Nani Farida and Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, Jakarta – At least 108 people have gone missing in Aceh since the government launched its integrated operation in the troubled province on May 19, a police officer says.

Matthew Moore, Jakarta – Indonesia's Vice-President, Hamzah Haz, has accused the US of being the "king of terrorists" in a scathing attack that echoed the language of many of the Bali bombers.

In remarks that may signal a split in the Indonesian Government's campaign against terrorist groups, Mr Hamzah ridiculed suggestions Indonesia had a serious terrorist problem.

Dadan Wijaksana, Jakarta-The Jakarta Composite Index surged on Thursday to its highest level in more than three years as foreign funds continued flowing into the bourse.

Led by continued heavy buying of blue chips shares, the index closed at 575.19 points, around 3 percent higher than the previous day's closing.

Kupang – Former deputy commander of pro-Indonesian fighters in East Timor Eurico Guterres on Thursday denied that he would attack East Timor.

"I think the East Timor problem is over, and I am thinking to make peace for its future. But certain parties have circulated rumors that I will attack the country with my 150 men," he said in a phone interview.

Jakarta – Indonesia will seek compensation for its nationals who lost property in East Timor when ministers from both countries meet in Dili for two days of talks beginning Friday, an Indonesian official said.

Jakarta – Indonesian armed forces (TNI) chief General Endriartono Sutarto has stated that the TNI is considering extending the integrated operation in Aceh until the 2004 general elections. [He said that] conducting the 2004 elections in Aceh, which will be held concurrently with elections in other provinces, represents one of the targets of the integrated operation in Aceh.

Bill Guerin, Jakarta – Russian writer Fyodor Dostoyevsky said "there is no subject so old that something new cannot be said about it". And so it is with the long-running saga of Indonesia's serial crony conglomerates. Freeing the legacy of a huge corporate debt overhang by bailing out recalcitrant debtors continues to cost the country dearly.

David Isenberg – Despite the four-year sentence handed on Tuesday to radical Islamist cleric Abu Bakar Ba'asyir and the August 11 capture of top Jemaah Islamiya leader Riduan Isamuddin, aka Hambali, reports of JI's demise, to paraphrase Mark Twain, are premature.

Vannessa Hearman, Melbourne – Zito da Costa, president of the East Timor Confederation of Trade Unions (Konfederasaun Sindikatu Timor Leste – KSTL), one of several trade union groupings in East Timor, addressed a small gathering at Trades Hall on August 21. Da Costa was attending the Australian Council of Trade Unions congress.

Supporters of radical Indonesian cleric, Abu Bakar Bashir, say the four year jail term handed down by a court in Jakarta is only a token sentence to spare the Indonesian Government the embarrassment of an acquittal. The alleged spiritual leader of Jemaah Islamiah was found guilty of participating in a campaign of treason against Indonesia.

James Balowski, Jakarta – Taking a leaf out of US President George Bush's cynical manipulation of the 9/11 terrorist attacks in New York and Washington, the Indonesian military (TNI) is trying to take advantage of public fear and anger over last month's deadly bomb attack at the Marriott Hotel in central Jakarta to get more power to deal with "internal security threats".

The Australian government's support for closer military ties with the Indonesian armed forces (TNI), including the Kopassus special forces, is a discredited form of interference in Indonesian politics and society, according to a number of non-government organisations.

Derwin Pereira, Jakarta – Muslim cleric Abu Bakar Bashir did not have to shed any tears in court when his verdict was read out yesterday. His four-year jail sentence – with a prospect of an appeal – was a far cry from the 15 years Indonesian prosecutors had pressed for.

Robert Go, Jakarta – Abu Bakar Bashir ended his day in court yesterday in the same way that he had begun it.

Nugroho and Ainur R. Sophiaan, Surabaya – The East Java administration plans to promote free education for the first nine years of school in the country's second most populated province next year by providing subsidies for more than five million students of elementary and junior high schools.

Jakarta – The water table in Jakarta has dropped by two meters due to the severe drought in Java this year, threatening water supplies to nearly half of Jakarta's 8.6 million population, a Cabinet minister says.

Devi Asmarani, Jakarta – The four-year jail sentence on Abu Bakar Bashir proved a disappointment for both supporters and detractors of the militant cleric.

While his followers and sympathisers believe the guilty verdict was unjust, others think the four-year imprisonment was too light, especially compared to the 15-year jail sentence demanded by the prosecutors.

Matthew More, Jakarta – Indonesia has failed in its attempts to prove Abu Bakar Bashir is the head of the terrorist organisation Jemaah Islamiah that was responsible for carrying out the Bali bombings.

A'an Suryana and Mochammad N. Kurniawan, Jakarta – A senior government official has asked the General Election Commission (KPU) to postpone its October 9 deadline for political parties to register for the 2004 general elections.

Jakarta – Inflation, as measured by the consumer price index (CPI), rose in August by 0.84 percent, bringing the rate for the first eight months of the year to 2.11 percent, the Central Statistics Agency (BPS) said on Monday.

Indra Harsaputra, Surabaya – As many as 150 out of 250 timber and sawmill companies in East Java have closed down due to the increasing number of levies being imposed by some government institutions, an official said.

It was not immediately clear, however, how many employees were affected by the closure of the companies.

The Australian government's support for closer military ties with the Indonesian armed forces (TNI), including the Kopassus special forces, is a discredited form of interference in Indonesian politics and society, according to a number of non-government organisations.

Jakarta – Hundreds of squatters staged a rally in front of West Jakarta Mayoralty on Monday, protesting Mayor Sarimun Hadisaputra for issuing an eviction order against them.

The squatters claim the owner of the one-hectare plot next to Mal Taman Anggrek shopping center, Munawar Salbini, permitted them to occupy and cultivate the land.

Leo Wahyudi S – Governor Sutiyoso's idea to plate the Arjuna Wijaya statue in bronze, along with his plans to beautify the city – by placing statues of heroes on streets named after them – have incited various responses. Most people are incredulous that the project will cost Rp 4 billion (US$470,588). The Jakarta Post talks with them.

Derwin Pereira, Jakarta – Behind every man is a powerful woman, or so runs an old cliche. In the corridors of Indonesia's presidential palace, the roles have been reversed.

Jakarta – The Indonesian government will soon send Swedish prosecutors more evidence on Acehnese separatist leader-turned-Swedish citizen, Hassan Tiro's alleged involvement in criminal acts in Aceh, Foreign Affairs Minister Hassan Wirajuda has disclosed.

Four suspected separatist rebels and a civilian have been killed in Indonesia's Aceh province where troops are in the fourth month of an assault on the guerrillas, the military said.

Lhokseumawe – The chairperson of the National Human Rights Commission (Komnas HAM), Abdul Hakim Garuda Nusantara, has said that that the Komnas HAM Ad Hoc Team for Aceh will investigate [a recent] report about 100 Acehnese women who have been raped, [saying that] if this has actually occurred, then gross human rights violations have occurred.

Kupang – The Indonesian government has reiterated the five options offered to former residents of East Timor who have continued to stay in Indonesia's West Timor area despite East Timor's declaration as the Republic of Timor Leste.

Aderito Soares – A car bomb exploded at the Marriott Hotel in Jakarta on August 5, killing 12 people. That same day, across town, a man responsible for many more deaths received a slap on the wrist as Indonesia's ad hoc human rights court ended its judicial charade. Major-General Adam Damiri received three years in jail for his involvement in the 1999 devastation in East Timor.

Pro-independence groups in Papua have issued an urgent call for immediate assistance from Australia to help stop escalating violence in the Indonesian province. A total of six people have been killed in the past week in fighting between supporters and opponents of a plan by Jakarta to divide the province into three.

Jakarta – The reform movement which has the principle aim of eliminating corruption, collusion and nepotism can no longer be left to the large political parties who obtained significant votes in the 1999 general elections. After almost five years in power, not one objective of reformasi has been carried though by the big parties.

Nethy Dharma Somba, Jayapura/Jakarta – Ahead of a planned tribal celebration for peace, the situation in Timika, the capital of Mimika regency, abruptly turned tense on Monday following the killing of two migrant people on Sunday evening.

Moch. N. Kurniawan, Jakarta – The government again made clear on Monday its determination to prevent an overly powerful Papuan People's Assembly (MRP), throwing into question the status of the province's special autonomy.

John Kerin – Indonesia's notorious Kopassus special forces soldiers are eager to resume counter-terrorism training with the Australian military and do not understand lingering concern about their alleged brutality or links to terrorist groups, a parliamentary inquiry has heard.

Atambua – A cultural festival to be held in Timor Tengah Utara district in Indonesia's East Nusa Tenggara province on September 22, would serve as the barometer for security in the border between Indonesia and East Timor, a local official has said.

Kurniawan Hari and Syaiful Amin, Jakarta/Yogyakarta – The controversial division of Papua, which sparked deadly violence in Mimika regency last week, has been blamed on the political elite in Jakarta, particularly those in the two largest parties, and the Indonesian Military (TNI).

Nethy Dharma Somba, Jayapura – The deadly clashes between opponents and supporters of the creation of Central Irian Jaya province has come to an uneasy truce, after it turned into a tribal war upon the local "eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth" principle.

The premature declaration of Central Irian Jaya province by six regents together with the speaker of the regional parliament on Saturday has given rise to suspicion that the division of Papua is driven by the desire to dominate the natural resources and political allegiances of the area.

Dili – East Timor's leaders met Monday to discuss "urgent" measures to control the activities of a militant nationalist group that has been accused of fomenting instability in the new nation.

As Indonesia celebrates 58 years of independence, Four Corners looks at south-east Asia's most brutal and unrelenting conflict ... the Aceh civil war.

The Jakarta Transportation Office's plan to have all private vehicles undergo periodic road worthiness tests starting next year has evoked strong reactions from the public, and has become one of the hottest issues of debate in this capital city, Jakarta.

The idea came from Ground Transportation director general Iskandar Abubakar.

Former Udayana military chief Maj. Gen. Williem T. Da Costa and five other senior military officers were sworn in as new legislators to replace six others who have reached mandatory retirement age.

Muninggar Sri Saraswati, Jakarta – The government appears to be undeterred by a recent massive demonstration in Bali against the new visa policy and vows to start charging incoming tourists from countries such as Japan and Australia with visa fees, starting October 1.

Kafil Yamin, Jakarta – Indonesia's former armed forces chief and would-be president, General Wiranto, is all for reforms to make the country truly democratic and have a more professional military, but he believes this reformasi should be guided by the military itself.

Leo Wahyudi S. – A number of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) have condemned the recent evictions at Jembatan Besi, Tambora, West Jakarta, which left around 10,000 people homeless. They said that landowner PT Cakra Wira Bumi Mandala could have warned people about the planned eviction and taken more humane measures against the squatters.

Jakarta – The Defense Department through the Directorate General of Defense Strategy has admitted that one of the intentions in revising Law Number 15/2003 on Anti-Terrorism is to increase the powers of the intelligence agencies.

Matthew Moore, Solo – A man accused by two members of Jemaah Islamiah of being a member of the outlawed terrorist group's central command is living openly in central Java, where he says he often prays with local police on Fridays.

Indonesia's pesantren schools have been accused of breeding JI terrorists. Matthew Moore and Karuni Rompies talk to teachers and pupils and find deep suspicion of the West.

Ridwan Max Sijabat, Jakarta – State-owned insurance company PT Jamsostek and labor unions have strongly urged the House of Representatives to maintain the government's monopoly in running social security programs for workers, in its amendment of the social security law to allow private company participation.