Usman Hamid, Jakarta – Final days of each year are always the best opportunity to reflect on what happened during the year in order to predict or project the future.

Adam Gartrell, Jakarta – Australia and Indonesia kicked off 2009 with an orgy of bilateral backslapping.

Damien Kingsbury – The shooting of one of West Papua's independence leaders, Kelly Kwalik, has opened up new opportunities for a negotiated resolution to that troubled territory's long-

Theo Hesegem and Chrisbiantoro, Jakarta – Even though Papua became a province of Indonesia by an ambiguous referendum in 1969, peace between the indigenous Papuans and Indonesia's secur

Wendy Bruere – A young Jose Ramos-Horta, shown as the foreign minister of a newly independent East Timor, implores Roger East, an aging Australian journalist, to travel to his country t

John McBeth, Jakarta – Something strange has happened to Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono since his sweeping victory in July's presidential elections, showing a side of him

There is not a single reason why the Film Censorship Board should ban the screening of Balibo at the current Jakarta International Film Festival.

Sara Webb, Jakarta – Indonesia's improving political and economic outlook was a big draw for investors this year, but a fight between reformers and cronies may prove to be a tipping poi

Patrick Guntensperger, Jakarta – Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's political troubles are being compounded by a street movement led by several of the democracy-promoting n

Censoring a film is a step backward for the Indonesian democratic progress.

Aboeprijadi Santoso, Amsterdam – Balibo is just one shameful chapter in our Indonesia's past, but it could be viewed as a symbol for so many human wrongs, for so many shameful things, t

Riyadi Suparno, Jakarta – An alliance of mysterious forces is aligning its power to unseat Vice President Boediono and/or Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati.

Simon Montlake Bangkok – A movie that depicts Indonesian war crimes in East Timor has become a lightning rod for free-speech activists in Indonesia, who have defied a government ban on

Former Australian Foreign Minister Gareth Evans has been appointed Chancellor of The Australian National University by the University Council today.

This weekend, the 11th Jakarta Film Festival kicks off again with exciting promises for movie buffs.

Sara Schonhardt, Jakarta – The image of a giant condom draped in Indonesia's national red and white colors towered over the opening ceremonies of National Condom Week in Jakarta.

Jon Lamb – Twenty years ago, on December 11, 1989, the Australian and Indonesian governments signed the Timor Gap Treaty (TGT), giving the go-ahead to energy corporations to exploit the

When Ahmad Dahlan founded Muhammadiyah in 1912, he shocked his compatriots with the "Western" style of his organization.

M. Hilaly Basya, Leiden – Based on the Hijriyah (Islamic) calendar, on 8 Dzulhijjah 1430 (Nov. 26, 2009), Muhammadiyah will mark the one hundredth anniversary of its existence.

If you are going to steal, make sure you steal big. You're more likely to get away with it, or get off lightly, compared to what a small time thief will get.

Usman Hamid, Jakarta – The newly sworn in Army Chief Lt. Gen.

Jonathan Pearlman – As dawn was breaking across the Indonesian province of Papua on a Saturday last July, an Australian mine worker, Drew Grant, set out with friends along the winding r

Gary LaMoshi, Denpasar (Bali) – The honeymoon ended for Indonesia's President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono less than a month into his second term.

Attempts to shed light on the controversial bailout of a private bank got a minor boost Tuesday after legislators asked a plenary session to set up a special inquiry committee.

Fabio Scarpello, Jakarta – Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono is widely expected to use his strong electoral mandate to push reforms in his second term to attract foreign inv

It's all getting a bit out of hand. As the world's third-largest democracy, Indonesia's legal system seems to have taken on a Wild West character.

Patrick Guntensperger, Jakarta – Only a few short months since Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono was re-elected with an overwhelming mandate on an anti-corruption platform,

Jakarta Globe – The war between the Corruption Eradication Commission and almost every other government institution allegedly responsible for enforcing the nation's laws fulfills all th

Sara Schonhardtm Jakarta – Thousands of Indonesians have taken to the streets in the past week to protest the arrests of two anti-corruption commissioners and demand that President Susi

The tape recordings played publicly by the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) Tuesday at the order of the Constitutional Court sent a chilling shudder through the spine.

The arrogance of power is something we did not expect to see in a democratic setting like today's Indonesia.

John McBeth, Jakarta – Florida's Dade County police special weapons and tactics (SWAT) squad conducts as many as five forced entries a day.

Carmel Budiardjo, London – As Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono begins his second term as President, it is worth considering the prospects for dialogue to resolve Indonesia's most intractable co

Jacqueline Hicks, Jakarta – Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's announcement late on Wednesday of his government's new cabinet was a function of a complicated political calc

Sara Schonhardt, Jakarta – Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono on Tuesday took the presidential oath of office before Indonesia's 240 million people, marking the beginning of his second term in of

Debnath Guharoy, Consultant – Election fever has died down. A new Cabinet is in the making. And a new poll reflects an upbeat Indonesia.

On a scale of one to 10, what would be a fair score for President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and Vice President Jusuf Kalla as they end their five-year term on Monday?

Indraswari, Kuala Lumpur – On Wednesday, Sept.

Al Araf and Anton Aliabbas, Bandung – The swearing-in ceremony of the 2009-2014 House of Representatives' members is a sign that democratization in Indonesia is a continuing process.

Sara Schonhardtm Jakarta – Similarities in culture, language and religious customs should make Indonesia and Malaysia good neighbors.

Jon Lamb – During August and September, Australian and international media outlets ran numerous articles, opinion pieces and commentaries marking the 10 years since the people of East

Nurrohman, Bandung – Allowing adulterers to be stoned to death is not just improper but is generally perceived as uncivilized nowadays.

Pandaya, Jakarta – Their main job has been to make laws but while they were doing it the House of Representatives legislators often stirred bitter controversies that ended up with the n

Usman Hamid and Yati Andriyani, Liquisa, East Timor – Mentioning Timor Leste not only brings to mind a state that was once Indonesia's 27th province, but also a place where gross human

R. Kristiawan, Jakarta – The recently passed film law shows up an irony for democracy in Indonesia, especially in the quality of the public sphere. The old law, Law No.

Hanta Yuda A.R., Jakarta – Who will replace outgoing Vice President Jusuf Kalla as the next chairman of Golkar when the party holds its congress in October?

James Thomas – In seeking the truth behind the deaths of six Australian Journalists in East Timor in 1975, actor Anthony LaPaglia and Kevin Rudd have something in common.

Sara Schonhardt, Jakarta – Police dealt a blow to Indonesia's main terrorism network Thursday after confirming the death of top-ranked Islamic militant Noordin Mohammed Top following a

Tom Allard, Jakarta – The death of Noordin Mohammed Top is unquestionably a fantastic result for Indonesia's counter-terrorism authorities.

Joe Cochrane & Nurfika Osman – There was no doubt about it this time.