MMI Ahyani/Hendra & GB, Bandung – Mass actions to support President Abdurrahman Wahid not only occurred in East Java today. Around 300 people gathered at the Bandung Municipal Legislative Council building in West Java demanding the Golkar Party be disbursed.

Banda Aceh – A massive solidarity strike involving truck drivers and state oil company Pertamina workers has resulted in fuel supply shortages and power outages in restive Aceh.

Banda Aceh capital, along with Aceh Besar, Pidie and West Aceh regencies, has had power outages from Monday night up to Tuesday due to a lack of fuel supplies.

Jon Land – Imagine someone referring to prime minister John Howard and his foreign minister, Alexander Downer, as "more generous than Mother Theresa". You wouldn't be surprised if it came from a Coalition backbencher – but these are the precise words of East Timorese leader Jose Ramos Horta.

Joanna Jolly, Dili – In a legal first for East Timor, United Nations prosecutors yesterday filed multiple rape charges against an Indonesian army officer and two militia leaders. The men allegedly committed the attacks during a wave of violence before and after the 1999 independence referendum.

Max Lane – In an escalation of tensions between President Abdurrahman Wahid and right-wing forces in the country's parliament, a full session of the DPR, the Indonesian house of representatives, voted almost unanimously on February 2 to accept a special committee report concluding that the president was "involved" in two financial scandals.

Mark Dodd, Dili – An East Timorese independence fighter pleaded for acquittal yesterday at the end of his trial for the killing of a pro-Indonesian militiaman in retaliation for the militia violence unleashed after the 1999 vote for independence.

Vaudine England in Surabaya and Agencies in Jakarta – Floundering President Abdurrahman Wahid yesterday appeared to stave off a push to bring forward an impeachment hearing after the country's two main parties rejected the move.

Lindsay Murdoch, Jakarta – Scores of MPs backed a petition calling for the immediate convening of a special session of Parliament to force the resignation of President Abdurrahman Wahid, as riot police fired warning shots to disperse thousands of rampaging Wahid loyalists in East Java.

Surabaya – Disgruntled supporters of the incumbent President Abdurrahman Wahid continued venting their anger in East Java on Monday by vandalizing the National Awakening Party (PAN) and Golkar Party offices in the town of Gresik, some 30 kilometers northwest of Surabaya.

Djoko Tjiptono/Hendra & GB, Jakarta – On Tuesday, around 1000 students from several student and youth groups under the banner of the Joint Alliance Against The New Order rallied at the parliament complex in Senayan and then made their way to the head offices of the Golkar party. Their main banner depicted a banyan tree – Golkar's party symbol – smeared with red paint.

Jakarta – East Timorese are expected later this month to begin preparations for a constituent assembly election likely to be held around August 30, the first major political exercise in the post-Indonesian rule of the territory, a senior UN official said Tuesday.

Yogi Arief Nugraha/Fitri & GB, Jakarta – The National Commission for Human Rights (Komnas HAM) has released its report on the causes of two years of sectarian conflict in the Moluccus, Indonesia's famous spice islands. The report was produced by the Investigation Commission for Human Rights Violations and Mediation in Maluku (KPMM) led by Bambang W.

Vaudine England, Jakarta – A Supreme Court ruling in Jakarta has staved off the prospect of former president Suharto facing corruption charges in court again soon but leaves open the possibility of a trial if and when he regains his health.

Joe Leahy, Hong Kong – The Jakarta stock market has a reputation for defying gravity and the first few weeks of this year have been no exception.

The benchmark Jakarta composite index has risen nearly 11 per cent since end-December even as efforts to impeach the country's leader, President Abdurrahman Wahid, for corruption have gathered speed.

Banda Aceh – The dossier on the detained chief of the Aceh Referendum Information Center (SIRA), Muhammad Nazar, has been handed over to the court in Medan to be processed for trial, an official said on Monday.

"The dossier was received on Friday," an official at the court was quoted by Antara as saying. The date of Nazar's trial, however, has not been set.

Hestiana Dharmastuti/Hendra & GB, Jakarta – To keep sidewalk traders under control, the Jakarta special province government has reportedly sought out petty criminals and gang hooligans, or "preman" as they're known in Indonesia. Each day, each "preman" can earn Rp 50,000 while their bosses receive Rp 100,000 for intimidating traders.

Jill Jolliffe – The house in East Timor's second city, Baucau, stands derelict, its windows boarded up and a tap running endlessly inside. The family which lived there fled with the Indonesian forces and their militia allies after the 1999 vote for independence.

Robert Go, Jakarta – Labour unrest and strikes cost the Indonesian economy up to US$2 billion (S$3.5 billion) last year, analysts estimate.

Jakarta – Fighting in Indonesia's restive Irian Jaya province killed four soldiers from the country's elite special forces and a separatist rebel, media reports said Sunday. The death toll was the highest since a series of skirmishes in December that killed at least 20 people.

Chaidir Anwar Tanjung/Fitri & GB, Pekanbaru – Tens of families from Betung village, Pangkalankuras subdistrict, Belelawan regency, Riau province, have fled to the shelter of a neighbouring village following an attack by 700 'employees' of PT Arara Abadi – a subsidiary of PT Kiat Pulp and Paper – on Saturday afternoon.

Denpasar – Nearly 200 followers of different religions yesterday staged a rally in Denpasar, capital city of the resort island of Bali, calling for an end to religious violence and ethnic unrest that has hit several parts of the country over the past year.

Vaudine England, Jakarta – Thousands of members of Indonesia's largest Muslim group rallied in Jakarta in support of President Abdurrahman Wahid yesterday, while in the President's heartland of East Java security forces guarded offices of the Golkar and United Development parties amid continuing protests.

Vaudine England, Jakarta – Since becoming chairman of the Peoples' Consultative Assembly, Amien Rais' hair has gone grey. An impish-looking straight-talker, Mr Rais, 56, last week suggested constitutional processes could be speeded up to depose President Abdurrahman Wahid.

Jakarta – A Golkar Party branch office in Pasuruan, East Java was attacked as rallies in support for President Abdurrahman "Gus Dur" Wahid continued on Sunday.

Jakarta – An association of minor Islamic political parties yesterday called on embattled president Abdurrahman Wahid to exercise greater wisdom, but rejected calls for him to resign.

Jakarta – In a show of unity two days after being censured by the House of Representatives (DPR) for his alleged involvement in two financial scandals, President Abdurrahman Wahid called an emergency Cabinet meeting on Saturday.

Jakarta – Overshadowed by the tumultuous events in Indonesia this week the groups at the forefront of the overthrow of former dictator Suharto declared they would have no part in the furore over whether President Abdurrahman Wahid should resign.

Jakarta – Thousands of residents the East Java's town of Situbondo Saturday built a roadblock on the Besuki-Banyuwangi road connecting Surabaya and Bali in protest of the House of Representatives' acceptance of an investigation report on two scandals involving President Abdurrahman Wahid.

Jakarta – The House of Representatives has agreed to drop the 1999 emergency law and to provide some time for the government to draft and socialize the new emergency bill.

Jakarta – Mohammand "Bob" Hasan, the timber tycoon and business partner of former Indonesian dictator Suharto, sentenced to two years jail for corruption, will serve his term under house arrest, the state Antara news agency said Saturday.

Vaudine England, Jakarta – Exuberant party politics is assumed to be a feature of post-Suharto Indonesia, making Parliament's censure of President Abdurrahman Wahid a heartening display of democracy in action. But a closer look at Mr Wahid's opponents suggests there are few new ideas in politics.

Jakarta – Army Chief of Staff Gen. Endriartono Sutarto on Friday maintained the Indonesian Military's (TNI) stance in responding to the ongoing political turmoil, saying that the military will not pledge its support for the President, but will only protect him.

Jakarta – Persistent opponents of President Abdurrahman Wahid seemed to keep their word on Friday to continue rallying until their demand – that the President steps down – is fulfilled.

Ambon – One policeman was killed and 17 police and marine personnel injured during overnight gunfights between the two groups, an officer said on Friday.

Vaudine England – Indonesia's politicians are eager to give the appearance that they are acting properly in following a process that could lead to the impeachment of the President. The problem is that the constitution is vague about how to go about it.

Rajiv Chandrasekaran, Jakarta – When he took office in October 1999, President Abdurrahman Wahid of Indonesia described his relationship with Vice President Megawati Sukarnoputri as like an "older brother and younger sister." They squabbled. He playfully taunted her. And they patched up their differences.

Banda Aceh – Truck drivers who use the Banda Aceh-Medan road have staged a strike since last Thursday in protest against rampant illegal levies along their routes, paralyzing the local economy and distribution of food into and out of the province.

Jill Jolliffe – United Nations investigators have sought international warrants to arrest three men – including a former Indonesian Government minister – for the murders of five Australian-based journalists in East Timor more than 25 years ago.

Jakarta – Braving heavy rain, thousands of protesters swarmed the streets around the House of Representatives (DPR) on Thursday to apply pressure on President Abdurrahman "Gus Dur" Wahid to resign over alleged involvement in two financial scandals.

[The following are excerpts from an interview with sociologist George Junus Aditjondro with The Jakarta Post's Ati Nurbaiti, following his one-week visit to East Timor in early January. He lectures at Newcastle University in Australia and is a long-time researcher on East Timor and other areas with pro-independence movements.]

Timothy Mapes, Jakarta – Indonesia's political crisis deepened as Parliament demanded that President Abdurrahman Wahid respond to allegations that he was involved in two multimillion-dollar corruption scandals.

Shoeb Kagda, Jakarta – Indonesian President Abdurrahman Wahid's chances of staying in power appeared bleak yesterday after the country's Parliament voted overwhelmingly to accept a special commission's report that implicated him in two financial scandals.

Mark Dodd, Aileu – The Falintil guerilla force yesterday became the world's newest internationally recognised army – the East Timor Defence Force.

Mark Riley, New York – The United Nations Security Council will consider withdrawing troops from East Timor in four months if the security situation continues to improve.

Vaudine England, Jakarta – President Abdurrahman Wahid's future looked bleak last night after Parliament's decision to censure him over corruption allegations, a vote that leaves him with few options.

Jakarta – As most factions of the House of Representatives (DPR) accepted on Thursday the recommendations of the special committee on the Bulog and Brunei scandals, thousands of supporters and opponents of President Abdurrahman Wahid took to the streets in various cities for the fourth time since Monday.

Ambon – A gunfight between disputed security personnel took place on Thursday in two villages, Lateri and Passo in Teluk Ambon Baguala district some 12 kilometers east of Ambon, forcing hundreds of residents to flee the area, an official said.

Mark Dodd, Dili – An argument over a traffic infringement sparked an ugly brawl between East Timorese university students and Portuguese riot police yesterday, underscoring growing resentment at the United Nations mission and heavy-handed police tactics.

Jakarta – Thousands of people, supporters and opponents of President Abdurrahman Wahid, are almost certain to flock to the House of Representatives building on Thursday when the House plenary session is scheduled to discuss two scandals linked to the President.

Ambon – The second round of troop withdrawal from Maluku was held on Wednesday with Battalion 403 of the Central Java's Diponegoro Regional Military Command leaving Halong Naval base, some six kilometers east of Ambon, in a ceremony led by Pattimura military chief of staff Col. Syarifuddin Sumah.