Hestiana Dharmastuti, Jakarta – Threats by the Minister of Labour and Transmigration, Jacob Nuwa Wea, in which he called for demonstrators to end their actions, if not they will face Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDIP) masses, has been greeted by cynicism.

Jakarta – A senior member of the ruling Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) warned student protesters as well as a Jakarta-based newspaper not to criticize his party.

Jakarta – Although the wave of protests and street actions have raised strategic issues, the government of President Megawati Sukarnoputri and Vice-President Hamzah Haz has yet to be shaken. This is because the opposition movement is not prepared to work together.

Moch. N. Kurniawan, Jakarta – The House of Representatives has finally settled the issue of dismissal, the most controversial issue in the bill on workers' protection, paving the way for its endorsement on Tuesday.

Dili – Unidentified gunmen killed one person and seriously injured two pregnant women in an attack Monday on a minibus in East Timor, officials said.

The group fled after the attack at 12:45 pm near the village of Aidabaleten in Maliana district, said Deputy Defence and Security Minister Roque Rodrigues. He gave no further details.

Shepard Forman, New York – Even as the United Nations focuses like a laser on Iraq, it must not lose sight of its other commitments.

Bandung – Chairman of the fatwa (legal advice) commission of the Indonesian Ulemas Council (MUI) said here on Friday that the erotic stage act of dangdut singer Inul Andarista could be categorized as haram (banned by Islamic teaching) because of her suggestive moves.

Devi Asmarani, Jakarta – Gang Macan (Tiger Lane), a densely populated alleyway in North Jakarta, was notorious for its tiny brothels and deadly fights between vicious gangs. A fire in 1995 took care of all that.

These days the neighbourhood provides a service high in demand in Indonesia today – mob rental.

Bukittinggi – Scores of students from the West Sumatra branch of the Indonesian Muslim Students Action Front (KAMMI) rallied here on Friday to protest the privatization of state enterprises and the presence of some economics ministers.

Tim Dodd, Jakarta – With Indonesia facing a new round of instability if war goes ahead in Iraq, the country's top political and military leaders say the army will not "return to barracks" but will retain its domestic security role.

On Thursday, Army Chief of Staff Gen. Ryamizard Ryacudu met hundreds of active and retired top army officers, where he reiterated that the role of the country's army is different from the expected "professional" army role elsewhere, as he claimed there were unique problems in this country such as disintegration.

Jakarta – PT Sony Electronics Indonesia (SEI) is preparing to lay off 884 employees after the closure of its Indonesian branch next month. "The plan to close the factory is clear and all employees will be laid off," Suleswati Pujiasti, senior manager of Sony Electronics Indonesia, said on Thursday.

Banda Aceh – Twelve days have passed since the crucial "demilitarisation" phase of the Aceh agreement but separatist rebels have not started placing weapons in arms dumps and Indonesian troops have not begun withdrawing to defensive positions.

Kurniawan Hari, Jakarta – The State Intelligence Agency (BIN) demanded on Friday that it be given extra powers that would enable it to carry out crucial tasks to prevent terrorist attacks throughout the country.

Robert Go, Jakarta – The turf battle between Indonesia's police and the military (TNI) over who should be in charge of Indonesia's domestic security showed signs of flaring again this week.

Marian Wilkinson, Washington – The police chief who led the Bali bombing investigation has pleaded for training assistance from the US for a controversial Indonesian police unit accused of human rights abuses in Aceh and other Indonesian trouble spots.

The election bill passed by the parliament last week, with its demand for a 2% electoral threshold, predictably created dissatisfaction and disappointment among small political parties.

Even the promising Islamic-based Justice Party (PK), which won seven seats in the 1999 general election, branded the bill as unfair.

Jakarta – Villagers demanding road improvementshave ended a blockade of an oil field owned by US company PT Caltex in Riau after police mediated in the dispute, AP reported. The villagers began their blockade of the Pinang field on Monday, Caltex spokesman Harry Bustaman said on Friday.

Yuliansyah, Banjarmasin – Fearing the legal consequences, some South Kalimantan legislative councillors say they are planning to return a "reward" given to them by the local government for approving the 2003 provincial budget.

The police have blamed easily obtained police and military uniforms and badges and a lack of regulation governing the trade on the emergence of bogus police officers extorting people around the city.

Kuala Lumpur – Saying the US government deserves more credit for its Iraq policy, East Timor's Foreign Minister Jose Ramos Horta on Saturday criticized what he called "illogical anti-Americanism" fueled by fears of a US-led attack on Baghdad.

East Timor's foreign minister Jose Ramos Horta, in New Zealand this week on a private visit, once had 10 brothers and sisters. Now he has six. Four died in the violent and suppressive regime which ruled East Timor for 25 years. Ian Stuart of NZPA reports.

The United States ambassador to Jakarta has said that Indonesia must make better progress in holding its military to account for human rights abuses before the US fully normalises relations.

Deborah Snow – Charges are understood to have been laid against a former senior soldier in the Special Air Service after a long investigation into allegations of serious misconduct by members of the elite unit in East Timor.

Jakarta – Six student protesters were in police detention after police cracked down on an anti-government demonstration involving about 60 students overnight Tuesday.

Over the past week in Aceh, Indonesia has repeatedly violated the December 10 Cessation of Hostilities Agreement (COHA), arresting civil movement activists and carrying out military offensives.

According to Pip Hinman, national coordinator of Action in Solidarity with Asia and the Pacific (ASAP), this is because Indonesia is not serious about peace in Aceh.

Linda Mottram: A West Papuan human rights campaigner says that ongoing unrest in the Indonesian province is being caused by the violently radical Islamic group, Laskar Jihad, which was thought to have been disbanded.

Port Vila – On Tuesday, 18 February, approximately 1300 non-Papuans traveled in convoy from Abepura to Jayapura in support of the recent presidential decree ordering the partition of Papua. Before leaving, the group gathered in front of the District Office in Abepura and, seeing an anti-partition crowd of about 100 Papuans, they began to heckle and abuse them.

Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, Jakarta – Trying to ease the mounting controversy over its decision to split Papua into three provinces, the government is said to be seeking a formula to ensure fair revenues from exploitation of natural resources in Papua.

M. Taufiqurrahman, Jakarta – The International Labor Organization (ILO) called on the Indonesian government to work more seriously to uphold workers' rights to freedom of association as Indonesian workers have to face hurdles in exercising their rights.

Richel Dursin, Bekasi – "We're Indonesians. Why do we have to get a citizenship certificate proving that we're Indonesians?" asked Tjiong Tjoei Liong, 70.

Jakarta – Indonesia has won universal praise for the nimble footwork its police have shown in investigating the Bali bombings and arresting nearly 30 suspects. But the job is only half-done.

Rachel Harvey, Jakarta – The Indonesian parliament this week passed measures designed to reform the electoral system, but regular street protests may be a sign that many people are still not ready to trust their politicians.

Damar Harsanto, Jakarta – In an apparent attempt to elude unwanted public interest in the February 3 bomb blast in the National Police's Wisma Bhayangkari building, the police issued on Wednesday a statement that negated a previous one.

Women's groups in Indonesia have welcomed a new law that paves the way for more women to enter parliament.

Bambang Nurbianto, Jakarta – Urban activists criticized the city administration's plan to evict Angke river squatters in North and West Jakarta, warning that it could spark social unrest.

Devi Asmarani, Jakarta – Top leaders of Indonesia's ruling Indonesian Democratic Party-Struggle (PDI-P) yesterday called on one of their own ministers to resign after he charged that the party was the most corrupt in the country.

Jakarta – A lawyer for the jailed youngest son of former Indonesian president Suharto will soon face charges of bribing a witness at his trial, a prosecutor said yesterday.

As hopes grow that a US war with Iraq may be averted, much attention is being paid to the Justice Party (Partai Keadilan, PK), which has demonstrated strong grass roots support during the campaign against a war.

Jakarta – Former foreign minister Ali Alatas said on Wednesday that the offer of secession from Indonesia to the East Timorese in the UN-organized ballot in August 1999 was a "premature" decision of (former) president B.J.Habibie's government.

Devi Asmarani, Jakarta – Golkar, Indonesia's second-largest party which once ruled the country's politics for thirty years, is preparing to strike back after nearly a year of adversity.

Timothy Mapes, Jakarta – Just as Indonesia is beginning to bring its most serious armed rebellion under control, separatist tension is flaring again in another province that is home to several of the country's most promising new foreign investments.

John Martinkus, Jakarta – On December 28 last year a car carrying the wife and daughter of a prominent Papuan human rights activist was ambushed by unidentified gunmen between the border posts of Papua New Guinea and Indonesia.

Australia's Immigration Minister Phillip Ruddock has been asked to establish a special visa category in a bid to allow a group of East Timorese to stay in the country.

The special visa would apply to about 18-hundred East Timorese asylum seekers who are facing deportation.

Tiarma Siboro, Jakarta – Noted religious leaders grouped in the National Moral Movement (GMN) called on the government to halt the East Timor human rights trials, claiming that they were politically motivated.

Jakarta – On Monday February 17, hundreds of workers from PT Elaine who have been left in the dark by factory owners, complained to the National Coalition. They were received by National Coalition representatives Eros Djarot, Jusuf Lakaseng and Ricky Tamba.

East Timorese asylum seekers have a special case to be allowed to stay in Australia.

Denpasar – Dozens of students and youths from Papua held a street rally in front of Bali's provincial legislative compound on Monday to oppose the government decision to split up the province into three.

They argued that the division would trigger horizontal and vertical conflicts in the country's easternmost province.

Jakarta – Delays in planting some 413,343 hectares of rice in a number of areas have resulted in a drain of farmers' income sources.

Robert Go, Jakarta – There is no love for Mr Saddam Hussein in Indonesia. Members of the educated elite view him as a dictator who has waged war against other Muslims, both beyond and within his own borders. The unschooled masses know only that he has a moustache and often wears a beret.