Restoring investor confidence Once again Indonesia has had to swallow a bitter pill, and due to one single factor: the absence of certainty. Among the factors contributing to the climate uncertainty are the deteriorating security situation, the political friction coming to the surface as the general election nears and the mass upheavals occurring in various areas across the country.

Closed-door meeting at Ministry of Justice JAKARTA (JP): Minister of Defense and Security/Armed Forces Commander Gen. Wiranto, Minister of Justice Muladi, Attorney General A.M. Ghalib and deputy chief of the National Police Lt. Gen. Nana Permana held a closed meeting at the Ministry of Justice on Wednesday, and shunned questions from reporters who asked about the nature of their gathering.

NGO says East Timor should be military-free JAKARTA (JP): The government should change the way it governs East Timor and declare the province a military-free zone, according to a group of activists campaigning for peace in the troubled province. Solidamor, a non-governmental organization concerned with East Timor, issued the statement on Wednesday.