Dini Djalal, Bangkok – Some of them are no older than 12 and not much bigger than the guns and spears they carry.

Jakarta – A war of political colours in a Central Java town took another turn this week after supporters of an ousted opposition leader painted the town square in the colours of the national flag.

Nigel Holloway in Washington and John McBeth in Jakarta – February 20, 1997At a United States Air Force base near Tucson, Arizona, 28 Lockheed Martin F-16 strike aircraft stand in pristine condition. They've never flown on a combat mission but they've been caught in a dogfight of a very different kind.

Jakarta – The Indonesian armed forces will not soften its tough stance in handling the recent unrest that has jolted the multi-ethnic country in the past few months, the Jakarta Post reported yesterday.

Louise Williams, Pontianak, West Kalimantan – Dayak tribal leaders have sent out the so-called "red cup" of war across Kalimantan and say a peace pact between the tribal "head-hunters" and migrant workers will not hold, according to a Dayak source.

Richard Borsuk, Jakarta, Indonesia – Bankers and securities analysts piled into PT Astra International's news conference Wednesday for a glimpse of the Indonesian auto assembler's new chairman.

Jakarta – Three weeks of ethnic violence in an Indonesian province in Borneo have left hundreds of people dead and community leaders at a loss as to how to resolve the conflict.

John McBeth and Jay Solomon in Jakarta – It's hard to get any closer to the top. Timber tycoon Mohamad "Bob" Hasan and Indonesian President Suharto have been friends for more than 30 years and they play golf together twice weekly.

Jakarta – Bre-X Minerals Ltd will not receive any payment for the 30 per cent stake in the Busang gold deposit that it gave to its Indonesian partners, said Mohamad "Bob" Hasan, an Indonesian businessman who helped broker the agreement.

"It's very straightforward," Mr Hasan said.

Jakarta – The head of the Jakarta Police, Maj-Gen Hamami Nata has said Megawati Sukarnoputri will be questioned as a witness by police this Thursday (February 20).

"If she doesn't appear for this second request, she will be called in a third time. If she doesn't turn up, she will be 'met' by police" he said on February 18.

Jakarta – About 300 people have been killed in ethnic clashes in West Kalimantan, according to the military, but rival groups have pledged in a public ceremony yesterday to work for peace.

The toll was given by Major-General Zacky Anwar Makarim, assistant to the army chief for security affairs to the Media Indonesia newspaper.

Taufik Kiemas, the husband of Megawati Sukarnoputri, complied with a summons from the Jakarta police and was accompanied by twenty lawyers and hundreds of Megawati supporters. He was interrogated for seven hours. During the questioning, he was accompanied by four lawyers.

Jakarta – PPP has rejected the accusation that PPP cadres RKH Amin Imron and KH Abdullah Schal were involved in the riots in West Kalimantan, said the chair of PPP Ismail Hasan Metareum. "It's really not true" said Buya, on February 18. According to Buya photos and posters of the two are common in the Maduran community not just in West Kalimantan but throughout Java

Joe Leahy, Jakarta – The Government has sought to suppress details of the disturbances in West Kalimantan with a clampdown on foreign media and apparent self-censorship by the Indonesian press.

Jakarta – The Jakarta Military Command has begun operating the National Alert Command Centre (PKN) which would be effective throughout the country.

What is described as a "process of decolonization" by Portugal is in fact a record of failure and ineptitude. In July 1975, the Portuguese government ordered formation of a transitional government for East Timor to prepare for the election in October 1976 of a Popular Assembly that was to take responsibility for determining the future status of the territory.

Richard Borsuk, Jakarta – The government gave its formal blessing to the recently settled ownership battle for the giant Busang gold find, and an official used the occasion to deliver a message to all mining companies: Don't worry.

[The following statement was passed unanimously on 21 February, 1997 by the International Union of Food, Agricultural, Hotel, Restaurant, Catering, Tobacco & Allied Workers' Association (Asia/Pacific) 9th IUF Asia/Pacific Regional Conference, held in Hong Kong from February 19 to 21, 1997.]

Jakarta – About 300 people have died as a result of recent ethnic clashes in West Kalimantan and four people are being investigated for allegedly sparking the unrest, military (Abri) officials are reported to have said yesterday. "It's not true that the number of victims killed reached more than 1,000 like it was quoted in an English-language newspaper in Jakarta.

Jakarta – Business tycoon Muhammad "Bob" Hasan, a close associate of Indonesia's President Suharto, is tipped to take a key role in the country's largest carmaker PT Astra International, brokers and analysts said yesterday.

Jakarta – The publishers of the magazine Suara Independen admitted that they felt that the magazine had a "harsh" tone and because of this they made a statement that the contents of the magazine was not the responsibility of the publishers.

Jakarta – The General Chairman of the Central Directing Council of PPP, Ismail Hasan Metareum, evaluates that those meant by Army Chief of Staff General R Hartono, when he mentioned there were elements from East Java inciting the community in West Kalimantan, were Parliament PPP Fraction members KH Amin Imron and Madurese religious teacher KH Abdullah Schal.

Jakarta – Indonesia has accepted a proposal by Canada's small Bre-X Minerals Ltd mining company to develop the huge Busang gold find, Mines and Energy Minister Ida Bagus Sudjana confirmed yesterday.

Of those arrested in the Viqueque district of East Timor in relation to disturbances between 7 and 11 February, 105 have now been released, leaving at least four still in detention. According to reports, many of those that have been released were tortured or ill-treated while in custody.

Kuala Lumpur – Two Indonesian contract workers were killed and one escaped unhurt when a scaffolding on a building which was undergoing construction in Damansara Heights gave way yesterday.

Abdul Karim Sakariya, 24 and Jeseri Ibnuh, 41, died on the spot while Mursinah Murni, 25, was unhurt.

Anthony Depalma, Toronto – A century after the Klondike gold rush, a modern-day stampede marked by political intrigue and fast deals is about to result in an American mining company staking claim in Indonesia to part of one of the richest gold strikes in history.

Ong Hock Chuan, Jakarta – Monday's announcement that Freeport McMoRan Copper and Gold won the rush to mine what may be the world's largest gold reserves has sparked widespread concern about the implications of the deal for foreign investment in Indonesia.

Jakarta – Indonesia's state-owned oil and gas company plans to sell to Japanese investors a 13 percent stake in a giant gas project in the South China Sea, the government said Tuesday.

Research and Technology Minister B.J. Habibie said that negotiations are under way for Pertamina to possibly sell a one percent stake each to 13 Japanese companies.

Bogor – The General Chairman of the Central Directing Board of the Indonesian Democratic Party (DPP PDI) Soerjadi clarified that the implementation of the General Elections (Pemilu) 1997 campaign would experience a setback if there are too many rules which will be beneficial for one of the OPP (pemilu participating organization).

Jakarta – The chief of the Jakarta chapter of Bakorstanasda (the coordinating agency for promoting national stability), Mayor General Sutiyoso has said that the gathering on the eve of Id al Fitr in the National Monument (Monas) recently was not the target of attack by grenades seized by the police on February 9.

Jakarta – The Indonesian Army Commander Gen R Hartono has reaffirmed there will be no changes in the set up of the regional military territory commanders before the upcoming general election.

"There is no regional military commander entering retirement age before the general election, so there won't be any change of the set up," Hartono told journalists here Monday.

Jakarta – Indonesia's army chief has blamed migrants from East Java for the outbreak of ethnic riots in West Kalimantan, the official Antara news agency reported yesterday.

"We have proof, there were bad people from East Java who came there to incite, so something happened which we did not want," General R. Hartono told reporters yesterday.

Jakarta – A prosecution witness told the court trying labor leader Muchtar Pakpahan yesterday that he had not heard Pakpahan utter any antigovernment statements between August 1995 anc! July 1996.

Phnom Penh – President Soeharto clarified that the developing countries need to increase cooperation to support solidarity to overcome arising problems. This is important, because the changes which happen in the world are still more profitable for the advanced industrial countries.

Jakarta – Police has sent a second summons to ousted party leader Megawati Soekarnoputri and his husband Taufik Kiemas to explain about the political activity they held at their home on January 10, a South Jakarta police chief said here on Monday.

Jakarta – Two of those accused of subversion from the Peoples Democratic Party (PRD) presented their objections at the South Jakarta State Court, Tuesday 17 February. In essence, they questioned the relevance of continuing the trial in the midst of the lack of legal clarity and the "authorities" which has coloured the course of the trials.

It came to my attention the article of Sunday Observer of December 15, 1996 by Charlotte Clayton. As the person recently often used by the Indonesian Government propaganda machine to denigrate the name of my brother Jose Ramos-Horta by using this so-called book "the Eyewitness" I wish to state publicly the following:

Two men from the People's Democratic Party, PRD, facing subversion charges, presented their objections Monday to the charges that were made against them at the first hearing in their trial last week.

Phnom Penh – Cambodia rolled out the red carpet yesterday for Indonesian President Suharto on his first state visit in almost 30 years, amid hopes that the trip would boost the country's bid to join Asean.

About seven hundred workers from Citra Raphael Indonesia factory in Tangerang marched seven Kms to the local legislative assembly building, bringing commercial activity in the area to a halt. Shops along the route closed their shutters, fearing that riots might occur. The factory produces jeans.

Manuel de Oliveira, Mateus Goncalves, Renato dos Santos, Antonio (no surname), Manuel Alves , Berta (no surname)

The East Timor Human Rights Centre has received a report about intensive military operations which took place in December 1996 in the village of Leo Rema, located on the border between the districts of Ermera and Liquica.

Dili – Col Mahidin Simbolon, the East Timor military commander,firmly denied unconfirmed reports that six people were killed in a recent mass brawls in Uatolari sub-district, Viqueque, East Timor.

Canberra – Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer told anti-integration activist Ramos Horta that Australia will not review its support to the East Timor integration to Indonesia.

Ong Hock Chuan and agencies, Jakarta – International bidding for the rights to operate one of the world's largest gold mines may have to start again if two of the main contenders do not settle a shareholding dispute by Monday.

Canberra – The state-owned aircraft manufacturing company IPTN will join the Australian International Air Show and Aerospace Expo in Avalon Airport, Geelong, Victoria, on February 18 to 23.

Jakarta – PT Indofood Sukses Makmur, the largest instant noodle maker in Indonesia, is buying control of six affiliated companies for 1.75 trillion rupiah (S$1.05 billion), or about 15 times their projected 1996 profit.

Jakarta – The Indonesian Center for Environmental Law (ICEL) attacked the government Saturday for allowing a coal mining firm to control 100,000 hectares of a Kalimantan national park.

Jakarta – The Secretary General of the Central Directing Board of the Functional Group, Ary Mardjono, affirmed that the Functional Group can accept the three regulations regarding the implementation guidance for the 1997 general elections, including those issued by the Minister of Home Affairs, the Minister of Information, as well as the State Police Headquarters.

Adelaide – Australia has said that it will stand firm in its policy of recognizing East Timor's annexation by Indonesia while backing United Nations-sponsored talks to find a solution for the former Portuguese colony, East Timorese activist Jose Ramos Horta has said.

Jakarta – The Indonesian government has issued a warning to Japanese media correspondents here about their coverage of recent ethnic unrest in West Kalimantan province.

"We are very worried that these mass media are being used by certain groups which do not want to see Indonesia progress," said a letter to the journalists, dated Friday and obtained Monday.