Mawar Kusuma, Jakarta – The People's Representative Assembly (DPR) is to continue urging the US government to lift the arms embargo on Indonesia. This was revealed by the chairperson of the DPR's defense commission, Theo Sambuaga, to Tempo when contacted by telephone on Sunday afternoon, January 16.

Sue Pleming, Jakarta – The United States and Indonesia are seeking closer military ties after years of limited contact because of concern over past human rights abuses by Indonesia's army, top defence officials from both nations said on Sunday.

When delegates at a tsunami aid world summit in Jakarta tucked into beef, lamb, chicken and swordfish even as Indonesians scavenged for food on demolished coastlines, it was perhaps a sign that not all funds raised for victims would reach those who needed it most.

Kurniawan Hari, Jakarta – High profile corruption suspects will surely have difficult times ahead as a new anti-graft ruling currently being drafted by the government will not only allow authorities to detain them from the start of probe, but also will allow the state to immediately confiscate their personal assets.

Jakarta – The city administration plan to triple the price of on-street parking is aimed at encouraging motorists to keep their vehicles at home in order to ease traffic congestion in the city, an official says.

Rendi A. Witular, Jakarta – The labor union of state-controlled cement producer PT Semen Gresik (SG) will launch a massive strike if the government decides to hand over the company's Tuban, Java plants to Mexican cement giant Cemex SA.

Banda Aceh – Indonesia wants the United States to lift a long-standing ban on weapon sales to its military, arguing that it could respond more effectively to disasters such as last month's tsunami if its forces were better equipped.

As if the people of Aceh, where at least 108,000 died in the tsunami, didn't have enough problems already. Now the Indonesian government – and especially its military – is putting obstacles in the way of international efforts to aid survivors in the devastated province.

Jakarta – The fact-finding team formed to assist the police investigation into the death of rights activist Munir had its first coordinating meeting with the police at the National Police Headquarters on Thursday.

Jakarta – Hundreds of squatters evicted from a three-hectare land owned by PT Kereta Api Indonesia (PT KAI) in Tanah Abang district, Central Jakarta have set up tents along the banks of West Flood Canal.

Suherdjoko and Slamet Susanto, Temanggung – About 10,000 people took to the streets of Temanggung regency, Central Java, on Wednesday to demand the resignation of Regent Totok Ary Prabowo for corruption and arrogance.

On Wednesday morning, a major radio station in Jakarta invited its listeners to comment on the Indonesian Military's (TNI) decision to restrict the movements of international aid workers and foreign military personnel while in Aceh.

Tangerang – Hundreds of workers and students staged on Wednesday a joint rally at the Tangerang Municipal Council to protest the central government's plan to increase fuel prices as well as to demand a Rp 735,000 minimum wage for 2005.

Mikad, a student at Tangerang Syeh Yusuf University (Unis), said people across the country should oppose the fuel hike.

Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, Jakarta – Legal experts urged the government to scrap an existing ruling, which requires law enforcers to obtain approval from the President in probing state officials in graft cases, arguing that the regulation has only hampered the investigation process.

Jakarta – The often crippling traffic jams and a prolonged economic crisis have not stopped Jakartans from buying new cars.

The Jakarta administration reported on Tuesday the number of new cars on the city's streets has soared over the past four years.

Bandung – At least 1,000 workers and former workers from state aircraft maker PT Dirgantara Indonesia (PTDI) held a protest on Wednesday in response to the PTDI directors' plan to sell the company's subsidiary PT Nusantara Turbine Propulsion (NTP) to private investors.

Bill Guerin – Indonesia's economy, the biggest in Southeast Asia, may not be badly hit by the devastating tsunami disaster. "Given that the energy [mainly oil and natural gas] production facilities in Aceh or Northern Sumatra have survived the tsunami, the overall damage to Indonesia's economy appears to be minimal," United States investment bank Morgan Stanley said last week.

Jakarta – The Office of the State Minister for the Environment says its investigation into pollution that damage coral reefs and mangrove forests in Thousand Islands is almost complete.

Muninggar Sri Saraswati, Jakarta – The first hearing of a judicial review by the Constitutional Court last week of several contentious articles of Law No. 32/2004 concerning direct elections of regional leaders (provincial governors, mayors and regents) has revealed significant public concerns over weaknesses in the law.

John Pilger – The west's crusaders, the United States and Britain, are giving less to help the tsunami victims than the cost of a Stealth bomber or a week's bloody occupation of Iraq. The bill for George Bush's coming inauguration party would rebuild much of the coastline of Sri Lanka.

John Mcbeth, Jakarta – When relief workers brought the first aid to the devastated Western coast of Aceh a few days after the December 26 earthquake, they were greeted by one surviving Indonesian soldier asking plaintively: "Where is America, where is America?" America, in the form of a carrier battle group, urgently-needed helicopters and giant cargo planes, arrived in force in ear

Eva C. Komandjaja, Jakarta – The way school textbooks are procured leaves the door open to corruption in elementary and junior high schools, involving not only principals but also teachers and school committees, a survey revealed.

Kurniawan Hari, Jakarta – President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (SBY) was again urged on Thursday to prohibit government officials from holding double positions in an effort to fight corruption.

Danang Widoyoko – The new government has vowed to take real action against corrupt officials in its first 100 days as a form of "shock therapy" in an effort to gain public trust. But properly enforcing the law against such a widespread problem, with so many involved, is nothing short of a monumental task.

Rizal Sukma – This article examines recent changes in Indonesia's politics, perceived and real, since the election of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, affectionately called SBY, as Indonesia's sixth president in October 2004.

Agus Widjojo, Jakarta – The term de-politicization is central to the whole concept of reforming the Indonesian Military (TNI). However, it should be mentioned that this reform is not only about de-politicization.

Sidney Jones – Indonesia continues to be plagued by astonishingly diverse forms of violence: vigilantism, communal conflict, armed insurgencies and counter-insurgency responses, terrorism, land and resource disputes, and shoot-outs between the army and police. That's not counting the occasional high-profile murder of a beloved public figure like Munir.

Jakarta – Golkar, which elected Indonesia's Vice-President Jusuf Kalla as its chairman earlier this month, will replace its faction chief in the House of Representatives.

Mr Mohammad Hatta's replacement will harmonise party policies with those of the legislators in the House, Golkar's deputy leader Agung Laksono said on Monday.

Multa Fidrus, Tangerang – Tangerang regency councillors' protest on Monday was condemned by a religious leader and labor activist, who said the councillors had disappointed their constituents.

Chaerudin, a religious leader in the regency, said the councillors had shown that their goal was to enrich themselves.

Dewi Santoso, Jakarta – The anticorruption call made by the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) ahead of Idul Fitri has proven effective, and the city's parcel business is slowing down, even as New Year nears.

The KPK had called on state officials to refrain from receiving gifts and parcels in an effort to combat bribery.

Jakarta – A group of rights activists lamented on Tuesday the government-sanctioned fact-finding team that will probe the death of rights campaigner Munir, which they claim was powerless.

Kurniawan Hari, Jakarta – Dismissed Golkar politician Marzuki Darusman is heading back to the House of Representatives after the party's new central executive board annulled a previous decision to fire him.

Jakarta – Three Buyat Bay residents have withdrawn a US$543 million civil lawsuit filed against PT Newmont Minahasa Raya for allegedly causing heavy metal poisoning.

From Sabang to Merauke, Indonesians acted without deliberation to support their brothers and sisters facing Sunday's calamity. A spontaneous show of solidarity that was both encouraging and touching to witness.

Evi Mariani, Jakarta – Suta Wijaya ended up in the hospital simply because he wanted a quiet night's rest.

Approaching a car parked in front of his house in Pulogadung, East Jakarta, Suta asked the driver to turn down the music that was blasting out of the vehicle.

Adianto P. Simamora, Jakarta – Indonesia and Australia, long known for their love-hate relationship, are now again seeing a period of unity – at least for the time being – by a common concern: terrorism.

Eva C. Komandjaja, Jakarta – The government-sanctioned fact-finding team formed to assist the police investigation into the death of rights activist Munir is ready to begin work, a police officer said on Monday.

Veeramalla Anjaiah, Jakarta – After a turbulent six-year journey from an authoritarian regime to a full-fledged democracy, Indonesia – which is home to the largest Muslim population in the world – fully regained in 2004 its clout in international politics. The 1997 Asian financial crisis devastated the country's economy and lacerated its sociopolitical set up.

Jakarta – Many people in the automotive industry are really happy these days with the handsome bonuses they have received after achieving or even surpassing sales targets and other performance indicators, thanks to cheaper bank loans that fuel demand and help keep the economy humming.

Zakki P. Hakim, Jakarta – The popular issue blanketing the textile and clothing industry, both at home and overseas, throughout the year 2004 was the termination of the global textile quota system.

Tiarma Siboro, Jakarta – The government on Monday warned 42 companies, some of them state-owned, to radically improve their protection of the environment within six months, otherwise they would face severe punishment, including a freeze on their operations.

Yang Razali Kassim – Indonesia's new President, Dr Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, has just demonstrated that while he may be new in his job, he is a political leader not to be trifled with.

Jakarta – The dream for better legislative representation appeared to have come true when the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) agreed in 2002 to adopt a bicameral legislative system.

Ridwan Max Sijabat, Jakarta – Regional autonomy, including special autonomy in the conflict-ridden provinces of Aceh and Papua, has made little headway in the years since its introduction, not only due to the government's apparent reluctance to implement the law, but also local leadership problems.

Jakarta – Indonesia's economy has been given a real boost by recent promises of financial reform. But a controversial ruling barring foreign investors from the country's struggling power sector could short circuit efforts to pull in vital overseas cash.

M. Taufiqurrahman, Jakarta – In 2004, almost six years after the dawn of the reform movement, Indonesia's record on corruption remained shabby as ever.

Jakarta – The National Police investigators are set to hold a disciplinary hearing, which could spell the dismissal of 16 officers alleged to have received bribes during the Bank BNI scandal investigation.

Muninggar Sri Saraswati, Jakarta – The government is making a breakthrough in its anticorruption campaign with the drafting of a regulation that will shift the burden of proof to suspects.

Minister of Justice and Human Rights Hamid Awaluddin said over the weekend that the regulation would consider corruption an extraordinary crime, equivalent to that of terrorism.

M. Taufiqurrahman, Jakarta – A year of living dangerously for the press here was signaled early last year when well-connected businessman Tomy Winata filed a criminal complaint with the police against Tempo magazine over an article published in February 2003.

This was the first of a number of attacks on press freedom during the course of the year.