Jakarta – Indonesian Military (TNI) chief Gen. Endriartono Sutarto has suspended six officers, four of them from the military intelligence unit, to enable them to contest the upcoming regional elections.

Jakarta – The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) has seized around Rp 3 billion (US$315,789) out of a total of some Rp 20 billion in funds allegedly given by private firms to the General Elections Commission (KPU) as kickbacks.

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono
President of Indonesia
Istana Merdeka
Jakarta 10110 Indonesia

11 May 2005

Dear President,

Munir murder investigations

Jakarta – Indonesia will increase its budget for the armed forces from Rp14.7 trillion (RM6.1 billion) to Rp23 trillion (RM9.6 billion) aimed at, among others, improving the effectiveness of measures taken against illegal logging, illegal fishing, smuggling and human trafficking.

Jakarta – After months of stonewalling, the former secretary of the National Intelligence Agency (BIN), Nurhadi Djazuli, agreed on Monday to meet the government-sanctioned fact finding team investigating the murder of human rights campaigner Munir Said Thalib.

Tony Hotland, Jakarta – Members of the General Elections Commission (KPU) maintained their innocence against charges of corruption before House of Representatives legislators on Monday, attempting to throw guilt onto the KPU secretariat general.

Bill Guerin, Jakarta – An incident of bullying, threats and violence on a basketball court at Jakarta's top school for expatriate children has brought Southeast Asia's biggest economy firmly back into the international spotlight, for all the wrong reasons.

Abdul Khalik, Jakarta – The rampant programs on television depicting violence and sex begs a question: Are people in the TV industry equipped with any knowledge of ethics?

Tony Hotland, Jakarta – Apparently not wanting to go down alone, General Elections Commission (KPU) treasurer Hamdani Amin, who has recently been declared a graft suspect, told investigators on Friday that all the KPU officials had received money from private companies, which had won business tenders from the commission.

Eva C. Komandjaja and Muninggar Sri Saraswati, Jakarta – The antigraft team set up recently by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono may overlap with the duties of other existing anticorruption bodies, thus could put efforts to eradicate the crime in disarray, observers say.

Oyos Saroso H.N., Bandarlampung – Local journalists say the nine-month imprisonment of two of their colleagues over a report on alleged corruption will not discourage them from unveiling more graft cases.

Muninggar Sri Saraswati and Rendi A. Witular, Jakarta – The government has finally issued the much-awaited regulation on land acquisition in an effort to speed up the construction of massive infrastructure projects, sacrificing rights of property owners opposed to the projects.

Eva C. Komandjaja, Jakarta – A two-month joint operation against illegal logging in Papua has ended with "satisfying" results, the National Police and the Ministry of Forestry said on Friday.

Ivy Susanti and Muninggar Sri Saraswati, Jakarta – Adm. William J. Fallon, the newly-appointed commander of the US Pacific Command, said on Friday he was upbeat that his country would soon resume full military ties with Indonesia, which were downgraded 13 years ago.

Hera Diani, Jakarta – The current uncertain relationship between the state and Islam stems from the Soeharto regime's unclear vision about how it dealt with extremist movements, Muslim scholars say.

Slobodan Lekic, Jakarta – Indonesia must do more to pursue justice in the shooting deaths of two American schoolteachers three years ago before Washington can agree to restore military ties with Indonesia, a senior US diplomat said Saturday.

Tony Hotland, Jakarta – Chairman of the National Awakening Party (PKB) Muhaimin Iskandar asserted on Friday he would not dismiss or recall any dissenting PKB legislators who had opposed the party's national congress last month.

The United States is determined to normalize military ties with Indonesia, America's top commander in the Pacific said Friday, despite accusations by human rights groups that Jakarta's armed forces are continuing to commit abuses.

Rachmat Gobel, Jakarta – In recent years, there has been an exodus of international companies from Indonesia. Kyocera is just one of the most recent examples. Because of this exodus, and the reluctance of new investment to come into Indonesia, many are claiming that Indonesia is threatened by a "de-industrialization" process.

Jakarta – The election monitoring group the People's Network for Voter Education (JPPR) believes that the provincial offices of the General Elections Commission (KPUD) in a number of parts of the country are taking an excessive attitude (over acting) in determining what documents are required for organisations to be accredited to monitor the election of regional heads.

When Director General for Land Transportation Iskandar Abubakar launched the idea of having all private vehicles undergo a roadworthiness test in 2003, he was met with strong resistance from the public. There was widespread suspicion that the test would be a ruse to extort money from motorists.

Oyos Saroso H.N, Bandarlampung – Media freedom in Indonesia is on the brink of ruin, with two senior journalists in Lampung being sentenced to nine months in jail for defamation.

ID Nugroho, Sidoardjo – An old bicycle is parked among hundreds of motorcycles near a machinery assembling factory in East Java town of Sidoardjo. The bicycle is rusty, and its seat torn.

"It's bad, I know, but this bicycle gets me to work every day," Haryono, a factory worker, told The Jakarta Post.

Moch. N. Kurniawan, Jakarta – This is a story of a hero-turned public enemy. Mulyana W. Kusumah – a rights activist and member of the Indonesian Elections Commission (KPU) – was one of the many so-called "heroes" who it seemed had succeeded in organizing a mammoth task, the 2004 general and presidential election.

Rendi A. Witular and Muninggar Sri Saraswati, Jakarta – President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono installed on Wednesday 51 members of a special team charged with the task of intensifying and improving the government's anticorruption campaign.

Jakarta, Nusa Dua, Bali – President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has repeated his promise to seriously fight corruption at all levels of both state and private institutions, establishing a special team to strengthen and speed up his antigraft drive.

M. Rizal Maslan, Jakarta – The Armed Forces Veterans Association (Pepabri) supports TNI (armed forces) chief General Endriartono Sutarto's policy of TNI members participating in regional elections but being put on a non-active status and that those who participate must be prepared to win or loose.

With great pleasure, ETAN today announced a new name for the 13-year-old organization – the East Timor and Indonesia Action Network (ETAN).

The group also updated its mission statement to better reflect its goals of supporting rights, justice, and democracy in both East Timor and Indonesia.

Jakarta – Military cooperation between Indonesia and the United States was high on the agenda at a meeting between Indonesian Military (TNI) chief Gen. Endriartono Sutarto and US Pacific commander Adm. William J. Fallon here on Thursday.

Jakarta – A US navy commander expressed optimism that the US will soon resume full military cooperation with Indonesia, citing progress by Jakarta on human rights issues.

Edmund McWilliams – Is the United States making the same mistakes in its search for partners in the "war on terror" as it did during the Cold War?

Eva C. Komandjaja, Jakarta – The Press Council again called for the government to revise the controversial draft of the new Criminal Code, which allows for the criminal prosecution of journalists who violate the law in the course of their jobs.

Indonesia is opposing United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan's proposal to abolish the UN Human Rights Commission and replace it with a smaller Human Rights Council that would meet year-round and have its membership restricted to countries that "abide by the highest human rights standards".

Ridwan Max Sijabat – A labor dispute bothering a major plywood company in Banjarmasin, the capital of South Kalimantan, reflects in many ways the general labor conditions in the country.

The fall of the New Order regime in 1998 and the formation of a new government after democratic elections in 1999 were seen as major boosts for press freedom in Indonesia. But the past two years have seen press freedom in the country take a hit, with several journalists brought up on criminal charges for allegedly defamatory stories.

Tangerang – About 500 public minivan drivers in Tangerang went on strike on Monday to protest the presence of a new public minivan route they said took away their business.

Urip Hudiono, Jakarta – Monthly inflation began to ease in April from its sharp rise in March, but still leaves year-on-year inflation unchanged above the 8 percent level, official figures from the Central Statistics Agency (BPS) show.

Zakki P. Hakim, Jakarta – Indonesia's first quarter exports jumped 31.39 percent to US$19.76 billion from $15.04 billion in the same period last year, thanks in part to increased demand for coal, ores, copper and other minerals, as well as knitted apparel.

Jakarta – Following a recent brawl involving soldiers and police officers, the Army has ordered members of the Cimanggis Army Strategic Reserves Command (Kostrad) to limit their activities in public areas.

Jakarta – Former Aceh military commander Maj. Gen. Endang Suwarya, who led an operation against separatist rebels, was officially installed as the new Army deputy chief on Monday.

Yogyakarta, Surabaya – More than 500 lecturers, employees and students of Yogyakarta's Gadjah Mada University (UGM) staged a protest on Monday against pay increases decided upon by the rector.

US and Indonesian military officers are meeting in the Indonesian capital to discuss ways to cooperate in the fight against Islamic terrorists in Southeast Asia, a US Embassy spokesman said Tuesday.

Tiarma Siboro, Jakarta – The central government is being urged to delay local elections as most regions appear to be unprepared for the polls and existing regulations contain many legal loopholes, which are feared may spell chaos during the elections.

Palembang (South Sumatra) – About 5,000 sidewalk vendors staged a protest at a roundabout in Palembang city center on Monday, rejecting the mayor's decision to move them to the city's Jakabaring market.

"The mayor is not being fair. We are only trying earn a living in the Pasar 16 market," a trader, Effendi, said.

Ridwan Max Sijabat, Jakarta – Labor unions have blamed the government for the worsening labor conditions in Indonesia, which they say are a result of a bad investment climate, the absence of legal certainty and the high unemployment rate.

Jakarta – Thousands of people across the country took to the streets on Sunday to mark Labor Day with demands for better working conditions and the protection of workers' rights, as well as calling for the government to declare the day a public holiday.