Tiarma Siboro, Jakarta – Despite the Swedish court's decision to release the leaders of the Free Aceh Movement (GAM), the Indonesian government was optimistic that the cases against the exiled men would go ahead.

Simon Elegant, Jakarta – Bilal looks down at the bloody corpse of his neighbor, Mohammed Ishak, and says: "They must have hated him very much to put so many bullets into his body."

Farish A. Noor – Aceh has played a crucial role in the development of Indonesian national identity and the Indonesian nation-state. But after sacrificing so much to the idea and ideals of Indonesia, it appears that the struggle of the people of Aceh is far from over

Mafoot Simon – In an apartment in the Stockholm suburb of Alby a year ago, a leader of the movement that has fought a violent struggle with Jakarta authorities for a separate state in Aceh, Sumatra, told an interviewer that he hoped Sweden would not buckle under Indonesian pressure.

Tiarma Siboro, Jakarta – The government issued on Wednesday guidelines for the implementation of integrated operations in Aceh under a state of civil emergency, which restrict the governor's authority over local administrations.

Banda Aceh – Indonesia's presidential favourite vowed on Friday to achieve peace in rebellious Aceh and restore dignity to people in the strife-torn province if he was voted to office.

M. Rizal Maslan, Jakarta - The State Intelligence Agency (BIN) believes that arrest of three Free Aceh Movement (GAM) leaders in Sweden is a political victory and they now need to lobby for GAM to be included in the list of international terrorist organisations.

Fabiola Desy Unidjaja and Tiarma Siboro, Jakarta – The detention of two Aceh rebel leaders in Sweden may have been based on a UN resolution requiring member states to take action against anyone that threatens the territorial integrity of states.

Police in Sweden have arrested three leaders of Indonesia's separatist Free Aceh Movement after raiding their homes in a Stockholm suburb.

Larry Thompson – A 28-year conflict between the Indonesian government and the separatist Free Aceh Movement (GAM) has killed thousands of civilians, displaced hundreds of thousands of people, and destroyed much of the infrastructure of Aceh.

Stephen Brown, Stockholm – Swedish police on Tuesday arrested three leaders of an Aceh separatist group which has been fighting Indonesia for independence since 1976, saying they were suspected of "grave breaches of international law."

Banda Aceh – Injustice is at the root of a separatist movement in Indonesia's Aceh, presidential hopeful Amien Rais said on Saturday during the first visit by a candidate to the troubled province.

Banda Aceh – The civil state of emergency administrator state in Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam (NAD) province has stated that the shoot on sight order is still in force as regards all perpetrators who disturb security and destroy public facilities in the province as of Wednesday (09/06).

Jakarta – Indonesian troops killed 12 alleged separatist rebels in Aceh province where violence has continued despite the recent lifting of martial law there, the army said on Thursday.

Ibnu Mat Noor, Banda Aceh – Governor Abdullah Puteh announced on Wednesday that despite the province's change of status to civil emergency, a number of regulations from the martial law period still applied, including the ban on foreigners entering the province.

Ahmad Taufik, Yuswardi A. Suud, Banda Aceh – Investigations into allegations of corruption linked to the purchase of electrical generators and a helicopter have begun. Governor Abdullah Puteh is finding himself painted into a corner.

Banda Aceh – An Indonesian general on Monday officially handed over power to the civilian governor of restive Aceh province almost three weeks after martial law was lifted.

Governor Abdullah Puteh and former martial law chief Maj. Gen.

Tiarma Siboro, Jakarta – The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) said on Friday that Aceh Governor Abdullah Puteh knew that some procedures had been violated in the purchase of a Russian-made Mi-2 helicopter in 2002.

Nani Afrida, Banda Aceh – The sharia police officers here are being criticized over their "sweeps" on women – who have allegedly donned attire deemed inappropriate under Islamic law – which has been in force in Aceh since 2001.

Abdul Khalik and Muninggar Sri Saraswati, Jakarta – The National Police here questioned Aceh Governor Abdullah Puteh in Jakarta for more than eight hours over a corruption case worth Rp 30 billion (US$3.1 million) in losses to the state.

Banda Aceh – Indonesian troops have shot dead four separatist guerrillas and captured another in Aceh province, the military said on Monday.

Indonesian troops gunned down 12 suspected separatist rebels over the weekend as violence continues despite the government's decision to lift martial law in the troubled Aceh province.

Nine rebels were shot dead Saturday in gunbattles across the region on the northern tip of Sumatra island, said Lt. Col. Asep Sapari.

Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, Jakarta – The police plan to question Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam governor Abdullah Puteh would not, for the time being, affect his status as civil emergency administrator, the government said on Sunday.

Jakarta – President Megawati Sukarnoputri has given police the go-ahead to investigate allegations of a multimillion-dollar graft case involving the governor of the war-torn province of Aceh.

Nani Afrida – The Jakarta Post's correspondent in Aceh, spent two nights two weeks ago at the Free Aceh Movement's (GAM) hideout in East Aceh regency, after she and five other journalists offered themselves as collateral for the release of about 100 GAM hostages, including RCTI television cameraman Fery Santoro.

Yuli Tri Suwarni, Bandung – Aceh military operation commander Maj. Gen. George Toisuta will soon be promoted to head the first division of the Army's Strategic Reserves Command, the Indonesian Military (TNI) spokesman said.

Jakarta – President Megawati Sukarnoputri has given police the go-ahead to investigate allegations of a multimillion-dollar graft case involving the governor of the war-torn province of Aceh, a spokesman said Friday.

Nani Afrida, Banda Aceh – "Free Aceh Sumatra!," shouted several guerrilla rebels of the Aceh Free Movement (GAM), during a ceremony for the release of 155 hostages, including RCTI cameraman Ferry Santoro, in a village in East Aceh regency recently.

Jakarta – Six suspected separatist rebels were killed in Indonesia's Aceh province Thursday, as Amnesty International said the continuing military campaign there had caused "a marked deterioration" in the province's human rights situation.

Pip Hinman – Jakarta's decision to lift martial law in Aceh, in favour of an "emergency status", won't change the lives of ordinary Acehnese for the better, according to a leader of the Acehnese community in Australia. Nurdin, who was once imprisoned and tortured by the Indonesian army, said that Jakarta's troops must be forced out of Aceh.

Muninggar Sri Saraswati, Jakarta – Despite earlier assurances that the governor of Nanggroe Aceh Darrussalam would remain in charge of the civil emergency administration, a presidential instruction to be issued on Thursday will effectively curtail his powers.

An advocacy group pleaded Wednesday for the release of dozens of women it said were arrested by government forces and falsely accused of treason in the war-torn province of Aceh.

Abdul Khalik and Muninggar Sri Saraswati, Jakarta – The National Police and the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) separately announced on Tuesday they would investigate corruption cases in Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam (NAD) that allegedly involve Governor Abdullah Puteh.

Rachel Harvey, Banda Aceh – After a year of military operations aimed at wiping out a rebel secessionist movement, the Indonesian province of Aceh is now back in the hands of civilians.

The status of the province has been downgraded from martial law to a state of civil emergency.

Tiarma Siboro and Muninggar Sri Saraswati, Jakarta – More than 100 Acehnese claiming to be local people and members of various anti-separatist movements met with officials of the Ministry of Defense here on Wednesday as part of what seemed to be a government-sponsored week-long course on national defense.

John Aglionby – "Ferry Bebas" (Ferry is Free) was all Media Indonesia needed as its main headline on Monday to tell its readers the news.

Shawn Donnan, Jakarta – Indonesia lifted martial law in the restive province of Aceh yesterday, a year after it launched its biggest military operation since the 1975 invasion of East Timor in an attempt to end a separatist rebellion.

Most of the nearly 150 people freed by separatist rebels in Aceh province this week were not hostages but people rounded up from around the release site, Indonesia's military says.

Dian Intannia, Jakarta – Army chief (KSAD) General Ryamizard Ryacudu says that reducing the status of Aceh from martial law to a state of civil emergency will not change the way security operations are conducted. The TNI (armed forces) will also not be withdrawing its troops from Aceh.

Banda Aceh – On Monday May 17, demonstrations calling for the governor of Aceh, Abdullah Puteh, to resign from his post took place in three separate locations in Aceh.

Nur Raihan, Banda Aceh – As may as 1000 students from the Ar-Raniry Darussalam State Institute of Islamic Studies and the Muhammadyah University along with hundreds of residents of Banda Aceh held demonstrations in three locations in the provincial capital on Monday May 17.

Nani Farida, Banda Aceh – The clock reads 11 p.m. but residents of the capital Banda Aceh are still crisscrossing the streets. Food vendors hawk their goods and several public transportation vehicles are operating as midnight approaches.

Authorities in the restive Indonesian provice of Aceh have transferred 171 convicted separatist rebels to jails on neighbouring Java island, prison officials said. A.C. Hendarmin, head of the Keudah jail in Banda Aceh, said that 136 prisoners were flown in Hercules transport planes from Banda Aceh and the rest from Lhokseumawe.

Tiarma Siboro, Jakarta – Commentators gave the cold shoulder to the government's decision to revoke the martial law status of Aceh and declare a state of civil emergency, saying the policy would not be effective unless it was followed by a reshuffle in the current civilian administration.

Banda Aceh – There were few signs of joy in Indonesia's rebellious Aceh province on Friday, a day after Jakarta decided to end military rule there but continue operations against separatist rebels.

Kurniawan Hari, Jakarta – The legislature is questioning the disbursement of Rp 738 billion (US$86.8 million) for the military operation in Aceh since December amid allegations of widespread corruption in the province. Some of the cases allegedly involve Aceh Governor Abdullah Puteh, with the strong likelihood Jakarta will appoint a new governor.

Indonesia has decided to lift military rule in Aceh, just under a year since martial law was imposed. On the first anniversary next Wednesday, civilian authorities will take charge but they'll have the power to order press censorship, curfews and other restrictions.

Presenter/Interviewer: James Panichi

Jakarta – Indonesia's decision this week to lift martial law in war-torn Aceh has arguably pleased no one.

Banda Aceh – Politicians and human rights activists in Indonesia's strife-torn Aceh province welcomed the end of martial law here Friday, expressing hope it would lead to a new war on corruption and poverty.

Anton Aliabbas, Jakarta - The Free Aceh Movement (GAM) says that the government's decision to reduce the status of martial law in Aceh to a state of civil emergency is not enough. If the TNI (armed forces) remains the people will still be repressed and continue to suffer.