When Paul Keating was prime minister, Australia and Indonesia signed an "agreement on maintaining security", a pact strong on symbolism but light on substance.

An expert on the genocide in Cambodia has drawn parallels with Indonesia's policies in East Timor. History Professor Ben Kiernan says both Cambodia and East Timor suffered civil war – then genocidal policies from 1975 to 1980 – and ultimately intervention by the United Nations.

Transcript:

Jill Jolliffe – An Australian businessman is facing six years' imprisonment in East Timor on petty theft charges laid after a complaint by the brother of Prime Minister Mari Alkatiri.

When Indonesia's human rights court sits this week to close the book on 18 trials arising from the bloodshed that ravaged East Timor four-years-ago, one fact stands out – most of the suspects have been acquitted.

That outcome has already been heavily criticised by international and local human rights groups.

Jakarta – The economic policies taken by the administration of President Megawati Soekarnoputri have failed to push for the higher economic growth needed to create more jobs, economists say.

Jakarta – President Megawati Soekarnoputri said on Friday that the martial law in Aceh province would not last long and claimed the ongoing military operation to crush Acehnese separatist rebels was on the right track, despite reports of many civilian casualties.

Theresia Sufa and Bambang Nurbianto, Bogor – Some 300 residents of Bojong village and surrounding areas in Bogor regency welcomed Jakarta Sanitary Agency head Selamat Limbong and entourage with a protest on Friday.

The villagers also threw stones at a waste treatment facility, breaking several windows. There were not injuries or arrests during the protest.

Jakarta – Thousands of dirty and noisy motorised rickshaws in Indonesia's capital may soon go the same way as their pedal-powered predecessors – rounded up and dumped into the Java Sea.

Robert Go, Jakarta – A team dispatched by Indonesia's Parliament to review the progress of martial law operations in Aceh has returned to Jakarta bearing reports of possible violations by soldiers and government officials.

A US journalist arrested in June while reporting on a separatist war in Indonesia's Aceh province expects to be freed Sunday after being sentenced on immigration charges, his lawyer said.

Nethy Dharma Somba, Jayapura – The troubled province of Papua was granted special autonomy in 2001 with around Rp 1.2 trillion disbursed last year to smooth its implementation, but life remains unchanged among the impoverished people there.

Fabiola Desy Unidjaja and Kurniawan Hari, Jakarta – President Megawati Soekarnoputri has claimed that her government has accomplished numerous achievements, and has lashed out at her critics saying their rap merely served the interests of certain people.

Jakarta – The factions of Golkar Party, United Development Party (PPP), Group Representatives and Regional Representatives have rejected the idea of revoking the Provisional People's Consultative Assembly (MPRS) Decree No 25/1966 on the dissolution of the Indonesian Communist Party (PKI).

Moch. N. Kurniawan, Jakarta – NGO activists have called on the government to address the increasing inequity between rich and poor farmers before the issue explodes into a social conflict.

Andi Hajramurni, Makassar – The National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) has launched an investigation into an incident in which police shot and killed up to five protesters in Bulukumba regency, South Sulawesi, on July 21.

Max Lane – The 2004 election campaign has started. There are two kinds of issues that people seem to be looking at. The first relate to the so-called major parties, those with substantial numbers in the House of Representatives.

A'an Suryana, Jakarta – The Golkar party's popularity has been at stake following the withdrawal of noted Muslim intellectual Nurcholish Madjid, popularly known as Cak Nur, from the party's presidential race, say political observers.

Indonesia's highest constitutional body opened its last annual session before the country's legislative system is reformed next year.

A'an Suryana, Jakarta – Leaders of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) across the country have thrown their support behind chairwoman Megawati Soekarnoputri, including her controversial decisions in the elections of regional government heads.

Muklis Ali and Dean Yates, Jakarta – Indonesia's president denounced on Friday what she called the "blind fanaticism" of Muslim militants accused of the Bali bombings, describing it as a "terrifying threat".

In rare remarks about Islam and terrorism, Megawati Sukarnoputri told Indonesia's parliament in an annual progress report such a threat had to be cut off at its roots.

Nani Farida and Tertiani ZB Simanjuntak, Banda Aceh/Lhokseumawe – Two former negotiators for the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) went on trial in the Banda Aceh District Court on terrorism and treason charges on Thursday.

Jakarta – Indonesia is on track to achieve its full year budget target, the International Monetary Fund's country representative David Nellor, said Friday.

The projection comes after the government reported a realized deficit in the first half of only Rp 2.5 trillion (US$295 million), he said.

Matthew Moore, Jakarta – Australia has moved to resume contentious joint military exercises with the Indonesian Army's special forces.

Eleanor Hall: Australian Defence analysts and Indonesia watchers are raising concerns today about the merits of proposed joint-exercises involving Australia's Defence Forces and Indonesia's still controversial special forces, or Kopassus.

Gary LaMoshi, Denpasar – Last week, Indonesian President Megawati Sukarnoputri marked her second anniversary in her father's old job. This week, she failed to mark another anniversary, a failure that reveals the reticent Megawati's vision for her administration. For Indonesia's poor and for foreign investors, it's not a pretty picture.

East Timor's most senior judge has ruled the new nation's legal system should be based on Portuguese law, not Indonesian law. The controversial statement was made during his verdict on an appeal of a Timorese militiaman convicted on involvement in murders and a massacre during the 1999 vote for independence.

Presenter/Interviewer: Anita Barraud

Bambang Nurbianto, Jakarta – For the second time, villagers from Bogor regency rallied at City Hall and the City Council building against plans to build a garbage treatment facility in Bojong village.

Jakarta – The People's Democratic Party (PRD) has rejected holding general elections in Aceh for as long as the military emergency in Tanah Rencong [Aceh] continues.

Nani Farida, Banda Aceh – Facing two months imprisonment for immigration offenses, an American freelance journalist asserted that he had not committed any acts or activities that violated Indonesia's immigration law.

Jakarta – The House of Representatives Committee on Thursday urged the government to delay the purchase of Russian jet fighters as the deal had violated the current state budget guidelines.

Tiarma Siboro and A'an Suryana, Jakarta – Respected Muslim scholar Nurcholish Madjid announced his withdrawal on Wednesday night from the Golkar Party convention to select presidential candidates after party chairman Akbar Tandjung moved to participate in the race.

The US State Department has insisted it had made no decision on whether to send training aid to Indonesia's military, despite reports that it wants to release 400,000 dollars to armed forces tainted by human rights concerns.

Apriadi Gunawan, Medan – Chinese-Indonesian businesspeople in North Sumatra have alleged that political party activists are extorting money from them ahead of the 2004 elections. The businesspeople said they were intimidated by the activists into giving them money.

Robert Go, Jakarta – Indonesia's new copyright laws promise a tough bite. They give law enforcers the right to crack down on pirated contraband and may improve Jakarta's standing with the United States and other source countries of software and entertainment products.

Dili – East Timorese police have evicted former governor Mario Carrascalao from his home of 22 years, in what he described as an act of political persecution.

Tertiani ZB Simanjuntak, Lhokseumawe – Saturday night is no longer lively in the North Aceh capital Lhokseumawe where youngsters used to gather in street cafes downtown or just ride around on motorcycles.

Tertiani ZB Simanjuntak and Wahyoe Boediwardhana, Lhokseumawe/Denpasar – Armed clashes continued in many parts of Aceh province on Tuesday despite the martial law administration's claim that the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) had been terminally weakened.

Reports from Indonesia say the government is set to drastically scale down its five year link with the International Monetary Fund. Jakarta will leave the IMF umbrella, but retain a partial relationship with the international lender with what's called post-programme monitoring. The partial relationship means Indonesia could pay off IMF loans over the rest of the decade.

A'an Suryana, Jakarta – In her capacity as chairwoman of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan), President Megawati Soekarnoputri has admonished her supporters at a national meeting for their disobedience.

Faiza Mardzoeki, Jakarta – July 25, 2003, marked a setback in the Indonesian women's movement. On that date an Indonesian businessman, Puspo Wardoyo, the owner of the restoran Wong Solo franchise, organized an awards ceremony for males who had married more than one wife.

Jakarta/Yogyakarta – Four out of 30 provinces gave a thumbs-down to Akbar Tandjung, one of the dozens of influential figures who have been nominated to take part in the party's electoral convention, during which the Golkar party's presidential candidate will be selected.

Jakarta – With an eye to the 2004 general election, the National Mandate Party (PAN) has launched a biweekly tabloid called Media Amanat Rakyat (MAR) to become a vehicle of presidential hopeful and party chairman Amien Rais.

Multa Fidrus, Tangerang – The Tangerang Prosecutor's Office will investigate a Rp 12.5 billion (US$1.47 million) corruption case in which 45 city councillors have been implicated. The plan to investigate the councillors is based on a report filed by non-governmental organization Independent Institute for State Apparatus Monitoring (Lipan).

M. Taufiqurrahman, Jakarta – The upcoming Annual Session of the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) has already lost its relevance and is nothing but a waste of state money, a political analyst says.

Tony Sitathan, Jakarta – Just as they have in the developed world, big-box hypermarkets, which are taking over the top end of the retail trade, are causing severe dislocations in the rest of Indonesia's food chain, from smaller supermarkets down to wet markets to the warungs where housewives sell cigarettes and candy out of their living room windows.

Jakarta – The International Monetary Fund (IMF) on Tuesday welcomed Indonesia's decision to end its five billion dollar IMF assistance program and to enter into post-program monitoring next year.

"We also welcome the intention to sustain reform efforts. We will continue to conduct dialogue," IMF country representative David Nellor told AFX-Asia in an interview.

Tangerang – Hundreds of workers from aluminum melting factory PT Teguh Makmur Sentosa in Benda district rallied at the mayoralty office on Monday, demanding that the administration cancel plans to close the factory for damaging the environment.

Muninggar Sri Saraswati, Jakarta – Attempts to unravel the May riots in 1998 suffered a severe blow on Monday when the Central Jakarta District Court rejected the request by the National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) to subpoena dozens of retired and active military and police officers.

Lesley McCulloch, Melbourne – The message came via satellite phone. The caller was out of breath and desperate: 15 civilians shot dead by the Indonesian military, including two children. The location: the village of Tutut Sungaimas, West Aceh. The date: July 19.

Nani Farida and Teriani ZB Simanjuntak, Banda Aceh/Lhokseumawe – A House of Representatives delegation visited Aceh on Monday and was quick to judge the military operation in the province a success merely from the number of red and white flags they saw.