It has been exactly one month since the magnitude-9 earthquake and tsunami devastated parts of Aceh and North Sumatra.

Damien Kingsbury, Melbourne – It is a truism in politics that a cathartic experience can result in unrelated change.

The scale of the tsunami disaster and continuing health risks in Indonesia's Aceh province are almost beyond comprehension.

Amy Goodman: We're joined by journalist and activist, Allan Nairn.

As if the people of Aceh, where at least 108,000 died in the tsunami, didn't have enough problems already.

On Wednesday morning, a major radio station in Jakarta invited its listeners to comment on the Indonesian Military's (TNI) decision to restrict the movements of international aid worker

John Pilger – The west's crusaders, the United States and Britain, are giving less to help the tsunami victims than the cost of a Stealth bomber or a week's bloody occupation of Iraq.

Matthew Moore and Karuni Rompies – They look like barbeque chips or mulga roots and exude a comforting smell drifting between fresh timber and flowers.

Danang Widoyoko – The new government has vowed to take real action against corrupt officials in its first 100 days as a form of "shock therapy" in an effort to gain public trust.

Agus Widjojo, Jakarta – The term de-politicization is central to the whole concept of reforming the Indonesian Military (TNI).

Rizal Sukma – This article examines recent changes in Indonesia's politics, perceived and real, since the election of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, affectionately called SBY, as I

Sidney Jones – Indonesia continues to be plagued by astonishingly diverse forms of violence: vigilantism, communal conflict, armed insurgencies and counter-insurgency responses, terrori

From Sabang to Merauke, Indonesians acted without deliberation to support their brothers and sisters facing Sunday's calamity.

Perhaps no one ever imagined that the citizens of this country would need a police guard to commune with God; yet, this has now become a reality.

Jakarta – In the era of free competition, it is not necessary for the government to have a controlling stake in "important commodities" to protect the public interest, as it still has p

What is a good inconsistency?! For our honored Constitutional Court, that is probably the only way to describe their recent decisions.

How many times a day do we gripe about traffic in the capital?

Ridwan Max Sijabat, Jakarta – Everyone is deeply concerned about the poor human development index (HDI), drug abuse and the increasing prevalence of HIV/AIDS among school-aged children

Indonesia after Soeharto is full of surprises. Almost daily we are greeted by more surprises, both pleasant and unpleasant.

Born of a long, bloody revolution which taxed immeasurable sacrifice, it is no wonder that the words "war" and "struggle" are etched into the fables of Indonesian nationalism.

A thief who cries thief, or maling teriak maling, is a famous old Indonesian expression that has come back into vogue with the dawn of the government's latest corruption campaign.

We should count ourselves blessed that we live in an age where human rights are part of our daily vernacular.

Indonesian presidents after Soeharto are likely to have learned one important lesson from the former dictator: Don't slip on the oil.

Mudrajad Kuncoro, Yogyakarta – Problems with regional autonomy and increasing demands for bribes are further slowing Indonesia's exports in a highly competitive regional market, a surve

Bill Guerin, Jakarta – Violence erupted in the capital of Indonesia's troubled province of West Papua on Wednesday as security forces moved to break up a flag-raising ceremony by indepe

The outcome of the four-day congress of the country's largest Muslim organization, Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), which is scheduled to be opened by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono on Sunday,

Olle T'rnquist, Oslo, Norway – Indonesia's most prominent, bravest, and innovative democracy-and human rights fighter is no more.

David Jay Green, Jakarta – National elections and a change in government are a wonderful time for reflection and stocktaking and Indonesia's recent set is no exception.

Aboeprijadi Santoso, Amsterdam – The arsenic poisoning of the Indonesian human rights champion, Munir, has aroused so much attention that he is even more "present" in death than he was

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?

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.

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 Susi

Ambassador Marie T.

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.

Aguswandi, London – An interesting opinion article appeared in this newspaper, which drew a comparison between the plight of the Palestinians and the Acehnese.

Damien Kingsbury, Melbourne – Since Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono assumed the presidency, there has been growing talk about the possibility of moving towards a resolution of the conflict in

The Constitutional Court could not have come up with a worse decision when it ruled that the carving of Papua into three provinces was illegitimate while also recognizing the presence o

H.S. Dillon, Jakarta – The forensic results recently released by the Dutch authorities have served to confirm a nagging suspicion.

Evan Jones, Batam – It is welcoming news to see that our new State Minister of Culture and Tourism Jero Wacik is looking at extending the number of countries whose tourists will be elig

The saga over the massive corruption case at Bank BNI has taken a new turn this week with new allegations of bribery and extortion between the suspects and their investigators.

Our society is so image conscious. We love the ceremony, the symbolism, the pageantry, but without grasping the substance.

The restive Indonesian province of Papua was a ticking time bomb that could drag Australia into its wreckage, a prominent Papuan human rights campaigner has warned.

The end of Ramadhan is the time of year when Indonesia's transportation system, its bureaucracy and network is the most severely tested.

The country has been through an enormous political transformation in the last few weeks.

As the nation clamors for change, the conduct currently being exhibited by the honorable members of our national legislature, the House of Representatives, does not bode well for the im

Dan Kingsley, Jakarta – We have read quite a bit recently about how Indonesia's non-oil manufacturing exports have been decreasing.

Kornelius Purba, Jakarta – When asked about the decision of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to oblige his ministers to sign a "political contract" before their appointments, a senior

The press in our former colony, the tiny East Timor, is much more free than ours; the new nation ranks number 57 together with Ghana and a notch above Thailand on a newly released list

It all sounds too familiar.

Agus Sumule, Manokwari – The downfall of former president Soeharto on May 21, 1998, undoubtedly fueled the widespread revival of free speech among the people – including Papuans – in de