JAKARTA Police fear that assault rifles left over from a civil war in Aceh province could fall into the hands of terrorists who favour Mumbai-style gun attacks instead of bombings. Police believe some of a recent spate of armed robberies could be linked to former rebels or terrorist groups, or both. Robberies have been a [...]

JAKARTA Alleged Islamist extremists from a group dubbed “Al-Qaeda in Aceh” went on trial on Thursday accused of plotting to kill Westerners including US aid workers and tourists. More than 20 suspects were scheduled to answer charges including carrying out acts that caused “terror or fear,” possessing illegal firearms, providing money and sanctuary to terrorists [...]

SINGAPORE Indonesia has the worst record when it comes to protecting intellectual property rights (IPR) in Asia and Singapore the best, a survey of expatriate business people showed this week. “Indonesia seems to have lost its momentum for cracking down on IPR abuses and making the system more compliant with international standards,” Hong Kong-based Political [...]

JAKARTA The government is seeking more than US$1 billion in compensation for environ-mental damage from an oil spill at a Thai-run rig off Australia’s northwest coast, a report said on Thursday. Transportation Minister Freddy Numberi said the claim was for more than $1.1 billion. “The amount is big enough,” Numberi was quoted as saying by [...]

JAKARTA A French national wanted in Indonesia over alleged ties with Al-Qaeda-linked militants is also on the run from authorities in France, police in Jakarta said this week. Frederic Jean Salvi – also known as Ali – came to the attention of Indonesian anti-terror police earlier this month after a raid on a bomb factory [...]

JAKARTA The selection process for appointment as the next National Police chief commenced this week with several names on the selection committee`s list. The chairman of the National Police Commission (Kompolnas), Djoko Santoso, said on Thursday the commission had begun selecting from eight candidates already on the list. Suyanto, who is also coordinating minister for [...]

JAKARTA Democrat Party lawmaker Ruhut Sitompul’s idea to propose an amendment to the 1945 Constitution so that President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono would be able to run for a third term in 2014 is a setback in democracy and would betray the country`s reforms agenda, legislators say. “This discourse is a setback in democracy. So, it [...]

The government must reach a political settlement with restive Papua province to prevent simmering anger about broken promises of autonomy boiling over into violence, a think-tank has said. Indigenous resentments over the eastern territory’s autonomy came to a head last month when protesters presented the provincial parliament with demands including a referendum on independence and [...]

JAKARTA The Immigration Department will investigate claims that corrupt officials are colluding with people smugglers blamed for sending boatloads of asylum seekers to Australia, a spokesman said. An investigative report by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation’s Four Corners programme late on Monday accused Indonesian law-enforcement officials of involvement in people-smuggling activities. “We’ll check the report. We’ll [...]

JAKARTA The government warned this week that tensions on the Korean peninsula could spin out of control without a return to dialogue, as North Korea’s foreign minister visited the southeast Asian country. Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa held talks with his North Korean counterpart Pak Ui Chun and said there was an “inherent risk” attached to [...]

JAKARTA FIVE suspected terrorists were killed in two raids in Java on Wednesday, police said, during the latest in a series of anti-terror operations nationwide. The men were linked to a terrorist training facility that was discovered in Aceh province in February, triggering a number of police raids that have left dozens of suspects killed [...]

HANOI IN his seven years at sea, Afrizal had never been attacked by pirates – until one night late last month. Armed attackers stole aboard the tugboat Atlantic 3 in Indonesian waters near Singapore on April 27, Afrizal and his captain said, in what an analyst said was part of an upsurge of attacks in [...]