Alisa P, Banda Aceh – According Acehnese People's Democratic Resistance Front (FPDRA) chairperson, Thamrin Ananda, the plan by the interim coordinating minister for politics and security, Hari Subarno, to reduce the status of martial law in Aceh to a state of civil emergency following a meeting with the armed forces chief in Cilangkap, is a mealy a form of political bribery in the l

Kurniawan Hari and Nani Farida, Jakarta/Banda Aceh – House of Representatives members have thrown their weight behind the Aceh Prosecutor's Office tackling several corruption cases allegedly involving administration officials, including Governor Abdullah Puteh.

"In principle, prosecution should be conducted by the prosecutor's office.

Dili – The East Timorese parliament narrowly approved Wednesday a controversial general amnesty for all crimes committed up to March 31, including the so-called "serious crimes" carried out by anti-independence militias and Indonesian troops in 1999. The bill, presented by Justice Minister Domingos Sarmento, passed in generality by 24 votes to 18 with 14 abstentions.

Jakarta – Indonesia's annualised inflation rate rose to 5.92 percent in April due to higher food prices compared to 5.11 percent in March, the Central Bureau of Statistics said Tuesday.

The consumer price index (CPI) was up 0.97 percent month-on-month, said bureau deputy chairman Slamet Mukeno. He said all items in the index recorded price increases in April.

A reduced number of Australian troops and police are set to stay in East Timor after United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan today proposed that the UN extend its mission in the fledgling nation for another year.

Foreign Minister Alexander Downer welcomed Mr Annan's call for a one-year extension of the UN mandate in East Timor.

Dili – Just two years after gaining independence, East Timor has one of Asia's freest presses, an international watchdog group said.

Lisbon – East Timor's Roman Catholic Bishop Carlos Ximenes Belo, who was awarded the 1996 Nobel Peace Prize, has ruled out running for president in 2007.

"I have decided to leave politics to politicians," he said today in comments broadcast on Portuguese state television RTP.

Andi Hajramurni, Makassar – Police investigators named nine police personnel as suspects on Monday, following a brutal police attack on Saturday at the Indonesia Muslim University (UMI) that seriously injured 65 students.

Jakarta – At least 50 teachers assigned to the province of Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam (NAD) have been killed in the armed conflict there between 1999 and 2003. Among them, 22 alone were killed by members of the Free Aceh Movement (GAM), an official said.

Dadan Wijaksana, Singapore – Indonesia's pulp and paper industry still has plenty of room for improvement if it wants to be internationally competitive, according to a major player.

The police chief of Indonesia's Maluku province has been replaced following week-long Muslim-Christian battles in which 38 people died and hundreds of buildings were torched.

Brigadier General Bambang Sutrisno has been shifted to a new assignment at police headquarters in the capital Jakarta, national police spokesman Paiman announced on local radio.

M. Azis Tunny, Ambon – A meeting of Christian and Muslim leaders and National Police chief Gen. Da'i Bachtiar ended in disarray here on Monday, after conflicting parties failed to reach an agreement to cease the renewed clashes in Ambon, Maluku.

Kurniawan Hari, Jakarta – In marking World Press Freedom Day on Monday, a press organization noted that the press here is still regarded as "the enemy". Also, it noted that under martial law in Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam, the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) was just as bad as the Indonesian Military (TNI) and police as regards intimidating the media.

Dian Intannia, Jakarta – Actions by police on the campus of the Indonesian Muslim University (UMI) in Makassar, South Sulawesi continue to attract protests.

Lawyers protesting at the arrest of terror suspect Abu Bakar Bashir have won support from several members of Indonesia's parliament.

The lawyers, accompanied by representatives from the Indonesian Muhjahedeen Council which Bashir heads and the Surakarta Muslim Youth Front, met members of a parliamentary commission.

Taufik Wijaya, Palembang – On Tuesday May 4, thousands of students from Palembang in South Sumatra held an action over the attack on the Indonesian Muslim University campus in the South Sumatra provincial capital of Makassar [in which scores of students were wounded by police on May 1]. They demanded that the Indonesian chief of police be sacked.

Ahmad Fikrij, Bandung – On Tuesday May 4, hundreds of students blockaded the intersection of Jalan Wastu Kencana and Jalan Taman Sari in Bandung, West Java. The demonstration was organised as a solidarity action over the violence against Indonesian Muslim University (UMI) students in Makassar, South Sulawesi, [when police stormed their campus on May 1.]

Martha Warta Silaban, Jakarta – Hundreds of students and elements from the social movements held a demonstration in front of the national police headquarters at 1pm on Tuesday May 4.

Budi Hartadi, Surabaya – Although the South Sulawesi chief of police has been dismissed, actions condemning police violence at the Indonesian Muslim University (UMI) in Makassar continue. In an action on Tuesday May 4, calls for Indonesian police chief Da'i Bachtiar to resign form his post continued to grow.

The language in the border negotiations between Australia and East Timor is heating up. East Timor says Australia is trying to steal its oil reserves while Canberra responds that Dili is trying to stir up emotion to create controversy. The latest idea from East Timor is a call for a third country or neutral umpire to step in to the border negotiations.

Toni Somes – It is an arduous task being "mother of the nation" when you are also the mother of two small boys, but Kirsty Sword Gusmao has never been one to sidestep challenges.

But East Timor's first lady did admit to being slightly weary in Charters Towers yesterday.

Jakarta/Medan/Surabaya – Thousands of workers across the country took to the streets on Saturday to demand the government revoke rules and regulations that fail to protect workers and their welfare.

Ilham M., Jakarta – On May 3, 50 activists from the United Opposition Front (Barisan Oposisi Bersatu, BOB) held a free speech forum on the University of Indonesia (UI) campus in Salemba, Central Jakarta.

Ilham M, Jakarta – The coordinator of the United Opposition Front (Barisan Oposisi Bersatu, BOB), Dita Indah Sari, says that the dismissal of the Makassar provincial police chief does not mean that the bloody Indonesian Muslim University (UMI) incident in South Sulawesi has been resolved.

Jakarta – While some officials claim that militants who raided armories in southern Thailand are selling weapons to rebels in Indonesia's neighboring Aceh province, an expert said Monday there is no clear evidence of such a trade.

Muhammad Fasabeni, Heru C.N., Jakarta – Hundreds of people from a number of organisations such as the Greater Jakarta Student Executive Council (BEM-Sejabotabek), the United Opposition Front (BOB), the National Student League for Democracy (LMND) and the People's Dem Party (PRD) held a demonstration in front of the faculty of medicine at the University of Indonesia in Salemba, Centr

Devi Asmarani, Jakarta – Presidential aspirant Amien Rais is fading into the background as his competitors step up their campaigns ahead of the July 5 election.

Derwin Pereira, Jakarta – The political fortunes of Indonesia's Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono are on a high as his soaring popularity has made him the favourite to win the presidency in July.

Devi Asmarani – It was a week before the April 5 election and a group of women was attending a workshop on political empowerment in Tentena, a charming highland in Central Sulawesi that has turned into a refugee town after religious conflicts in neighbouring Poso.

East Timor President Xanana Gusmao says his country will cooperate with former general Wiranto, indicted for crimes against humanity in the territory, if he was elected Indonesian president.

"We will support anyone who is elected democratically in the July presidential election [in Indonesia], including Wiranto," Gusmao told a news conference.

Jakarta – Indonesia's Supreme Court yesterday rejected former president Abdurrahman Wahid's appeal for a judicial review of a health rule for candidates.

The decision dealt another blow to his hopes of making a comeback.

Devi Asmarani, Jakarta – City Governor Sutiyoso is under fire with groups lobbying to unseat him.

Even President Megawati Sukarnoputri's Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) is after him and is blaming his controversial policies for the party's defeat in the capital city.

Indonesian police re-arrested radical Muslim cleric Abu Bakar Bashir moments after he stepped free from prison and said he would be charged with the Bali bombings and other terror attacks.

Istiqomatul Hayati, Jakarta – Thousands of workers came out into the streets to commemorate May Day on Saturday May 1. Demonstrators began gathering at three points in the city, at the parking lot of the Danamon Aetna building, the national parliament and the Hotel Indonesia roundabout then began linking up in front of the Radio Republic Indonesia radio station at 11.30am.

Jakarta – Around 1,000 workers from scores of different organisations demonstrated in front of the national parliament in Jakarta on Saturday May 1. During the action, the workers shouted and listened to a series of speeches by a number of labour activists.

M. Taufiqurrahman, Jakarta – The ad hoc rights tribunal sentenced on Friday a retired general to 10 years in prison for committing gross human rights violations in the massacre 20 years ago, which killed, according to official accounts, at least 14 protesters and injured dozens of others.

Brian Toohey – The appointment of a new police chief in western Papua might seem of little interest to the British Foreign Office. When Timbul Silaen's appointment was announced on December 1 last year, however, the Foreign Office had good reason to take notice.

Tiarma Siboro, Jakarta – The National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) submitted to the government on Friday reports of human rights abuses since martial law was declared last May.

Komnas HAM Chairman Abdul Hakim Garuda Nusantara said that both the Indonesian Military (TNI) and the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) were committing rights abuses in the ongoing war.

Brendan Nicholson – Prime Minister John Howard has rejected the calls of army intelligence analyst Lieutenant-Colonel Lance Collins for a royal commission into Australia's intelligence agencies.

Mr Howard dismissed Colonel Collins's claims that there were serious systemic failures in the military intelligence agencies.

Nicholas Gilby and Richie Andrew – The Government says "our position on human rights is clear and unequivocal", and that it "does not want to see British-built military equipment contribute to human rights abuses or fuel conflict overseas".

Yemris Fointuna, Kupang – A joint military and police force in East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) are keeping a watch on pro-Indonesia militiamen suspected of attempting to create chaos in neighboring East Timor.

The militia are hoarding thousands of firearms, grenades and ammunition in NTT territory bordering East Timor, the Indonesian Military (TNI) said on Friday.

Jakarta – The Indonesian military is investigating reports that pro-Jakarta militiamen are stockpiling weapons along the border between East and West Timor, an officer said Saturday.

"We don't know how many are stashed. We suspect that the weapons were from past unrest," said Indonesian Army Col. Moeswarno Moesanip, who is in charge of security in the region.

Tom Allard – Defence Intelligence Organisation chief Frank Lewincamp ordered that a crucial flow of intelligence to Australian troops during the East Timor conflict remain shut down, in an extraordinary act that came amid a major row among Defence spies.

Banda Aceh – Military troops rescued two boatmen held by Aceh separatist rebels on Friday, a military spokesman revealed on Saturday.

"The two hostages are from neighboring North Sumatra province and have been identified as Subur Mardi, 42, and Zainal Abidin, 53," military operation command spokesman Lt. Col. Asep Sapari said in Lhokseumawe.

John Kerin – John Howard has used a previously top-secret report to comprehensively reject explosive claims of intelligence agency failures by Lieutenant-Colonel Lance Collins.

The rebuff comes in a seven-page letter to Lieutenant-Colonel Collins, obtained by The Australian, in which the Prime Minister rejects the whistleblower's call for a royal commission.

Louise Williams – East Timor's rapidly souring stance towards Australia is all about money.

Oil and gas money. It's an emotive tale of the world's poorest and youngest nation confronting the region's richest nation over a fair share of the wealth beneath the Timor Sea.

Dili – Prime Minister Mari Alkatiri launched a public debate Friday on proposed legislation to facilitate and promote private investment by East Timorese entrepreneurs.

In presenting the draft bill at a Dili conference, Alkatiri said it currently cost 30 percent more to set up a new business in East Timor than in neighboring countries.

David Jardine – In the commentary Wiranto must face the storm by Pitan Daslani (The Jakarta Post, April, 26) there appears a truly astonishing paragraph, "Everybody put the blame on Wiranto as well as the Indonesian Military (TNI) and the police, despite their self-sacrificing devotion to the conception of the Republic of Timor Leste."

Bill Guerin, Jakarta – A sense of deja vu surrounded the astonishing news that an Indonesian court has once more declared a major foreign enterprise bankrupt, despite its healthy financial state.

Jayapura – Most of people in Papua living with HIV/AIDS are between 5 years and 29 years of age, or in their productive years, numbering 746 or 51 percent out of a total 1,454 people with AIDS in the province, according to government data.