Banda Aceh – The government is considering holding peace talks inside Indonesia to end the decades-long separatist conflict in Aceh province if dialogue held overseas fails, a top minister said Wednesday.

At least 52 people have died of various diseases following floods that inundated much of the Indonesian capital Jakarta last month, an official said.

Yuli Tri Suwarni, Bandung – A labor strike involving more than 8,000 workers again affected the country's only state-owned aircraft manufacturer PT Dirgantara Indonesia (PT DI) in the West Java capital of Bandung on Monday. The workers are demanding the replacement of the company's board of directors.

R.K. Nugroho, Jayapura – A district court in the easternmost province of Papua acquitted on Monday three pro-independence leaders of the Papua Presidium Council, who had been tried on charges of subversion.

Marianne Kearney, Jakarta – Muslims in Aceh who do not wear Islamic dress will be barred from urban areas from the middle of this month as the authorities start enforcing the Islamic syariah law.

The Acehnese provincial government yesterday announced they will enforce Islamic dress code as part of syariah law introduced in the province last year.

Dominic Whiting, Bangkok – East Timor independence hero Xanana Gusmao, the front-runner to lead the nascent Southeast Asian state, said on Tuesday he wanted to be defeated in his country's first presidential elections. Last month Gusmao, backed by 11 of the tiny territory's 16 political parties, accepted their nomination as a presidential candidate.

Jakarta – The government confirmed on Monday plans to sell its stakes in five firms to meet the privatization target of Rp 3.5 trillion (some US$340 million) for the first half of the year, State Minister of State Enterprises Laksamana Sukardi said on Monday.

Jakarta – The government has decided to look the other way and write-off the expenditure incurred on 46 legislators who allegedly used their status to gain access to state facilities during personal haj pilgrimages in Saudi Arabia last month.

Joanna Jolly, Dili – The first contingent of 24 Japanese military engineers arrived Monday to join a U.N. peacekeeping force amid protests over Japan's brutal occupation of East Timor in World War II.

Tiarma Siboro, Jakarta – Controversy continued to dog the selection of Maj. Gen. Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin as the new Indonesian Military (TNI) spokesman, as he disclosed a new policy that would restrict access to him.

A'an Suryana, Jakarta – The territorial function the Indonesian Military (TNI) has adopted for the past four decades is no longer relevant and should be immediately phased out, a seminar concluded.

Indonesian police allowed a small group of Falungong practitioners to hold a protest outside the Chinese embassy in Jakarta after banning a march by hundreds of the sect's supporters the previous day.

The Chinese embassy confirmed Monday it had approached police and government officials about Sunday's planned march by what it called an "evil cult."

Jakarta – Indonesia made progress in some areas last year in its transition to democracy but the government's human rights record remains poor, the US State Department says.

Jakarta – Prosecutors of the United Nations Transitional Administration in East Timor (UNTAET) have launched cases against three men accused of 27 crimes against humanity during a violent campaign against pro-independence supporters in 1999.

Mark Baker, Manila – Burma's military regime has sparked a rift within the Association of South-East Asian Nations by blocking moves towards East Timor joining the regional grouping after the country achieves independence next year.

Jakarta – Money talks. Even though prostitution and gambling is officially illegal, the Kalijodo red light area in Pejagalan subdistrict, North Jakarta, which later also developed into a gambling den, had been going strong for five decades.

Banda Aceh – Indonesian troops have shot dead three suspected separatist rebel in the restive province of Aceh, the military said Sunday.

Jakarta – An Indonesian court in the easternmost province of Papua on Monday acquitted three pro-independence leaders of subversion.

"Praise the Lord, justice prevailed," said Reverend Herman Awom, who was cleared along with fellow Papua Presidium members Don Flassy and Thaha Al Hamid.

Damar Harsanto, Jakarta – Slimming product advertisements that have been bombarding people, especially women, have turned out to provide misleading information. Many of these products do not include sufficient information to warn consumers properly of the possible side effects of substances they contain.

Devi Asmarani, Jakarta – Gourmet snacks and wine, not stiff seats and long queues, await well-heeled patrons at Indonesia's first luxury cinema, which opened at a glitzy mall two weeks ago.

The Premiere, which is located in the city's Plaza Senayan mall, opened for business on Valentine's Day, and has been drawing in steady crowds ever since.

Jakarta – President Megawati Soekarnoputri urged employers and their employees on Saturday to exercise restraint when seeking settlements to industrial disputes.

The President suggested that both parties sit down and talk together to seek a favorable solution that would leave nobody to feel they had lost out.

Jakarta – A military team is currently conducting extensive excavations at the headquarters of a the elite army battalion in Papua province to try to locate a missing key witness in the murder of local pro-independence leader Theys Hiyo Eluay, a report said Sunday.

Jakarta – Rumours that the construction of a bridge linking Indonesia's densely-populated East Java province with Madura island would need the sacrifice of a child have caused fear and panic among parents there, a report said Sunday.

Devi Asmarani, Jakarta – National Assembly Speaker Amien Rais has openly declared that he will quit the leadership of the National Mandate Party (PAN) in a move seen as a public relation gimmick to pave the way for him to contest the 2004 presidential election.

Jakarta – The huge funds provided by the city administration for flood-rehabilitation projects appear open to misuse, as several city agencies allegedly marked up their post-flood expenditure.

Jakarta – Human rights activists paid tribute to one of their modern day heroes, the late Johanes Cornelis Princen, for his lifetime's work, by naming the library of the Indonesian Legal Aid Institution Foundation (YLBHI) after him on Friday.

The library was built in 1969 by Princen, a former Dutch soldier who deserted and changed his nationality to Indonesian.

Muninggar Sri Saraswati, Jakarta – The state has suffered more than Rp 137 trillion (US$13.3 billion) due to the manipulation of the Bank Indonesia Liquidity Support Fund (BLBI). Ironically, law enforcers have failed to properly address the issue. The fund misappropriation was first disclosed by the Supreme Audit Agency (BPK) in May 1999.

Jakarta – Indonesian prosecutors have arrested and jailed former trade and industry minister Rahardi Ramelan for his alleged involvement in a US$3.8 million fraud case.

Mr Rahardi, who is also the former chairman of State Logistics Agency (Bulog), was a suspect in the case involving misuse of funds from the agency.

Robert Go, Jakarta – From his small electronics kiosk in Jakarta's Glodok market, Mr Gunawan sells imported 21-inch Sony televisions for 4.1 million rupiah (S$780) each, but a similar set produced locally by Panasonic sells for nearly 4.4 million rupiah.

Adi Mawardi, Surabaya – Ralph L. Boyce, the United States Ambassador to Indonesia, has promised that he will fight to get a reduction on the military embargo imposed by the United States on Indonesia after disorder broke out in East Timor following the 1999 referendum, according to Rear Admiral Sa'roni Kasnadi, Commander of the Eastern Fleet of the Indonesian Navy on Friday.

Jakarta – Four people were injured on Saturday in clashes that marred a joint Muslim-Christian peace rally in Indonesia's Ambon city, the scene of three-year-old sectarian violence.

Agus Hidayat – Although Tommy Suharto may be facing the death penalty if convicted, the charges against him contain many weaknesses. A good opportunity for his defense team, perchance?

Jakarta – Indonesia's inflation rate in February rose 1.5 percent from January and 15.13 percent from a year earlier, it was announced Friday.

The result was a setback to economic planners, who forecast an inflation rate of 9.0 percent in this year's budget.

Jakarta – Indonesia announced a rise in January exports Friday in what one analyst called a good sign for the country's economy.

The Central Bureau of Statistics said exports rose to 4.0 billion dollars from 3.992 billion in December while imports fell to 1.89 billion from 2.0 billion, producing a trade surplus of 2.11 billion dollars,

Like Bob Hasan, Tommy has built a palace at Cipinang jail. But many prisoners are unhappy about it.

Dili – The people of East Timor this week once again displayed intense interest and enthusiasm in the democratic process as more than 80 public consultations in all districts on the final draft of the nation's Constitution often drew hundreds of people.

Lee Siew Hua, Washington – The United States appears frustrated with Indonesia for not being aggressive enough in its pursuit of Al-Qaeda sympathisers on its own soil.

Jakarta – A cemetery for Indonesian servicemen in East Timor's capital Dili has been converted to a cassava farm, Indonesia's state-run news agency Antara said Friday.

Yemris Fointuna, Kupang – Udayana Military Commander Maj. Gen. Wellem T. da Costa has ordered soldiers to shoot East Timor refugees found committing violence against Indonesians living near refugee camps in West Timor.

"... I order all TNI members to shoot any criminal on the spot. I am ready to be sued over this decision," Wellem said.

Jakarta – The commercial center and wholesale market in Kramat Jati in East Jakarta returns to normal on Wednesday afternoon after the two warring ethnic groups involved in a brawl that had lasted from Sunday night until Monday, decided to bury the hatchet and end the conflicts, reports said.

Nusa Dua – Around 170 political parties have so far registered with the Ministry of Justice and Human Rights to contest the 2004 general election.

Minister of Justice and Human Rights Yusril Ihza Mahendra said here on Wednesday that most of the parties registered for the last election in 1999 were on the list.

Kurniawan Hari, Jakarta – Activists from various non-governmental organizations (NGOs) renewed on Wednesday their demand for an independent constitutional commission in place of the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) which they deemed incapable of amending the 1945 Constitution in accordance with democratic reforms.

Blora – A major fire that is still raging at Pertamina's oil and gas exploration field in Cepu in Central Java has displaced more than 1,000 villagers.

The blaze broke out on Monday at an unfinished well and spread to other nearby wells and buildings at the site in Blora district, sending more than 4,000 residents of villages near the fire fleeing.

Yemris Fointuna, Kupang – Thousands of East Timorese refugees have begun to use violence and terror against local villagers in a bid to survive in East Nusa Tenggara province following the halt of their food assistance early last month.

Nusa Dua/Jakarta – The much-awaited ad hoc human rights trial is faced with another stumbling block as the government has asked the Supreme Court to delay indefinitely its first hearing pending the issuance of laws on witness protection, and rehabilitation and compensation for rights violation victims.

Indonesian President Megawati Sukarnoputri yesterday launched an indirect diplomatic broadside at Australia over its stance on illegal immigrants.

Opening an international conference on people smuggling in Bali, co-hosted by Australia, Mrs Megawati condemned countries that did whatever they wanted to protect their national interests.

Manila – Myanmar has objected to a proposal to grant East Timor observer status to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), Philippine officials said Thursday.

Achara Ashayagachat – East Timor needs 10 years to prepare for joining the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, de facto Foreign Minister Ramos Horta said.

Nglinting Darmono, Yogyakarta – There's no such thing as a wholly "natural" disaster. The recent catastrophic floods in Jakarta and along the northern coast of Java, which claimed at least 200 lives, were no exception.

Jakarta – Indonesian prosecutors said Wednesday that former president B.J. Habibie is not currently a suspect in a 3.8 million dollar fraud case allegedly involving one of his ministers.

They questioned Habibie on Monday and Tuesday about the alleged embezzlement of 40 billion rupiah (3.8 million dollars) in funds intended for the poor while he was president in 1999.