Mark Dodd, Viqueque – East Timorese voters have sent their political leaders a strong message to end violence and work towards improving living standards and social services.

Jakarta – The shocking escape of an army soldier, held on charges related to last year's bombing of the Jakarta Stock Exchange (JSX) building, has sparked a furore among the authorities, with the military police chief's head being the first to roll.

Lindsay Murdoch, Jakarta – Some of Jakarta's most influential political leaders are trying to broker a last-minute compromise to save President Abdurrahman Wahid from impeachment.

Jakarta – Despite the faint glimmer of a possible compromise, Indonesians were Thursday bracing for President Abdurrahman Wahid to make good his threat to declare a state of emergency to stave off an impeachment move. Late on Wednesday he renewed his threat to declare a state of emergency, plunging Indonesia into another bout of uncertainty.

Devi Asmarani, Jakarta – Indonesia's defiant police chief General Suroyo Bimantoro yesterday promoted and reshuffled 138 middle-ranking officers, in an apparent bid to garner more support within the fractured police force.

Avelinho Coelho, the secretary-general of the Timor Socialist Party (PST) said the Constituent Assembly to be formed after the 30 August election must not be structured like the now-dissolved National Council.

Yogyakarta – Some fifty members from East Timorese prointegration groups held a modest ceremony on Tuesday at Yogyakarta's East Timor Students Dormitory to celebrate what they called "the 25th anniversary of East Timor's integration to Indonesia".

East Timorese electoral officials Wednesday acknowledged "systematic failures" in the preparation of voters' lists for the August 30 constituent assembly balloting and appealed to the population to carefully check posted preliminary lists.

A team dispatched to verify rumors of planned election violence in East Timor reported Wednesday they had found the territory's "most vulnerable" areas "calm and serene".

Don Greenlees, Jakarta – Seated in a conference room of the Sheraton Nusa Dua Hotel in Bali, an agitated Indonesian president B.J. Habibie thumped his fist on the table. "We will not have any foreign troops. You have got to understand that. I can't allow foreign troops into Indonesia," he said.

Banda Aceh – Indonesian troops shot dead three more separatist rebels in Aceh as representatives from both sides entered a third-day of talks here, the military said Wednesday.

Jon Land – Three activists from the Acehnese Democratic Peoples Resistance Front were detained by police in Banda Aceh on July 11 during a protest against the United States-based company ExxonMobil.

A Defensive Alexander Downer undoubtedly has his eyes on the history books with the publication of the Government's apologia for its handling of the East Timor crisis. But East Timor in Transition 1998-2000, the official Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade account of the tumultuous period and Australia's role in mediating the crisis, deserves more than cursory dismissal.

Three days after the start of the official campaign period for August 30 elections, the Timorese Democratic Union (UDT) became the first party to publish an advertisement in the East Timorese press.

Craig Skehan – An official history of Australia's role in East Timor's transition to independence reveals that the Federal Government knew more than it was willing to admit at the time about orchestrated Indonesian military violence.

Teh Jen Lee – The haze caused by fires set to clear land for plantations may be less severe over South-east Asia this year because of lower palm-oil prices. Indonesian Palm Oil Producers Association president Derom Bangun said the low prices would discourage companies from increasing the plantation areas.

Derwin Pereira, Jakarta – A defiant General Suroyo Bimantoro, the sacked national police chief, said yesterday that President Abdurrahman Wahid's supporters would engineer mass unrest three days before his impeachment hearing on August 1.

Jakarta – The Indonesian Military and the National Police reconfirmed on Monday their opposition to President Abdurrahman Wahid's intention to declare a state of emergency ahead of the planned People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) session.

Jakarta – Political activists are calling for an act of civil disobedience by rejecting all regulations, policies and taxes imposed by the government and the House of Representatives.

Karen Polglaze, Canberra – A new book on Australia's foreign policy approach to East Timor from 1998 to 2000 is highly selective and partisan, opposition foreign affairs spokesman Laurie Brereton said today.

Joanne Collins, Jakarta – The International Monetary Fund said on Tuesday it was still aiming to release a delayed $400 million loan to Indonesia next month, erasing fears an agreement was many weeks away.

Jakarta – Indonesian police said yesterday they suspected a concerted bombing campaign was under way after a woman was injured in the second blast here in less than a week. Two cars were also damaged in the blast under a flyover in South Jakarta.

East Timor's Independent Electoral Commission has rejected more than 70 potential candidates for the August 30 constituent assembly elections. The final lists of party-backed and independent candidates obtained Tuesday by Lusa indicate that the Commission rejected 27 national and 46 district-level candidates.

Kupang Pos, Kupang – Political discourse on the formation of an Independent Timor (Negara Timor Raya-NTR) within East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) West Timor is treated seriously by TNI Indonesian Military Forces . Nine/Udayana Military Area Commander Maj-Gen William da Costa has stressed that if an NTR is declared, TNI will take strong action against the perpetrators.

Jakarta – The Central Jakarta District Court started hearing on Monday a lawsuit filed by five non-governmental organizations (NGOs) against the government for its failure to prevent the bloodshed in Sampit, Central Kalimantan, between February and March this year.

Tony Kevin – Tomorrow, Alexander Downer launches a book on Australia's role in East Timor between 1998 and 2000. One wonders why he should wish to reopen this Pandora's box. Others have recently addressed the issue: writers John Birmingham and John Martinkus, and SBS television's Dateline on May 9.

Banda Aceh – Violence pitting Indonesian government forces against separatist rebles in the restive province of Aceh has claimed another four lives, police and the military said Monday.

G.K. Goh, Jakarta – Indonesia is targeting economic growth of 3.0-3.5 percent this year and inflation of below 10 percent by year-end, according to the draft agreement between the government and the International Monetary Fund.

Robert Go, Jakarta – It's just trash for most people, but some Jakarta residents are finding novel ways of using garbage to help build their impoverished community.

Mark Dodd, Dili – Campaigning for East Timor's first democratic elections began at the weekend, but hopes for a smooth start were marred by a strike and the seizure of a consignment of military uniforms sent from Indonesia.

Vaudine England, Jakarta – Campaigning began yesterday for East Timor's first election, but confusion reigns in the minds of voters about what they are voting for and whether it bears any relation to what they want.

East Timor's transitional administration saw a flurry of moves today and over the weekend as political activity began to heat up in the half-island territory ahead of the United Nations-sponsored elections next month.

Dili – East Timor's defacto parliament, the National Council, was dissolved on Saturday, one day before the start of political campaigning for a new 88-seat Constituent Assembly, taking the territory closer to full independence.

Max Lane – There are now more political prisoners in Indonesia than there were during the last 12 months of General Suharto's 32-year rule. There are at least seven leaders of the West Papua independence movement in jail, some now on trial for so-called political offences.

Jon Land – The start of the formal election campaign period for East Timor's new Constituent Assembly began on July 15. Some 16 political parties and a number of independent candidates are contesting 88 seats in the election set for August 30, exactly two years after the historic referendum on independence.

Jakarta – Indonesians are bracing for a stormy countdown to the August 1 national assembly session which will decide the fate of embattled Abdurrahman Wahid, the country's first freely-elected president.

Devi Asmarani, Jakarta – It is personal ambition, not political partisanship, that is fuelling a dispute between middle and high-ranking officers over who should lead the Indonesian police force, according to police sources here.

Marianne Kearney, Jakarta – The current standoff between Indonesian President Abdurrahman Wahid and his police chief, and within the top ranks of the force, could lead to a dangerous showdown in Jakarta, say analysts.

Sacked police chief General Suroyo Bimantoro's refusal to step down, has split a demoralised police force already suffering from discipline problems.

Marianne Kearney, Jakarta – Thursday's order to arrest Indonesia's sacked police chief Bimantoro and yesterday's backdown from the arrest indicate that President Abdurrahman Wahid is willing to fight to the end in his bid to cling to power, said analysts.

Agencies in Cirebon and Jakarta – Isolated and facing open defiance within the police force, President Abdurrahman Wahid said yesterday he will declare a state of emergency next Friday unless lawmakers abandon their drive to impeach him. Political opponents said if Mr Wahid went ahead with his threat, they would hold a snap impeachment hearing.

Robert Go, Jakarta – A new draft agreement between the International Monetary Fund and Indonesia will impose fewer conditions and targets for the country, in what is perhaps an admission that IMF's past policies for the country may have missed the mark.

Jakarta – Top Army officials held on Friday a closed-door consolidation meeting at Wiladatika field in Cibubur, East Jakarta on Friday canceling the weekly Friday sports event between the police and military.

Surabaya – East Java's security forces were ready to anticipate possible outbreaks of violence, ahead of the August1 special session of the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR), police chief Insp. Gen Sutanto said on Thursday.

Robert Go, Jakarta – A long-delayed International Monetary Fund (IMF) loan tranche to Indonesia, worth around US$400 million (S$728 million), would be released next month. But this was likely to happen only after Jakarta's political questions were resolved, a key Indonesian adviser and analysts said yesterday.

East Timor's Independent Electoral Commission Friday determined the order in which the territory's 16 political parties and five independent candidates will appear on the national ballot for August 30 constituent assembly elections.

Jakarta – Indonesian legislators have asked the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to write off the country's foreign debts, including those to other donors recommended by the Fund.

Jakarta – Indonesian police who rushed to their commander's home to protect him from arrest pulled back overnight after President Abdurrahman Wahid appeared to back down.

Jakarta – Indonesian Military (TNI) chief Adm. Widodo A.S. sounded on Thursday his strong support for stern measures taken by joint-security troops to restore law and order in strife-torn Ambon.

Mark Dodd, Dili – Two days before the start of East Timor's election campaign for a Constituent Assembly, the territory's United Nations administrator, Mr Sergio Vieira de Mello, has promised maximum security to ensure a peaceful and trouble-free ballot.

Vaudine England, Jakarta – President Abdurrahman Wahid yesterday ordered the arrest of the police chief he has been trying to sack for weeks, widening the struggle over his impeachment by raising fresh allegations of politicking by the police.