Jakarta – A number of non-government organisations from the Aceh Working Group (AWG) are urging the Aceh Rehabilitation Agency (BRA) to give greater focus to its task and initial role as mandated in Section 3.2 of the Helsinki Memorandum of Understanding on the stages of the reintegration process.

Radzie, Banda Aceh – As many as 62 Free Aceh Movement (GAM) members detained in a number of correctional institutions in Sumatra have yet to be granted amnesty by the Indonesian government. As a result they are still incarcerated in jail. The tragedy is that several of them have fallen ill.

Imron Rosyid, Surakarta – Employers in the Central Java city of Surakarta (Solo) have threatened to send thousands of their workers onto the streets if the government goes ahead and increases electricity rates. Workers have agreed to hold joint actions with employers and students including launching a boycott on paying electricity bills.

Nur Raihan, Banda Aceh – The Acehnese Alliance of Private College Student Executive Councils (BEM PTS) believes that the Draft Law on a Government for Aceh that was submitted to the to the House of Representatives by the Home Affairs Department has disappointed the Acehnese people.

M. Rizal Maslan, Jakarta – If President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono’s favorite soap opera show is “Judgement Day is Nigh”, what is former President Suharto’s favorite television show? Apparently Suharto isn’t very interested in soap opera. In his twilight years he prefers the quiz show “Who Wants to be a Millionaire”.

Riswan, Banda Aceh – The Acehnese people are calling on the Aceh Monitoring Mission (AMM) to disarm the militia in Aceh during the period of demilitarisation. If they are not disarmed and their organisations disbanded it could threaten the peace process in Aceh.

Veronika Kusuma Wijayanti, Jakarta – The ineptness of the investigation into the murder of human rights activist Munir is being questioned. The reason being that up until now police have yet to arrest the masterminded behind the murder and or to name any new suspects aside from Pollycapus Budihari Priyanto.

Shanty, Jakarta – On Thursday September 22, the Munir Solidarity Committee (Komite Solidaritas Untuk Munir, Kasum) went to the police headquarters’ criminal investigation bureau to ask about developments in the investigation of the Munir murder case.

Jakarta – A number of non-government organisations support the government’s efforts to resolve the Aceh problem by continuing the dialogue with the Free Aceh Movement (GAM).

The following is a joint statement by Solidarity of People’s Movement for Aceh (SEGERA) and the Acehnese People’s Democratic Resistance Front (FPDRA).

The fourth round of Helsinki Talk ended last week. The informal talk resulted in several points of agreement between RI and GAM for drafting the formal agreements.

Gunawan Mashar, Jakarta – For the umpteenth time, on Wednesday February 23 students from the South Sulawesi provincial capital of Makassar have again hijacked fuel tankers. This time, after hijacking two kerosene tankers they drove them round and round the city.

Surabaya (Miol) – The East Java United Opposition Front (BOB) is asking the East Java Regional Parliament (DPRD) to oppose fuel price increases which are planned for March and April.

Saturday afternoon, February 5. A historical day for the village of Perdamaian in the Langkat regency sub-district of Stabat, North Sumatra. Since the country won its independence almost 60 years ago, not one member of the People’s Representative Assembly (DPR) has set foot here.

Jakarta – The weapon systems belonging to the Indonesian Armed Forces (TNI) is a cause for concern. Compared with the systems belonging to the armed forces in other South-East Asian countries the TNI’s is among the worst, only ahead of Cambodia and Laos.

Astrid Felicia Lim, Jakarta – The extension of the state of civil emergency in Aceh by the government though Presidential Decree Number 2/2004 has been condemned by three non-government organisations (NGOs) who believe that President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (SBY) has broken his promise to resolve the conflict in Aceh peacefully.

Ramidi, Jakarta – Indonesian Human Rights Watch (Imparsial) says the policy of implementing a state of civil emergency in Aceh has failed. The policy has only succeeded in creating a regime which is militaristic, corrupt and which has no respect for human rights and a system of democracy.

RR Ariyani, Jakarta – A grouping of non-government organisations (NGOs) who are handling the Buyat Bay pollution case including the Indonesian Environmental Forum (Walhi) and the Mining Advocacy Network (Jatam) hope that an integrated technical team will be able to act independently.

Jakarta – Two Acehnese non-government organisations, the Acehnese Popular Democratic Resistance Front (Front Perlawanan Demokratik Rakyat Aceh, FPDRA) and the Acehnese Democratic Women’s Organisation (Organisasi Perempuan Aceh Demokrati, ORPAD) are demanding the fulfillment of President Bambang Susilo Yudhoyono’s promise during the election camp

Banda Aceh – The average height of children first entering school in Aceh over the last six years has decreased by eight centimeters. In 1997 the average height of children first entering school was 119cm however by the end of 2003 the average was only 110cm (sic).

Muchus Budi R., Solo – Commemorating six years since the fall of Suharto, students and non-government organisations (NGOs) held a demonstration in Solo, Central Java, on Friday May 21.