Agus Supriyanto, Jakarta – At a press conference in Jakarta on Sunday March 6, seven mass organisations declared that they are launching a class action against President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (SBY). According to the plaintiffs, SBY has acted improperly in increasing the price of fuel.

Erwin Daryanto, Jakarta – Indonesian’s chief of police, General Da’i Bachtiar, has said that it is reasonable to suspect that the management of Garuda airlines is involved in the murder of human rights activist Munir. Bachtiar’s comments strengthen an earlier statement by the Fact Finding Team at the State Palace.

At midnight on February 28, the government announced an increase in fuel prices, with the price of Premium petrol increasing from 1,810 rupiah per litre to 2,400 and diesel fuel from 1,650 to 2,300 per litre.

[The following is an abridged translation of a selection of articles from Detik.com which were posted on its web site on March 1 after the Indonesian government of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and Vice-President Jusuf Kalla (SBY-Kalla) announced the decision cut fuel (BBM) subsides.]

[The following is an abridged translations of a selection of articles from Detik.com which were posted on its web site on February 28, the day before the Indonesian government of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and Vice-President Jusuf Kalla (SBY-JK) took the highly unpopular decision cut fuel (BBM) subsides.]

Budi Sugiharto, Surabaya – A declaration of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) in the East Java provincial capital of Surabaya has been marred by a fist fight. Six youths, supporters of PDI-P chairperson former President Megawati Sukarnoputri, forcibly broke up the event.

Sunariah, Jakarta – Around 40 members of the People’s Representative Assembly (DPR) for the period 2004-2009 are suspected of being involved in corruption. Most originate from the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (15), the Golkar Party (10) and the United Development Party (8).

Sunariah, Jakarta – Armed forces (TNI) chief General Endriartono Sutarto has question the desire by the leadership of the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) for self-government, one of the pre-conditions for resolving the conflict between GAM and Indonesia.

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.

Yogyakarta – The replacement of three Indonesian armed forces (TNI) chiefs of staff which took place yesterday (18/2) is believed by a political observer from the Gajah Mada University (UGM), Riswandha Imawan, to be an effort by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to strengthen his legitimacy within military ranks.