Joanna Jolly, Dili – Independence leader Jose Alexandre "Xanana" Gusmao, a potent symbol of East Timor's resistance during decades of Indonesian rule, on Saturday officially declared himself a candidate in the new nation's first presidential election.

Jakarta – Senior human rights activist Haji Johannes Cornelis Princen who died early on Friday after suffering a stroke, was eventually laid to rest at Pondok Kelapa cemetery in East Jakarta late Friday afternoon. He was 76.

Muninggar Sri Saraswati, Jakarta – Former president Soeharto's youngest son Hutomo "Tommy" Mandala Putra continues to enjoy special treatment even though he is now behind bars at Cipinang Penitentiary in East Jakarta.

Rendi A. Witular, Jakarta – The City Population Agency started a week of free services on Thursday for flood victims seeking identity cards (KTP), birth certificates and family cards. However, the service has proven ineffective and has failed to meet public expectations.

Tertiani ZB Simanjuntak, Jakarta – The West Java administration has decided to suspend all industrial logging for the next three years in an attempt to re-green its barren forest areas, which have contributed to environmental deterioration and natural disasters such as floods and landslides over the last few years.

Devi Asmarani, Jakarta – Islamic organisations are making their mark on Indonesia's economy with growing operations in the retail, manufacturing and banking sectors. By applying their own brand of 'Islamic management', these groups believe they can be financially self-sufficient to achieve their religious cause.

Two international human rights groups questioned Indonesia's determination to bring offenders in East Timor to justice despite its indictment of seven suspects in the murderous army-backed militia attacks on independence supporters in 1999.

Yemris Fointuna and R.K. Nugroho, Kupang/Jayapura – A score of activists conferred Wednesday 55 coffins to the 55-member of the East Nusa Tenggara provincial legislative council in their protest of the legislature's 2002 budget totaling Rp 12 billion.

Dili – UNTAET and the East Timorese government met for the first time today to discuss a joint strategy to address the domestic violence problem and ensure that different government departments work together on the issue.

Tertiani ZB Simandjuntak and Yogita Tahilramani, Jakarta – Human rights activists urged the government on Wednesday to extradite 17 former militia members and military personnel indicted in East Timor for crimes against humanity there, saying the charges against them did not involve ordinary crimes.

Banda Aceh – Eight more killings were reported Thursday in Indonesia's strife-torn Aceh province as residents said special prayers for peace on the eve of the Muslim Day of Sacrifice.

Jakarta – A powerful politician has expressed fears a privatisation programme will turn Indonesia into a "nation of coolies."

Yogyakarta – At least two people have been killed and several others wounded when two separate groups of people dressed in Ninja garb attacked rivals linked to major political parties in Yogyakarta province.

Batam – Two men were killed in rioting involving 100 members of the Barisan Brigade youth organization at a major taxi stand in Batamindo Industrial Estate at Mukakuning on Batamisland on Tuesday night.

The victims were identified as Gomgom Nadapdap, 35, a food vendor, and Gotma Sihombing, 24, a taxi middle man.

Indonesian prosecutors indicted seven senior officials including the ex-governor of East Timor for crimes including genocide in the territory in 1999.

Kuala Lumpur – Indonesia's Foreign Minister Hassan Wirayuda said here yesterday that his countrymen were laughing at what they saw as overblown fears of Islamic terrorism in the nation with the world's largest Muslim population.

Bambang Nurbianto, Jakarta – The floods that have plagued Jakarta for the past three weeks have claimed more than 30 lives and forced more than 380,000 people to take refuge. However, the magnitude of the recent disaster was not reflected in a hearing between the government and the House of Representatives on Wednesday.

Jakarta – The Indonesian government – which is starved of funds to help the country's poor – will increase pressure on former bank owners to repay billions of dollars in state loans, the top economics minister, Dorodjatun Kuntjoro-Jakti, said Tuesday.

Conservationists say the rate at which Indonesia is losing its forests has doubled since the 1980s. They say the lowland forests, the richest in the country, will not survive for long on some of the biggest islands. They blame corruption for driving "an epidemic of illegal logging".

Jakarta – The Indonesian government had a moral obligation to surrender 17 military men and former militiamen to the United Nations Transitional Administration in East Timor (UNTAET), which had indicted them for alleged crimes against humanity in 1999, claimed a noted lawyer.

Jakarta – Dozens of parents of pupils at Al Azhar school in Kemang, South Jakarta, demonstrated on Tuesday against the laying off of 11 teachers, along with some remaining school teachers who have also gone on strike.

The teachers were laid off for demanding a salary hike, according to Eni, one of the protesters.

Jakarta – The Indonesian government has decided to delay the privatisation of mining concerns PT Tambang Timah and PT Aneka Tambang due to weak commodity prices, State Enterprises Minister Laksamana Sukardi said Tuesday.

Max Lane – "It was extremely disappointing to see Australian Prime Minister John Howard shake hands so enthusiastically with Indonesia's President Megawati Sukarnoputri. Doesn't he know how her government treats the people, not just in Aceh, but all over Indonesia?", Aceh's outspoken democracy leader Kautsar told Green Left Weekly.

Jakarta – Head of the National Investigation Commission (KPN) Koesparmono Irsan said they could not do much to unravel the mystery behind the death of Papua pro-independence leader Theys Hiyo Eluay since they do not have official judicial or lawenforcement authority.

Ibnu Mat Noor, Banda Aceh – In a rare event in war-torn Aceh, more than 40 traders, all women, held a protest march in Banda Aceh against extortion and the local administration's corruption of government subsidies.

Ahmad Junaidi, Jakarta – City Council announced on Tuesday that more than 90 percent of developers in the city have violated regulations, requiring them to set aside 40 percent of their space for public and social facilities.

Nana Rukmana, Cirebon – Amid increasing public outrage, authorities in Cirebon have agreed to fully investigate the failed attempt to smuggle luxury cars into Indonesia and allegations the customs department later unlawfully played a role in forwarding the items to a local businessman.

Jakarta – City Governor Sutiyoso probably feels a bit reluctant to deplore any further the development of villas in mountainous Puncak resort, Bogor, which were believed to have contributed to the recent floods in the city, after he was "caught red handed" owning a villa himself.

An agreement between the United Nations and Indonesia to pursue those responsible for the gross abuse of human rights in East Timor appears close to collapse. Under a memorandum of understanding signed two years ago, the two parties agreed to assist one other with criminal investigations and court proceedings.

Devi Asmarani, Jakarta – More Indonesian banks are converting themselves into Syariah banks as people become "more Islamic" and their trust in the conventional banking system erodes. Syariah banks are those which apply the Islamic no-interest principle – borrowers pay no interest while depositors get a share of profits.

Agus Maryono, Purwokerto – Thousands of fishermen in Central Java are slated to meet President Megawati Soekarnoputri later this week to demand her intervention in revoking two separate fishing taxes, which were brought into effect two months ago.

Oyos Saroso HN, Bandar Lampung – An alliance of 36 non-governmental organizations (NGOs) has threatened to call for a mass protest against the 2002 Lampung budget, which they say only benefits the local elite.

Dili – Independence leader Xanana Gusmao and Dili Bishop Filipe Ximenes Belo urged the Constituent Assembly today not to rush passage of East Timor's first Constitution, saying more time was needed for an upcoming public consultation on the historic document.

Jakarta – Police fear the city administration's abrupt decision to close the Kalijodo prostitution and gambling complex in North Jakarta may increase the crime rate in the area as the government has not made efforts to provide alternative employment for the thugs and sex workers operating there.

Geoff Elliott – Telstra will withdraw its services from East Timor, prompting a stinging attack from East Timor foreign minister Jose Ramos Horta. Mr Ramos Horta said Telstra would not be missed as the telco giant had not done much for East Timor.

A workers' rights group has accused factory managers in several cities of using the notorious Pemuda Pancasila thugs-for-hire group to intimidate and attack laborers involved in trade union movements.

Lewa Pardomuan, Sandakan (Malaysia) – Occasional trucks carrying palmoil fruits to nearby mills are the only sound shattering the calm for Indonesian plantation worker Nur Hajirah and her family in this quiet corner of Malaysia.

Tangerang – About 850 workers at garment manufacturer PT Hyun Indonesia on Jl. Telesonic No. 1, Jatiuwung, Tangerang, launched a massive strike on Monday. They rejected the company's plan to eliminate transportation and food allowances for workersfollowing the increase in the minimum regional wage (UMR).

Banda Aceh – Plans by a paramilitary group to hold its first mass rally in Indonesia's Aceh province flopped yesterday, following strong objections from separatist rebels and other Acehnese.

Laskar Jihad chief Jaffar Umar Thalib took over the podium at the main Baiturrahman mosque in the provincial capital Banda Aceh following late afternoon prayers, witnesses said.

Jakarta – Corporate governance reform is crucial to the Indonesian government's effort to attract more investors to the country, the World Bank said Tuesday.

"Corporate governance reform is key in attracting more investors to Indonesia," the World Bank said in a statement citing the conclusions of a workshop organized by the bank here Tuesday.

Yogita Tahilramani, Jakarta – Indonesian officials said they would not hand over 17 men indicted by prosecutors in East Timor on Monday for alleged crimes against humanity, saying that Jakarta has no extradition agreement with the territory.

Catharine Munro, Jakarta – Militia leader Eurico Guterres today said he would answer charges of crimes against humanity in Indonesia but not in his native East Timor for his role in anti-independence activities in 1999.

The announcement that Major-General Sjafrie Sjamsuddin is to become the head of public relations and the official spokesperson of TNI, the Indonesian armed forces, has provoked angry denunciations in Indonesia.

Jakarta – Forest and ground fires, mainly blamed on land clearing practices, have led to the return of haze over parts of the Indonesian province of Riau in Sumatra island, officials and police said.

Devi Asmarani, Jakarta – In 1965, Mr Mujiman Jumakir, a member of the now dissolved Indonesian Communist Party (PKI), miraculously survived when Indonesian soldiers dumped him into a river near his village in Pematang Siantar, North Sumatra.

East Timor's transition government, with little more than three months left before independence, insists that international donors cover its budget deficit over the next three years, estimated at USD 170 million, or euros 195.5 million.

Dili – Francisco Xavier do Amaral, a Deputy Speaker of the Constituent Assembly, received a second nomination today for president. The former FRETILIN leader is the only candidate for the 14 April election with just four days remaining in the registration period.

Jakarta – Indonesia announced Monday its economy grew by 3.32 percent last year, lower than the government's forecast of 3.5 percent but higher than many of its neighbours.

Joanna Jolly, Dili – International prosecutors on Monday indicted 17 pro-Jakarta militiamen and Indonesian soldiers for crimes against humanity allegedly committed during East Timor's violent break with Indonesia in 1999.

Australian researcher Lesley McCulloch meets three teenagers who have become unwitting players in the long running secessionist war in the Indonesian province of Aceh. The Indonesian armed forces used a combination of enticement and coercion to recruit them as military informers. Now they are effectively prisoners of the separatist rebels.