The Aceh peace accord was signed in the Finnish capital of Helsinki on Monday, the culmination of six months of tough negotiations.

Indonesia as a nation reaches a milestone today with the celebration of 60 years of independence.

For Australians, August 15 is the date World War II finally ended. In years to come, it may also mark the day one of Asia's longest-running wars ended.

How often we are reminded. How quickly we forget.

John McBeth, Jakarta – Indonesian officials can be excused for feeling just a little outraged over the US House of Representatives passing legislation that implicitly questions the stat

No endeavor will succeed if it does not have the genuine support and blessings of the primary stakeholders in the process.

Aguswandi, Jakarta – A greater devolution of power to the regions in Indonesia than that accommodated by present autonomy law provisions should be an option in peace building.

A former Indonesian minister, who during his career in the government was deeply involved in handling rebellious provinces, has reportedly told President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono that P

Muhamad Ali, Hawaii – The fatwas (edicts) issued by the Indonesian Ulemas Council (MUI) concerning intra and inter-religious issues in the country have generated concerns and criticisms

Israr Iskandar, Jakarta – Indonesian leaders were quite disturbed on hearing that two members of the US House of Representatives had questioned the status of Papua within the Unitary St

Jerry Norton, Jakarta – Optimistic talk that a decades-long simmering civil war in Indonesia's Aceh province is about to end. A peace pact brokered in Europe.

Michael Vatikiotis, Jakarta – Every city has a heart; Jakarta's is a concrete overpass called Semanggi – the Indonesian word for cloverleaf.

Fred Dove (Presenter): In the far corner of South East Asia the island of New Guinea is divided into West Papua and Papua New Guinea.

Last week's disclosure of indications of money laundering involving hundreds of billions of rupiah related to the personal accounts of 15 police officers is the biggest test yet of the

Jakarta is again pondering restricting the number of older cars in the city. It is also mulling the banning of motorcycles from main thoroughfares.

Haris Azhar, Jakarta – The peace deal between the Indonesian government and the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) deserves a positive response because its main agenda is to restore the lost peac

Carmel Budiardjo, London – It has been asserted in your columns this week (Local Elections and Papuan Politics, July 11, 2005) that because the majority of West Papuans participated in

The formula agreed between Indonesian and separatist rebel negotiators to end nearly 30 years of conflict in Aceh maintains the momentum for peace that has been building since December'

"There will be peace." A bold statement indeed from Minister of Justice and Human Rights Hamid Awaluddin at the conclusion of the Aceh peace negotiations in Helsinki.

Evelyn Rusli, Jakarta – The peace accord between the Indonesian government and Aceh separatists that was agreed upon Sunday will be difficult to implement, given a 30-year relationship

After decades of little serious effort to fight gambling, the new National Police chief's bold announcement that he planned to completely eradicate gambling nationwide came as a quite a

Damien Kingsbury, Melbourne – Representatives of the Government of Indonesia (GoI) and the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) are again meeting in Helsinki for the fifth and probably last round o

Leaders should lead by example. And the thriftiness of a government plays an exemplary role in setting the pace of a nation's consumptive habits.

The Constitutional Court's unanimous ruling last Thursday that Law No.

Hera Diani, Bogor – The Bojong waste treatment plant case, the 20 year-old unresolved Kedung Ombo land eviction case, land confiscation by military officers in Sidoarjo, East Java – the

All of East Timor's fledgling dreams, and all of the threats to those dreams, are on display in The Australian today. First the good news.

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has finally made up his mind to promote his long-time friend and a police officer with a good track record, Comr. Gen.

Christine Susanna Tjhin, Jakarta – Almost seven years after reform, the rule of law as one of the key pillars of democracy remains a fragile one.

Aguswandi, London – A young girl falls into a hole and enters a world of confusion and absurdity.

Nothing seems to have changed within our customs service.

In the past, journalists reporting on baffling cases had come to depend on the wisdom of rights activist Munir, who would discuss with them his suspicions or findings.

Indonesia is renowned as a nation with a long history rich in culture. That culture apparently has evolved to embrace corruption.

Tejo Pramono, Jakarta – The child malnutrition outbreak has now spread from West Nusa Tenggara, to West Sumatra, Lampung and now South East Sulawesi Provinces.

Irman G.

Aguswandi, London – Irresponsible statements from politicians in Jakarta is the last thing Acehnese need at this time, post-disaster.

That is, arguably, the most famous cellular phone number in the country – along with a few popular TV reality show and game show phone-in numbers, of course.

The babies could not wait – they died before our honorable legislators were able to complete their ongoing revision of the state budget, which would then determine the figures of "compe

John McBeth, Jakarta – Indonesia's elite have always preferred to bury unsavoury events, such as those from the bloody upheavals of the mid-1960s.

Paul Dalton and Fergus Kerrigan, Jakarta – Since 1998, foreign observers have followed with hope and concern the progress of Indonesia on its uneven path towards democracy, the rule of

It is easy to become increasingly pessimistic about the ability of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's economic team to continue economic reforms – especially when new evidence emerges

On Thursday, US President George W. Bush announced that Congress would extend the government's surveillance and law enforcement powers to track down potential terrorists.

Meidyatama Suryodiningrat, Jakarta – We frequently shake our heads in frustration at the misconduct and profiteering of public officials.

Fabio Scarpello, Jakarta – While negotiations between the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) and Indonesian government officials in Helsinki, Finland, have given rise to a moderate optimism, figh

"I did this so that we would not be a nation of coolies and a coolie among nations" - Indonesia's founding President Sukarno

It is hard to get excited about suggested "breakthroughs" on resolving the conflict in Aceh. Promises have been broken and repeated initiatives have fallen by the wayside.

Dita Indah Sari, Jakarta – The debate over the pros and cons of the fuel price increase has begun to become dreary.

Wimar Witoelar, Jakarta – Time stood still for a moment on the morning of May 21, 1998. Millions of hearts skipped a beat upon hearing the announcement on television.

Anthony Paul – At first glance, the latest news from Aceh seems promising: On Wednesday, Jakarta lifted the state of emergency declared a year ago, when the army stepped up its campaign

Normalcy is a luxury for most Acehnese. Their province has practically been in a perpetual state of war for as long as most people can remember.

Kornelius Purba – My hands were clasped at waist level in a submissive, defensive posture, as one of Soeharto's most feared aides told me in a hotel in Cairo that Soeharto was very angr