M. Taufiqurrahman, Jakarta – Deputy speaker of the House of Representatives (DPR) A.M. Fatwa testified on Tuesday in an ad hoc rights tribunal that he had been a victim of torture by military personnel in the wake of the bloody 1984 Tanjung Priok massacre.

A. Junaidi, Jakarta – The Indonesian Military (TNI) and the National Intelligence Agency (BIN) have taken advantage of the global war on terrorism to regain the power they had exercised previously to suppress the political rights of the people, a human rights activist said on Monday.

M. Taufiqurrahman, Jakarta – An Indonesian militant who said he wanted to kill Americans went on trial for last year's Marriott bombing at the South Jakarta District Court on Monday and could be sent to the firing squad if convicted. Defendant Mohammad Rais, alias Edi Endra, 29, was charged under Law No.

Jakarta – Police involvement in dealing with labor disputes was pivotal although their performance had been criticized, International Labor Organization (ILO) spokeswoman Gita Lingga said on Tuesday.

Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, Jakarta – The Indonesian Military (TNI) has set conditions for a temporary cease-fire in troubled Aceh to allow Free Aceh Movement (GAM) leaders to free all civilian hostages, including journalist Ferry Santoro.

Jakarta – Kontras National Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence, Elsham Institute for Human Rights Study and Advocacy and National Solidarity for Papua formerly Irian Jaya (SNUP) lodged strong protests against plans made in a closed meeting held between People's Representatives Council (DPR) Commission I and the armed forces commander to impose civilian emergency s

Rusman, Samarinda – A local non-governmental organization activist lashed out on Monday at the East Kalimantan provincial government for allocating a budget to build houses for council officials that far exceeds the market price.

Sri Wahyuni, Yogyakarta – Unless voters are encouraged to mark the individual names of legislative candidates on ballot papers, the upcoming polls will just become another April fool's joke, scholars say.

Yogyakarta – Actions rejecting the 2004 general elections and calls to golput [white movement, not to mark the ballot paper] are becoming lively in Yogyakarta, Central Java. On Tuesday January 27, demonstrators from the People's Democratic Party (PRD) openly rejected the 2004 elections.

Honolulu – Although East Timor leaders know that building a constructive relationship with Indonesia is essential for a more secure future, the new nation's first lady said this poses a dilemma for a country badly scarred by violence under Indonesian rule.

Jakarta – The amount of bank credits extended in 2004 will not exceed credits disbursements by banks in Indonesia in 2003, analysts have predicted.

Anton Aliabbas, Jakarta – The Pancasila Patriot Party is incensed after being referred to as part of the New Order [of former President Suharto] and has made a complaint to police against the general chairperson of the People's Democratic Party (PRD), Yusuf Lakaseng, who published a list of political parties which are part of the New Order [on Monday January 26].

Jakarta – On Tuesday January 27, the vice-chairperson of the Pancasila Patriot Party, Henry Yosodiningrat, reported the general chairperson of the People's Democratic Party (PRD), Yusuf Lakaseng to police.

According to Yosodiningrat, they reported the PRD over a statement which was carried by Kompas last Monday which included their party in a list of rotten parties.

Devi Asmarani, Jakarta – The Indonesian government is being slammed for keeping the public in the dark about the spread of bird flu despite being aware of it since last November.

Researchers, poultry farmers and parliamentarians said the damage could have been curtailed if the government had admitted much earlier that the avian influenza was killing millions of chicken.

Evi Mariani and Urip Hudiono, Jakarta – A total of 780 motorists were ticketed for violating the new three-in-one traffic policy on the first day of its implementation on Monday.

They are scheduled to face trial in two weeks at appointed courthouses depending on the location of the traffic violation.

Jakarta – A young Islamic militant accused of involvement in last year's bombing of a US-run hotel in Indonesia told a court on Monday he had targeted Americans and regretted that all but one of those killed were his countrymen.

Sebastiaan Pompe, Jakarta – It is accepted theory that reliable law enforcement and legal certainty are critical for investment recovery. This has been a mantra of international donor organizations for almost a decade.

Starting on Monday, the police will begin enforcing the extended three-in-one traffic policy, with offenders facing sentences of up to a month in jail and a fine of Rp 1 million (US$119). The city administration enacted the new policy to clear the way for the Trans-Jakarta busway, which will begin full operation on Feb. 1.

John McBeth, Jakarta – PT Freeport Indonesia has cut its 2004 sales forecasts by nearly one-third after a second landslide in three months forced it to reconfigure the slopes of its giant Grasberg mine in Indonesia's Papua province.

Karima Anjani, Jakarta – Indonesia's government came under fire from farmers on Monday over its handling of a bird flu outbreak that has killed millions of chickens, while officials saidtake days to determine if it is dangerous to humans.

Indonesian troops have shot dead seven suspected separatist militants in Aceh province, the military said Monday.

Troops killed two men during clashes with guerrillas of the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) in Bireuen and South Aceh districts on Sunday, said provincial military spokesman Asep Sapari.

Jakarta – Two human rights workers detained in Indonesia's Aceh province have reportedly been beaten up by security forces while in custody and may face further torture or ill treatment, Amnesty International said.

Slamet Susanto and Teuku Agam Muzakir, Yogyakarta/Lhokseumawe – Eighty-nine convicted Free Aceh Movement (GAM) members arrived in Yogyakarta on Sunday from their home province in the second such transfer to prisons on the country's main island of Java.

Matthew Moore, Jakarta – The most detailed count of wild orang-utans in the past decade has found 50,000-60,000 of the great apes left on the Indonesian islands of Sumatra and Borneo – twice as many as thought.

Irvan NR, Palu – At least two persons were killed, eight suffered stab wounds and 39 homes werethat erupted in Banggai regency, Central Sulawesi, following the alleged theft of a chicken, police and witnesses said on Sunday.

Hundreds of local residents fled their homes to the nearby jungle and other places of safety following the disturbances on Saturday.

Yogyakarta – The government said it has no plan to raise a civil emergency status on Papua, despite constant security problems in the country's easternmost province.

Coordinating Minister for Political and Security Affairs Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said on Saturday that any plan to declare civil emergency status for Papua needed to be considered thoroughly.

Apriadi Gunawan, Medan – Hundreds of flood victims in Bahorok claimed on Saturday that the disbursement of aid from the government had been marked by irregularities.

Indra Hasyim, 41, one of the victims of the flash flood that swept through the area last year, said that the irregularities were first noticed in the list of people entitled to receive aid.

Kurniawan Hari, Jakarta – All workers, whether in the formal or informal sectors, will receive a monthly pension upon retirement, according to the national social security system (NSSS) bill, provided that they have been participating in the national social security program for at least 15 years.

Jakarta – President Megawati Soekarnoputri has signed Law No. 2/2004 on the settlement of labor disputes, which replaces Law. No. 22/1957.

Minister of Manpower and Transmigration Jacob Nuwa Wea said the President signed the law on Thursday, but that it would only take effect in January 2005.

Rais Hidayat, Jakarta – The Prosperous Peace Party (PDS) is special because it is the only party representing the Protestant and Catholic minorities, which passed the selection by the General Election Commission (KPU).

Atambua – The people living in border areas shared by Indonesia's province of East Nusa Tenggara and East Timor did not care about the UN Peacekeeping Force (UNPKF)'s plan to withdraw its troops from East Timor in May.

Defying common sense, the South Jakarta District Court chose to denominate the damages in US currency rather than rupiah in its verdict on Tuesday.

Ruslan Sangadji, Palu – Sectarian fighting erupted in Donggala regency, Central Sulawesi, leaving one person dead, two others seriously injured and four houses burned.

Djoko Tjiptono, Jakarta – The 2004 general elections will not be able to provide a solution to the various problems which are being faced by the Indonesian people. This is because in terms of the political parties' programs, the majority are rotten.

Yogyakarta – Muslim scholar and presidential hopeful Nurcholish Madjid held a closed-door meeting with Sultan Hamengkubuwono X late on Tuesday night.

Speaking to journalists after the meeting that lasted for almost five hours until early Wednesday, Nurcholish, or Cak Nur, as he is popularly known, said that there were a lot of ideas discussed during the meeting.

Muninggar Sri Saraswati, Jakarta – The Indonesia Military (TNI) pledged on Thursday to maintain its neutrality in this year's elections in accordance with its professed intention to get out of politics for good.

Jakarta – The Jakarta Police began a two-day training program on Wednesday for 90,000 city-employed community unit guards on how to handle possible disturbances at polling booths leading up to the general elections.

Jill Jolliffe, Bobonaro – There is a palpable fear in the town of Bobonaro, which sits on the Timorese side of the border with Indonesia.

It is not apprehension at the possibility of invasion, but rather a brewing conflict between the Timorese authorities and a band of locals set on creating their own field of influence.

ID Nugroho and Indra Harsaputra, Surabaya – Tuesday's devastating fire at a petrochemical plant in Gresik, East Java, in which two people were killed and more than 50 others injured, also appears to have caused serious environmental damage to neighboring areas.

Rais Hidayat, Jakarta – If there is something new in Indonesia's current political outlook, it is the persistent growth in influence of a new party that has virtually no roots in the country's political history: The Prosperous Justice Party (PKS).

Frans H. Winarta, Jakarta – Indonesians, and especially those of Chinese descent, have just celebrated Chinese New Year. Chinese-Indonesians who, for over 30 years during the New Order regime, were forced to celebrate this event behind closed doors, are now free once again to celebrate it publicly.

Kurniawan Hari, Jakarta – The Elections Supervisory Committee (Panwaslu) vowed on Friday to report to police any political parties displaying logos or election numbers during public gatherings, saying that any violation of the election campaign regulations should be dealt with firmly.

M. Taufiqurrahman, Jakarta – Everywhere they go, leaders of the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) find themselves repeatedly having to convince people of their friendly ideals for the country.

Muninggar Sri Saraswati, Jakarta – The National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) says it has found preliminary evidence of human rights violations by former president Soeharto during his 32-years of iron-fisted leadership, but has yet to decide whether or not to recommend prosecution.

Banda Aceh – A German freelance journalist was arrested for illegally entering and reporting in war-torn Aceh province, a military spokesman said Saturday.

Cradow Cascha, 35 – who claimed he was working for the International Press Association – was detained late Friday while traveling on a public minivan in Central Aceh, said Lt. Col. Asep Sapari.

Brooklyn, New York – The US Congress on Thursday restored a ban on International Military Education and Training (IMET) for Indonesia, just months after President George W Bush cited a "changed attitude" among legislators that would permit further military cooperation.

Nani Farida and Suherdjoko, Banda Aceh/Semarang – Under a tight security escort 54 convicted Free Aceh Movement (GAM) members were transferred from Aceh on Thursday to prisons across Central Java to serve their sentences.

The group is the first batch of 143 prisoners who will do their jail time in exile across Java.

Yogyakarta – A senior minister said here on Saturday the General Elections Commission (KPU) had the authority to decide regarding indications of legislative candidates' involvement in the former Indonesian Communist Party (PKI).

Jayapura – The plan by the People's Consultative Assembly Commission I urging the government and related partners to conduct a military operation in Papua for the sake of safeguarding the general elections has been opposed by a number of parties.

Tom Benedetti – A storm is quietly but rapidly gaining force in an overlooked corner of the world. Papua (formerly West Papua or Irian Jaya) is being ravaged in an escalating program of repression by the Indonesian military.