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Indonesia & East Timor Digest

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April 19, 2003

Jakarta Post - April 19, 2003

Nani Farida, Banda Aceh – The trial of Muhammad Nazar, leader of the Aceh Referendum Information Center (SIRA) who stands charged with sowing hatred against the government, began on Thursday at Banda Aceh District Court.

"The defendant incited the public to carry out actions that violated the law," chief prosecutor Muhammad Masril told the hearing.

Jakarta Post - April 19, 2003

Jakarta – The National Commission on Anti-Violence Against Women (Komnas Perempuan) has expressed its concern over the possibility of the Indonesian government resorting to military force to resolve the Aceh conflict.

Jakarta Post - April 19, 2003

Jakarta (Antara) – About 200,000 Indonesians are still taking refuge in a number of areas across the country due to social conflicts, a minister said on Friday.

"Actually, the government has prepared to resettle the refugees of certain areas and Rp 750,000 in cash for each refugee family," Minister of Social Affairs Bachtiar Chamsyah was quoted by Antara as saying.

Jakarta Post - April 19, 2003

Muninggar Sri Saraswati, Jakarta – The Supreme Court shifted 64 mid- and low-level division heads from their posts on Thursday, the biggest reshuffling to occur in the country's judicial history, in an effort to boost its poor performance and repair the corrupt judiciary.

April 18, 2003

Straits Times - April 18, 2003

Devi Asmarani, Jakarta – The Indonesian government has won critical support for "firm action on Aceh" that will likely include a military operation.

The go-ahead will be given only after a final attempt to salvage the four-month old peace pact is made, through a last round of talks with the rebel groups later this month.

April 17, 2003

Jakarta Post - April 17, 2003

Banda Aceh – Muhammad Nazar, 27, chairman of the Information Center for an Aceh Referendum (SIRA), went on trial here on Thursday for sedition, his second brush with the law in two years, AFP reported.

Straits Times - April 17, 2003

Devi Asmarani, Jakarta – The Indonesian government has begun preparations to launch a military operation in Aceh, ending a peace pact that has been shredded in recent days by escalating violence.

Agence France Presse - April 17, 2003

The head of Indonesia's Supreme Court has hit out at Amnesty International for describing trials of suspects in the 1999 East Timor violence as "not honest, truthful or fair." "That group has never been satisfied with other people's work," Bagir Manan was quoted by the Koran Tempo daily as saying.

Agence France Presse - April 17, 2003

Jakarta – Indonesian cleric Abu Bakar Bashir, accused of leading the Jemaah Islamiah (JI) terror network, had ordered the assassination of President Megawati Sukarnoputri when she was still vice-president, according to a copy of his indictment obtained yesterday.

Jakarta Post - April 17, 2003

M. Taufiqurrahman and Muninggar Sri Saraswati, Jakarta – Marked by the presence of hundreds of people alleged to be those taking part in storming the weekly's office, the trial of the Tempo attack began on Wednesday at the Central Jakarta District Court, with prosecutors accusing the defendants of only committing a minor offense.

Jakarta Post - April 17, 2003

Azis Tunny, Ambon – Maluku authorities renewed their warning against the South Maluku Republic (RMS) separatist movement, saying strong measures would be taken against those supporting for RMS and its affiliate, the Maluku Sovereignty Forum (FKM), in observance of the separatist movement's 54th anniversary on April 24.

Straits Times - April 17, 2003

Robert Go, Jakarta – Indonesia's recent decision to revoke free visa-on-arrival facilities for tourists from nearly 40 countries has come under fire for dealing another blow to the tourist industry and jeopardising thousands of jobs in the country.

Jakarta Post - April 17, 2003

Moch. N. Kurniawan, Jakarta – The government has expressed concern over the rising infant mortality rate, which has increased from 47 babies per 1,000 births in 1997 to 51 babies in 2001 amid the lingering economic crisis.

Jakarta Post - April 17, 2003

Moch. N. Kurniawan, Jakarta – Despite strong criticism and opposition from numerous parties, the government and the House of Representatives looked set to go ahead with the controversial education system bill, which would reduce national education to religious matters.

April 16, 2003

Jakarta Post - April 16, 2003

Apriadi Gunawan, Medan – The police in Tarutung, North Tapanuli, North Sumatra, arrested on Tuesday three people for preventing log trucks from supplying raw materials to a pulp mill belonging to PT Toba Pulp Lestari (TPL), in Porsea, some 170 kilometers south of Medan.

Sydney Morning Herald - April 16, 2003

Three and half years after East Timor voted for independence, 1500 East Timorese asylum seekers are still in Australia. For many it is more than a decade since they escaped the former Portuguese colony's murderous Indonesian regime. Some had fled the 1991 massacre of about 200 East Timorese in Dili's Santa Cruz cemetery.

Jakarta Post - April 16, 2003

Elcid Li, Kupang – The reunion took place in no-man's-land. Also called the tactical coordination line, a 300-meter-long strip of beach just outside of Belu regency between East Timor and Indonesia, where neither country's laws apply.

Australian Financial Review - April 16, 2003

Mari Alkatiri – As the world watched events unfold in the Middle East, we heard talk of the territorial integrity of the nation of Iraq.

Jakarta Post - April 16, 2003

Nethy Dharma Somba, Jayapura – Yapenas Murib, 35, one of four civilians suspected of involvement in the theft of arms at the a military district headquarters in Wamena on March 4, died on Tuesday.

Jakarta Post - April 16, 2003

Stefan Reisner, Bali – Anger, confusion and disbelief – that is the reaction of the tourist industry and the expatriate community following the drastic change in immigration regulations.

Radio Australia - April 16, 2003

In a final bid to salvage Aceh's shaky peace pact, separatist rebels have agreed to meet with the Indonesian Government in Geneva next week. The decision by the separatist Free Aceh Movement or GAM comes after Jakarta called for a final meeting to iron out growing differences over the six month old peace pact.

Agence France Presse - April 16, 2003

An investigation into allegations of unlawful killing and brutality by Australian special forces in East Timor led to a soldier being charged with kicking a militiaman's corpse after an ambush, Army chief General Peter Leahy said.

Straits Times - April 16, 2003

Devi Asmarani, Jakarta – Indonesia's state-run television station, TVRI, yesterday officially became a state-owned company, a status that will give it more commercial freedom and help it stay viable in competition with private stations.

Jakarta Post - April 16, 2003

Kurniawan Hari, Jakarta – More politicians and observers have demanded that all political parties, be they big or small, be afforded equal chances of nominating their own presidential and vice presidential candidates.

Therefore, the argue, the restrictions limiting the size of the presidential election field must be dropped.

Jakarta Post - April 16, 2003

Arya Abhiseka, Jakarta – The General Elections Commission (KPU) announced on Tuesday the campaign period ahead of the upcoming legislative election would take place between March 11 and April 1, 2004.

Jakarta Post - April 16, 2003

Jakarta – Justice Minister Yusril Ihza Mahendra on Tuesday defended a much-criticised decree forcing more tourists to obtain visas, saying the policy was vital to protect internal security.

The decision to abolish visa-free entry for short visits for citizens of 38 countries was based on "considerations on internal security aspects," Yusril said.

Jakarta Post - April 16, 2003

Banda Aceh – Marines killed three suspected separatist rebels in a gunfight at sea off East Aceh, Aceh military spokesman Firdaus Komarno said here on Tuesday.

April 15, 2003

Straits Times - April 15, 2003

Jakarta – Indonesian prosecutors yesterday demanded that a former military chief in East Timor be jailed for 10 years for failing to stop violence leading up to the territory's vote to split from Jakarta's rule in 1999.

Brig-Gen Tono Suratman controlled Indonesian troops in East Timor, now known as Timor Leste, until two weeks before the August 30, 1999, independence vote.

Agence France Presse - April 15, 2003

Amnesty International slammed Indonesia's trials of suspects in the 1999 East Timor violence as "not honest, truthful or fair" and urged the United Nations to consider setting up a tribunal.

Jakarta Post - April 15, 2003

Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, Jakarta – A human rights activist has expressed doubts that Indonesia and East Timor are serious about resolving the question of human rights abuses in the former Indonesian province as both are still lack the necessary legal instruments to deal with the cases.

Jakarta Post - April 15, 2003

Jakarta – Amnesty International said on Tuesday that Indonesian troops had reportedly tortured villagers and torched homes during a hunt for separatist rebels in Papua province.

Laksamana.Net - April 15, 2003

When engineering and textiles giant Texmaco announced the first of what promises to be a series of defaults on credit last week, the country got an abrupt reminder of the disgraceful price it is still paying for bailing out near-defunct crony conglomerates.

Elsham News Report - April 15, 2003

Wamena – According to a report from ELSHAM's contact post in Wamena, a detainee named Yapenas Murib, from Ilekma who was arrested a few days ago died in military custody at the military command, Kodim 1702 on Tuesday, 5am.

Straits Times - April 15, 2003

Robert Go, Jakarta – Indonesia is in the midst of a crackdown. Between 1997 and 1999, the government lent US$14 billion to ailing banks to keep them from going under.

But audits since then have shown "improprieties" involving as much as 95 per cent of that money, and the bulk of this money appears to have simply disappeared.

Jakarta Post - April 15, 2003

Tiarna Siboro, Jakarta – Hopes for salvaging the Aceh peace agreement rose again on Monday after both the government and the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) agreed to sit down at the negotiating table to discuss various alleged violations of the accord signed last year.

April 14, 2003

Agence France Presse - April 14, 2003

Prosecutors accused Muslim cleric Abu Bakar Bashir of plotting terror bombings in Indonesia and Singapore as part of a campaign to topple the Indonesian government and set up an Islamic state.

Jakarta Post - April 14, 2003

Moch. N. Kurniawan, Jakarta – Public demands for a revision of the education bill have been increasing with a call for the House of Representatives to delay its endorsement in order to avert a major rift in society.

Reuters - April 14, 2003

Banda Aceh – Ginger farmer Sulaiman looks pensively across his fertile field in Indonesia's restive Aceh province, afraid fresh military operations could soon shatter the calm ushered in by a landmark peace pact.

Jakarta Post - April 14, 2003

Nani Farida and Arya Abhiseka, Banda Aceh – As fear was once again on the rise here, Acehnese leaders warned the government against launching a military operation in Aceh, saying that it had been proven in the past, that such an approach would certainly not resolve the conflict.

Jakarta Post - April 14, 2003

Nethy Dharma Somba, Jayapura – Home affairs minister Hari Sabarno has added to the confusion surrounding the partition of the autonomous province of Papua into three provinces – Papua, Central Irian Jaya, and West Irian Jaya.

Radio Australia - April 14, 2003

In Indonesia, about 5,000 Muslims have staged a rally near the city of Yogyakarta to pray for the people of Iraq.

Members of Islamic boarding schools in and around Yogyakarta in Central Java gathered after midday prayers outside a mosque for the rally. Police said no incidents were reported.

April 13, 2003

Agence France Presse - April 13, 2003

Indonesia's longest and bloodiest conflict is in imminent danger of breaking out again, just four months after a peace agreement was signed to international acclaim.

The government last Thursday told troops to be ready to go back to war in Aceh within five days if necessary, unless disputes over the pact can be settled at a meeting of a Joint Council – the final arbiter.

Laksamana.Net - April 13, 2003

In the weeks to come, President Megawati Sukarnoputri will face a crucial decision whether she will surrender to pressure from the military hardliners trying to force her to take military action in putting down the separatism group the Free Aceh Movement (GAM).

Agence France Presse - April 13, 2003

A 10-year-old girl has become the latest victim of violence in Aceh, where a four-month-old peace pact between the Indonesian government and separatist rebels is close to breaking down.

Jakarta Post - April 13, 2003

Jakarta – The Indonesian military (TNI) has arrested a man suspected of involvement in last week's raid on an armoury in Papua province, a district commander said on Saturday.

April 12, 2003

Jakarta Post - April 12, 2003

Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, Muninggar Sri Saraswati, Jakarta – Legal confusion has emerged regarding the new policy revoking the free-visa-on-arrival facility extended to nationals of 48 countries, with an immigration official saying the ruling would not come into effect until executory guidelines had been issued.

The Australian - April 12, 2003

Megan Saunders – Immigration Minister Philip Ruddock has rejected a plea by the East Timor President, Xanana Gusmao, to allow up to 1600 temporary visa holders to remain in Australia because his country is too poor to take them back.

Jakarta Post - April 12, 2003

Ambon – The Indonesian Military (TNI) warned the separatist Maluku Sovereign Front (FKM) on Friday not to hoist the flag of the South Maluku Republic to mark its anniversary on April 25.

"I will arrest those who hoist the RMS flag," chief of the Pattimura regional military command, Maj. Gen. Agustadi SP, was quoted by Antara as saying.

April 11, 2003

Jakarta Post - April 11, 2003

Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, Jakarta – Adding insult to injury of the employees of state-owned Djakarta Transportation bus company (PPD), the government has planned to lay off about 2,000 workers as part of its efforts to improve the company's feasibility.

Straits Times - April 11, 2003

Devi Asmarani, Jakarta – Unhappiness with the way some countries have been treating its citizens abroad is behind Indonesia's tit-for-tat decision to scrap visa-free entry privileges granted to dozens of nations, including the United States, Australia and Britain.