17 May 2008 - A UN rights body says Indonesia’s police, armed forces and intelligence services routinely torture and degrade criminal suspects to extract confessions. The U.N. Committee Against Torture says it is “deeply concerned about numerous ongoing credible and consistent allegations” of abuse in the Indonesian justice system.

In a report released in Geneva the 10-member independent panel says military officials and police have used disproportionate force and violence, particularly against women, in the Aceh province and other areas of conflict. It says attacks on ethnic and religious minorities remains a problem in Indonesia.

The committee says no state official accused of perpetrating torture has been found guilty, this despite efforts to combat rights abuses. The UN panel has called on Jakarta to take immediate steps to uphold legal safeguards for those taken into custody.

17 May 2008 - Police advised the public to ignore a Short Messaging Service (SMS) text involving a so-called group of black magic followers from Indonesia trying their witchcraft through the telecommunication network. The text told people not to pick up their mobile phone if the colour of the caller number flashing on the phone was in red, claiming the black magic followers were trying their ‘ilmu’ (knowledge) through phone.

It also claimed that if people answered the call they would die. A district Police Chief, Jaafar Muhammad Yusof told the public not to believe the SMS, saying it is irrational and illogical. “We do not know the purpose behind this but the public should not be influenced and be worried by it,” he said, adding his friends from Kuala Lumpur had also forwarded him the same SMS. It was learnt the SMS was spread since Wednesday night.