Could Ruyati Binti Sapubi have been spared from the gallows in Saudi Arabia? The government must now explain to the public yet another failure to protect its citizens abroad. The 54-year-old Ruyati was hanged on Saturday for the 2010 murder of a Saudi woman who employed her as a servant. […]
A noted Saudi scholar has claimed that Bahrain’s embattled Al Khalifa royal family is seeking Indonesian mercenaries to help maintain its iron grip over the country. Ali al-Ahmad, head of Washington-based think-tank the Institute for Gulf Affairs, told Iran’s PressTV on Sunday that Bahraini officials had traveled to Indonesia, Malaysia […]
Jakarta – In Yogyakarta, the cultural centre of the island of Java in Indonesia, the governor, Sultan Hamengkubuwono X, has set an interesting precedent by refusing to ban the Ahmadiyah religious group. The group was founded by a 19th century Indian religious leader, Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, who claimed he was the promised Messiah foretold […]
JAKARTA — A $70-million haul of Ming Dynasty porcelain has been found in a 16th-century shipwreck off the Indonesian island of Java, a Portugal-based salvage company said Friday. Arqueonautas Worldwide (AWW) and its Indonesia-based partner RM Discovery Inc. said an “archaeological reconnaissance operation” had confirmed the discovery of the “biggest […]
The Islamic Religious Council of Singapore has taken a firm stand against claims made by the Obedient Wives Club, saying the group’s views are contrary to Islamic teachings and demean women and the concept of family. In its first statement following news of plans for a Singapore branch of the […]
Human Rights Watch has criticized Indonesian authorities for failing to uncover the people behind February’s brutal attack on the Ahmadiyah community in western Java. In a statement obtained by the Jakarta Globe, the New York-based nongovernmental organization calls on police to mount a “full investigation” into the deadly religious violence […]
It is likely the only common ground they will ever have, but terrorism analysts and supporters of militant cleric Abu Bakar Bashir do agree on one thing — the 15-year jail term that he received on Thursday means he will likely spend the rest of his life behind bars. The conclusion […]
Wednesday, 15 June 2011 Jakarta – In Yogyakarta, the cultural centre of the island of Java in Indonesia, the governor, Sultan Hamengkubuwono X, has set an interesting precedent by refusing to ban the Ahmadiyah religious group. The group was founded by a 19th century Indian religious leader, Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, […]
Despite recent criticism about severe land and water pollution, Bali has the best environment of all of the provinces, a government study shows. The report on Indonesia’s environmental quality index in 2010 conducted by the Environment Ministry showed that Bali had a score of 99.65, the highest of all the […]
Although most young Indonesian Muslims see religion as a salient identity emphasizing Islamic values and attitudes, they approve democratic values, a survey shows. The survey came amid increasing concern about radicalism among young Muslims, as students are reportedly the primary targets of radical Islamic movements. An Indonesian Survey Institute (LSI) […]
The World Economic Forum on East Asia was officially opened in Indonesia’s capital city of Jakarta on Sunday by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, in which he stressed the importance of Asian strength in helping the world in sustaining a strong and sustainable economic growth. Yudhoyono said that Asia’s moment has […]
JAKARTA, Indonesia — Indonesian authorities say 16 suspects have been arrested who were plotting to kill police with cyanide. Col. Boy Rafli Amar, a national police spokesman, said the suspects were arrested since Friday in the capital Jakarta, Borneo, Sulawesi and the Java towns of Bandung and Pekalongan. The alleged […]
President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said Indonesia will be in the top ten countries with the strongest economy within the next decade. “Our GDP is almost Rp1 trillion. We have a balanced budget thanks to wise fiscal measures. The debt ratio to the GDP is 26 percent, the lowest in history,” […]
Indonesia is making big in-roads into the international art scene. The value of pieces by Indonesian artists has been steadily increasing — a piece by S. Sudjojono sold for $385,000 at an auction in April, while a painting by Balinese artist Lee Man, “Bali Life,” was sold for $3.24 million […]
Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) today expressed grave concerns over increasing violations of religious freedom in Indonesia, and called on the Government of Indonesia to take action to protect religious minorities, curb radical Islamist activity, bring the perpetrators of religious hatred and violence to justice, and defend the country’s tradition of […]
A prosecutor is asking that Deden Sujana, a member of Jamaah Ahmadiyah Indonesia and one of the victims in a recent attack on Ahmadiyah followers in Cikeusik, Banten, be sentenced to six years in prison. The attorney made the request during a trial at the Serang District Court in Banten […]
Throughout history, it has often been the young who have initiated the biggest changes. In January this year, the Egyptian revolution was sparked by the country’s youth, who were fed up with the 30-year dictatorship of Hosni Mubarak. Something similar happened in Indonesia in 1998 when Suharto, president of the […]
The recent arrest of a judge for bribe-taking shows Indonesia should start putting in place firm antigraft measures across the country’s courts, especially as the practice could be more common than most think. A leading antigraft organization pointed out on Sunday that established patterns of courtroom corruption, which follows set […]
Indonesian women have welcomed the passage of the Immigration Law that boosts the rights of foreign spouses of Indonesian citizens. Isabelle Mace Panggabean, 31, who is half French and half Indonesian and married to an Indonesian, hailed the new law, saying said she would now be able to gain permanent […]
In Muntok, Bangka-Belitung, there is an old colonial-style building with an Indonesian flag waving out front. Set in a modest neighborhood, the building is clean, reasonably well-maintained, but quite unremarkable. Inside, you’ll find a few framed photos of Sukarno, the country’s first president. Those photos are the only indication of […]