Importing rice, like raising fuel prices, is always politically controversial.

Aboeprijadi Santoso, The Hague – A Dutch study on Papua, charged with political implications for Indonesia, has been greeted with rejoicing by many Papuans, and led to controversy in th

A perusal of the backgrounds of the suicide bombers who wrecked havoc in Bali on Oct. 1 can serve to tell us a lot about why there seems to be no shortage of terrorists.

Imam Cahyono, Jakarta – The image of the Muslim-based Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) as a clean party committed to good governance with empathy for ordinary people was clear in the resu

Aboeprijadi Santoso, Amsterdam – Conventional wisdom about what happened in Indonesia during the second half of the 1960s generally held leading Army officers, in collaboration with som

Local soap star Anjasmara is naked! And it's an Adam and Eve installation! Is it art or pornography?

The 42 members of the Papuan People's Assembly (MRP) were installed on Oct. 31, 2005, in Jayapura, capital of the easternmost province of Papua.

Aboeprijadi Santoso, Langsa, Aceh – A new chapter has begun for the region along the southeastern coast of Aceh, a district with a tumultuous past, which has long been the bastion of pr

Enrico Aditjondro – As it turns out, Jose Ramos-Horta has not forgotten about West Papua.

[The following Aceh backgrounder was prepared by the Australian solidarity organisation Asia Pacific Solidarity Network (APSN) to provide an background to the three-decade conflict i

Barbaric!

Riwanto Tirtosudarmo, Jakarta – The intention of the Indonesian Military (TNI) Chief Gen. Endriartono Sutarto to revive the territorial command is not a surprise at all.

John Roosa and Joseph Nevins – One of the worst mass murders of the twentieth century." That was how a CIA publication described the killings that began forty years ago this month in In

Alastair Thompson – Timor-Leste Foreign Minister & 1996 Nobel Peace Prize Winner Jose Ramos-Horta knows more than most about independence struggles against Indonesian control.

Ellen Nakashima, Lorejo – An old man, thin and stooped, raised a wooden stick over his head and swung it down with both hands.

Bill Guerin, Jakarta – Though there has been no singularly mind-boggling achievement in his first year in office, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's bold decision to slash fuel subsidies not on

Somewhere in the dark a child cries, someone dies and humanity hides.

Fabio Scarpello, Jakarta – Indonesia's renewed "war on terror" in the wake of the latest round of bombings on Bali could pave the way for renewed politicization of the country's militar

Even before he stepped into Merdeka Palace, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's legacy had been assured.

John Pilger – "The propagandist's purpose," wrote Aldous Huxley, "is to make one set of people forget that certain other sets of people are human."

Graham Matthews – In the days following the October 1 Bali bombings, Australians have been subject to a barrage of hypocritical and racist "anti-terrorist" hysteria whipped up by politi

Clinton Fernandes – The destruction of the Indonesian Communist Party (PKI), 40 years ago following the seizure of power by pro-US military officers headed by General Suharto was a deci

Days after terrorists attacked Bali for the second time in three years, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono attended a ceremony on Wednesday to mark the 60th anniversary of the Indonesia

Pradana Boy ZTF, Malang – The factors that have caused Papuans' desire to be free from Indonesia cannot easily be determined.

M.

Dwi Atmanta, Jakarta – A usually cool President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono seemed to be about to lose his patience when he ordered the Indonesian Military (TNI) to actively help the count

Mark Curtis – As bloodshed mounts each day in Iraq, what prospect is there that British ministers will be held accountable for the illegal invasion and occupation that triggered this ca

Tom McCawley, Jakarta – Here in the world's largest Muslim country a war of ideas within Islam is playing out on an unlikely stage: a bohemian arts community in a crowded Jakarta side s

A.M. Hendropriyono, Jakarta – The weekend's repeat terrorist attack on Bali comes at the worst possible moment for the resort island.

Barring any major disturbances to Indonesia's social and political stability, the market should react positively to the government's bold move last week to raise domestic fuel prices by

ID Nugroho, Blitar – How many people were killed in the violence after the aborted Sept. 30, 1965, coup blamed on the Indonesian Communist Party?

Aguswandi – Since 1975, the people of Aceh in the eastern province of Indonesia have claimed freedom from the Indonesian Republic.

Something horrible happened 40 years ago that changed the course of Indonesia's history, unfortunately for the worse.

Harry Bhaskara and Kornelius Purba – If ever they have the opportunity to read it, The New York Times' correspondent C.L.

Hera Diani, Jakarta – Noted Muslim cleric Yusuf Hasyim held up a number of large mug-shots – people whom he said were victims of the Indonesian Communist Party (PKI) scheme to take over

For children of mixed marriages: Children automatically take the fathers' citizenship.

Simon Pitchforth – Indonesian policemen, noble upholders of the law, with their voluminous peaked caps and their epaulets the size of telephone directories.

The Supreme Audit Agency, for the fourth consecutive year, placed a disclaimer on the government's financial statement for the 2004 fiscal year, due mainly to inadequate internal contro

A recent study of 75 large export-oriented companies at four of Indonesia's largest seaports concluded that logistics services accounted for an average of 14 percent of total production

Bill Guerin, Jakarta – Despite extensive international-standard safety regulations governing Indonesia's air traffic sector, last week's disaster was the third major air tragedy in less

It was exactly one year ago that we were left in shock at the news of the death of Munir Thalib Said, one of the country's boldest and most consistent defenders of human rights.

Our condolences go out to the families of those who died on Mandala Airlines flight RI 091.

Alan Ramsey – Stuart Rees is the director of Sydney University's Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies.

The attacks and forced closures of churches throughout the country in the last four years have reached an alarming level for Indonesian Christians, both Protestant and Catholic.

M. Taufiqurrahman, Jakarta – Shopping malls are booming.

Remember early January 1998 when the rupiah crashed through the 10,000-to-the-dollar barrier two days after then president Soeharto unveiled his draft 1998-1999 budget?

Ati Nurbaiti, Jakarta – A young East Timorese once inquired, "Do you people also experience atrocities?" I said, "What? Of course not." Where did she get such an idea?

Carmel Budiardjo, London – The historic agreement concluded this week between the Indonesian government and the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) has been widely welcomed, both in Indonesia and

Imanuddin Razak, Jakarta – The Aceh peace accord signed in the Finnish capital of Helsinki on Aug.

It was arguably the most important scheduled political speech since the President took office in October. It was not bad, but it was certainly far from inspiring.