Dan Murphy, Jakarta – Munir had dreamed of this day for years, and as head of the Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras), he had helped to bring it about: the nation's first trial of senior leaders for crimes against humanity, committed in East Timor in 1999.

Jakarta – The country's long-delayed human rights trial commences on Thursday amid public skepticism that justice will be done to those responsible for gross human rights violations in East Timor in 1999.

In January 2000, the United Nations International Commission of Inquiry on East Timor and the Indonesian government's own human rights commission both found the Indonesian military responsible for crimes against humanity committed in East Timor in 1999. The UN commission called for the establishment of an international tribunal.

Jakarta – A landmark Indonesian human rights court on Thursday began hearing its first case concerning atrocities in East Timor in 1999, with former governor Abilio Soares accused of failing to prevent the massacre of more than 100 people by militia gangs.

Ahmad Junaidi, Jakarta – Wielding sticks and swords, hundreds of supporters of City Governor Sutiyoso threatened and chased away dozens of flood victims who staged a protest in front of City Hall on Jl. Medan Merdeka Selatan, Central Jakarta, on Wednesday.

Marianne Kearney, Jakarta – In an encouraging sign that Indonesia is willing to prosecute even top officials for corruption, central bank governor Sjahril Sabirin was yesterday sentenced to three years in prison and fined 15 million rupiah (S$2,700) over a bank scam.

Hamish McDonald – The evidence is contained in the most tightly held archive in Canberra: the electronic data base of the Defence Signals Direct-orate (DSD), the result of months intercepting secret communications between Indonesian officers involved in a shadowy campaign to thwart East Timorese hopes of independence in 1999.

Hamish McDonald – The Australian Government sat on explosive intelligence material which showed the direct involvement of senior Indonesian army generals in the violence which swept East Timor in 1999.

Jakarta – US investment firm Farallon has won the bidding to buy Bank Central Asia (BCA), Indonesia's largest retail bank, the government said Thursday.

Berni K. Moestafa, Jakarta – Foreign lenders have questioned Vice President Hamzah Haz's plan to announce an economic recovery program, fearing it could push aside reforms agreed on with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), an economist said.

Tertiani ZB Simanjuntak, Jakarta – Human rights activists were cautioned on Wednesday of what they called an escalation of terror against them after dozens of people attacked the office building of the Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras) on Jl. Mendut in Central Jakarta.

The head of the Meteorology and Geophysics Agency at Polonia Airport in Medan, North Sumatra, hinted on Tuesday that the haze which had been covering the city since Saturday had the potential to become a very serious problem.

Jakarta – Indonesia's economy will grow by up to 3.8 percent this year and inflation will be fall to 9.5 percent under an optimistic scenario, Central Bureau of Statistics head Sudarti Surbakti said Wednesday.

Jakarta – The leader of an Islamic paramilitary force which has waged "holy war" against Christians in Indonesia's Maluku islands denied Wednesday that its radio broadcasts are aimed at destroying a recent peace pact.

Nglinting Darmono, Yogyakarta – Two hundred protesters from across central Java gathered in Yogyakarta on March 8 to mark International Women's Day.

Rita A. Widiadana, Denpasar – Illegal trading of endangered and protected species has reached an alarming level in Indonesia, with the provinces of Bali and East and West Nusa Tenggara serving as centers for the illicit practice, State Minister for the Environment Nabiel Makarim said.

Jakarta – Victims of last month's devastating floods in the Indonesian capital and a neighboring province on Wednesday filed a multi-million dollar lawsuit against President Megawati Sukarnoputri and two governors for their failure to deal with the disaster.

Tertiani ZB Simanjuntak, Jakarta – The country's human rights record worsened in 2001 as the state continued to neglect its obligations to promote and protect human rights, the Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras) said.

Jakarta – A mob vandalized the offices of Indonesia's most prominent human rights group on the eve of unprecedented trials for atrocities in East Timor that were allegedly committed by Indonesia's army and allied paramilitary gangs. Three generals are among those to face the courts for crimes against humanity.

Kurniawan Hari, Jakarta – A highly-commended plan by the House of Representatives (DPR) to open public access to information more widely will face a tough challenge as the government plans to submit a state secrecy bill for deliberation later this month.

Tiarma Siboro, Jakarta – The government plans to facilitate new peace talks that will include all parties in Aceh. This comes after a series of dialogs with rebel groups failed to live up to the aspirations of the majority in the province.

Banda Aceh – At least 14 people have been killed over the past two days in Indonesia's rebellious Aceh province, security officials and aid workers said Wednesday.

Robert Go, Jakarta – Indonesia's government yesterday delayed announcing a new owner for Bank Central Asia (BCA) following nationwide protests by thousands of the bank's workers, but stressed that the much-awaited deal would be concluded soon.

Jakarta – Britain's Standard Chartered Bank Plc (StanChart) said on Tuesday it had no plans for massive job cuts as it rushed to assuage thousands of Bank Central Asia (BCA) employees protesting the sale of the bank to a foreign consortium, who they fear may streamline operations and cut jobs.

Kate Rope – On May 20, a new country will be born. At the helm of the finally free East Timor will most likely be Jose Alexandre "Xanana" Gusmao, the reluctant but ineluctable leader of this century's first new nation.

Apriadi Gunawan, Medan – Mount Leuser National Park (TNGL) in North Sumatra province is facing further degradation, as illegal logging and occupation of land in this protected forest by Acehnese refugees has continued unchecked.

Dili – A candidate in East Timor's upcoming presidential election on Tuesday announced a concession which will allow his only rival, independence hero Xanana Gusmao, to stand in the poll.

The Special Representative of the Secretary-General in East Timor Sergio Vieira de Mello today briefed the Council of Ministers on the services currently provided by UNTAET to government and the community that will no longer be provided by the UN successor mission after independence on 20 May.

Following are some examples of affected services mentioned by the SRSG:

Tertiani ZB Simanjuntak and Apriadi Gunawan, Jakarta/Medan – The parents of dozens of students killed in several incidents that took place in 1998 and 1999 gathered at the residence of former Armed Forces chief Gen. (ret) Wiranto on Monday to mount pressure on him to comply with a summons for an inquiry scheduled later in the day.

Dean Yates, Jakarta – Indonesia will begin trials on Thursday over violence that swept East Timor in 1999, putting Jakarta under international scrutiny and testing the president's willingness to hold the military accountable for rights abuses.

Jakarta – Indonesia on Thursday will begin trying suspects over human rights abuses in East Timor in 1999, when the territory voted to break from Jakarta's rule. Following are details on the suspects, the process and also trials taking place in East Timor that relate to the bloodshed:

Suspects:

Yemris Fointuna, Kupang – Students on a hunger strike in the province of East Nusa Tenggara threatened on Monday to encourage locals not to pay taxes if the province's budget was not revised to ensure that public interests were placed above all others.

Jakarta – In a show of force to oppose the sale of Bank Central Asia (BCA) to foreign investors, thousands of employees of the country's largest retail bank staged a mass protest in several major cities on Monday.

Robert Go, Jakarta – Employees of Bank Central Asia (BCA) staged protests nationwide against its impending sale to foreign bidders, signaling that whoever takes over could face a hostile reception from the staff.

Devi Asmarani, Jakarta – In a bitter power struggle, young Golkar hardliners are fighting a move by the more senior members to expel detained party chief Akbar Tandjung.

The Parliamentary Speaker, who was arrested last week, is seen as a liability by the senior leaders who are eager to cut off association with him to distance the party from the case against him.

[Corruption investigations into the speaker of Indonesia's parliament have taken a bizarre turn. House speaker Akbar Tanjung is under arrest over the diversion of 40 billion rupiah – or about 8 million Australian dollars – from a government agency.

Lela E. Madjiah – With full independence now a matter of two months away, East Timor must deal with various unanswered questions, one being its relations with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

Although not an immediately pressing issue, it is worth pondering, given recent developments in the region, in particular with its closest neighbor, Indonesia.

Jakarta – An Indonesian legal team investigating the 1999 murder of a Dutch journalist in East Timor has ended a visit to the territory after making "significant inquiries", UN staff said Friday.

Dean Yates, Jakarta – Indonesia's former ruling Golkar party said it would not withdraw its ministers from the coalition government despite the detention of its chief over a graft scandal, taking political heat off the president.

Marianne Kearney, Jakarta – The sudden return of 32.5 billion rupiah (S$5.8 million) in missing funds by an associate of detained parliamentary Speaker Akbar Tandjung is being seen here as an attempt to help the powerful politician escape prosecution.

Jakarta – Nearly 39,000 weapons have been surrendered following a peace agreement in December between warring Christian and Muslim residents in Indonesia's region of Poso, a police spokesman said Monday.

The situation in Poso has greatly improved since Muslim and Christian leaders signed the peace pact on December 20, Adjunct Senior Commissioner Agus Sugianto said.

Octavianus Pinontoan, Ambon – Peace remains elusive in Maluku province as a number of militant groups continue to oppose the Malino peace accord, which was mediated by the government last month to end the three-year-old sectarian conflict.

Catharine Munro, Jakarta – Indonesia's military said it has provided legal assistance to militia leaders accused of human rights abuses in East Timor in 1999 ahead of the start of human rights trials in Jakarta this week.

Joanna Jolly, Dili – The United Nations is optimistic that a dispute threatening the participation of East Timorese independence leader Jose Alexandre "Xanana" Gusmao in the nation's first elections will be solved soon, a spokesman said Sunday.

Dili – East Timor's reluctant presidential favourite, Xanana Gusmao, threatened Saturday to withdraw from next month's elections over an electoral technicality.

Gusmao, the independence hero considered a sure winner of the territory's first presidential polls on April 14, is angry over United Nations electoral authority requirements that candidates use a logo.

Jill Jolliffe – From the other side of the cyclone wire fence, a man with a large scorpion tattooed on his face peers into East Timor.

Jakarta – The youngest son of former Indonesian president Suharto was formally charged yesterday with ordering the murder of a judge, a crime punishable by death.

Don Greenlees, Jakarta – Australia is playing down differences with Indonesia over terrorism and human rights as it moves cautiously to rebuild a once-intimate defence relationship shattered during the East Timor crisis in 1999.

Jakarta – Fire has ravaged 11,569 hectares of plantations and commercial forests in Riau province over the past month, a local environment expert said in the provincial capital of Pekanbaru on Thursday.

Indonesian prosecutors said they would detain Indonesia's parliament speaker Akbar Tanjung after questioning him for seven hours at the attorney-general's office about graft allegations.

But plans to incarcerate the top politician hit a snag when he refused to sign documents relating to his own arrest, as required by Indonesian law.