Dili – East Timor President Xanana Gusmao said Tuesday any trial for the murder of Dutch journalist Sander Thoenes should be held in his country.

Kuala Lumpur – East Timor took control of its legal system from United Nations administrators too soon and weakness of the judiciary is hurting investor confidence, Foreign Minister Jose Ramos-Horta said Tuesday.

East Timor government officials attending meetings at this week's Pacific Islands Forum in Fiji say they are not supporting the campaign by Papuan separatists.

Abel Guterres from East Timor's ministry of foreign affairs says while he understands Papua's attempts to gain the support of forum countries, East Timor will not join their campaign.

United Nations – Nearly three months after East Timor's independence, the UN mission in the fledgling southeast Asian nation is on course to finish its work and shut down in two years, a top UN official said on Tuesday.

Robert Go, Jakarta – The latest review team of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) left Jakarta on Sunday with some praises for Indonesia's economic reform progress.

But it warned that investor confidence remained fragile and the recovery process could be derailed by future government mistakes.

Joanne Collins, Jakarta – Indonesia is due to deliver on Wednesday its first verdict in landmark trials over violence linked to East Timor's bloody independence vote in 1999, but many who have followed the process doubt justice will be served.

Jakarta – East Timorese refugees are to vacate camps across East Nusa Tenggara by August 31, the deadline set for them to leave the shelter and receive government assistance to return to East Timor or resettle in the province, the provincial administration said on Monday.

Jakarta – At least 100 residents from Susukan in Ciracas district, East Jakarta, protested on Sunday against PT Jayamix's plan to build a factory in the village.

Ciracas Police Second Brig. Sudino said the residents had staged their protest peacefully.

Achmad Sukarsono, Jakarta – Tensions flared anew between Muslims and Christians in Indonesia's troubled region of Central Sulawesi after one person was found dead and three people were reported missing over the weekend, police said on Monday.

Jakarta – Some 3000 workers belonging to Forum Lima (the Forum of Five) staged a protest on Sunday demanding that the House of Representatives (DPR) stop deliberating bills on worker protection and the settlement of industrial relations disputes.

Derwin Pereira, Jakarta – Indonesian President Megawati Sukarnoputri's opponents may have wanted the just-concluded national assembly session to be a referendum on her one year in office and a chance to unseat her. It was anything but.

Jakarta – Indonesia's parliament closed a two-week session today in which legislators introduced sweeping constitutional changes designed to shrink the military's role in politics and boost presidential powers.

Tertiani ZB Simanjuntak, Jakarta – The newly amended Constitution now gives more power to the people through political parties, but still lacks one thing: a proper system of checks and balances.

Robert Go, Jakarta – The vast majority of Indonesian lawmakers squashed a move to insert the racially-charged term "pribumi" – meaning indigenous or native – into economic recommendations to be made this year by the nation's top legislative assembly to the government.

Slobodan Lekic, Jakarta – Despite a $50 million US aid package and a push by Washington to renew military ties, a new report suggests Indonesia's military created the network now said to be Southeast Asia's most serious terrorist threat.

Jakarta – The House of Representatives (DPR) has urged the Swiss-based Henry Dunant Center (HDC) to persuade the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) to end their armed struggle.

A'an Suryana, Jakarta – The International Monetary Fund (IMF) completed on Saturday reviewing the country's economic situation and the implementation of economic reform measures here, according to a senior government official.

What will generals do after the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) decided to remove military and police representatives from parliament? Simple, they can join mainstream political parties, as evidenced by the appointment of retired Lieutenant General Budi Harsono as Golkar Party's new secretary general.

John Aglionby, Jakarta – Indonesia's supreme legislature has expelled the once virtually omnipotent military from the national assemblies and surrendered its right to elect the president and vice-president.

Dmli – The National Parliament of Timor approved and ratified today to adhesion from Timor to the International Criminal Court (TPI), with 70 votes to favor and barely an abstention, of the representative Leandro Isaac.

Kuala Lumpur – Malaysia offered East Timor Monday assistance ranging from education to military training during a visit by the fledgling nation's Prime Minister, Mari Bim Amude Alkatiri, an official said.

Yemris Fointuna, Kupang – The threat of violence is imminent in East Nusa Tenggara province as residents in North Central Timor Regency have objected to the presence of more East Timorese Indonesian refugees in their area as part of the government's sponsored resettlement program.

Camillo Fracassini – The suspected killers of a Scottish journalist murdered in East Timor 27 years ago have escaped a war crimes trial in the UK, Scotland on Sunday can reveal.

Jakarta – Civilians slaughtered as they hid in churches. Independence leaders assassinated in their homes. Entire villages burned to the ground.

Indonesia's highest consultative assembly wrapped up its 10-day annual meeting, approving its fourth series of constitutional amendments since 1999, including on direct presidential elections and ruling against imposing sharia law for Muslims.

Jane Perlez, Jakarta – Indonesia's highest legislative body, after rebuffing calls to impose Islamic law here in the world's largest Muslim country, closed its annual session today with constitutional changes aimed at enhancing the democratic nature of the state.

Paul Toohey – East Timor's 40-odd lawyers are on strike. The judges and registry staff have all gone home. In the words of one Australian lawyer working in Dili, the courthouse is abandoned "but for two sleepy policemen".

Jakarta – The police said on Friday they would summon Governor Sutiyoso as a witness in the alleged misuse of funds for flood victims by non-governmental organization (NGO) ICE (International Civic Education) on Indonesia.

Marianne Kearney, Jakarta – Indonesians could get to elect their next president directly in 2004 after the country's highest legislative body yesterday approved a change to the Constitution.

Jane Perlez, Jakarta – A militant preacher, who returned to Indonesia after years in exile, became the fulcrum for an even more radical network that wanted to establish a pan-Islamic state of several countries across Southeast Asia, according to a new report.

Jakarta – In a new role, General Anthony Zinni, the Bush administration's envoy to the Middle East, has met Indonesian officials in an effort to find a solution to the long-running but little publicised guerrilla conflict in Aceh, the nation's resource-rich northern province.

Jakarta – In an effort to push the reform agenda, at least 2,000 students staged a protest by joining hands to create a human chain, linking the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) complex to Hotel Mulia Senayan, where legislators are staying during the ten-day Annual Session.

Students have nominated four legislators to receive the "Traitor of Reform" award for their political stance.

The Association of Student Executive Boards from universities in Greater Jakarta is set to present the award in a ceremony on Saturday, when the Annual Session of the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) is formally closed.

Jakarta – One of Indonesia's leading Muslim organisations has warned the United States not to launch an attack on Iraq saying it had no moral grounds to do so, the Jakarta Post reported on Saturday.

The US is debating an attack on Iraq to topple the regime of President Saddam Hussein, seen as a threat over efforts to develop weapons of mass destruction.

Leo Wahyudi S, Jakarta – Several men in shabby clothes are seen every day lying down or sitting in this small park off of Jl. Permata Hijau Barat in Kebayoran Lama, South Jakarta. They are sheltering from the sun under a big shade tree in the area where a luxury housing complex is located.

Robert Go, Jakarta – Indonesia's failure this week to win an extended amnesty period or leniency for its citizens who work illegally in Malaysia has prompted the country's vice-president to describe his own government as incompetent, and sparked an open feud between two senior Cabinet ministers.

Jakarta – US retired General Anthony Zinni on Thursday said he was optimistic peace could prevail in Indonesia's troubled Aceh province if Jakarta and separatists push for talks.

Ahmad Junaidi and Fitri Wulandari, Jakarta – The People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) Commission B asserted on Thursday that it was not seeking to terminate Indonesia's relationship with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), but for the government to improve its bargaining position in dealing with donor agencies.

Marianne Kearney, Jakarta – Indonesia's highest legislative body is likely to call on the government to end ties with the International Monetary Fund, arguing that its prescriptions are not suitable for the country.

Oktovianus Pinontoan, Ambon – Two bomb explosions in North Maluku's Tobelo district and fresh clashes between two villages on Wednesday left one dead and several houses burned, military reports said.

A mob from Gorua village attacked the neighboring Wari village following the blasts, marking the first violent reaction to a string of bomb explosion this year.

Palu, Central Sulawesi – Drivers of public transportation vehicles in Palu, the capital city of Central Sulawesi, went on strike on Thursday to demand the local government stop inter-city buses from picking up and dropping off passengers within citylimits.

The strike started at 9am Eastern Indonesian time and left thousands of commuters stranded on Palu's main streets.

Jakarta – Some 200 students from Jakarta and its environs staged another rally outside the legislative assembly building here Thursday to press for the completion of the latest round of constitutional amendments by the Annual Session of the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR).

Jakarta – Hundreds of people rallied in front of the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR)/House of Representatives (DPR) complex on Thursday to reject amendments to the 1945 Constitution.

The protesters also rejected demands for the inclusion of sharia in Article 29 of the 1945 Constitution.

East Timorese President Xanana Gusmao and Prime Minister Mari Alkatiri, seeking political detente, held a first meeting Friday to discuss "sensitive" policy issues before government action.

Jakarta – Pressure on Indonesia from the United States and Southeast Asia to crack down on Islamic militants could backfire and turn them into heroes, according to a report by Brussels-based think tank.

The International Crisis Group (ICG) report also says the world's most populous Muslim nation is not a terrorist hotbed.

Damar Harsanto, Jakarta – In attempt to wash their hands of a potentially damaging case, police announced on Thursday that they had closed the investigation into an alleged plot between security officers and convict Hutomo "Tommy" Mandala Putra after the probe reached a dead end.

Tiarma Siboro, Jakarta – A pro-Jakarta East Timorese leader told the Rights Tribunal on Thursday that the Indonesian Military (TNI) did nothing to stop armed militias from attacking the residence of proindependence leader Manuel Viegas Carrascalao on April 17, 1999.

Matthew Moore – The United States risks destabilising Indonesia and turning Muslim militants into heroes by pressuring the Indonesian Government to arrest them, a report published yesterday says.

Jakarta – Indonesian prosecutors lacked evidence to lay charges against powerful former armed forces commander General Wiranto over the violence in East Timor, the country's former attorney general said.

Indonesian parliamentarians have blamed security and legal concerns for the country's failure to win China's first major liquefied natural gas supply contract.

Tubagus Haryono, the deputy chairman of a parliamentary commission on energy affairs, says efforts had been to reassure Chinese authorities over the legal and security issues, but to no avail.