Mark Dodd – An Australian businessman has been hounded out of East Timor by anti-Australian sentiment whipped up by claims that Canberra is ripping a $1 billion oil and gas bonanza off the region's poorest country.

David Kennedy, Jakarta – When Kirsty Sword Gusmao stepped off the plane from Dili this week to launch her autobiography in Jakarta, she must have given a little smile.

The Australian-born mother of two spent much of the 1990s in the Indonesian capital as an undercover activist for the East Timorese independence movement.

On the face of it, Indonesia's presidential election campaign is so polite that even a debate between candidates has been ruled out in case they criticise each other.

Behind the scenes though, supporters and opponents of the three leading contenders are using both traditional and hi-tech smear tactics in the run-up to the country's first direct presidential poll on July 5.

Matthew Moore, Jakarta – The notorious former East Timorese militia leader Joao Tavares has again been forced to leave a border town near his old homeland where he was living in breach of an agreement he signed with the Indonesian military, TNI.

A former East Timor governor sentenced for human rights abuses will be housed in a prison cell with an en suite bathroom because of his service to the Indonesian nation, reports say.

The Koran Tempo reports the attorney-general's director for gross human rights cases, I Ketut Murtika, says a special room is being readied for Abilio Soares at Jakarta's Cipinang prison.

Banda Aceh – Injustice is at the root of a separatist movement in Indonesia's Aceh, presidential hopeful Amien Rais said on Saturday during the first visit by a candidate to the troubled province.

Budi Hartadi, Surabaya – Twenty activists form the Indonesian National Student League for Democracy (LMND) are holding a hunger strike to reject the 2004 presidential elections because they believe that only candidates from the former state ruling party Golkar, the military and the fake reformists are involved.

Abdul Khalik/Tony Hotland, Jakarta – The amount of counterfeit money circulating in the country increased just before and during the April 5 legislative elections, authorities have said.

Devi Asmarani, Bengkulu – Golkar Party workers here had declared in the local paper that the Wiranto campaign would draw some 25,000 people from all over this Sumatra province when it came to town.

Jakarta – Former army general Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono is moving closer to an outright victory in Indonesia's July presidential election, a pollster said yesterday.

Kupang – The Commander of Korem [Military Sub-Area Command] 161/Wirasakti Kupang, Nusa Tenggara Timur (NTT), Col M Moesanip was of the opinion that East Timor's separation from Indonesia via the referendum on 30 August 1999 was the result of poor leadership, in particular in developing the cultural and public life of the East Timorese people who had been integrated with Indonesia fo

Triono Wahyu Sudibyo, Semarang – Imitating the actions by Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) Kiais [Islamic boarding school teachers] in East Java, scores of students from the Walisongo State Institute for Islamic Studies in Semarang issued an "religious edict" rejecting presidential candidates from the military and status quo forces.

Banda Aceh – The civil state of emergency administrator state in Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam (NAD) province has stated that the shoot on sight order is still in force as regards all perpetrators who disturb security and destroy public facilities in the province as of Wednesday (09/06).

Despite growing suspicions over the motives for the re-opening of the July 27 tragedy in the midst of the presidential campaign, the momentum is growing for a final accounting of what happened in the 1996 assault on the headquarters of Megawati's Sukarnoputri's former Democratic Party of Indonesia (PDI).

M. Taufiqurrahman, Jakarta – A Jakarta-based pollster confirmed on Thursday the popular appeal of Democratic Party candidate Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono in its latest survey.

Rendi A. Witular, Jakarta – Presidential candidate Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono pledged Wednesday to implement fully the special autonomy law for Papua by speeding up the establishment of the stalled Papuan People's Assembly (MRP).

Salim Osman – Presidential front runner Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono is now the target of a hate campaign to discredit his Muslim credentials.

Having become such a thorn in the side of his rivals because of his soaring popularity, he has been forced to fend off mudslinging that touches on religion.

Robert Go, Jakarta – In the minds of those supporting incumbent Megawati Sukarnoputri, her running mate Hasyim Muzadi is not only a leader of Muslims, but also one who will deliver millions of votes come the presidential election on July 5.

Devi Asmarani, Jakarta – On paper, Mr Wiranto has the strongest support from the Muslim camp. Given his endorsement by the Nation Awakening Party (PKB), he is likely to enjoy the backing of a large number of followers of the 40-million strong Nadhlatul Ulama (NU), which founded the party.

The latest must-see video compact disc (VCD) in Indonesia doesn't show students having steamy sex or sultry celebrities getting undressed – but is all about the alleged wrongdoings of Golkar Party's presidential candidate, former military chief Wiranto.

Derwin Pereira, Jakarta – The Muslim ground in Indonesia is turning into a major battlefield for votes.

All five contenders in the July 5 presidential race are seeking desperately to court the huge bloc of Muslim voters that may well tilt the political balance in favour of any one.

Jakarta – Indonesian troops killed 12 alleged separatist rebels in Aceh province where violence has continued despite the recent lifting of martial law there, the army said on Thursday.

Ibnu Mat Noor, Banda Aceh – Governor Abdullah Puteh announced on Wednesday that despite the province's change of status to civil emergency, a number of regulations from the martial law period still applied, including the ban on foreigners entering the province.

It's hard enough being the mother of two young boys let alone the Mother of the Nation.

Yet that's the role Kirsty Sword Gusmao, who describes herself as "a very ordinary middle class girl from Melbourne," finds herself playing as wife of East Timor's independence hero and president Xanana Gusmao.

Brendan Nicholson – Australian authorities may have charged an SAS soldier for allegedly kicking the body of an Indonesian soldier in East Timor because they did not want to worsen relations with Jakarta, a parliamentary inquiry has been told.

Sian Powell, Jakarta – The acquittal of an Indonesian military commander accused of human rights breaches in East Timor in 1999 has been upheld by the Supreme Court in Jakarta, prompting activists to again condemn the entire process as a whitewash.

Timothy Mapes and Patrick Barta, Dili – Tiny East Timor fought for nearly a quarter of a century to free itself from Indonesian invaders. Now it faces a struggle with this region's other giant, Australia, over lucrative oil fields critical to its economic survival.

As required by law, the 10 candidates opened their purses and publicly reported their wealth last week to the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK).

Aboeprijadi Santoso, Amsterdam – They opted for ballots and promised changes; yet, the rise of former generals in the presidential election raises questions as to ex-militaries' potentials to lead the nation and strengthen Indonesia's incipient democracy. At issue are their associations with the New Order's methods, institutions and networks.

Budi Sugiharto, Surabaya – Very strange and mysterious. When demonstrators from the People's Democratic Party (PRD) wanted to set fire to five posters of the respective presidential and vice-presidential candidates, police rushed in to save President Megawati Sukarnoputri's picture. Meanwhile they left the four posters of the other candidates to burn.

A. Junaidi, Jakarta – Thousands of farmers from Central Java, West Java and Banten provinces hit the capital's streets on Wednesday to protest against the plantation bill and presidential candidates with military backgrounds.

Khairul Ikhwan, Medan – Around 100 students from the People's Youth Community (Komunitas Muda Rakyat) held a demonstration in Medan at the General Elections Commission (KPU) offices on Thursday June 10 in which they rejected the involvement of the New Order regime of former President Suharto and the military in the up-coming presidential elections.

Fadli, Batam – A non-governmental organization (NGO) activist disclosed on Wednesday that some 15,000 girls under the age of 18 on the Riau Islands were sex workers.

Tiarma Siboro, Jakarta – A former aide to Gen. (ret) Wiranto alleged on Wednesday that he had been offered billions of rupiah and an ambassadorial post in order to cancel his plan to publish a book detailing Wiranto's role in the deployment of the Pamswakarsa militia in 1998.

Jakarta – President Megawati Sukarnoputri will make sure that Indonesia's former dictator Suharto is brought to trial if she is re-elected in next month's voting, a top adviser said on Wednesday.

Diyah Kusuwardhani, Jakarta – On July 3, or two days before the election of the next president on July 5, there will be a demonstration against militarism. A massive demonstration is to be held in Jakarta and accompanied by nation-wide actions.

Jakarta – Indonesian Military (TNI) chief Gen. Endriartono Sutarto gave a lecture on Tuesday at the Police Staff College (PTIK) on the relationship between TNI and the police, stressing their separate functions in the post-reform era.

The expulsion from Indonesia of the American terrorism expert Sidney Jones can only undermine the democratic credentials of the Megawati Government. Ms Jones, head of the Jakarta office of the Brussels-based International Crisis Group (ICG), is widely acknowledged as the world's top authority on the Indonesian-based Jemaah Islamiah (JI) Islamic terrorist network.

Max Lane – The government of Megawati Sukarnoputri, apparently at the urging of Indonesia's intelligence agency (BIN) and foreign affairs department, has refused to extend Sidney Jones' work permit.

Suwarjono, Jakarta – Not enough people are being investigated by police over the July 27 case(1). Police must also investigate the general chairperson of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), President Megawati Sukarnoputri, because she left her supporters to be attacked.

Jakarta – A total of 153,357,307 Indonesians have registered to vote in the July 5 presidential election, deputy chairman of the General Elections Commission (KPU), Ramlan Surbakti, said here Tuesday.

Ramlan noted that the figure is final because the KPU will not extend the registration of voters beyond the May 25 deadline.

Jakarta – The General Elections Commission (KPU) has warned that millions of "ghost" voters could affect the July 5 presidential election.

After a month-long registration period, the commission has managed to remove only 1.4 million of an estimated five million ghost voters.

Derwin Pereira, Jakarta – It has been billed as the battle of the generals. The July 5 presidential election in Indonesia will feature three retired generals – Mr Wiranto, Mr Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and Mr Agum Gumelar.

Devi Asmarani, Jakarta – Mr Wiranto advertises himself as a strong leader that Indonesia needs, but it is Golkar's muscles, as well as brainpower, that he is relying on to stay in the presidential race.

Salim Osman – The campaign strategy for presidential front runner Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono is simple: ride on popularity.

His advisers believe that in a direct presidential election, man is more important than machinery – which his close rivals Megawati Sukarnoputri and Wiranto can boast of.

Veronica Brooks, Canberra – The World Bank's representative in East Timor, Elisabeth Huybens, is keeping a watchful eye on the protracted maritime border dispute playing out between Canberra and Dili.

Sidney Jones – On Sunday morning, my colleague from the International Crisis Group and I left Jakarta – expelled, apparently, for being a threat to Indonesia's security and damaging its image abroad.

John Phaceas, Perth – Woodside Petroleum might have to defer its Sunrise gas project for at least five years – costing it billions in delayed revenue – if the impasse over Timor Sea production rights was not resolved by Christmas, the company warned yesterday.

Indonesia's Supreme Court has upheld a special court ruling acquitting a former military commander in East Timor of gross human rights violations in East Timor in 1999, when its people voted to separate from Indonesia, a court source said Tuesday.

Indonesia's Supreme Court has overturned a bankruptcy ruling against the local insurance unit of British financial services giant Prudential.