Kurniawan Hari, Jakarta – The House of Representatives cleared on Wednesday the last hurdle to next year's elections by endorsing a bill on the status and composition of legislative bodies.

With the passage of the bill, the country has all four of the political laws necessary to organize legislative and presidential elections next year.

Kurniawan Hari, Jakarta – The House of Representatives closed its session on Wednesday with the same old problem – a massive backlog of outstanding bills.

Endy M. Bayuni, Jakarta – Corruption in the courts, rather than within political parties or the police, is the problem that needs the most immediate attention in Indonesia, according to a new opinion survey.

Jakarta – The Central Jakarta District court sentenced Hidayat Lukman, alias Teddy Uban, to five months in jail plus 10 months probation for assaulting Tempo weekly news magazine journalist Ahmad Taufik.

Max Lane – On July 11 at the Taman Ismail Marzuki Jakarta Arts Center, more than 30 community, cultural, human rights and other organizations are sponsoring an Aceh Peace Concert.

Dili – Prosecutors in East Timor Thursday indicted 57 people, including 17 Indonesian military officers and four former pro-Jakarta militia leaders, for their part in deadly violence during the country's 1999 independence bid.

Ridwan Max Sijabat, Jakarta – Minister of Manpower and Transmigration Jacob Nuwa Wea regretted the low awareness of workers about unionization, since only 20 percent of the more than 40 million workers employed in the formal sector have unionized, despite the reform era.

Nethy Dharma Somba, Jayapura – Unlike the conflict-plagued province of Aceh, the central government does not have any immediate plans to impose martial law to wipe out the independence rebels in Papua, but is hoping for a peaceful solution instead, the chief security minister said here on Wednesday.

Jakarta – Indonesian President Megawati Sukarnoputri is scheduled today to re-launch a number of development projects, worth billions of US dollars, which were shelved in the wake of the 1997 economic crisis.

Robert Go, Jakarta – Indonesia is soon to open two schools where students will learn how to break into buildings, hack into computers, and bug phones, among other unusual skills.

Robert Go, Jakarta – Yet another jet saga is brewing in Jakarta with senior officials and military brass demanding explanations, and possibly apologies, from Washington.

The problem: five American F-18 jets are said to have inappropriately breached Indonesian airspace over the Java Sea last Thursday.

Pip Hinman, Sydney – The Indonesian government has an almost "pathological hostility to separatism", Dr Ed Aspinall, lecturer in South-East Asian Studies at Sydney University, told a forum on July 2.

Daniel Cooney, Jakarta – The soldiers who killed a peace-advocating separatist leader were "heroes." Two Germans shot by troops were "stupid" for vacationing in a strife-torn part of the country.

The comments by Indonesia's Army Chief of Staff Gen. Ryamizard Ryacudu have thrown the spotlight on the tough-talking presidential loyalist who some tip to become military chief.

James Balowski, Jakarta – The Indonesian military's (TNI) vicious little war against the people in its northern-most province of Aceh is reaching new heights, and new regulations to restrict the media and limit aid groups' and human rights workers' access are making it almost impossible to monitor the situation.

Endy M. Bayuni, Jakarta – The good news is that Indonesia has been making progress in almost all facets of human development. The not so good news is that the country still rates poorly in the fight to improve the lives of its people when compared to other countries, including most in the region.

Nethy Dharma Somba, Jayapura – Chief security minister Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono renewed the government's warning against separatists in the province of Papua on Tuesday. He said separatists would face tougher action from security forces should they go ahead with their secessionist campaign.

Jakarta – At least 71 members of the separatist Free Aceh Movement (GAM) will face charges of subversion, police in the Indonesian province said on Wednesday. The offense can carry a death sentence.

Jakarta – Growing numbers of Indonesians are being jailed for their political views under "draconian" laws that call into question President Megawati Sukarnoputri's commitment to political openness, two leading rights groups said.

A'an Suryana and Nani Farida, Banda Aceh/Lhokseumawe – Despite the military's recent claim of territorial control over Aceh, the war between the military and the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) peaked on Tuesday when 18 rebels were killed and several more soldiers were injured in separate clashes.

Surabaya – Around 5,000 workers of shoe company PT Fortune Mate Indonesia (FMI) staged a demonstration here on Tuesday to demand better conditions.

The protesters, mostly women, urged the management to fire the company's human resources development head, Kusnardi, whom they blamed for reducing their allowances. "Kusnardi has failed to protect us," one protester said.

Jakarta – An angry mob set fire to a police station in South Sumatra province in protest against the police's failure to curb a series of crimes, leaving one person wounded, an officer said on Tuesday.

M. Taufiqurrahman, Jakarta – The International Labor Organization (ILO) urged the Indonesian government on Tuesday to phase out the worst forms of child labor in the next four years in view of the increasing exploitation of children in the country.

Multa Fidrus, Tangerang – Villagers from Selapanjang in Tangerang have threatened to stage a protest at the Soekarno-Hatta International Airport. The residents have been demanding compensation since they were evicted from their land due to the airport's expansion project which began last year. The project was operated by PT Angkasa Pura II.

Children as young as 13 are engaged in the drugs trade in the Indonesian capital and about four percent of all users are aged under 17, the International Labour Organisation (ILO) said.

Jane Perlez, Jakarta – The Indonesian military has now declared that its tough offensive against rebels in the northern province of Aceh, originally supposed to last six months, would last much longer, maybe even 10 years.

Jakarta – Indonesia's military has warned rebels in Aceh province to free five hostages, including a local TV crew, by a Tuesday evening deadline or face attack, an army spokesman said.

Jill Jolliffe, Dili – A new tactic by East Timorese prosecutors to bring war crimes suspects to trial has resulted in nine Interpol arrest warrants being issued.

Jakarta – Minister of Defence Matori Abdul Djalil has criticised a number of NGOs which only talk about human rights when considering the situation in parts of Indonesia in which conflicts are raging.

Jakarta – The House of Representatives (DPR), in its plenary meeting presided over by Deputy House Speaker Soetardjo Soerjogoeritno here on Monday, agreed to pass the bill on presidential election into law.

Jakarta – An estimated two million Indonesians have abortions each year, mainly through unsafe procedures, a researcher told an abortion seminar in Yogyakarta on Saturday.

Ambon – Even as the military campaign to quell the separatist movement in Aceh shows no sign of coming to a speedy end, fresh trouble is brewing in another trouble spot – Maluku, where separatist and sectarian violence is threatening the province.

Jakarta/Lhokseumawe – The number of Acehnese who have fled their homes has soared to 48,000 as the Indonesian military (TNI) intensifies its operations in the province.

Minister of Social Affairs Bachtiar Chamsyah said on Sunday the number of Acehnese fleeing to makeshift refugee camps had risen from 32,000 at the beginning of last week to 48,000 over the weekend.

Meidyatama Suryodiningrat, Jakarta – News of the affirmation by Nurcholish Madjid, better known as Cak Nur, that he would enter the Golkar Party convention process in a bid to secure a presidential nomination has been met with incredulity, trepidation and abhorrence.

Matthew Moore, Jakarta – In Indonesia's better hotels you will sometimes see signs that read: "No Durians Past This Point." Because the prickly green fruit has a smell that lingers like a blocked drain, staff are taught to treat it like non-paying guests.

Jakarta – At least 150 civilians have died, 80 have been wounded, and another 71 have gone missing since the government launched the integrated operation in the troubled province of Aceh on May 19, authorities say.

Matthew Moore, Jakarta – After 13 years studying it, and eight years living in it, Thomas Walton feels confident to nominate his No. 1 issue: "Urban air quality is the single worst environment problem in Indonesia ... so many people are affected and they can't get away from it."

A'an Suryana, Lhokseumawe – At first she refused to be interviewed but then relented on the condition that she be quoted under a false name, Hanafiah. "I am afraid that I'll be killed after an interview," said the 50-year old women, a resident of Krueng Dhoe hamlet in Pidie regency.

Robert Go, Jakarta – Indonesia's top general says Aceh operations are "ahead of schedule", but admit the authorities may extend martial law for the province beyond the current six-month order.

The military and the police have also asked Parliament for an additional fund of US$220 million to finance the campaign against the separatist Free Aceh Movement.

Muninggar Sri Saraswati, Jakarta – The National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) said on Friday that the military operation against the separatist Free Aceh Movement (GAM) had failed and urged both parties to go back to the negotiating table.

Muninggar Sri Saraswati, Jakarta – The management of 68H radio news lodged a strong protest on Friday with the martial law administration in Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam over an assault the previous day on one of its journalists, Alif Imam Nurlambang, in Panton Luas, South Aceh.

Derwin Pereira, Jakarta – The Indonesian government has declared it will proceed with buying Russian fighter jets despite controversy raging in Parliament about the deal.

Kurniawan Hari, Jakarta – High school graduates, suspects, or convicted persons can be nominated as presidential candidates in 2004 when the country will organize the first direct presidential elections following a consensus of the nine House factions on those issues on Friday.

Andi Hajramurni, Makassar – The presidential race kicked off within the country's second biggest party, Golkar, on Friday, with five would-be candidates presenting their visions and missions on the first day of a three-day meeting of Golkar-affiliated mass organizations in Makassar, South Sulawesi.

Jakarta – It is not enough to hold a judicial review of the anti-terrorist laws numbers 15/2003 and 16/2003 which were promulgated three months ago. These laws must be totally revised or amended so they do not allow for their misuse by the authorities.

Indonesia's military claims it now controls all of Aceh province, six weeks after imposing martial law to crush separatist rebels. But local human rights groups are counting the civilian cost of the war... saying as many as 35-thousand Acehenese have fled their homes and hundreds more have been killed in attacks and air raids.

Presenter/Interviewer: Tricia Fitzgerald

John Aglionby, Jakarta – Separatists in the Indonesian province of Aceh yesterday dismissed military claims that Jakarta had taken control of the whole province and vowed to continue fighting until they get their freedom.

Jakarta – Indonesia's Director General of Foreign Trade Sudar yesterday said the purchase of Russian-made jet fighters and helicopters was free from collusive practices.

"I am responsible for that," he said after a meeting with the House of Representatives' working committee tasked to look into the purchase.

Nethy Dharma Somba, Jayapura – Following increasing allegations of torture and civilian deaths, the Army withdrew on Wednesday 98 of its 158 elite Special Force (Kopassus) and Strategic Reserves Command (Kostrad) soldiers deployed to crack down on separatists in Papua.

Tertiani ZB Simanjuntak, Jakarta – Nothing was as usual on Wednesday at the Jakarta Legal Aid Institute (LBH Jakarta), located at Jl. Mendut No. 1 in Central Jakarta, which used to be crowded with justice seekers and activists throughout the day.

Tiarma Siboro, Jakarta – Experts criticized President Soekarnoputri on Wednesday for supporting the establishment of citizens' defense groups, saying that such moves would only heighten fanaticism and the culture of violence in society.