The Indonesian air force announced plans to ask China to provide and help maintain aircraft and weaponry, reported Agence France- Presse April 10. In particular, Jakarta lacks adequate radar and navigation equipment.

Bogor – Most state schools in Bogor and Sukabumi were closed on Monday as teachers took to the streets to protest the government's pay policy in what was seen as a prelude to a nationwide strike planned by teachers this week.

Robert Go, Jakarta – Indonesia's government reached a preliminary agreement with bus operators on fare increases and additional government subsidies – averting a possible shut down of the capital's transportation system at the eleventh hour.

Jakarta – Ex-chairman of the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI) Soerjadi disclosed yesterday that Lieutenant General (ret.) Syarwan Hamid played a pivotal role in the 1996 hostile takeover of PDI headquarters, paving the way for a thorough investigation into the involvement of the government and military in the melee.

Jakarta – The majority of the archives compiled by the much- feared Agency for the Coordination of Support for the Development of National Stability (Bakorstanas) will be destroyed following the official dissolution of the agency on Monday.

Vaudine England, Jakarta – A familiar sense of insecurity was afflicting Jakarta yesterday. With President Abdurrahman Wahid overseas, politicians as sailed his alleged over-confidence amid small protests against various perceived ills.

Jakarta – The Indonesian armed forces have been forced to take delivery of six British Hawk-200 fighter planes by ship, because vital navigation and communications equipment was blocked by a US arms embargo.

Vaudine England, Jakarta – Lynchings of suspected thieves and violent eruptions of long-running neighbourhood disputes have claimed at least 30 lives in and around Jakarta this year in a sign of growing disrespect for the law.

Bogor – Residents of the otherwise peaceful Munjul village of Kayumanis in the Tanah Sareal district expressed on Sunday their deep concern and fear over the presence of the military-style training camp of the Laskar Jihad (Jihad Army).

Simon Montlake, Jakarta – Indonesia should find it easier to restructure $2.1 billion in sovereign debt owed to donor countries at the Paris Club meeting on April 12 after catching up on its economic reform program, the International Monetary Fund said Monday.

Jakarta – Three Indonesian journalists, including an AFP reporter, were beaten up by youths taking jihad (holy war) training at a camp 50 kilometers south of here Sunday.

Jakarta – The chairman of Indonesia's People's Consultative Assembly, Mr Amien Rais, said yesterday that lawmakers would block a plan by President Abdurrahman Wahid to end a 34-year-old ban against communists.

Lindsay Murdoch, Jakarta – Indonesia has opened the way for some of its top military officers and the leaders of pro-Jakarta militia groups responsible for last year's violence in East Timor to be put on trial in the United Nations-controlled territory.

Jakarta – Thousands of Muslims marched on the presidential palace in central Jakarta yesterday to protest against a move by the government to lift a ban on communism. The protesters also burned an Israeli flag and accused the Jewish state of being an "enemy of all Muslims".

Vaudine England, Jakarta – Protests against President Abdurrahman Wahid's policies – particularly his perceived openness to communism – escalated yesterday with thousands of Islamic protesters gathering outside the presidential palace and around Jakarta's central Welcome Monument.

Lindsay Murdoch – Almost every day people trail into the Liquica police station to tell the United Nations police stationed there about new grave sites.

Jakarta – Indonesia's Finance Minister has accused the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank of interfering in the country's programme of economic reforms.

Jakarta – In their biggest show of force so far, Muslim radicals called yesterday for a holy war against the country's Christians and demanded the removal of President Abdurrahman Wahid, saying he was protecting the enemies of Islam.

Banda Aceh – Some 500 students on Friday held a peaceful rally here in Aceh's provincial capital to protest the death of a woman medical student allegedly shot by security forces the previous day.

Marianne Kearney, Jakarta – In a move to restore confidence and address allegations of corruption, Indonesia's Attorney-General announced that his office would appoint non-career judges next week to help clear the backlog of commercial and civil cases now awaiting trial.

Jakarta – Several Indonesian business groups have set up a slush fund to pay out bribes to hamper an investigation into official corruption in the logging industry, the Forestry and Plantation Minister said yesterday.

Joanna Jolly, Atambua – The Indonesian army is training militias in West Timor for an invasion into East Timor next month despite its continued denials, according to a West Timorese church leader and a human rights organisation.

Chris Latham – On April 1, Indonesian students involved in the National Student League for Democracy (LMND) participated in a national mobilisation in Jakarta demanding that the government abandon plans to cut education subsidies to state universities. The policy is expected to result in tuition fee increases of around 300%.

James Balowski – Thousands of students, civil servants and other workers protested in Indonesia on April 1 against cuts to subsides on fuel, public transport and electricity. The demonstrators came out despite the Indonesian government's partial backdown on the cuts.

Robert Go - Representatives of Indonesia's lower-level civil servants last week warned parliamentary leaders of possible strikes should the government implement a plan to raise drastically the salaries and allowances of top civil servants.

Daniel Cooney, Jakarta – Riot police blocked roads leading to ex-President Suharto's house today as hundreds of protesters rallied in central Jakarta calling for the former dictator to be prosecuted for corruption.

Vannessa Hearman, Dili – To come face to face with public health services in East Timor is a daunting thing. For expatriate workers, there is access to foreigner clinics and always the possibility of being evacuated to Darwin or some other First World medical facility.

Lela E. Madjiah, Kupang – Former president B.J. Habibie was naive when he thought that letting go of East Timor would mean an end to Indonesia's problems.

Habibie then argued that getting rid of the predominantly Catholic province would help Indonesia regain direly needed credibility in the international world.

Food distribution to 100,000 refugees still in camps in West Timor will continue by the Indonesian Government which announced in early March that food and other assistance will be cut off by March 31, 2000.

Shawn Donnan – Ever since aid groups and multinational organisations including the United Nations and the World Bank entered East Timor last year, the nation's coffee industry has been seen as key to rebuilding the devastated territory.

Vanja Tanaja, Dili – United Nations Transitional Administration in East Timor (NTAET) security forces threatened to use anti-riot gear against 800 job seekers seeking information on their job applications on March 29. They had been asked to come to the UNTAET office to hear of the outcome of their applications.

Banda Aceh – The Aceh People's Congress (KRA) organizers rejected on Tuesday the massive deployment of around 1,700 elite Police Mobile Brigade (Brimob) officers to secure the week-long event which is slated to start here on April 22.

Jakarta – The US government expressed regret on Monday over a lawsuit filed against Indonesian Army Lt. Gen. Johny Lumintang for his alleged role in violence in East Timor last year.

Jakarta – City police chief Maj. Gen. Nurfaizi regretted the seemingly endless dispute between two neighboring residents in the Matraman area, East Jakarta, urging the disputed parties to settle the prolonged battle on their own. The police, Nurfaizi said, would do their best to stop the never-ending battle but could not do it without the help of the warring neighbors.

Jakarta – Indonesia's Parliament has delayed a controversial hike in the salaries of senior civil servants that was scheduled to have taken effect this month, the official Antara news agency reported yesterday. "Parliament has studied this and decided to delay the rise in civil servants' salaries," Minister for State Administrative Reform Freddy Numberi was quoted as saying.

Time is running out for President Abdurrahman Wahid to spur his squabbling cabinet into action and deliver promised economic reforms – or risk unravelling Indonesia's precarious recovery.

Jakarta – The Indonesian government and parliament should meet to discuss the impact of fuel subsidies on the nation's budget, Mines and Energy Minister Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said yesterday.

Canberra – Paul Keating was a politically dead former prime minister trying to maintain relevance and "would be better off walking naked down the street", East Timorese Nobel laureate Jose Ramos-Horta said today.

Semarang – Indonesian Vice-President Megawati Sukarnoputri has announced a new line-up for the executive board of her Indonesian Democratic Party Perjuangan but her party members doubt if it will work.

Jakarta – Jakarta Police Chief Major General Nurfaizi has appealed to warring gangs in East Jakarta, who were still fighting yesterday, to stop their continual clashes.

The Berlan gang and Palmeriam gang, separated by Jalan Matraman Raya, frequently clash and end up damaging shops, restaurants, stalls and houses along the road.

Banda Aceh – A joint team of policemen and military personnel found eight human skeletons – some dressed in military uniforms – during search operations in Aceh Besar, North and West Aceh on Saturday, a military source said.

Jakarta – The National Defence Forces (TNI) will make a "comprehensive and meticulous" assessment of President Abdurrrahman Wahid's proposal to revoke a 1966 Provisional People's Consultative Assembly (MPRS) resolution banning the dissemination of communism, Leninism and Marxism, TNI Commander Admiral Widodo said here Monday.

Jakarta – More than 200 Indonesian protestors picketed an empty parliament building here for the second consecutive day yesterday to demand that the government scrap a planned rise in fuel prices.

"A mere postponement means nothing. The people will continue to suffer," one demonstrator yelled at a free speech forum set up at the main entrance to the parliamentary complex.

Haryoso, Semarang – The Central Java high seas are rich in marine resources; most notably fish but, ironically, loan sharks, who prey on local fisherfolk by throwing them into the jaws of sheer poverty.

Jakarta – Indonesia faces a race against time to fulfil pledges made to the International Monetary Fund if it is to persuade creditors to reschedule its debt and the IMF to release its next loan instalment, officials said yesterday.

Robert Go, Jakarta – Taking his case directly to the people after Friday prayers in Jakarta, President Abdurrahman Wahid made his strongest appeal yet for a review of 1966 parliamentary decrees banning the communist ideology in Indonesia. "The spirit of this regulation infringes on someone's basic rights without clear justifications," he said.

Jakarta – Violence marred protests against the controversial fuel price hike and former president Soeharto on Saturday.

Marianne Kearney, Jakarta – In a manner some here see as reminiscent of Golkar's elections during the rule of former President Suharto, Vice-President Megawati Sukarnoputri was unanimously re-elected to lead the country's largest party until the next elections in 2004.

Lindsay Murdoch, Jakarta – After taking part in or helping to loot almost everything of value in East Timor last year, Indonesian soldiers are claiming compensation for losing their belongings in a hasty withdrawal from the territory.

Jakarta – Jakarta Police chief Maj. Gen. Nurfaizi said on Friday the capital would be on high alert from Saturday through until the end of April.