The suffering East Timorese endured under Indonesian rule will define relations between the two countries for generations. Apologies and half-hearted trials of alleged perpetrators will not erase the 24 years of massacres, rapes and destruction of property.

In a joint statement issued today, Amnesty International and the Judicial System Monitoring Programme (JSMP) expressed their grave disappointment in the trials of the first East Timor cases in Indonesia.

Peter Kammerer – Reconciliation between East Timor and Indonesia has become a tussle of diplomacy versus justice – and it seems clear the latter will lose.

Chris McCall – Abilio Soares' light sentence finally proves that Indonesia's human rights trials related to East Timor are just a ploy to satisfy the international community, a top Indonesian rights activist said yesterday.

Stephanie Mann, Washington – The United States is moving toward restoring full military relations with Indonesia after a three-year hiatus.

Jerry Norton, Jakarta – Indonesia's military must stay the course on reforms toward civilian control and respect for human rights if it wants normal ties with the United States, the top American commander in the Pacific said on Thursday.

Steven Gutkin, Jakarta – Women in miniskirts gyrate in all-night discotheques, where designer drugs circulate as freely as alcohol. Friday, the Islamic sabbath, is a regular work day. Pork is widely available in restaurants and supermarkets.

Jakarta – Indonesian prosecutors on Thursday accused the head of the best-known Muslim militant group of inciting hatred when he delivered a speech earlier this year in the strife-torn Moluccas islands.

Kuala Lumpur – Choking haze from forest fires in Indonesia has blanketed parts of Peninsular Malaysia, reducing visibility to as low as 1.5 km near the capital Kuala Lumpur, government officials said on Thursday.

Robert Go, Jakarta – The Indonesian government will impose a quota on sand supply to Singapore from next month as part of efforts to block illegal sand mining, and at the same time, to increase revenues from the commodity.

The youngest son of former strongman Suharto was transferred to an Indonesian prison island where he will serve his 15-year sentence alongside his father's golfing buddy.

Hutomo "Tommy" Mandala Putra Suharto was flown Thursday by helicopter to the Nusakambangan prison island off the west coast of Java, an airport official named Bambang in the town of Cilacap told AFP.

Bob Burton – The Australian government has defended its embassy officials in Jakarta who lobbied Indonesian security forces and officials to deal with "illegal miners" at an Australian-owned mine. In three separate incidents after the lobbying commenced, two people were killed and another five injured.

Devi Asmarani, Jakarta – Jakarta Governor Sutiyoso yesterday refused to share the stage with other political hopefuls, including a becak or pedicab driver, by not turning up at a much-awaited public debate over who would earn the right to be the capital's next governor.

Jakarta – Hundreds of students demonstrated outside the South Kalimantan provincial legislative assembly on Tuesday, demanding Governor HM Sjachriel Darham resign for his alleged involvement in corruption, collusion and nepotism (KKN), Antara state news agency reported.

Rendi A. Witular, Jakarta – The number of unemployed people increased by 400,000 to around 8.4 million during the first half of this year, the Central Bureau of Statistics (BPS) said in its latest quarterly survey.

However, independent experts say the figure does not reflect the true picture of the pressing unemployment problem in Indonesia.

William M. Reilly, United Nations – The United Nations expressed dismay over the Ad Hoc Human Rights Tribunal in Indonesia following the verdict Wednesday against former East Timor Governor Abilio Soares with both Secretary-General Kofi Annan and Human Rights High Commissioner Mary Robinson questioning the tribunal's practices.

[The former governor of East Timor, Abilio Soares, has become the first Indonesian official to be sentenced to jail for gross human rights violations in East Timor in 1999. A special human rights court presided by Judge Emi Marni Mustafa sentenced Soares to three years' in jail, well short of the 10-and-a-half years sought by prosecutors.

Steven Gutkin, Jakarta – In the first verdict in a series of trials of former Indonesian officials charged with crimes against humanity, the ex-governor of East Timor was convicted Wednesday of allowing massacres and sentenced to three years in prison.

East Timorese demands for justice will not be satisfied by the conviction of former East Timor governor Abilio Soares for crimes against humanity committed in East Timor in 1999 say CAFOD, CIIR and TAPOL.

An American NGO campaigning for human rights in East Timor called Wednesday for the setting up of an international tribunal to punish crimes against humanity committed throughout the 24-year Indonesian occupation of the territory, as opposed to the two months currently being focused on by an Indonesian court.

Kuala Lumpur – East Timor took control of its legal system from United Nations administrators too soon and weakness of the judiciary is hurting investor confidence, Foreign Minister Jose Ramos-Horta said Tuesday.

Jakarta – Air pollution has cost Indonesia billions of US dollars in economic losses, deputy minister for Technical Infrastructure of Environment Management of the State Ministry for Environment Masnel Yarti Hilman says.

Robert Go, Jakarta – The latest review team of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) left Jakarta on Sunday with some praises for Indonesia's economic reform progress.

But it warned that investor confidence remained fragile and the recovery process could be derailed by future government mistakes.

Doctors who examined former Indonesian dictator Soeharto to determine whether he was fit to stand trial said yesterday he was suffering from a brain disease which left him barely able to speak.

Apriadi Gunawan, Jakarta – Some 800 local fishermen staged a demonstration at the North Sumatra legislative council on Monday to protest the recent abduction of fishermen and extortion, an indication of poor security in the waters adjacent to the province.

Five people were killed and hundreds of houses were burned to the ground during an attack on three Christian villages in Indonesia's Central Sulawesi, residents and the military said.

United Nations – Nearly three months after East Timor's independence, the UN mission in the fledgling southeast Asian nation is on course to finish its work and shut down in two years, a top UN official said on Tuesday.

Kupang – East Timorese refugees sheltering in a number of camps in East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) province will celebrate in a modest way Indonesia's 57th independence day on August 17.

Joanne Collins, Jakarta – Indonesia is due to deliver on Wednesday its first verdict in landmark trials over violence linked to East Timor's bloody independence vote in 1999, but many who have followed the process doubt justice will be served.

Jakarta – East Timorese refugees are to vacate camps across East Nusa Tenggara by August 31, the deadline set for them to leave the shelter and receive government assistance to return to East Timor or resettle in the province, the provincial administration said on Monday.

East Timor government officials attending meetings at this week's Pacific Islands Forum in Fiji say they are not supporting the campaign by Papuan separatists.

Abel Guterres from East Timor's ministry of foreign affairs says while he understands Papua's attempts to gain the support of forum countries, East Timor will not join their campaign.

Dili – East Timor President Xanana Gusmao said Tuesday any trial for the murder of Dutch journalist Sander Thoenes should be held in his country.

John Aglionby, Jakarta – Indonesia's supreme legislature has expelled the once virtually omnipotent military from the national assemblies and surrendered its right to elect the president and vice-president.

What will generals do after the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) decided to remove military and police representatives from parliament? Simple, they can join mainstream political parties, as evidenced by the appointment of retired Lieutenant General Budi Harsono as Golkar Party's new secretary general.

A'an Suryana, Jakarta – The International Monetary Fund (IMF) completed on Saturday reviewing the country's economic situation and the implementation of economic reform measures here, according to a senior government official.

Yemris Fointuna, Kupang – The threat of violence is imminent in East Nusa Tenggara province as residents in North Central Timor Regency have objected to the presence of more East Timorese Indonesian refugees in their area as part of the government's sponsored resettlement program.

Kuala Lumpur – Malaysia offered East Timor Monday assistance ranging from education to military training during a visit by the fledgling nation's Prime Minister, Mari Bim Amude Alkatiri, an official said.

Jakarta – At least 100 residents from Susukan in Ciracas district, East Jakarta, protested on Sunday against PT Jayamix's plan to build a factory in the village.

Ciracas Police Second Brig. Sudino said the residents had staged their protest peacefully.

Achmad Sukarsono, Jakarta – Tensions flared anew between Muslims and Christians in Indonesia's troubled region of Central Sulawesi after one person was found dead and three people were reported missing over the weekend, police said on Monday.

Dmli – The National Parliament of Timor approved and ratified today to adhesion from Timor to the International Criminal Court (TPI), with 70 votes to favor and barely an abstention, of the representative Leandro Isaac.

Derwin Pereira, Jakarta – Indonesian President Megawati Sukarnoputri's opponents may have wanted the just-concluded national assembly session to be a referendum on her one year in office and a chance to unseat her. It was anything but.

Jakarta – Indonesia's parliament closed a two-week session today in which legislators introduced sweeping constitutional changes designed to shrink the military's role in politics and boost presidential powers.

Tertiani ZB Simanjuntak, Jakarta – The newly amended Constitution now gives more power to the people through political parties, but still lacks one thing: a proper system of checks and balances.

Robert Go, Jakarta – The vast majority of Indonesian lawmakers squashed a move to insert the racially-charged term "pribumi" – meaning indigenous or native – into economic recommendations to be made this year by the nation's top legislative assembly to the government.

Slobodan Lekic, Jakarta – Despite a $50 million US aid package and a push by Washington to renew military ties, a new report suggests Indonesia's military created the network now said to be Southeast Asia's most serious terrorist threat.

Jakarta – The House of Representatives (DPR) has urged the Swiss-based Henry Dunant Center (HDC) to persuade the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) to end their armed struggle.

Jakarta – Some 3000 workers belonging to Forum Lima (the Forum of Five) staged a protest on Sunday demanding that the House of Representatives (DPR) stop deliberating bills on worker protection and the settlement of industrial relations disputes.

Indonesia's highest consultative assembly wrapped up its 10-day annual meeting, approving its fourth series of constitutional amendments since 1999, including on direct presidential elections and ruling against imposing sharia law for Muslims.

Jane Perlez, Jakarta – Indonesia's highest legislative body, after rebuffing calls to impose Islamic law here in the world's largest Muslim country, closed its annual session today with constitutional changes aimed at enhancing the democratic nature of the state.

Jakarta – Civilians slaughtered as they hid in churches. Independence leaders assassinated in their homes. Entire villages burned to the ground.