Paulina Quintso – The Timorese government has allocated $9 million to support civil society development programs in 2016.

Jakarta – After successfully seeing President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo and Vice President Jusuf Kalla inaugurated on Monday, Jokowi's volunteers are expanding their movement with the purpos

Ina Parlina and Desy Nurhayati, Jakarta/Denpasar – Eleven of 14 civil society groups invited to join the Bali Civil Society Forum (BCSF), a side event at the annual intergovernmental Ba

Jakarta – Eleven of 14 pro-democracy organizations have rejected invitations to attend and speak at an upcoming global democracy forum in Bali.

Ni Komang Erviani and Bagus Saragih, Denpasar – To ensure the success of the seventh Bali Democracy Forum, police announced on Monday that they would not tolerate demonstrations or prot

Yuliasri Perdani, Jakarta – Despite a paranoid official overreaction, the Sovereign Indonesian People's Assembly (MKRI) staged a protest on Monday, calling for the President's resignati

Robertus Wardi & Ezra Sihite – A completely unsubstantiated rumor of a planned coup d'etat by a previously unheard-of fringe group has taken on a life of its own, with politicians o

Bagus BT Saragih and Margareth S.

Markus Junianto Sihaloho & Carlos Paath – The Army's top officer and a relative of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has denied rumors of a coup d'etat later this month, saying the

Rights activist Adnan Buyung Nasution is calling the government paranoid for its response to a protest against President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono planned by civil society groups for Mar

National – National Intelligence Agency (BIN) chief Lt. Gen.

Ina Parlina, Jakarta – A group of activists grouped together as the Assembly of the Sovereignty of the Indonesian People (MKRI), has called for the creation of a transitional government

Ina Parlina, Jakarta – The National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) is seeking the Constitutional Court's (MK) support in the fight against legislation considered to hinder civi

Activists are condemning as repressive a draft bill on mass organizations currently under deliberation by the House of Representatives.

[Indonesia's experience shows to the world how democracy is compatible with security and how the two produce a much more authentic and robust stability and harmony, says the nation's

Antonia Timmerman – A lack of civil liberties and political rights has caused Indonesia to slide four points on the United Nations Development Program's latest Indonesia Democracy Index

Jakarta – President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said on Sunday that there was no contradiction between Islam and democracy and Indonesia was a living proof that the two entities could go h

La'o Hamutuk feels that a multi-party state is essential to genuine democracy, to give space for a variety of perspectives to be discussed and considered with public participation.

Margareth S.

Damien Kingsbury – As Timor-Leste moves towards marking the 10th anniversary of its independence and completing the third round of its national elections, the question arises as to whet

Rt. Hon David Cameron
10 Downing Street
London
SW1A 2AA

Dear Prime Minister,

Yohan Wahyu – Most of the recent social upheavals have been triggered by a decline in public trust in the state.

Margareth S.

Endy Bayuni – For years now, Indonesia has been basking in its status as the world's third-largest democracy after India and the United States.

James Balowski, in Jakarta – May Day was commemorated across Indonesia by thousands of workers, students, women activists and NGOs.

Mariel Grazella, Jakarta – Irked by the foot-dragging investigations of myriad corruption cases, a group of high-profile legal experts, social activists and academics launched the Anti-

Camelia Pasandaran – Unfazed by a meeting they had with the president to clarify their accusation that the government has been lying to the public, a group of religious leaders on Wedne

Armando Siahaan, Jakarta – A coalition of religious figures has vowed to remain critical of the government's failings, following a meeting on Monday night with President Susilo Bambang

Ismira Lutfia, Jakarta – Despite a recent report identifying Indonesia as the only truly free country in Southeast Asia, the country's Asean human rights commissioner said weak law enfo

Armando Siahaan & Anita Rachman – Critics have lashed out at two top ministers for "overreacting" to accusations that President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's administration had lied to

Ina Parlina, Jakarta – Nine prominent religious leaders of five religions in the country gathered on Monday, calling for the government to explain "at least 18 lies" within four days an

Slamet Susanto and Sri Wahyuni, Jakarta – Sirajuddin Syamsuddin, known widely as Din Syamsuddin, vowed to maintain neutrality in practical politics on Wednesday afternoon after being of

Anita Rachman – Din Syamsuddin has been re-elected chairman of the nation's second largest Islamic organization, Muhammadiyah, for another five years.

Anita Rachman – Muhammadiyah, the country's second-biggest Islamic organization, says it will remain involved in politics as long as public aspirations require a voice.

Anita Rachman – The executive board of Muhammadiyah must take into account the aspirations of its female members, the former general chairman of the Muslim organization, Sjafii Ma'arif,

The Committee of Action and Solidarity for Munir, or Kasum, and the Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence, or Kontras, said they were "troubled" by news that Muchdi Pur

Erwida Maulia, Jakarta – Prominent Muslim organization Muhammadiyah has been told to stay alert to attempts by "Islamic purification" and transnational movements to infiltrate its ranks

A Papuan church leader says creating another province out of the Indonesian half of New Guinea is not the answer to the ongoing conflict in Papua region.

Bagus Budi Tama Saragih, Jakarta – More than a decade after the fall of Soeharto, Indonesia's fledgling democracy is yet to fully benefit its people, an expert says.

Jerome Rivet – A young radio news agency in Indonesia is attracting fans and international recognition for programming that eschews "infotainment" and focuses on hard issues like human

Ary Hermawan, Jakarta – Indonesia, which became Southeast Asia's largest democracy when President Soeharto was ousted in 1998, maintained its status as a free country in 2008, accordin

Damien Kingsbury – Entering its tenth year since the fall of the authoritarian President Suharto, Indonesia has progressed towards consolidating its democratic system, respecting rule o

Earlier this year, Indonesia succeeded in extending its membership of the UN Human Rights Council for a three-year term.

Jakarta – A group of influential political figures on Wednesday attended the launch of the Indonesian Awakening Committee to express their concern over the pace of development in the co

Jakarta – Vice President Jusuf Kalla has reiterated his wariness toward the application of Western-style democracy in Indonesia.

Jakarta – Many pro-democracy activists are beginning to play active roles in politics in an attempt to improve political representation in the country, research conducted by the Center

Fabio Scarpello – When former rebel Irwandi Yusuf was sworn in on Thursday as the first directly elected governor of Indonesia's Aceh province, the ceremony capped one of Southeast Asia

Hera Diani, Jakarta – There is much to enjoy from overseas trips, but Vice President Jusuf Kalla says the praise he hears heaped on Indonesia's democratic transition has begun to grate.

Ridwan Max Sijabat, Jakarta – Under President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, who was democratically elected, indicators of democracy in the country have remained poor, a human rights group s

Jakarta – President-elect Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (SBY) is being urged to form a clean and productive government.