Ben Terrall – In a June 8 "web memo," The Heritage Foundation called Indonesia "a large, vibrant democracy and a key piece of the geostrategic puzzle in Asia." The right wing Washington

Rizal Sukma, Jakarta – The decision by the Constitutional Court last week to scrap two undemocratic clauses in Indonesia's Criminal Code should indeed be celebrated.

As Asia this month marks a decade since the region went into a deep financial crisis, one might well ask, what exactly has Indonesia been doing these last 10 years?

Bill Guerin, Jakarta – Indonesia is now formally on the vanguard of the global green energy movement.

The newly passed Jakarta Special Administrative Law can be seen as promoting democracy in Jakarta, though only timidly, but lacks all the articles to necessary to transform Jakarta into

Hikmahanto Juwana, Jakarta – This newspaper has published various opinions from writers discussing legal conditions in Indonesia.

Muhammad Wildan, Singapore – The spread of radical Islamism in Indonesia has led many people to assume that it has to do mostly with the incorrect interpretation of Islam.

Iwan Gunawan, Jakarta – The administration of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono seemed to be irritated by independence aspirations reflected in the display of separatist flag in Ambon

Jon Lamb – The June 30 election has resulted in neither of the two main contenders – the ruling party Fretilin and the recently formed CNRT (National Congress for Timorese Reconstructio

Aboeprijadi Santoso, Jakarta – Few issues have shaken the nation as the conflicts in East Timor and Aceh. Both have been resolved, yet their impact on our nationhood lingers on.

Few newspapers gave space for the enactment last week of the Energy Law by the House of Representatives, as its 34 articles only provide a broad outline of national energy policies.

The current brouhaha over the establishment of a local political party in Aceh raises a more important question about the exercise of democracy and equality in Indonesia: Shouldn't othe

The US$1.5 billion civil lawsuit filed by state attorneys against former president Soeharto at the South Jakarta District Court on Monday – more than nine years after his fall – could s

Paul Cleary – A potentially unstable coalition government with few detailed policies and weak administrative ability is now certain to emerge after East Timor's first post-independence

Aboeprijadi Santoso, Jakarta – State responses and the row over flag incidents in Maluku and Papua suggest little has been learned from Indonesia's rich experience with conflicts in Eas

Fabio Scarpello, Dili – Democracy is taking hold in East Timor, but the inconclusive result of recent parliamentary elections is raising the specter of new political confrontation rathe

Statesmanship is in short supply in Indonesia. Our political elite just doesn't have it.

Bill Guerin, Jakarta – In an unexpected lurch toward more market protectionism, Indonesia last week greatly expanded its "negative investment list" of local industries to which foreign

The newly-unveiled negative list of investment has turned out to be far from negative.

How influential is a US congressman that he could disrupt security in Papua or, in an extreme case, lead the province to break away from the republic?

Damien Kingsbury – When the people of East Timor went to the polls for the third time this year, they completed a political cycle that has been remarkable in part because of its relativ

With just over one month to go until the historic direct election for Jakarta governor, voter registration remains a major cause for concern – and conflict.

Max Lane, Sydney – On June 19 I attended a public forum in Jakarta with the theme "Is it time for the young leaders to come to power?" About 300 people attended the forum, cramming in t

Step Vaessen, Papua – Culturally distinct Papua is rich in resources but home to some of the country's poorest people.

Too much media hype has surrounded the gathering of the Golkar Party and the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) politicians in Medan last week.

Flaky-skinned Jenny is two weeks old.

Bill Guerin, Jakarta – Indonesia is taking steps to ramp up its Islamic banking sector, which some financial analysts believe has the potential of creating the largest sharia finance ar

Fabio Scarpello, Denpasar – After a military-civilian clash over disputed land in East Java turned deadly last month, outraged locals are urging Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudh

The news that East Timor may be considering setting up a composite defence force of some 3000 personnel has aroused a curious, and generally negative reaction here in Australia.

Gone is the debate over whether independent candidates should have the right to contest the election for the Jakarta governor in August.

Australia obviously has a keen interest in the outcome of the East Timorese election, to be held on June 30. East Timor is Australia's nation-building project.

What the government announced as a new package of bold measures to reinvigorate investment and empower micro and small businesses in a bid to accelerate economic growth turned out to be

Jakarta – Last weekend's arrest of Abu Dujana, the alleged leader of regional terrorist network Jemaah Islamiyah (JI), by Indonesia's anti-terror squad has deservedly won Jakarta widesp

There is little doubt that our police should have gone about their attempt to persuade retired Lieutenant General Sutiyoso, now Governor of Jakarta, to appear before the Balibo coronial

Greg Ansley – Balibo sits astride a road weaving through the mountains of the far west of Timor-Leste (East Timor).

Bruce Haigh – The NSW coronial inquest into the killing of five journalists in East Timor in 1975 has achieved far more than earlier government inquiries into the deaths.

Loro Horta – After the relatively violence-free presidential elections in East Timor in April-May 2007, many hope that the country may finally be heading on a road to normality after mo

Shirley Shackleton – The sudden departure on May 29 of visiting Jakarta governor, General Sutiyoso, after being asked to give evidence at the inquest into the death of Brian Peters in E

Ben Saul – As the coronial inquest into the killing of five journalists at Balibo draws to a close, the critical question is: what happens next?

The commander of an Indonesian special forces unit accused of murdering five Australia-based journalists in East Timor in 1975 has more lately styled himself as a champion of free speec

Andreas Harsono, Washington – A long string of human rights abuses had put Indonesia in a deep hole with the United States, but then the September 11 terrorists struck.

Atnike Nova Sigiro, London – During a recent UN Human Rights Council session in Geneva, Indonesia was re-elected a member for the period 2007-2010, receiving the second most number of v

It's one year now, and the problems surrounding the mudflow in Sidoarjo remain unresolved. Even worse, there seems to be no light at the end of the tunnel.

Bill Guerin, Jakarta – Some of Indonesia's most influential and politically connected companies have refocused their business strategies and are joining hands with foreign investors to

Phillip Winn – After decades of dominance, Fretilin's star appears on the wane.

Tony Iltis – The second round of East Timor's presidential elections, held on May 9, resulted in the victory of Prime Minister Jose Ramos Horta.

Dili – Incoming East Timor president Jose Ramos-Horta's chances of achieving major reform in the troubled tiny state hinge on the outcome of next month's parliamentary elections, accord

Really encouraging news from East Timor is hard to come by, but the election of Jose Ramos Horta as its new president should be widely welcomed, and not only by his own citizens, some 7

Bill Guerin, Jakarta – A rumbling row between Indonesian Vice President Jusuf Kalla and two top technocrats charged with overseeing economic policy is hampering the implementation of th

Lucy Williamson, Jakarta – Half an hour's drive from Indonesia's parliament, the civilian police in the district of Tangerang go on patrol every evening.