Three characters appear six times in the Qur'an, Alif, Lam, Mimand people wonder what they mean.

Excuse me while I go and pray," said Bambang Suryo, in the middle of an interview with Tempo last week. It was the third meeting and took place in Surabaya, while the first happened in Jakarta four weeks ago and the second inside a car, enroute to the home of Bambang's friend in Central Jakarta.

Indonesia will host the Asia-Pacific Regional Meeting on Peacekeeping in Jakarta on July 27-28, where it will lobby regional governments to boost their contributions to the United Nations (UN) peacekeeping force. Andy Rachmianto, the Director of International Security and Disarmament at the Foreign Affairs Ministry, said there was a need for UN countries to deploy more peacekeeping forces to conflict areas.

Jennifer Lindsay*

Nur Kholis, Chairman of the National Human Rights Commission (Komnas HAM), was stunned by the proposal forwarded by the Attorney General's Office (AGO) last April. In a meeting held at the AGO headquarters on April 20, AGO officials presented Nur with a plan to address past human rights abuses through the creation of a Committee for Reconciliationone that, conspicuously, lacked any fact-finding undertaking.

WHEN the sun rose on Idul Fitri, Golkar Party's Team of Ten had only completed half of its task. Over the previous three days, the team had labored to agree on candidates to run for 269 posts in the elections of regional heads (pilkada) set for December this year. "The two sides have agreed on 131 of the candidates," Lamhot Sinaga, a Team of Ten member and Golkar Deputy Secretary-General in the Agung Laksono camp, told Tempo two weeks ago.

Neles Tebay

President Joko Widodo needs to realize that his instruction to stop the illegal mining and export of tin has been ineffective. A month after the order was given, the illegal practice that costs the nation revenue, has not lessened in the slightest. There must be something wrong with the chain of command, or even indications of deliberate insubordination, if an instruction from a president can simply be ignored.

MINISTER of Bureaucratic Reform Yuddy Chrisnandi was noticeably perturbed after a meeting with Vice President Jusuf Kalla. Yuddy had just issued an instruction allowing officials to use government cars to go home for Lebaran, provided such officials lacked car of their own and paid for their own fuel. Kalla was not happy. "I used my own discretion on the matter, but later, since it was forbidden by the Vice President, I submitted," Yuddy said.

Where is Bogor's Regent?

A taste of Honey

IMPORT TARIFFS
Government raises import duties

Government Regulation No. 46/2015 on Management of Retirement Resources (JHT), issued on June 30, has triggered considerable controversy. Labor groups held massive demonstrations throughout Jakarta, rejecting the regulation. This led to President Joko Widodo to order that the regulation be revised.

A bloody incident exploded at Tolikara district in Papua two weeks ago. It happened when hundreds of people taking part at a seminar and an international spiritual service organized by the Indonesian Evangelical Church (GIDI), tried to disperse a number of local residents about to conduct their Idul Fitri prayers at the Tolikara Military Command field.

This year, Indonesia and India mark 75 years of diplomatic relations. However, the ties between the two nations have existed much longer, predating the establishment of the Republic of Indonesia and the Republic of India. These connections span social, cultural, religious, economic, and trade aspects. But do those close ties of the past have any bearing on the present relationship? Why is there no direct flight between the capitals of the two countries?

Indian Ambassador to Indonesia and Timor-Leste, Sandeep Chakravorty, shares his views on this matter at TEMPO TALKS.