Haidir Anwar Tanjung, Pekanbaru – Hundreds of civil servants staged a rally in the town of Bangkinang in Kampar regency on Tuesday to express their lack of confidence in regent Jefri Noer and his deputy A. Zakir. The regency council had recommended that the central government dismiss the two over the weekend.

Jakarta – Judges yesterday rejected a 20 billion rupiah (S$3.9-million) defamation lawsuit brought by a businessman against Indonesia's leading weekly news magazine, Tempo.

The Central Jakarta district court rejected the lawsuit by prominent businessman Tomy Winata because he failed to name enough plaintiffs in it, the Detikcom online news service reported.

James Balowski, Jakarta – "There's no justice for the rich in Indonesia, only for the poor", "You steal a chicken 'cos you're hungry and the police shoot you, you steal a billion rupiah and they let you off", "The Megawati government is hopeless, nothing's going to ever change" – these were the sentiments on the streets of Jakarta on the evening of February 12, after the Supreme Cou

M. Taufiqurrahman, Jakarta – In the first trial for election violations at the Central Jakarta District Court, a businessman and his four employees were found guilty, but given light slaps on the wrist, for early campaigning that violated the law on general elections.

Indra Harsaputra and Abdul Kholik, Surabaya/Jakarta – The National Awakening Party (PKB) and Muslim organization Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) expressed skepticism on Tuesday over the planned visit by Siti "Tutut" Hardijanti Rukmana, the eldest daughter of former president Soeharto, to Islamic boarding schools in East Java.

Max Lane – With only six weeks until the general election, there still seems to be very little popular interest in it. Even professional politicians, who are very interested, are focused on possible cross-party alliances, rather than competitive campaigning for voters support.

The man who was sacked as Indonesia's president in 2001 said Tuesday he is seeking a second chance to lead the country.

"I want to show that I'm capable of governing," Abdurrahman Wahid told reporters on the sidelines of an international conference of Islamic scholars.

Sunariyah, Jakarta – The Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras) has condemned the arbitrary arrest and detention of activists in Aceh.

Heru Margianto, Jakarta – Six Acehnese activists have been arrested by security forces in Central Aceh. One has already been released but as of Tuesday February 24, the whereabouts of the other five remains unknown. The reason for the arrests is unclear.

Jakarta – Five human rights workers and another man are "at grave risk" of torture and ill-treatment after being arrested by police in Aceh province, Amnesty International said Tuesday.

East Timor's Roman Catholic Bishop Carlos Belo says he will consider running for president in three years time.

Bishop Belo, who shared the Nobel Peace Prize in 1996 with Jose Ramos Horta for their opposition to Indonesian rule in East Timor, says his decison would depend on President Xanana Gusmao choosing not to seek re-election.

Sian Powell – The son of one of East Timor's most feared militia leaders stares deadpan as he says he is a man of peace. "We don't intend to remain opposed to our brothers there [in East Timor]," explains Arnaldo da Silva Tavares, whose father, Joao Tavares, ruled the East Timorese border region like a particularly manic king through most of 1999.

London – Many people are shot dead by police forces who do not follow United Nations standards on using lethal force only where necessary and in self-defence, Amnesty International says.

A proposal to extend a peacekeeping presence in East Timor has received widespread support from the United Nations Security Council, and strong support from East Timor itself. But some countries, including Australia, believe a UN police presence is more than adequate to the task.

Presenter/Interviewer: Anita Barraud

Lee Kim Chew – Indonesia's National Assembly Speaker Amien Rais is riding on a reformist platform in his bid to clinch the country's top job.

He credits President Megawati Sukarnoputri for the country's political stability, but faults her for doing too little to tackle corruption.

The Jakarta Military Command will deploy 1,200 personnel to help 15,968 officers from the Jakarta Police in securing the upcoming general elections.

Jakarta – The National Awakening Party (PKB), at a national working meeting here, nominated Abdurrahman Wahid – popularly known as Gus Dur – as its main presidential candidate, PKB chairman Alwi Shihab said on Saturday.

More than half of Indonesia's provinces have been affected by the dengue fever outbreak which has killed nearly 200 people, Department of Health data showed.

As of Friday afternoon the mosquito-borne virus had killed 195 people and infected 10,140 in 18 provinces since January 1, the figures showed. Indonesia has 32 provinces.

Thousands of Jakarta residents have been forced to flee their homes by flood waters as deep as two metres, officials in the Indonesian capital said.

Wagiman of the Jakarta flood control centre said at least 10 neighbourhoods had been inundated, forcing at least 10,000 to seek temporary refuge in mosques or civic offices.

Shawn Donnan, Jakarta – Authorities in Indonesia said yesterday they believed the perpetrators of last year's $200 million fraud at one of the country's leading state-owned banks used domestic capital markets to launder proceeds from the scam.

Rusman, Samarinda – Defying protests from locals, the Samarinda government and municipality council agreed to pay a severance bonus for councillors of Rp 25 million each, a councillor confirmed on Friday.

"The decision was approved a few days ago by the government and the council," deputy speaker of Samarinda legislative council R. Yakub said.

Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, Jakarta – The government challenged on Friday the Press Council's appeal for the Supreme Court to abide by the press law in cases involving the media, saying the law was too lenient.

State Minister of Communications and Information Syamsul Mu'arif said that the press law did not fulfill people's sense of justice.

Bangkinang – The Kampar regency council decided in a crucial plenary meeting here on Saturday to fire regent Jefri Noer and deputy regent A. Zakir, who were elected for the 2001-2006 period.

The plenary meeting was held in response to mounting protests by thousands of teachers and students in the regency who demanded that Jefri resign.

Haidir Anwar Tanjung, Pekanbaru – Dozens of university students in Kampar regency were seen on Friday "guarding" Sultan Syarif Qasim II Airport in the Riau capital of Pekanbaru, in order to prevent Kampar councillors from skipping out on the council's plenary meeting held on Saturday.

Muninggar Sri Saraswati, Jakarta – Amid increasing attacks on the press roughly coinciding with the moment President Megawati Soekarnoputri was handed power, the Press Council is now urging the Supreme Court to ask all judges to abide by Law No. 40/1999 on the press instead of using the oft-oppressive Criminal Code.

Tiarma Siboro and Muninggar Sri Saraswati, Jakarta – The government has completed the revised draft of much-criticized Antiterrorism Law No. 15/2003, which will grant more power to security authorities to deter acts of terrorism.

The rumours started four years ago. SAS troops in conflict with an Indonesian-backed militia group near Suai on October 6, 1999 had overstepped the rules of battle. They had tortured East Timorese militiamen, the rumours said. They had kicked corpses. They had taken photographs of bodies as trophies. One militiaman had been executed.

Jakarta – Despite widespread public criticism and opposition to the water resource bill, legislators went ahead with the endorsement of the controversial draft on Thursday.

Haidir Anwar Tanjung, Pekanbaru – Kampar regent Jefri Noer is facing widespread opposition in the regency as calls increase for his ouster.

Bambang Nurbianto, Jakarta – Non-governmental organization activists criticized local administrations across the country, including in Jakarta, for handing out unofficial "severance packages" to legislative councillors at the end of their terms.

The activists said there were no regulations to justify administrations awarding this money or councillors accepting it.

Jakarta – Arriving in two Metromini busses at around 11.30am, scores of demonstrators calling themselves the Alliance Against Rotten Non-Government Organisations demonstrated at the offices of the Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras) on Jalan Cisadane in Central Jakarta on Friday February 20.

Kurniawan Hari, Jakarta – Members of the movement to ban contemptible candidates are planning to publish the names of politicians with rotten records by March 11 at the latest to help voters identify the quality of their representatives on election day April 5.

Jakarta – Golkar chief Akbar Tandjung has said he would want to be president if his party posts a strong win in the forthcoming election. There would be pressure from within the party to head a ticket and aim for the presidential post, he said.

Jakarta – He is the President's man. Coordinating Minister for Welfare Jusuf Kalla is one of two politicians being courted by Ms Megawati Sukarnoputri to be her running mate in the election. Her other shield, of course, is Nadhlatul Ulama chairman Hasyim Muzadi.

Surabaya – The government is processing the dismissals of some 700 civil servants for joining political parties, a Cabinet minister says.

Rodney Dalton/New York, Sian Powell/Jakarta – Australia is trying to convince a divided UN Security Council that peacekeepers in East Timor should be replaced by police under a new mandate.

Bill Guerin, Jakarta – Despite the World Bank's recent official criticism of counter-trade policies, last week Indonesian Trade and Industry Minister Rini M Soewandi promised that Jakarta will continue to maximize such deals to expand the country's export markets.

Jakarta – Publicly-listed retailer PT Hero Supermarket said on Friday its net profit had plunged by 93 percent last year, due to the cost of repositioning its business activities amid tightcompetition in the country's retail sector.

Shawn Donnan, Jakarta – Investors handed a vote of confidence to Indonesia's banking sector on Friday, taking minority stakes in four leading banks off the government's hands for $184 million.

Malang – All government institutions, including state forestry company Perhutani, should observe a five-to-10-year moratorium on logging, while intensifying their reforestation activities, East Java Governor Imam Utomo said on Thursday.

Tiarma Siboro, Jakarta – The Indonesian Military (TNI) conducted a major reshuffle with the appointment of Vice Marshall Wartoyo as chief of TNI general affairs, the first-ever promotion of a member of the Air Force to such a high position – second overall – in the military's command structure.

Jakarta – The Indonesian government is going ahead with plans to build the country's first nuclear power plant in densely populated, earthquake-prone Central Java, officials said Friday.

"The first nuclear power plant should be in operation by 2016," Soedyartomo Soentono, chief of the National Atomic Agency (Batan) said.

Moch. N. Kurniawan, Jakarta – The International Labor Organization (ILO) recommended on Tuesday the Indonesian government invest in labor-intensive public infrastructure projects and support small and medium enterprises in order to tackle poverty.

Dili – East Timorese officials Thursday welcomed a proposal by United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan to extend the UN support mission in the new nation for one more year.

"The president welcomes and fully supports the recommendations of the secretary-general," said Agio Periera, chief of staff to President Xanana Gusmao.

Local officials, supposedly the frontline of the Jakarta administration's community fix for flooded areas, have done little to help inundated residents, often not even bothering to show up, flood victims said.

However, as water in some areas started to subside on Wednesday, many residents, apparently used to the floods – and the lack of action – downplayed the problem.

Makassar – Hundreds of students clashed with police on Wednesday during a protest condemning the Supreme Court's unequivocal acquittal of Akbar Tandjung of graft. No fatalities were reported, but several students suffered minor injuries.

Tommy Suharto, the youngest son of former Indonesian president Suharto who is currently in prison for murder, testified in court that he gave bribe money to associates of former president Abdurrahman Wahid.

Ambon – The commander of the XVI/Pattimura Territorial Military Command (Kodam), Major General Syarifudin Summah, has threatened to shoot on sight anybody to tries to disrupt the elections in the Maluku islands. Direct action will be taken if the situation in Maluku becomes disorderly and control of security would be transferred from the police to the TNI (armed forces).

Jakarta - Provisional People's Consultative Assembly (MPRS) Decree Number XXV/1966 cannot in any way be the basis for Article 60 sub-section (g) of Law Number 12/2003 on the general elections. This is because the MPRS decree only specifies that the Indonesian Communist Party (PKI) is a banned organisation.

Jakarta – The head of Indonesia's Supreme Court has defended its recent decision to clear parliamentary speaker Akbar Tandjung of corruption. The ruling has been seen by many as a setback for judicial reform in Indonesia.

Chief Judge Bagir Manan also accused a lower court judge, who resigned in protest at the Akbar ruling, of lying.