Andi Haswidi, Jakarta – The House of Representatives finally endorsed the long awaited Investment Law on Thursday amid a walk-out by legislators of one of the main political parties, and noisy protests from non-governmental organizations.

Jakarta – The Indonesian Army has said it will be benevolent when dealing with future communal conflicts in the country's regions.

Army chief Gen. Djoko Santoso said Thursday the military would no longer resort to repressive measures when dealing with conflicts at the grassroots level.

John Aglionby, Dili – Xanana Gusmao, East Timor president, on Thursday accused the ruling Fretilin party of corruption, arrogance and mismanagement that had put the fledgling country on a path of violence and economic stagnation since its 2002 independence.

Jakarta – Top Indonesian military officer claimed Friday that violence in East Timor was triggered by widespread cheating from United Nations body overseeing the territory's historic 1999 vote for independence.

Dili – Gangs from rival political parties scuffled and threw rocks in East Timor, injuring at least 20 people, authorities said Friday, in what was believed to be the first violence directly related to next month's presidential elections.

Karen Michelmore, Jakarta – An East Timorese woman has told how she was repeatedly raped by a pro-Indonesia militia member in the months after the nation's historic 1999 referendum "because the pro-independence won".

Geoff Thompson – The former head of Indonesian military intelligence has cited an Australian 60 Minutes television crew as an example of the United Nations trying to influence the outcome of East Timor's independence referendum in 1999.

Major General Zacky Anwar Makarim is a former member of Kopassus and chief of Indonesian military intelligence.

Alvin Darlanika Soedarjo, Jakarta – An ex-Indonesian Military (TNI) officer has told the Indonesia-Timor Leste Commission of Truth and Friendship that the TNI complied with Indonesian law at the time of Timor Leste's 1999 referendum.

Galuh Wandita, Jakarta – Back in the late 70s, sixth-year schoolchildren in Jakarta often visited the Lubang Buaya Memorial in East Jakarta, a historical site which marked the birth of the New Order.

Ridwan Max Sijabat, Jakarta – All councillors and council speakers must return allowances they received under an annulled government regulation or face corruption charges, says a senior government official.

Bill Guerin, Jakarta – Indonesia's politics of corruption has always been murky, with untold billions of dollars spirited from state coffers into politicians' personal accounts during strongman Suharto's 32-year tenure.

On Thursday 29 March 2007 at 11 am hundreds of member of the Islamic defenders front (FPI), the Betawi Brotherhood Forum (FBR) and other similar groups attacked a Papernas mass action on Jl.

[The following statement was to be presented during action by the National Liberation Party of Unity (Papernas) at the Hotel Shangri-La in Jakarta on March 29 to protest a meeting on the Millenium Development Goals and the newly passed Foreign Investment Law.

Martin Abbugao, Singapore – Shortly after Indonesian police arrested suspects in the 2005 Bali bombings, five senior members of the extremist group Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) were secretly flown to a safehouse on the resort island.

Apriadi Gunawan, Medan – Nias students protested Wednesday outside the North Sumatra Legislative Council in Medan over the pace of reconstruction on the earthquake-devastated island.

Members of the Nias Students Alliance criticized the provincial government for failing to draw up a reconstruction blueprint for Nias two years after the island was struck by a massive quake.

Jakarta – The vast majority of businesses in Indonesia are not prepared to hire disabled people, despite the 1997 law that obliges companies to allocate at least 1 percent of their positions to the disabled, an employment expert said.

Jakarta – Acehnese cultural experts are calling for the revival of traditional and religious culture in Aceh, saying that local customs were strong prior to their erosion by the region's long history of conflict.

Adianto P. Simamora, Jakarta – At a discussion on environmental issues on Wednesday, Jakarta Environment Management Board head Budirama Natakusumah raised some basic questions about the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM).

The CDM is an element of the Kyoto Protocol that allows developing countries to host projects that reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Ridwan Max Sijabat, Jakarta – More than a hundred legislators plan to question President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono over the government's decision to support the UN Security Council's resolution imposing new sanctions on Iran after its refusal to suspend its nuclear program.

Wisnu, Jakarta – Around 2,000 people from various mass organisations from East Java, West Java and the Greater Jakarta area gathered at the Proclamation Monument in Central Jakarta on Thursday March 29 to prevent the National Liberation Party of Unity (Papernas) from holding a declaration there later in the day.

Bagus BT. Saragih, Jakarta – Members of the Islamic Defenders Front (FPI) and the Betawi Brotherhood Forum (FBR) clashed with demonstrators from the National Liberation Party of Unity (Papernas) in the Dukuh Atas area on Jl. Sudirman in Tanah Abang, Central Jakarta on Thursday March 29.

Arifin Asydhad, Jakarta – The National Liberation Party of Unity (Papernas) is calling on the national police to fully investigate the attack on its members by the Islamic Defenders Front (FPI). The attack should be categorised as a criminal act.

Agustinus, Jakarta – Despite being attacked by right-wing thugs on March 29, the National Liberation Party of Unity (Papernas) will declare itself in June. This was confirmed by Papernas general secretary Haris Sitorus during discussions with Media Indonesia in Jakarta on Thursday March 29.

[The following is a compilation of reports from Detik.com on the March 29 mass rally planned by the National Liberation Party of Unity against the ratification of the Draft Law on Capital Investment that was attacked and broken up by the Islamic Defenders Front. Translated by James Balowski.]

Thousand of protesters to oppose capital investment law

Andi Haswidi, Jakarta – A coalition of non-governmental organizations has said it will seek a judicial review if the House of Representatives passes the investment bill on Thursday.

Ridwan Max Sijabat, Jakarta – The House of Representatives approved Tuesday the bill on spatial planning, which is aimed at arresting the decline of green space in the nation's cities.

All 10 factions in the House hailed the bill as a good start at reining in the rapid growth of concrete jungle in Indonesia's urban areas.

Ridwan Max Sijabat, Jakarta – Under the spotlight of a massive rally in front of the State Palace, the House of Representatives approved Tuesday the rail transportation bill, allowing the private sector to take part in the rail industry.

Ary Hermawan, Jakarta – While last year's moderate economic growth and the establishment of a more stable macroeconomic environment were positive accomplishments, they were still insufficient to start putting a dent in unemployment and reduce poverty, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) says.

Ridwan Max Sijabat, Jakarta – In the wake of increasing protest from the public, the House of Representatives decided Tuesday not to buy laptop computers for its 550 legislators. The House will instead use the money for other spending schemes aimed at improving its performance.

Jakarta – Public support for President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has dropped to 49 percent, the lowest in his two-and-a-half years in office, a survey revealed Tuesday.

Abdul Khalik, Jakarta – Over 100 members of the House of Representatives have signed a petition to summon President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to the house for an interpellation over Indonesia's decision to support a United Nations resolution to impose more sanctions on Iran.

Dili – The political tension is rising in the East Timorese capital, Dili where President Xanana Gusmao has accepted the leadership of a new party that has been labelled as "a nest of liars," by former prime minister, Mari Alkatiri.

The only Indonesian jailed over the violence surrounding East Timor's historic 1999 independence vote has apologised to Indonesia for the unrest that tainted its international image.

Pro-autonomy militia commander Eurico Gutteres also called on the people of East Timor to unite and move past the violence of the past, in order to build a strong independent nation.

Lindsay Murdoch, Darwin – Fugitive rebel leader Alfredo Reinado has again humiliated Australian troops hunting him in East Timor's mountains, this time releasing a letter telling his supporters how they should vote in presidential elections.

Telly Nathalia, Jakarta – The Indonesian president who allowed the East Timor referendum on independence said on Tuesday the mayhem that followed the vote could have been avoided had the United Nations not declared the result earlier than agreed.

Jayapura – After announcing the creation of Partai Kebangkitan Rakyat Papua (Papuan People's Awakening Party) on 8 March 2007 as a local political party, steps are being taken to complete the draft of a constitution and articles of association, to be used until the party holds its first congress.

A new security treaty with Indonesia could hamper Australia's ability to speak out about human rights abuses, a Sydney University report warns. Australia and Indonesia last year signed an historic security pact, known as the Lombok Treaty, which is currently being examined by a parliamentary committee.

Seth Mydans, Bireuen – The little green car accelerated around a mountain curve and flashed through a village here in Aceh Province, scattering chickens, children, dust and pebbles. It swerved past potholes, skidding precisely to the edge of the road before speeding ahead.

Novan Iman Santosa, Jakarta – The government will continue its efforts to build a nuclear power plant, despite mounting opposition from environmental groups.

Ruslan Sangadji, Palu – Around 1,000 civil servants in Poso, out of around 8,000 left homeless by violent conflict between 1998 and 2000, are still without permanent housing, an official said Monday.

Ramdhan Muhaimin, Jakarta – The popularity of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and Vice President Jusuf Kalla (SBY-JK) has declined sharply over the last three years with the public's level of dissatisfaction with their performance dropping below the psychological barrier of 50 percent.

Cath Hart – A foreign policy expert has warned the Government that relations with Indonesia would be damaged if Australia ratified the Lombok Treaty without clarifying Jakarta's expectations.

Legal experts have criticized Attorney General Abdul Rahman Saleh over his rigid stance regarding the implementation of capital punishment in Indonesia.

Alvin Darlanika Soedarjo, Jakarta – Indonesians would be better off if safety ratings were given to other modes of transportation, not just airlines, and were conducted by independent auditors, a consumer affairs expert said.

M. Azis Tunny, Ambon – Dozens of Christian priests were worried when their church assigned them to spend the night in pesantren Islamic boarding schools and homes of Muslim residents in Ambon, Maluku.

Following the string of airline accidents over the past few months, the Directorate General for Air Transportation announced Thursday its ratings of 20 private and state-owned airlines operating in the country. The Jakarta Post's. M.

Anissa S. Febrina, Jakarta – The House of Representatives will pass the spatial plan bill this Tuesday, despite criticisms that the bill lacks ecological sustainability provisions.

"There are no more objections from factions. We will pass the law at the plenary session on March 27," House spatial planning law committee deputy chairman Syarfi Hutauruk said last week.

Blessed with abundant resources, Aceh is now struggle to put almost three decades of armed conflict and the devastating tsunami behind it. It is taking bold steps into the future under the watchful eyes of the international community, with the province's first democratically-elected governor, Irwandi Yusuf, leading the way.

Jakarta, Sandy Indra Pratama – Aceh Governor Irwandi Yusuf has said that the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) will set up a local party. However, according to Irwandi, GAM has not yet decided either the name or the form of the party.

Jakarta – The government has reiterated its commitment to attracting more foreign investment, affirming its guarantees for major infrastructure projects and longer-term land and property use titles for foreign investors.