Jakarta – A military analyst and a legislator called on lawmakers on Wednesday to delay the deliberation of the Indonesian Military (TNI) bill, as the draft was flawed.

State troops have killed more than 230 suspected separatist rebels in Aceh province since martial law was lifted two months ago, an official said Wednesday (21/7/04).

Police spokesman Senior Commissioner Anjaya said that from May 19 to July 19, troops killed 232 members of the Free Aceh Movement (GAM). That's an average of more than four killings a day.

Tony Hotland, Jakarta – Aside from solving the existing problems that hamper investment, the government could also provide tax incentives for both local and foreign investors to lure them into investing their money here, a top businessman has suggested.

Jakarta – The General Elections Commission (KPU) decided on Wednesday that perforated ballot papers in the July 5 polls could be disposed of only after a president is installed on October 5.

Kurniawan Hari, Jakarta – With the presidency appearing to slip through its fingers, Golkar Party is proposing a permanent coalition among parties that control the most seats in the House of Representatives to ensure a strong and effective government.

Jakarta – Mr Jusuf Kalla, front runner Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's running mate, said his camp was not worried about the manoeuvres of political leaders to form coalitions.

He asserted that meeting voters at the grassroots level was of more strategic value than talking to politicians who claim to have a huge support base.

United States officials are debating when they might be able to resume military aid to Indonesia now that the US Department of Justice has indicted an alleged separatist for the murder of two Americans in Papua province in August 2002.

James Wong Wing On – Indonesia, Malaysia's giant neighbour to the south, is more than a frequent source of haze, illegal migrants, maids and terrorists.

Jakarta – Although the government has yet to issue regulations on the gas sector, private firms have started building a network for gas distribution, showing great confidence in the future prospects for the business.

Jakarta – Responding to a letter sent by East Timorese President Xanana Gusmao, the East Timorese parliament and East Timorese Attorney General Longuinhos Monteiro stating that the former governor of East Timor Abilio Soares was innocent, Indonesian foreign minister Nur Hassan Wirajuda said that no party is entitled to intervene in the legal system of Indonesia.

Adianto P. Simamora, Jakarta – Indonesia accepts the Swedish prosecutors' decision to drop charges against Hasan Tiro, the exiled former chief of the separatist Free Aceh Movement (GAM), Minister of Foreign Affairs Hassan Wirayuda said on Tuesday.

But Hassan urged Sweden to continue the legal action against the self-styled GAM leaders Zaini Abdullah and Malik Mahmood.

The Australian Democrats have backed a call for New Zealand to mediate in negotiations between East Timor and Australia over the Timor Sea boundary.

The mediation is expected to determine the seabed boundary, thereby dividing control of an estimated $30 billion in royalties from Timor Sea oil and gas deposits.

Gary LaMoshi, Denpasar – Even a vicious dry-season rainstorm that lasted nearly 24 hours couldn't dampen spirits among Bali tourists and the island's hospitality industry. Nearly two years after bombs killed more than 200 people in the main resort area of Kuta Beach, foreigners are streaming back to Bali.

Tim Johnston, Jakarta – Indonesia soldiers carry body of Said Adnan, who has been identified as a governor for Free Aceh Movement in North Aceh. File photo – Jan. 16, 2004

Reports from Indonesia's northern province of Aceh say that more than 200 people have been killed by the army and police in the past two months.

During the first round of this year's Indonesian Presidential election campaign, presidential candidates demonstrated their singing prowess to the public. The campaign was characterised by the use of artistic performance. It was also distinguished by a lack of violence that has marred previous Indonesian polls.

Presenter/Interviewer: Claudette Werden

Australia – By the medium of our Foreign Minister, Alexander Downer, is presenting a very unattractive face to the world, not least our Pacific and South-East Asian neighbours, as it negotiates with East Timor over borders between the two countries, and rights to some of the oil royalties in the disputed areas.

Reporter: Tanya Nolan

Tony Eastely: East Timor says that if it can't resolve its differences with Australia over maritime rights it wants New Zealand to step in as a mediator. The idea was floated by the country's foreign minister, Jose Ramos Horta, in a speech he gave in Sydney last night.

Reporter: Nance Haxton

Mark Colvin: The Foreign Minister Alexander Downer has strongly rebuffed criticisms and complaints from East Timor over the controversial Sunrise Gas Field negotiations.

Palu – Central Sulawesi remained calm on Monday, a day after masked gunmen killed a Christian minister in Palu, as Christian and Muslim leaders condemned the attack and urged their laity to shun revenge.

The Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) has denied pressuring 274,000 employees of state plantation company PT Perkebunan Nusantara (PTPN) XII to vote for President Megawati Sukarnoputri and running mate Hasyim Muzadi in the July 5 presidential election.

Kurniawan Hari, Jakarta – The House of Representatives (DPR) is planning to start discussing the revised bill on the Indonesian Military (TNI) during the recess period that will end on August 14.

Surabaya – The Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P)'s presidential campaign team in East Java province has denied intimidating 274,000 workers of state plantation company PT Perkebunan Nusantara (PTPN) XII in an attempt to get them to vote for Megawati Soekarnoputri and Hasyim Muzadi in the July 5 election.

Robert Go, Jakarta – Several election workers have admitted to tampering with poll results, in yet another scandal to hit Indonesia's first direct presidential vote on July 5.

The General Elections Commission (KPU) said yesterday that it has fired seven local officials from West Kalimantan province for vote tampering.

Jon Afrizal, Jambi – About 1,300 people from the Kubu tribe living in Bukit Duabelas National Park, Jambi, are being marginalized as a result of serious damage to the protected forest.

The need to earn a living has forced some members of the tribe to participate in illegal logging, which has contributed greatly to rapid deforestation in the park.

Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, Jakarta – For three years, former president Abdurrahman "Gus Dur" Wahid has not made any attempt to mend his relationship with Megawati Soekarnoputri after she replaced her as president in July 2001.

Jakarta – Indonesian troops have killed more than 230 alleged separatist guerrillas in Aceh province since martial law was lifted two months ago.

Some 232 alleged members of the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) – or almost four people a day on average – died in clashes between May 19 and July 19, said Police Senior Commissioner Anjaya.

Dili – Police in East Timor fired tear gas on Tuesday to disperse dozens of former freedom fighters demonstrating outside the main government building demanding more reform, eyewitnesses and police said.

There's confusion tonight in Dili as to the whereabouts of East Timor's dissident Falantil guerilla fighter Cornelio Gama, otherwise known as L7.

Bill Guerin, Jakarta – With interest rates at a record low, and plenty of cheap credit floating around, it is hardly surprising that there is substantial optimism in the Indonesian automobile industry.

Dili – East Timorese police fired off rubber Bullets and tear gas Tuesday to disperse hundreds of protesters who had occupied the tiny nation's government building to demand immediate elections.

The first person to be convicted of human rights abuses in the lead up to East Timor's independence referendum has begun his three year jail sentence. The former Indonesian appointed governor of East Timor, Abilio Soares, has been convicted of involvement in the bloody violence which claimed up to 14 hundred lives during the 1999 vote.

Nani Afrida and Tiarma Siboro, Banda Aceh/Jakarta – Acehnese people will again have to face the bitter reality of the government's failure to consult and to take into account their aspirations every time it takes a major policy decision, even though the decision will greatly affect their lives.

Andreas Harsono, Jakarta – When Artine Utomo, the chief executive of "Televisi Pendidikan Indonesia" or "TPI" invited former general Susilio Bambang Yudhoyono to a show hosted by her TV station, little did she realise that his popularity would leave an impressionable mark on her.

Abdul Khalik, Jakarta – Although law enforcers have stepped up a gear in their corruption investigations involving lawmaker Nurdin Halid and Aceh Governor Abdullah Puteh, skepticism remains widespread that the cases are merely political commodities ahead of the runoff presidential election.

Tiarma Siboro and Abdul Khalik, Jakarta – The imprisonment of former East Timor governor Abilio Soares is maintaining the immunity of military top brass in the gross human rights violations in the former Indonesian province in 1999, a rights campaigner says.

Dili – East Timor's president said Monday that Indonesian security forces were responsible for the violence that swept his country in 1999 _ not the territory's last governor, who began serving a jail term in Indonesia over the weekend.

Shawn Donnan, Jakarta – BP has completed the relocation of villagers at the future site of its Tangguh liquid natural gas project in the remote Indonesian province of Papua and expects to begin "peak construction" by the end of this year, according to a senior executive.

Muninggar Sri Saraswati, Jakarta – Former East Timor governor Abilio Soares began serving on Saturday a three-year prison term for his role in the 1999 violence in the former Indonesian province, becoming the first person to be jailed for the bloodshed.

Ben Terrall – On July 5, Indonesians went to the polls to vote in the country's first direct presidential election.

Stockholm, Sweden – A Swedish prosecutor has dropped an investigation of the exiled leader of the Aceh rebel movement, saying the aging Hasan Tiro no longer controls the group, news reports said Sunday.

Tiro, 80, and two other exiled leaders of the Free Aceh Movement are accused by Indonesia of staging assassinations, bombings and kidnappings.

Alan Sipress, Jakarta – The new publication of declassified US documents by a private Washington-based research group, raising questions about Indonesia's takeover of disputed territory 35 years ago, has provoked charges in Jakarta that the US government must be behind the revelations.

Rendi A. Witular and Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, Jakarta – A coalition of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) has vowed to continue its campaign against 13 mining firms that have been allowed to resume open-pit mining in protected forests, upon a controversial government regulation in lieu of law (Perpu) endorsed by the House of Representatives.

Jakarta – Investment commitments by 13 mining firms allowed to operate in Indonesia's protected forests reached US$17 billion last year and contributed $400 million to state coffers, an official said on Friday.

Jakarta – Revenue from oil and gas sector is expected to reach US$11.3 billion this year, a top oil and gas industry official said on Friday.

Yemris Fointuna and Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, Jakarta/Kupang – Convicted former East Timor governor Abilio Soares defied a summons on Friday to begin serving his three-year jail term for human rights crimes in Indonesia's former province in 1999.

Jayapura – One person was killed and another was severely wounded after ethnic violence broke out in the Timika district in Indonesia's easternmost province of Papua on Friday morning.

Fabiola Desy Unidjaja and Tiarma Siboro, Jakarta – President Megawati Soekarnoputri is reportedly considering a replacement for Aceh Governor Abdullah Puteh as pressure mounts on her to fire him due to graft charges against him.

Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, Jakarta – religious leaders have urged the National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) to reveal the findings of its probe into alleged human rights violations by soldiers and police in the troubled province.

Robert Go, Jakarta – Several election workers have admitted to tampering with poll results, in yet another scandal to hit Indonesia's first direct presidential vote on July 5.

The General Elections Commission (KPU) said yesterday that it has fired seven local officials from West Kalimantan province for vote tampering.

M. Taufiqurrahman and Adianto P. Simamora, Jakarta – The General Elections Commission has decided to hold a revote at a polling station for Indonesian expatriates in the East Malaysian town of Tawau after the Election Supervisory Committee (Panwaslu) filed a complaint over allegations of vote rigging there.