Ken Yunita, Jakarta – Thousands of workers, farmers and urban poor have started the process of forming a new political party but launching a preparatory committee for a national party of liberation.

Radzie, Banda Aceh – The Aceh Monitoring Mission (AMM) is asking the Indonesian government to clarify a number of points in the Aceh Governance Law (UU-PA) that are not in compliance with the Helsinki Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). The AMM’s mission in Aceh is also to be extended until November 2006.

Iqbal Fadil, Jakarta – The accusations by Syamsir Siregar, the head of the National Intelligence Agency (BIN), that local West Papuan non-government organisations (NGOs) in Papua sponsored the Abepura incident are intended to discredit NGOs in Papua as a whole.

Ahmad Dani, Jakarta – Although they have not found any presence of a communist threat, the TNI (Indonesian military) is still keeping on guard against the latent danger of communism in Jakarta.

Nur Raihan Banda Aceh – Not long from now a local political party will enliven the political dynamics in Aceh. An embryonic Acehnese political party has already been officially launched.

Joniansyah, Jakarta – The Department for Culture and Tourism this afternoon launched the National Movement for Clean Public Toilets. The event took place at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Jakarta, the Juanda Airport in Surabaya and the Ngurah Rai Airport in Denpasar Bali.

Jakarta, Antara – Former Army chief of staff, retired General Tyasno Sudarto, says that the Draft Law on a Government for Aceh or RUU-PA will endanger the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia (NKRI) because it has a number of clauses that lead in the direction of federalism.

Nasir Gabra, Lhokseumawe – A demonstration launched by hundreds of Malikussaleh Lhokseumawe University (Unimal) students almost ended in a clash with police when they pushed and shoved each other as students tried to break through the gates of the North Aceh Regional House of Representatives (DPRD) on Thursday February 2.

M. Rizal Maslan, Jakarta – Around 25 people from the Papuan Anti-Militarism People’s Front (FRPAM) arrived at the offices of the National Human Rights Commission (Komnas HAM) on Jalan Latuharhari in Menteng, Jakarta, at around 11am on Monday January 30.

Ilyas, Langsa – Because the normative and other rights employees have not been accommodated by the leadership board of the Langsa City branch of the All Indonesia Workers Union (SPSI), scores of Langsa SPSI members held a demonstration and issued a motion of no confidence in the SPSI leadership.

Jakarta – It is hoped that moves to lift the arms embargo on Indonesia by the United States will be done gradually. In addition to this, the degree of reform within the Indonesian military (TNI) must also be balanced against this.

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.

AK-7 & AK-26, Lhokseumawe – Speaking in Lhokseumawe on Friday August 5, the commander of the Iskandar Muda territorial military command, Major General Supiadin AS, said that there are parties who want to thwart the signing of the peace agreement between Indonesia and the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) on August 15.

Jakarta – Yesterday, Megawati Sukarnoputri inaugurated the Volunteers for Democratic Struggle (Relawan Perjuangan Demokrasi, Repdem), a social organisation affiliated with the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P). At the same time, the general chairperson of PDI-P also inaugurated Repdem members as members of her party.

Astrid Felicia Lim, Jakarta – The Fact Finding Team in the case of Munir which was formed by national police headquarters has said that two perspective suspects in the murder are officers of the National Intelligence Agency (BIN).

Jakarta, Kompas – Victims of the 1965 tragedy – who are still stigmatised as members of the Indonesian Communist Party or its affiliated organisations – are suing Indonesia’s five presidents, former presidents Suharto, B.J. Habibie, Abdurrahman Wahid and Megawati Sukarnoputri, and President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.

Darlis M., Palu – President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono’s warning not to act violently against demonstrations opposing fuel price increases appears to be only words. Police in the Central Sulawesi city of Palu were unable to restrain themselves, attacking and beating students who were demonstrating in the centre of the city.

Dian Intannia, Jakarta – The executive director of Garuda airlines, Indra Setiawan, will be questioned by police next week as a witness in the case of Munir’s death.

[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.]

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.