The upper and lower houses of the United States Congress clearly differ over whether to restore training for Indonesian military officers.

Robert Go, Jakarta – Indonesia's chief security minister yesterday warned that the country, and South-east Asia in general, faced more terror attacks not only from the Jemaah Islamiah (JI) but also Aceh's guerilla groups.

Tiarma Siboro, Jakarta – The government appealed to the public to stay calm but vigilant in the face of renewed terror attacks targeting Indonesia, while ordering security to be tightened at key installations across the country.

Indonesian troops waging war on separatist rebels in Aceh province have shot dead at least 15 guerrillas in one of the bloodiest days of their two-month offensive, the military said.

Spokesman Ahmad Yani Basuki said three members of the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) were killed in raids and 12 more in six firefights on Wednesday but no soldiers were hurt.

Jakarta/Lhokseumawe – Responding to widespread allegations of rights abuses in Aceh, the National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) is planning to set up posts in Bireuen and Lhokseumawe regencies to receive reports of rights abuses from local people.

Jakarta – Indonesia's former military chief Gen. Wiranto, who is accused of war crimes in East Timor, has been nominated by a small nationalist youth group as a candidate in the country's first direct presidential elections next year.

Nethy Dharma Somba, Jayapura – Hundreds of people staged a rally in the Papua capital of Jayapura on Tuesday to protest the annual progress report presented by Governor Jaap Salossa, citing alleged fraud and irregularities in the report.

Washington – The House voted Wednesday to deny military aid to Indonesia until that country fully investigates an ambush last year that killed two Americans.

Dili – An East Timorese court Wednesday sentenced two pro-Indonesian militia leaders to eight and 12 years in prison for murdering five independence supporters during the country's bloody break from Jakarta rule in 1999.

James Eyers – East Timor's Foreign Affairs Minister, Jose Ramos-Horta, has reassured investors that Timor is happy with the treaty on sharing the Timor Sea's oil wealth with Australia, despite claims by a cabinet colleague last month that it was unfair.

Liz Minchin – Australia and the United States should stop warning travellers that East Timor is a possible terrorist target because they are harming the country's fledgling economy, East Timorese Foreign Affairs Minister Jose Ramos-Horta said yesterday.

Jim Lobe, Washington – Reports that the Bush administration will release funds train Indonesian military officers – despite a recent vote by a key Senate committee that calls for training to be suspended until the army's responsibility for the killing of two US teachers is clarified – have drawn strong expressions of concern by human rights groups here.

The General Election Commission (KPU) has determined the total number of seats in the People's Regional Council (DPRD) at the provincial as well as regency level, giving legislative candidates a clear picture of how to act in the election next April.

Rony Panengah, Jakarta – If there are no obstacles, another political party will soon be born. What's interesting is that this political party represents opposition forces which to date have chosen to take there struggle into the streets.

Nethy Dharma Somba, Jayapura – The central government moved closer to creating a West Irian Jaya province in Papua on Monday, despite lingering controversies over the plan to split the troubled region into three – Papua, West Irian Jaya and Central Irian Jaya.

Speaking at a ground breaking ceremony for the new Batam intelligence academy on 9 July, she said "in today's global world, the use of intelligence expertise can not be limited solely to the military, police and other government organizations, but is also needed for civilian purposes."

Brad Collis – When Sipriano Martins was in high school he had a code name to hide his identity. It was Saruntu, which means "fight like a crazy man". That was back in the mid-1990s when Sipriano was risking his life as a courier for East Timor's Falintil guerillas fighting to free the country from Indonesian occupation.

In Jakarta Monday July 14 a coalition of environmental groups and NGOs formed to oppose mining in Indonesia's protected forest areas issued a press statement claiming widespread support from regional government administrations and communities throughout Indonesia.

Marianne Kearney, Jakarta – Papuans are growing increasingly concerned that the Indonesian military – boosted by its apparent success against rebels in Aceh – will crack down on Papua's independence movement.

Suwarjono, Jakarta – As many as 16 opposition groups plan to form a new party to participate in the 2004 general elections. Among them are the People's Democratic Party (PRD) and the Indonesian Front for Labour Struggle (FNPBI).

Antony Barnett – The British Government faces fresh embarrassment over its controversial policy of selling arms to Indonesia as the first evidence emerged of the Indonesian military using UK-made tanks to crush a rebellion in its Aceh province.

Jill Jolliffe, Fatumaca – On a sentimental journey to an unusual former guerilla support base, East Timor's President Xanana Gusmao has paid homage to two priests who dedicated their lives to his country's freedom.

A'an Suryana and Nani Farida, Banda Aceh/Lhokseumawe – Entering the eighth week of the integrated operation to restore security and order in Aceh, the military offensive has been proceeding far ahead of the humanitarian operation, with eight more alleged rebels killed but more than 42,000 people languishing in worrying conditions in refuge camps in the resource-rich province.

Damar Harsanto, Jakarta – Increasing social pressure in Jakarta is believed to be the main factor in people committing suicide, experts say, in response to a tripling in the number of suicide cases reported by the police.

Kurniawan Hari, Jakarta – Two constitutional law experts have sharply criticized the newly endorsed bill on the composition of legislative bodies that gives more power to the House of Representatives and will make changes to the political system.

Derwin Pereira, Jakarta – These days, oil baron Arifin Panigoro rarely attends the central executive board meetings of the Indonesian Democratic Party-Struggle (PDI-P).

He and other PDI-P stalwarts prefer to stay on the sidelines and watch their party wiggle through an enormous tangle of Mission Impossibles – brought on, ironically, by its chairman Megawati Sukarnoputri.

Jim Lobe, Washington – Two of the world's largest human-rights organizations say the government of Indonesian President Megawati Sukarnoputri is filling the country's jails once again with political prisoners, only five years after all prisoners of conscience were released with the ouster of former president Suharto.

Richard Lloyd Parry – When she first came to world attention seven years ago, Megawati Sukarnoputri was hailed as a heroine. Stubborn, matronly and majestic, the leader of the Indonesian Democratic Party won admirers across the world for her peaceful struggle against the dictatorship of President Suharto.

Erik W. and La Remy, Palu – Peace in the Central Sulawesi town of Poso, once wracked by bloody sectarian fighting, was put to the test on Friday after a homemade bomb exploded in a food stall, injuring four people.

The European Union will question the Indonesian government about a "disturbing" lack of access to war-torn Aceh province after one of its aid workers was detained there overnight, a diplomat said.

Nethy Dharma Somba, Jayapura – The central government is accused of a lack of resolve in enforcing the special autonomy law for the troubled province of Papua, which was implemented two years ago to appease separatist groups.

Kurniawan Hari, Jakarta – The House of Representatives cleared on Wednesday the last hurdle to next year's elections by endorsing a bill on the status and composition of legislative bodies.

With the passage of the bill, the country has all four of the political laws necessary to organize legislative and presidential elections next year.

Kurniawan Hari, Jakarta – The House of Representatives closed its session on Wednesday with the same old problem – a massive backlog of outstanding bills.

Endy M. Bayuni, Jakarta – Corruption in the courts, rather than within political parties or the police, is the problem that needs the most immediate attention in Indonesia, according to a new opinion survey.

Jakarta – The Central Jakarta District court sentenced Hidayat Lukman, alias Teddy Uban, to five months in jail plus 10 months probation for assaulting Tempo weekly news magazine journalist Ahmad Taufik.

Max Lane – On July 11 at the Taman Ismail Marzuki Jakarta Arts Center, more than 30 community, cultural, human rights and other organizations are sponsoring an Aceh Peace Concert.

Dili – Prosecutors in East Timor Thursday indicted 57 people, including 17 Indonesian military officers and four former pro-Jakarta militia leaders, for their part in deadly violence during the country's 1999 independence bid.

Ridwan Max Sijabat, Jakarta – Minister of Manpower and Transmigration Jacob Nuwa Wea regretted the low awareness of workers about unionization, since only 20 percent of the more than 40 million workers employed in the formal sector have unionized, despite the reform era.

Nethy Dharma Somba, Jayapura – Unlike the conflict-plagued province of Aceh, the central government does not have any immediate plans to impose martial law to wipe out the independence rebels in Papua, but is hoping for a peaceful solution instead, the chief security minister said here on Wednesday.

Jakarta – Indonesian President Megawati Sukarnoputri is scheduled today to re-launch a number of development projects, worth billions of US dollars, which were shelved in the wake of the 1997 economic crisis.

Robert Go, Jakarta – Indonesia is soon to open two schools where students will learn how to break into buildings, hack into computers, and bug phones, among other unusual skills.

Robert Go, Jakarta – Yet another jet saga is brewing in Jakarta with senior officials and military brass demanding explanations, and possibly apologies, from Washington.

The problem: five American F-18 jets are said to have inappropriately breached Indonesian airspace over the Java Sea last Thursday.

Pip Hinman, Sydney – The Indonesian government has an almost "pathological hostility to separatism", Dr Ed Aspinall, lecturer in South-East Asian Studies at Sydney University, told a forum on July 2.

Daniel Cooney, Jakarta – The soldiers who killed a peace-advocating separatist leader were "heroes." Two Germans shot by troops were "stupid" for vacationing in a strife-torn part of the country.

The comments by Indonesia's Army Chief of Staff Gen. Ryamizard Ryacudu have thrown the spotlight on the tough-talking presidential loyalist who some tip to become military chief.

James Balowski, Jakarta – The Indonesian military's (TNI) vicious little war against the people in its northern-most province of Aceh is reaching new heights, and new regulations to restrict the media and limit aid groups' and human rights workers' access are making it almost impossible to monitor the situation.

Endy M. Bayuni, Jakarta – The good news is that Indonesia has been making progress in almost all facets of human development. The not so good news is that the country still rates poorly in the fight to improve the lives of its people when compared to other countries, including most in the region.

Nethy Dharma Somba, Jayapura – Chief security minister Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono renewed the government's warning against separatists in the province of Papua on Tuesday. He said separatists would face tougher action from security forces should they go ahead with their secessionist campaign.

Jakarta – At least 71 members of the separatist Free Aceh Movement (GAM) will face charges of subversion, police in the Indonesian province said on Wednesday. The offense can carry a death sentence.

Jakarta – Growing numbers of Indonesians are being jailed for their political views under "draconian" laws that call into question President Megawati Sukarnoputri's commitment to political openness, two leading rights groups said.

A'an Suryana and Nani Farida, Banda Aceh/Lhokseumawe – Despite the military's recent claim of territorial control over Aceh, the war between the military and the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) peaked on Tuesday when 18 rebels were killed and several more soldiers were injured in separate clashes.