Yogyakarta – After eulogizing about the long road to democracy which Indonesia must travel, President Abdurrahman Wahid found out later on Friday that not all roads are open to him after students blocked streets preventing his visit to the Gadjah Mada University (UGM) campus.
Indonesia & East Timor Digest
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February 17, 2001
Jakarta – The Attorney General's Office named former president Soeharto's daughter Siti Hardiyanti "Tutut" Rukmana on Friday as a suspect in a corruption case over a US$306 million project involving state oil and gas company Pertamina.
Lindsay Murdoch, Darwin – It was a poignant moment, full of irony. Megawati Sukarnoputri dons army fatigues and beret and climbs aboard a Scorpion tank.
The Vice-President has plenty of reason to despise Indonesia's armed forces, which have been accused of widespread repression and plunder during the 32-year Suharto dictatorship.
Geneva – Indonesian government representatives and separatist Aceh rebels agreed Friday a security pact to replace the current ceasefire in the troubled province, sources close to the talks said.
Banda Aceh – Resolute rebel group Free Aceh Movement (GAM) has threatened to create trouble nationwide if the joint police and military operation to restore order in the province continues.
Jakarta – The country could see another round of political probes into financial scandals if the National Awakening Party (PKB) has its way by setting up a special committee to investigate financial improprieties involving the Golkar Party.
Jakarta – Thousands of students took to the streets of three Indonesian cities Friday, calling on President Abdurrahman Wahid to resign, police and witnesses said.
Jakarta – Minister of Home Affairs and Regional Autonomy Surjadi Soedirdja installed Tursandi Alwi on Friday as acting Governor of Gorontalo and inaugurated the region as the country's 32nd province.
Jakarta – Some 500 students from various groups attacked Golkar Party's city chapter office on Jl. Cikini, Central Jakarta on Friday evening, throwing at least five molotov cocktails at the office.
February 16, 2001
Jakarta – Pressure over a housing scam allegedly involving Golkar Party chairman Akbar Tandjung is growing with National Police spokesman Brig. Gen. Saleh Saaf on Thursday suggesting that Akbar could be questioned pending the emergence of further evidence.
Vaudine England, Jakarta – Anti-corruption activists are backing government calls for the former ruling party, Golkar, to be investigated for alleged misuse of state funds in the 1999 election.
The allegation against Golkar came first from Defence Minister Mahfud Mahmoddin and has been repeated by other ministers loyal to President Abdurrahman Wahid.
Jakarta – Four local non-governmental organizations have threatened to call for a boycott by Indonesia's aid donors unless the government puts an immediate stop to illegal logging and the destruction of the country's forests.
Aulia Andri/GB, Jakarta – If the Golkar Party pointed the finger at the 'communist bogeyman' and specifically the People's Democratic Party (PRD) for the arson attack on their East Java headquarters, others are maintaining there was another third party involved.
Ian Timberlake – A telephone rings somewhere inside Eggi Sudjana's denim jacket. He pulls out two tiny cell phones and talks briefly into one, but the 41-year-old corporate lawyer seems to be half asleep.
Warren Caragata – Before Indonesia can truly get back to the job of successfully running and economy, the nation needs a functioning financial system. It is only a dream.
Banda Aceh – The trial of Central Information for Aceh Referendum (SIRA) chief Muhammad Nazar remains up in the air after the government brushed off a Supreme Court ruling on Thursday that the trial venue be moved from Sabang, Aceh to Medan, North Sumatra.
February 15, 2001
Jakarta – Indonesia's chief economics minister Rizal Ramli lashed out at the International Monetary Fund (IMF) Thursday over its dissatisfaction with Jakarta's restrictions on borrowing by regional governments. Ramli said the IMF had criticised the restrictions, announced last week, as too weak.
February 14, 2001
Mark Dodd, Dili – East Timor could still press for a United Nations war crimes tribunal unless Indonesia brought to justice those responsible for the political violence in 1999, the independence leader and Nobel laureate Mr Jose Ramos Horta said yesterday.
Kerryn Williams – On January 30 more than 500 high school students and 300 urban poor youth, with the help of 15 buses, mobilised in Jakarta for the "Anti-New Order Tour". Organised by the Popular Youth Movement (GPK) and Jabotabek High School Students Front (FPJ), the tour targeted Suharto and his supporters, the Golkar party, and the Indonesian armed forces (TNI).
Jakarta – Around 1,000 high school students on Wednesday defied a ban on protests to call on President Abdurrahman Wahid to step down and denounce attacks on schools by his supporters in East Java.
Vaudine England, Jakarta – President Abdurrahman Wahid's aides were trying to put together a deal yesterday to fend off pressure for him to resign, as demonstrations continued across Java for his removal from office.
Jakarta – The wave of support for President Abdurrahman Wahid continued in Central Java on Tuesday with demands that the President remain in office until 2004 and that the Golkar Party be dissolved.
Max Lane – During 2000, only the People's Democratic Party (PRD) championed the political slogan: "Smash the remnants of the New Order, leave behind the fake reformers".
Max Lane – Golkar chairperson Akbar Tanjung has accused the People's Democratic Party and two student activist organisations, Forkot and Jarkot, of being behind the burning down of its offices throughout East Java.
Jakarta's main daily, Kompas, reported Tanjung as telling journalists on February 8: "If not them, who? The members of the Nahdlatul Ulama don't like violence".
Jakarta – Tensions in Aceh remain as three more civilians were shot during military and police operations against the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) in East Aceh and Aceh Besar on Monday, a volunteer said on Tuesday.
Vanya Tanaja, Dili – Public hearings held here January 14-24 to discuss the timetable for East Timor's transition to independence have revealed sharply differing views among East Timorese leaders over the political mechanisms to be used to bring into being a fully sovereign East Timorese government.
Dan Murphy, Aileu and Dili – Sergio Vieira de Mello watches impassively as the United Nations flag rises over a group of jungle survival experts, aware of the delicacy of his position as, effectively, the unelected president of East Timor.
Contents
February 13, 2001
Mark Dodd, Dili – Senior bureaucrats working for the UN administration in East Timor should focus on developing the skills of local public servants to avoid a vacuum of experienced officials when the world body pulls out, the visiting head of its development program said.
Khairul Ihwan/GB, Medan – After a fellow student was slashed yesterday, Monday, 2,000 students of the Medan State University (UniMed) today attacked the local offices of the notorious 'hired hands' of the New Order regime- Pemuda Pancasila.
Lukmanul Hakim/Hendra & GB, Jakarta – Representatives of 40 mass organisations which took part in the massive demonstration at the Surabaya, East Java, provincial parliament on 7 February went to the National Police headquarters today to clarify their version of events.
Marianne Kearney, Jakarta – One of President Abdurrahman Wahid's brothers has called on him to step down and hand power over to Vice-President Megawati Sukarnoputri in the best interest of the nation, as thousands of the President's supporters rallied in several cities across Java.
Susan Sim – Senior cadres of the top Indonesian political parties, who have been meeting secretly for the past two months, are close to signing an agreement to back Ms Megawati Sukarnoputri as president until 2004.
Jakarta – A top crony of former Indonesian president Suharto, Muhammad "Bob" Hasan, was sent back to jail Tuesday after a successful appeal against a court ruling that he could serve a corruption sentence under house arrest, officials said.
Jakarta – Finance Minister Prijadi Praptosuhardjo insisted on Monday that fuel prices must be increased by 20 percent in April to meet urgent budget needs, indirectly disputing a remark made earlier by Coordinating Minister for the Economy Rizal Ramli.
February 12, 2001
Banda Aceh – Government representatives and rebel Free Aceh Movement (GAM) commanders reached an agreement here on Saturday on ways to reduce the violence in strife-torn Aceh.
Banda Aceh – Seven people were killed in Indonesia's troubled Aceh province, police and residents said Monday, as government and separatist Free Aceh Movement (GAM) representatives headed for a fresh round of talks in Switzerland.
Aulia Andri/Fitri & GB, Jakarta – An unlikely group joined the calls for President Abdurrahman Wahid to stand down. Around 40 Muslim clerics of the Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), Indonesia's largest Muslim organisation Wahid led for 15 years before becoming president, went to the House of Representatives, demanding Gus Dur – as the president is popularly addressed – stand down.
Jakarta – Public opinion surveys published here Monday suggest a majority of Indonesians support parliament's censure of President Abdurrahman Wahid, but were less eager for him to resign or be impeached.
Lukmanul Hakim/Fitri & GB, Jakarta – National Police Chief General S. Bimantoro has backed-up claims made by national leaders last week that People's Democratic Party (PRD) members were involved in creating anarchy at a rally of pro-President Abdurrahman Wahid supporters in East Java last week.
Makassar – Golkar Party chairman Akbar Tandjung urged the government on Sunday to reassess the existence of the Democratic People's Party (PRD) following allegations of its involvement in vandalism of Golkar offices in East Java.
February 11, 2001
Surabaya – Accusations that left-wing groups were behind last week's attacks on opposition offices in President Abdurrahman Wahid's home province were misguided attempts to turn his supporters against them, analysts said here.
February 10, 2001
Marianne Kearney, Jakarta – As embattled President Abdurrahman Wahid fights off moves to impeach him, analysts fear this week's unrest throughout Java could easily spin out of control as Mr Abdurrahman's allies and opponents use mass movements to oppose each other.
Jakarta – Minister of Home Affairs and Regional Autonomy Surjadi Soedirdja officially inaugurated Bangka-Belitung as the country's 31st province on Friday, and installed Amur Muchasim as the province's acting governor.
Jakarta – The Democratic People's Party (PRD) filed a police complaint on Friday against chairman of the Golkar Party, Akbar Tandjung, and its deputy chairman, Mahadi Sinambela, for accusing PRD of being behind the vandalism of Golkar offices in East Java.
February 9, 2001
Pasuruan – Indonesian President Abdurrahman Wahid on Friday suggested that a "third hand" had been inciting his followers to excessive violence in East Java, and urged his people to conduct vigilante-style arrests to stop them
Vaudine England – President Abdurrahman Wahid has chosen a renowned supporter of human rights and anti-corruption efforts, Baharudin Lopa, as his justice minister, following the sacking of Jusril Ihza Mahendra.
Jakarta – A House of Representatives' special committee will question on Tuesday a number of active and retired senior army and police officers in connection with the May 12, 1998 shooting of Trisakti University students, the committee chairman announced on Thursday.
Jakarta – Defence Minister Muhammad Mahfud has confirmed rumours that President Abdurrahman Wahid proposed to impose martial law prior to parliament's decision to censure him last Thursday.
Surabaya – The supporters of President Abdurrahman "Gus Dur" Wahid continued on Thursday to vent their rage against what they see as a conspiracy to unseat the President by vandalizing another Golkar Party office, this time in Lamongan, situated some 40 kilometers northwest of here.