Tony Stephens – Just three months after Indonesia invaded East Timor 30 years ago, the Australian government of the prime minister, Malcolm Fraser, was covertly supporting the tiny colony's complete integration into its giant neighbour, according to cabinet documents from 1976, released today.

Patrick Walters – Thirty years ago the Fraser government grappled with the consequences of the Indonesian takeover of East Timor.

The 1976 cabinet papers show the new government having to reconcile itself to the fact that it could do nothing to alter the integration of East Timor into Indonesia.

Patrick Walters – The Fraser government refused visas to prominent East Timorese left-wingers forced into exile after the Indonesian invasion of the former Portuguese colony in late 1975.

Russell Skelton, Canberra – The Fraser cabinet was warned by a powerful committee of defence chiefs that a prolonged war of independence by Fretilin rebels could lead to intervention by Vietnam or China in East Timor.

By S. Eben Kirksey and Andreas Harsono

According to reports from the Puncak Jaya region of West Papua, several thousand extra troops from the Indonesian Army (TNI) have been deployed to the region this month in response to flag-raising incidents and the killing of two army officers on 9 December.

Jakarta – Incentives should be given to businesses to improve their productivity and increase their taxable incomes, an economist says.

Aviliani said increased production would ensure businesses ended up paying more tax, allowing the government to meet revenue targets.

Ary Hermawan, Jakarta – Prosecutors and police said Friday they would file for a review of the Supreme Court's decision to overturn the conviction of the pilot convicted of the murder of human rights activist Munir Said Thalib.

Nani Afrida, Banda Aceh – Former Free Aceh Movement (GAM) rebel Irwandi Yusuf and running-mate Muhammad Nazar won a landslide victory in the first direct election for governor in Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam, the province's Independent Elections Committee announced Friday.

Ary Hermawan, Jakarta – Theologically, Islam encourages its adherents to perform philanthropic deeds in the widest sense, but Indonesian Muslims often only do so in the light of personal devotion to God.

In reality, they can make charitable donations for wider purposes, such as advancing social justice in the world's largest Muslim country, where most people are poor.

Niniek Karmini, Jakarta – A ferry carrying hundreds of passengers sank in a storm off Indonesia's main island of Java and nearly all were still missing 12 hours later, officials said Saturday.

The "Senopati" went down around midnight Friday en route to Sumarang on central Java from the port of Kumai on Borneo island.

M. Taufiqurrahman, Jakarta – President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono remains popular among the people and if an election were held today he would easily outdo his rivals, a poll said Thursday.

Banda Aceh – A former Free Aceh Movement (GAM) rebel won the first direct election for governor of Aceh province, the electoral commission announced on Friday, a step in a peace deal that ended decades of conflict in Aceh.

Christine T. Tjandraningsih, Jakarta – A former rebel negotiator won a landmark gubernatorial election in Indonesia's once-restive Aceh Province, the region's electoral commission announced Friday.

There have been fresh warnings of an Indonesian military build-up in the Punjak Jaya region of Papua province.

The Reverend Socratez Sofyan Yoman, who heads the Communion of Baptist churches in Papua, holds grave concerns for the civilian population over reports that more troops are moving in amid a recent series of tensions into Bolakme, West of Wamena near Mulia.

Ary Hermawan, Jakarta – Police said here Thursday they would summon new witnesses in an effort to shed light on the 2004 murder of prominent human rights activist Munir Said Thalib.

Jakarta/Banda Aceh, Langkat – The Forestry Ministry on Thursday blamed the authorities' inability to halt illegal logging for the devastating floods and landslides that have killed at least 118 people on Sumatra island.

Meanwhile, Vice President Jusuf Kalla has continued to blame rapid deforestation for natural disasters across the country.

Benget Simbolon Tnb., Jakarta – The government made a big push in 2006 to lure new foreign investors to Indonesia, but a number of urgent problems continue to keep investors away. One of these problems is a serious shortage of electricity.

Hendarsyah Tarmizi, Jakarta – If the government's macroeconomic targets are used as the yardsticks to assess the country's economic performance this year, the results would be fairly good.

However, if past performance is used as an indicator, the country would score badly because this year's performance is worse than the nation's in 2005.

Jakarta – The government did nothing to prepare for the floods and landslides in Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam and North Sumatra that have killed more than 100 people, a leading environmental group says.

Payabedi – When his home in Kampung Dalam village was hit by flash floods, Ishak volunteered to stay behind as the boat sent by his wife's family could not carry all 13 people trapped in the house.

Aceh Tamiang district, where they lived, was the worst hit by the floods which inundated northern Sumatra.

Payabedi – Around a hundred angry and mostly female Indonesian flood victims Thursday looted an aid distribution post, complaining they had not received any food supplies.

The mob of mostly mothers carrying their children stormed the government-managed aid post in Aceh Tamiang, the district worst-hit by the floods which have inundated northern Sumatra over the past week.

Ary Hermawan, Jakarta – The early release of Pollycarpus Budihari Priyanto, the only suspect in the 2004 murder of noted human rights campaigner Munir Said Thalib, sparked protests Tuesday from his widow Suciwati and rights activists.

Ary Hermawan, Jakarta – Firebrand cleric Abu Bakar Ba'asyir, whose conviction on terrorism charges was recently overturned, has canceled his plans to sue the government for wrongful imprisonment, his aide announced here Tuesday.

Jakarta – The nation's security forces are still operating above the law as the government's protection of human rights increases, a rights watchdog says.

The Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras) said in its year-end report there were bright spots in the government's record on human rights in 2006.

Former President Gerald Ford died last night at the age of 93. We begin our coverage of Ford's time in office with a look at his support for the Indonesian invasion of East Timor that killed one-third of the Timorese population. We're joined by Brad Simpson of the National Security Archives and journalist Alan Nairn. [rush transcript included]

Few might have ever thought when this nation – through its representatives in the People's Consultative Assembly – agreed in 2001 to establish the Constitutional Court, that the new judicial institution would emerge as such a powerful body that many fear it could undermine democracy itself.

Nabiha Shahab, Jakarta – Disasters such as the flash floods which have killed 100 people and displaced more than 400,000 will be repeated unless Indonesia takes swift action to restore forests lost to logging, activists and analysts said Wednesday.

Jakarta – Deforestation in Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam, sped by post-tsunami reconstruction activities, caused the huge flooding and landslides on Sumatra Island that have so far claimed more than 100 lives there, activists said Tuesday.

Jakarta – The only suspect in the poisoning death of Indonesia's most prominent human rights activist was freed from prison after receiving a month's reduction in his sentence as part of Christmas celebrations, a prison official said Tuesday.

Lindsay Murdoch – Two years after the Boxing Day tsunami more than 25,000 poor and landless families in the hardest hit area of Indonesia's Aceh province are being denied housing under a massive rebuilding program.

Port Moresby – A flag-raising campaign in Indonesian Papua's Highlands could escalate into open conflict between tribal warriors and Indonesian troops, human rights advocates warn.

Free Papua Movement (OPM) activists of the Goliat Tabuni tribes in the Punjak Jaya region have been raising the banned Morning Star flag in acts of defiance against Indonesian rule.

Dili – East Timorese celebrated a peaceful Christmas on Sunday as church and political leaders called on them to reject violence which earlier this year forced 15 percent of the population to flee their homes.

Jakarta – Floods and landslides in Indonesia's Aceh and North Sumatra provinces have killed at least 80 people and forced tens of thousands to flee to higher ground, authorities in the region said on Monday.

Ahmad Pathoni, Banda Aceh – At 30, Beti has to raise her four young children alone after the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami snatched her husband, and she has no regular job.

Mark Dodd – More than 70,000 East Timorese are still living in emergency shelter as a result of ongoing gang violence that flared earlier in the year and left 37 people dead.

A UN survey has found at least 2000 homes in the capital Dili were destroyed in the violence, which started over claims of ethnic discrimination in the country's armed forces.

Anissa S. Febrina, Jakarta – A friend in need is a friend indeed, the saying goes. Unfortunately, for teenagers with unwanted pregnancies, the lack of "true" friends leads them to seek less-than-friendly ones in their time of trouble.

High school student Eva (not her real name) is among those who sought help with her unwanted pregnancy in all the wrong places.

Jakarta – Former defense and security minister Gen. (ret) Wiranto on Thursday announced the formation of a new political party to contest the 2009 elections.

On the 7th December 2006, the Supreme Court in Jakarta abolished the highly controversial Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) Bill of 2004, which the residing Judges described as "illogical". Said residing Judge Jimly Asshidiqque; "The Court rules that the law goes against the Constitution and has to be dropped".

Nelson da Cruz, Dili – Baby Xestalino Soares lies fast asleep on a mat, sharing a cloth blanket with one of his older brothers, while his mother tries to cook as rain lashes the tarpaulin tent that has been their home for the past six months.

Bulukumba, Tribun – Dozens of youth and students from the Preparatory Committee of the National Liberation Party of Unity (KP-Papernas) in the Bulukumba regency of South Sulawesi demonstrated at the offices of the National Logistics Agency (Bulog) on the afternoon of Friday December 22.

ID Nugroho, Surabaya – Kosmonita Radio manager Idah Ernawati was engaged in a serious discussion with a new announcer, Elly.

"I noticed that you constantly apologize to listeners when on the air. It sounds ignorant. We have to be sharp on air, at the same time conveying our thoughts to the listeners," said Idah.

Andi Haswidi, Jakarta – With a number of sectors having contracted in 2006, the country's industrial sector is set to grow by a less-than-expected 5 percent this year, almost 1 percent lower than last year's disappointing growth of 5.9 percent.

The rage over a cleric's decision to take a second wife continues, particularly among women, but what it means for the women's movement here is an open question.

Dili – A shipment of emergency clothing, food and wheelchairs intended for impoverished residents of East Timor was unloaded from a port in the capital Friday, three years after it was sent by Australian donors.

George Junus Aditjondro, Yogyakarta – As if commanded from one center, two anticommunist actions in Surabaya on Wednesday, Dec. 13, and in Bandung the next day, reminded us of the Soeharto-style witch-hunts against leftist activists that used to be so common in Indonesia.

Nani Afrida and Ridwan Max Sijabat, Banda Aceh – Sharia-style local government bylaws in Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam are bringing unnecessary hardship to the Acehnese and discriminating against women, people from the province say.

Niniek Karmini, Jakarta – Indonesia overturned a terror conviction Thursday against the militant Islamic cleric Abu Bakar Bashir, who served 2 1/2 years for conspiracy in the 2002 Bali nightclub bombings that killed more than 200 people.

Jakarta – Some 4,000 people who escaped a deadly quake on the Indonesian island of Sumatra earlier this week are refusing to return home despite assurances from seismologists, according to police reports.

Mojokerto – Scores of protesters from the Preparatory Committee for the National Liberation Party of Unity (Papernas) in the East Java city of Mojokerto took to the streets on December 20. In addition to campaigning for their right to exist and the right to hold protest actions, the activists from Papernas gave non-stop speeches.