Yemris Fointuna and Jupriadi, Jakarta – Twenty-nine more refugees, including one marine, have returned to their hometowns in East Timor after spending more than two years in refugee camps in South Sulawesi province.

Derwin Pereira, Jakarta – The Indonesian Armed Forces (TNI) has received crucial backing from legislators to use force against separatists in Aceh as a military offensive grew imminent in the troubled province.

Jill Jolliffe – Pro-Indonesia militia leader Joao Tavares returned to East Timor yesterday for the first time since the violence of 1999.

Speaking after crossing the border at Batugade, the man considered by many East Timorese to be most responsible for militia crimes said he was prepared to stand trial.

Novan Iman Santosa and Yogita Tahilramani, Jakarta – Not a single eyewitness against nine suspects for the murder of Papuan pro-independence leader Dortheys "Theys" Hiyo Eluay witnessed the murder, defense lawyer Warsito Sanyoto said on Tuesday.

Tiarma Siboro, Jakarta – Members of the House of Representatives (DPR) unanimously threw their support behind the Indonesian military on Monday in allowing it to flex its muscles against secessionist movements in the country, particularly the Free Aceh Movement (GAM).

Nani Farida, Banda Aceh – Acehnese human rights activists questioned on Monday the effectiveness of Presidential Instruction No. 1/2002 on the Comprehensive Solution to Aceh's Problems to settle the conflict in the province as its six-month deadline nears, while violence remains unabated.

Catharine Munro, Jakarta – International aid groups are calling for countries including Australia to help head off starvation in the Indonesian province of West Timor.

A two-month survey conducted by five international agencies showed that thousands are facing an acute food shortage following East Timor's secession from Indonesia.

Indonesia's military has ruled that the killing of seperatist leader Theys Eluay in the restive Indonesian province of Papua was not politically motivated.

Jakarta – If the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) is going to allow the people to directly elect the president and vice president in 2004, then it should allow them to make that selection all the way through, rather than halfway.

Indonesia's Vice-president, Hamzah Haz, has won the backing of a powerful group from his Islamic party for a possible presidential challenge in 2004.

The chairman of the United Development Party's in East Java, Hafidz Ma'shum, says its 38 branches have all agreed to push for the nomination of Mr Haz as the party's presidential candidate.

Kupang – Former pro-integration leaders established on Monday the Presidium of East Timorese Refugees to accommodate support for refugees of the former province of East Timor.

One of the founders, Eurico Gutteres, vowed the organization would not get involved in politics, but would merely provide humanitarian assistance for the refugees.

Ahmad Junaidi, Jakarta – The Jakarta Administration announced on Monday its plan to propose a bylaw which will ban demonstrations around the newly renovated Hotel Indonesia traffic circle on Jl. MH Thamrin in Central Jakarta.

Bambang Nurbianto, Jakarta – The health card system aims to provide a free health service for the poor. But while many destitute people are unable to enter the program due to their lack of an ID card, employees of several hospitals admitted on Monday that many of the recipients look affluent.

Tim Shorrock (Inter Press Service), Washington – As US officials lobby Congress to approve a US$16 million package of military aid for Indonesia, they are stressing the need to support political stability in the world's largest Muslim nation while downplaying Jakarta's role in the global war against terrorism.

Derwin Pereira, Jakarta – As the army manoeuvred behind the scenes to return to a position of power in Indonesia, the navy slowly distanced itself from such attempts as its new commander made clear that it would not dabble in domestic politics.

Novan Iman Santosa and Yogita Tahilramani, Jakarta – This nation seems to have a huge stock of shocking legal violations. One ongoing case involves no less a figure than Comr. Gen. Sofjan Jacoeb, a former Jakarta Police chief.

Jakarta – The death toll from Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) cases in East Java has now officially reached 30.

East Java Deputy Governor Imam Supardi said there has been an increase in HIV/AIDS cases because of local people's lack of awareness.

Michael J. Jordan, United Nations – Indonesia's commitment to justice is being questioned after Jakarta's decision to shelve an investigation into a Dutch journalist's murder.

The inquiry into the death of reporter Sander Thoenes, killed during a 1999 military rampage in East Timor, was widely seen as a major test of the Indonesian judiciary's credibility.

Oyos Saroso H.N., Bandarlampung – Although compensation has been given by sugar cane factory PT Gunung Madu Plantations (GMP) to local fishermen in Lampung, the fishermen remain reluctant to go fishing due to declining fish stocks in Bandarlampung's polluted water.

They claim pollution would force them to stay home for at least the next six months.

Jakarta – Indonesia will no longer buy weapons at inflated prices, its military chief vowed yesterday, amid concerns that people were illegally making unwarranted profits from mark-ups.

Jakarta – Ten armed men shot dead five employees of a state-owned plantation in Aceh and kidnapped eight others on Saturday, the military said on Sunday.

All of the victims were employees of state-owned plantation PT Perkebunan Nusantara I in Langsa district, East Aceh.

Nani Farida, Banda Aceh – The reestablishment of the Iskandar Muda military command in Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam province has failed to bring about peace in the restive region.

Aceh human rights campaigner Maimul Fidar said the existence of the military command had instead limited the space for civilian activities in the province.

Dili – More than 1,000 East Timorese children who were displaced in violence following the 1999 UN-backed referendum on independence have been reunited with their families, an official of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said Monday.

Jake Morland, a UNHCR external relations officer, said returning the children to their parents is the priority of the UNHCR.

Jakarta – Despite the lifting of the worst restrictions on labor union rights in 2000, many others still remain and labor relations have become increasingly tense, with many incidents of violent physical attacks on strikers, according to the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions (ICFTU).

Jakarta – Thousands of people gathered on the streets here yesterday to celebrate the 475th anniversary of Indonesia's capital – one of Asia's most crowded and polluted cities.

Fitri Wulandari, Jakarta – The International Monetary Fund has stepped into the public debate over the Commercial Court's bankruptcy ruling on PT Asuransi Jiwa Manulife Indonesia (AJMI), saying the case should serve as a trigger point for Indonesia to speed up reforms in the Commercial Court and revision of the Bankruptcy Law.

Jakarta – President Megawati Soekarnoputri has performed better than all other national political leaders currently in office, even as her government isdeemed to be failing in delivering the goods, according to a recently published survey.

Marianne Kearney, Jakarta – Unlike its aggressive attempts to crush separatist rebels in Aceh, the Indonesian government has been half-hearted in ending the equally alarming sectarian conflict in Maluku.

Indonesia – Seven students grouped in the West Papuan Students' National Front (FNMP) gave up their hunger strike on Saturday due to health concerns, but vowed to boycott the 2004 general election in the troubled province should the government fail to reveal the truth behind the killing of separatist Papuan leader Theys Hiyo Eluay and hold a referendum on self-determination.

Portugal's ambassador to East Timor, Rui Quartim Santos, Wednesday inaugurated the official residence of Dili's Catholic Bishop Carlos Ximenes Belo, a euros 300,000 building entirely financed by Lisbon.

Jill Jolliffe, Dili – Australia and East Timor moved a step forward in their plans to exploit Timor Sea hydrocarbon resources yesterday with the opening of a joint office in Dili.

Jakarta – The National Commission on Violence Against Women (Komnas Perempuan) urged the National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) to set up a team to investigate serious human rights abuses allegedly committed against the urban poor by the city administration.

Robert Go, Jakarta – Architect Andi Perdana dug out his wallet without hesitation and snapped up new cell phones for himself and his wife in a shopping mall in Surabaya, East Java.

In what seemed like an extravagant move, he bought a Nokia 6510 for 2.4 million rupiah a Siemens S45 for 1.6 million rupiah.

Dili – About 19,000 East Timorese refugees have returned home in the first five months of this year, the UN said Friday.

This figure is more than the total number of returns for all of last year, said Jake Morland, spokesman for the UN High Commissioner for Refugees.

Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, Jakarta – The latest revision for the fourth amendment of the 1945 Constitution contains new articles which grant the military free seats within the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) until 2009, undermining efforts to remove the military from politics by 2004.

Ibnu Matnoor and Nani Farida, Banda Aceh – Six members of the Indonesian Air Force's special forces (Paskhas) were killed in an ambush by members of the separatist Free Aceh Movement (GAM) near Iskandar Muda Airport in Blangbintang, Aceh Besar regency, on Wednesday night, an officer said on Thursday.

President Xanana Gusmao has distanced himself from comments made by Dili's prime minister, Mari Alkatiri, on the non-payment of compensation to Indonesians whose property was destroyed or appropriated after they left East Timor.

I Wayan Juniartha, Tuban, Bali – A senior official of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said here on Wednesday that returning East Timorese children – currently living in Indonesia after being separated from their parents during and after the violent postreferendum mayhem in 1999 – to East Timor might not be the best solution for some of them.

Melbourne – Following are key facts about the Timor Gap treaty, oil and gas developments in the Timor Sea and Australia's need for a new gas supply.

Treaty

Kupang – Former commander of a East Timorese pro-Jakarta militia group (PPI) Joao da Silva Tavares and his almost 35,000 followers are expected to return home to East Timor soon.

Jakarta – As many as 191 legislators received loans worth Rp 40 million each from the off-budget Presidential Aid Fund (Banpres) during the leadership of former president Soeharto but have not repaid the money in full, a legislator said Wednesday.

Kupang – The Indonesian military has detained an East Timorese soldier for illegally entering the Indonesian territory of West Timor to seek his family, a local military commander said Thursday.

Tiarma Siboro, Jakarta – Newly installed Indonesian Military (TNI) Chief Gen. Endriartono Sutarto issued a strong warning to secessionist movements on Wednesday, saying that efforts to separate from the unitary state of the Republic of Indonesia would be crushed with military operations.

Jakarta – A bullet that killed a Supreme Court judge came from one of six guns found at homes owned by former president Suharto's youngest son Tommy, a police colonel said yesterday.

Kel Dummett – As the independence celebrations begin to subside in East Timor, it certainly is timely for Australia to take a sober look at its foreign policy, especially regarding its immediate neighbors. To this end the Australian Government's planned White Paper on foreign policy is welcome.

Jupriadi, Makassar – At least three people have been killed, four seriously injured, and more than one hundred houses burned down following a communal clash between residents of Cappasolo and Padang villages in East Malangke subdistrict, North Luwu regency, South Sulawesi, since Monday.

Prime Minister Mari Alkatiri, charging opposition legislators were hobbling action by East Timor's government, warned Thursday he might use his broad Fretilin party majority to rush through urgent legislation.

Marianne Kearney, Jakarta – Investigation into several corruption scandals is proving extremely embarrassing not just for a handful of politicians alleged to have diverted or accepted state funds but even for the media.

A soldier, four suspected separatist rebels and a village chief have been killed in the latest violence in Indonesia's Aceh province, the military and police said.

An army sergeant and a rebel were killed in a gunfight at Hagu Bara Laut near Lhokseumawe in North Aceh on Wednesday, said Aceh military spokesman Major Zaenal Muttaqin.