Leony Aurora, Jakarta – Following months of steady growth, Indonesia's exports would hit a record US$65 billion worth this year, up 6.5 percent from last year, due to soaring oil prices and increasing export volumes, a government official says.

Nala Edwin, Jakarta – Around 20 Bojong residents from the Bogor regency demonstrated at the Jakarta national police headquarters demanding the release of 17 colleges who were arrested in relation to a recent clash at the Bojong Integrate Rubbish Dump.

Jakarta – Non-government organisations (NGOs) are concerned about Indonesia's nomination to chair the United Nations Human Rights Commission because it will actually silence the human rights movement in Indonesia itself. In order to hold this prestigious position Indonesia must first demonstrate a strong commitment to upholding human rights at home.

Suwarjono, Jakarta – TNI (armed forces) chief Endriartono Sutarto is asking that the death of human rights activist Munir not be turned into a political issue. Munir's case is a criminal one and must be resolved legally.

M. Taufiqurrahman and Tiarma Siboro, Jakarta – Amid calls for a speedy investigation into the death of rights campaigner Munir, the House of Representatives has agreed to support the establishment of a special investigative team.

Today, Wednesday 24th November, Indonesia hosts its first ever arms fair in Jakarta, with over 250 companies attending [1] including UK-based Rolls Royce [2] and a subsidiary of BAE Systems, Atlas Elektronik [3]. Arms from UK based companies have been used against civilians and insurgents in the conflicts of West Papua and Aceh.

Indonesian police have confirmed their arrest of four Muslim militants, including the bombmaker, for the suicide blast outside the Australian embassy in Jakarta that killed 11 people in September.

Endy M. Bayuni, Santiago – Is forging trade liberalization measures, at a time when the economy is still struggling to get back on its feet, really in the best interest of the nation?

Jakarta – Indonesia's police chief yesterday ordered a rare probe into his men's violent handling of a protest near Jakarta in which at least five people were wounded by shotguns and 33 arrests made.

Bogor/Bandung/Jakarta – Dozens of mostly women residents of Bojong village, Klapanunggal district, Bogor, West Java, had to undergo a long journey on Tuesday before being allowed to visit their husbands and brothers hospitalized with gunshot wounds after Monday's clash with the police over the opening of a waste processing facility.

Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, Jakarta – Upon arriving back from his first long overseas trip on Tuesday, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono immediately addressed a number of domestic issues, ranging from security problems in Aceh to the recent violent protest over a dump in Jonggol, Bogor, West Java.

Jakarta – Indonesia is considering buying up to 12 fighter bombers from Russia, and the nation's defense minister will go to the US next year to push for the lifting of a ban on weapon sales, officials said Wednesday.

A major defence industry showcase has opened in Indonesia, moving the country closer to the high-tech weapons it wants to fight militants and crush rebels but doing little to ease concerns of those who want it held to account for past military abuses.

Jakarta – The saga over the replacement of the Indonesian Military (TNI) chief is apparently nearing its concluding stages, as a plenary meeting of the House of Representatives has agreed to give the final say on the issue to the President.

Sari P. Setiogi, Jakarta – The Joint United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) warned Indonesia on Tuesday that the virus was spreading rapidly among women and girls in the country.

Muninggar Sri Saraswati, Jakarta – Activists here told the government on Tuesday that illegal logging was the work of domestic organized crime syndicates – including security officials – and that everybody involved must be investigated and prosecuted to stop the forest destruction.

The Indonesian Human Rights Committee is calling on the New Zealand Government to make urgent representations to the Indonesian Government to allow diplomats, international agencies and journalists renewed access to West Papua and Aceh. This urgent request was faxed to Minister Goff today.

The cruelest fate has befallen the sincerest of men. He spent his life absolving the glories of our blood and state. But his dauntless effort was indemnified by a poison chalice. An unrighteous end to a noble life.

M. Taufiqurrahman and Tony Hotland, Jakarta – The House of Representatives (DPR) appeared reluctant on Monday to lend their support for a thorough probe into the death of human rights campaigner Munir, who died of acute arsenic poisoning.

Damar Harsanto, Jakarta – The city's civil servants straggled back into the office on Monday, the first day back to work after the long Idul Fitri holiday.

Medan – The local administration is investigating a rumor that materials for civil servant recruitment tests had been sold to applicants.

Each copy of the exam was sold for a maximum Rp 10 million (US$1,063), said North Sumatra Secretary Muchyan Tambuse.

Tiarma Siboro, Jakarta – A United States Senate's demand for the putting on trial of the Indonesian Military (TNI) officers deemed to be responsible for atrocities in East Timor remains a thorny issue in the efforts to restore military ties between the two countries, a minister has said.

Dimas Adityo, Jakarta – Indonesian government has refused to have the settlement of human rights violation in East Timor following the 1999 ballot and the murder of US citizens in Timika, Papua, in August 2002, as the main conditions in resuming military relations between Indonesia and the USA.

M. Rizal Maslan, Jakarta – Threats in the form of a package containing a rotting chicken carcass which were sent to the wife of Munir were also been sent to the offices of Indonesian Human Rights Watch (Imparsial) on Jalan Diponegoro at around 1.15pm on Tuesday November 23.

Santiago, Chile – On the sidelines of the Asian Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit in Santiago, US President George W. Bush and the US Chamber of Commerce requested that the Indonesian government, represented by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, improve the investment climate in Indonesia.

Bogor/Jakarta – A protest over a waste treatment plant turned violent on Monday as police opened fire on residents of Bojong village in Klapanunggal district, Bogor, wounding seven.

Jakarta – The Central Sulawesi Police seized more than 500 weapons including homemade firearms in two days of raids over the weekend following a bombing in the restive regency of Poso on November 13 that killed six people.

Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, Jakarta – Punctuality is one thing that President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has enforced during his first month in office, unlike his predecessors.

After having a career in the military, Susilo is demanding that Cabinet members, presidential staff and even journalists covering his activities be punctual.

Ambassador Marie T. Huhtala, Washington DC – Indonesia has experienced a dizzying series of changes since the fall of President Soeharto in 1998, representing rather amazing progress in the country's democratization. With a vast, multi-ethnic nation and little history of democracy, Indonesia has faced a steep learning curve, but the results so far have been impressive.

Jakarta – The wife and colleagues of human rights activist Munir who died of arsenic poisoning aboard a plane flight in September vowed on Sunday not to be silenced by intimidation and to continue voicing their demands for justice.

The widow of a murdered Indonesian rights activist has vowed not to be silenced by death threats, including a dismembered chicken sent to her with a warning to stop blaming the military for her husband's death.

Jakarta – The wife of an Indonesian human rights activist who was fatally poisoned was sent a dismembered chicken, media reports said yesterday. It came with a death threat, warning her not to publicly blame the military for her husband's death.

Human Rights Watch has warned that Malaysia's plan to arrest and deport hundreds of thousands of illegal immigrants could spark rights abuses and harm legitimate refugees and victims of human trafficking.

The expulsion plan "may result in widespread rights abuses," the New York-based Human Rights Watch said in a statement released Tuesday.

Indra Darmawan, Jakarta – Leading non-government organisation (NGO) figures are urging the government to form an independent team to investigate Munir's murder.

Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, Jakarta – The majority of illegal Indonesian migrants working in Malaysia have chosen to ignore the amnesty offer from Kuala Lumpur.

It is now already a month after the inauguration of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's United Indonesia Cabinet and the market is still waiting for what has long been promoted as Susilo's first 100-day action plan to fully restore investor confidence.

Endy M. Bayuni, Santiago – Indonesia remains committed to the goals of free trade but it will also exercise its right to protect its industries and workers as far as allowed under the World Trade Organization (WTO), chief economics minister Aburizal Bakrie says.

Endy Bayuni, Santiago – President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and Australian Prime Minister John Howard agreed on Friday to address concerns about defense and security matters to prevent possible misunderstandings in the future.

Arin Widiyanti, Jakarta Munir's widow, Suciwati, says that the threats against her indicate that the death of her husband was politically motivated. She has asked that the investigation not be directed at Munir's closest friends as suspects in the murder.

Arin Widiyanti, Jakarta – The executive director of Indonesian Human Rights Watch (Imparsial), Rachlan Nashidik, says that the person or persons threatening Munir's family want to send a message that it was the TNI (armed forces) who killed the human rights activist. Imparsial does not want to be provoked by the perpetrator into joining in with accusing the TNI.

An Indonesian police team, accompanied by a human rights activist, is visiting the Netherlands to seek more information about the death of outspoken human rights crusader Munir, after a Dutch autopsy concluded that arsenic poisoning killed him on a flight to Amsterdam.

Arin Widiyanti, Jakarta – Indonesian Human Rights Watch (Imparsial) and the Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras) are urging the government and police to investigate threats which have been made against the family of the late Munir.

The US Congress agreed yesterday to renew bans on International Military Education and Training (IMET) and foreign military financing (FMF) for Indonesia.

Abdul Khalik, Jakarta – Pipit Subakir, 40, holds his two children tightly by the hand while his wife, Tuti, 35, and his brother-in-law, Sofyan, 19, follow behind as the family walk out of the Senen railway station in Central Jakarta on Friday.

For a newcomer, a simple drive across town can be a heart-stopping experience. A lack of discipline, ignorance of traffic regulations and the plain absence of courtesy among motorists make our streets a hazard. Compounding this is the deficient road infrastructure and the flagrant inconsistency of traffic officers in enforcing the law.

Derwin Pereira, Jakarta – A long-time friend from the army and a group of young technocrats form the inner circle in Merdeka palace.

Oyos Saroso H.N., Bandarlampung – Some 21 traffic police officers are facing possible demotion or dismissal for extorting money from motorists traveling through the province during the week-long Idul Fitri holiday.

Endy M. Bayuni, Santiago – Building infrastructure will be the bedrock of the government's economic strategy for the next five years, and that means raising no less than US$72 billion, or around Rp 600 trillion to finance related projects, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said on Friday.

Aguswandi, London – An interesting opinion article appeared in this newspaper, which drew a comparison between the plight of the Palestinians and the Acehnese. (The Jakarta Post, November 8). This is maybe the first time an Indonesian has connected the two conflicts.

The Acehnese will have to endure yet another six months of suffering after the new government this week extended the state of civil emergency until May 2005. It's appalling to see a golden opportunity slip through the fingers of former general Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, and prove to the nation that he is true to his word.