James Balowski – For the first time since the overthrow of former President Suharto, the Indonesian government has arrested and charged a human rights activist under the notorious "sowing hatred" articles of the Indonesian Criminal Code. The maximum sentence is six year's jail.

Vaudine England, Jakarta – Ramadan in Indonesia is a time for heightened tempers on the subject of sin, and this year it could mean a month of unemployment for everyone in the entertainment industry.

Heather Paterson, Dili – Thousands of people rallied in Dili on Tuesday to mark the 25th anniversary of East Timor's initial declaration of independence, giving a hero's welcome to the territory's first president, Fransisco Xavier do Amaral.

Robert Go, Jakarta – Potential investors seeking bargains from the restructuring agency, Ibra, might have to keep their wallets buttoned up, if two of the country's biggest tycoon-debtors succeed in pushing the government to revise debt-repayment deals signed two years ago.

Singapore – Singapore on Tuesday broke its silence on a tirade by Indonesian President Abdurrahman Wahid but avoided commenting on his threat to cut off the island-state's water supply.

Budi Sugiharto/Fitri & BI, Jakarta – A massive but peaceful rally staged factory workers had turned into a riot, when a group angry demonstrators started to destroy and loot a total of nine vehicles parked at the government's buildings, in Surabaya, East Java on Tuesday.

Don Greenlees, Jakarta – It is easy to see what has gone wrong for Indonesia in Irian Jaya. On the Jayapura airport road, a Buginese taxi driver who has lived in the city for 30 years refers to indigenous Papuans as "orang hutan" (orang-outang) and in case his passengers don't get the point he adds "monyet" (monkey).

Reuters in Jakarta – Indonesia is running a secret campaign to stop the rich and restive province of Irian Jaya breaking away, using a combination of bullying, clandestine operations and persuasion, internal documents show.

Jakarta – Indonesia's Parliament maintained a "soft" approach to the separatist movements in Aceh yesterday by rejecting civil-emergency status and promising better law enforcement for the troubled province. But it underlined that Jakarta would not tolerate further questioning of its sovereignty.

Jakarta – Refugee repatriation agencies hailed the return to East Timor of a group of demobilised soldiers as a success, but refugee leaders in West Timor said Monday reported attacks on returning soldiers were setting back further repatriation efforts.

Mark Dodd, Kupang – Francisco Soares is finally going home. After drawn out negotiations the Indonesian Army has finally settled his salary arrears and paid his pension. The United Nations has promised that he and his family will be protected. So he and his family will go back to his old home in Los Palos, on the eastern tip of East Timor, and start a new life as a rice farmer.

Jakarta – Armed with long wooden sticks and attired in their green and white outfits, dozens of members of the Islamic Defenders Front (FPI) perpetrated more acts of vandalism on Sunday by attacking several restaurants, cafes and small street kiosks, which they labeled immoral places.

Warren Caragata – Only a year ago, Indonesian President Abdurrahman Wahid seemed determined to patch up relations with Singapore, home of billions of dollars in Indonesian capital controlled by ethnic Chinese business who fled after the 1998 Jakarta riots. Singapore was Wahid's first foreign stop after his election last year, and his overtures to a country that predecessor B.J.

A Dipta Anindita/Hendra & GB, Jakarta – A Special Committee (Pansus) has been formed by the House to investigate the Trisakti and Semanggi I and II incidents when innocent protesters were shot during the final days of the New Order regime of presidents Suharto and Habibie.

Hong Kong – The humanitarian situation in Indonesia's embattled Maluku islands is worsening as a result of the influx of Islamic Jihad or holy war warriors aided by rogue external elements, a rights group said Monday.

Maryadi/BI & GB, Pontianak – In Pontianak, West Kalimantan, up to 400 civilians recruited as 'People's Security' guards, or 'Kamra', staged a rowdy protest at the Governor's office Monday. Representatives stormed out of a meeting with government leaders when told they were the responsibility of the central government.

Susan Sim, Jakarta – Putting an end to months of policy drift, the Indonesian government is set to issue today an ultimatum to the Free Aceh separatist movement GAM: Start negotiations in the next seven weeks or we will wipe you out when the current "humanitarian pause" expires.

Jakarta – Police in Cianjur, West Java, yesterday began the grisly task of examining 20 corpses that were recently found hanging from trees at Mount Sawo Valley, a report said.

Antara quoted local residents as saying the victims are believed to be practitioners of black magic. Police arrested several of the alleged killers yesterday.

Devi Asmarani, Jakarta – Exactly a month since its launch in Jakarta, General Wiranto's CD has made its way to the top racks at record stores in Indonesia where the best-selling new releases are usually placed.

Muchus B. Rahayu/GB, Solo – As many as 48 mass organisations joined a massive convoy around the streets of Solo (Surakarta) in central Java demanding that all activities offensive to Muslims be totally stopped during the holy fasting month of Ramadhan which most Muslims will celebrate tomorrow, Monday.

Jakarta – New fighting among Muslims and Christians broke out in Indonesia's eastern Maluku or Moluccan Islands, killing at least 11 people, officials and activists said Saturday.

The sectarian bloodshed Friday and Saturday brought the number of confirmed deaths to 19 this week. Another 16 people remain missing.

Tony Parkinson – The elder statesman of Asian politics, Lee Kuan Yew, has warned Indonesia that it cannot afford to risk making the same mistakes in West Papua that it did in East Timor.

In an interview with The Age, Singapore's senior minister issued a blunt caution to Indonesia, an ASEAN partner and Singapore's biggest neighbor.

Jakarta – Independence celebrations in Indonesia's eastern province of West Papua will go ahead next week despite stern warnings from Jakarta, the province's independence leader said yesterday.

Jakarta – After a series of long investigations, police named nine high-ranking military and police officers on Thursday as suspects in the violent takeover of the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI) headquarters in Central Jakarta in 1996.

Lindsay Murdoch, Jakarta – Vice-President Megawati Sukarnoputri has reaffirmed her support for President Abdurrahman Wahid amid growing calls for his resignation.

Vaudine England, Jakarta – The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Mary Robinson, yesterday offered to help Indonesia set up a special court to hear cases against suspects accused of atrocities in East Timor last year.

Djoko Tjitono/Fitri & GB, Jakarta – Around 200 activists under the banner of the "Women's Pledge" or "Kaulan Perempuan" held a lively demonstration at Hotel Indonesia roundabout in the centre of Jakarta, Friday, to celebrate "Anti Violence Against Women" day. The demonstrators demanded an end to all violence against women.

Jakarta – Indonesian Prosperous Labor Union (SBSI) chairman Muchtar Pakpahan filed a lawsuit on Wednesday against National Police chief Gen. Surojo Bimantoro and East Kalimantan Police chief Insp. Gen. Togar M. Sianipar over the recent arrest of the union's top executive in the province.

Pekanbaru – No work! No pay! Thats the message from embattled oil company PT Caltex Pacific Indonesia (CPI) to its striking contract workers in Riau province, central-eastern Sumatra. CPI yesterday warned some 3,000 striking contract workers they will not be paid and there will be no negotiations until they go back to work.

Jakarta – Hundreds of women yesterday staged a rally against a phony recruitment firm that swindled them out of millions of rupiah.

The illegal manpower agency, PT Shaymma based in Lampung province, had promised about 250 women that it would provide jobs for them in Saudi Arabia, providing that they each paid a registration fee of Rp4 million (US$423).

Khaerul Ikhwan/Fitri & GB, Medan – Up to 500 workers and NGO members staged a rally in front of the North Sumatra Governor's office on Jl Diponegoro in the capital Medan, Thursday. They demanded a rise in the provincial minimum wage and that the Board established by the government to determine the wages be disbanded.

Kanis Dursin, Jakarta – Opposition from civilian politicians is stalling efforts by Indonesian President Abdurrahman Wahid to assert civilian authority over the military, blocking efforts to curb rights abuses and resolve past violations, analysts say.

Mark Dodd on the Patricia Anne Hotung – As dawn broke yesterday scores of refugees scrambled up to the deck of this former Australian Navy survey ship for their first glimpse of Dili since the violence of September 1999 in East Timor.

Jakarta – Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer should stay out of Irian Jaya's affairs, the man spearheading a growing separatist movement in the remote Indonesian province said Thursday.

Khairul Ikhwan D/BI & GB, Medan – Tens of entertainment workers gathered at the Medan Tourism office in North Sumatra province to urge the Medan City Council to revoke the Mayoral decree on the closure of their workplaces during the Muslim fasting month of Ramadhan and Idul Fitri celebrations.

Jakarta – At least 150 Acehnese youths living in Jakarta staged a protest outside National Police headquarters yesterday, demanding the release of Muhammad Nazar, head of the Aceh Referendum Information Center (SIRA).

Vaudine England – Police arrested Aceh's leading student activist and yesterday threatened imposition of emergency rule if progress was not made towards dialogue.

The activist, Muhammad Nazar, heads the Information Centre for a Referendum in Aceh (Sira), which is lobbying for Acehnese to be allowed to choose independence or continued rule by Jakarta.

Chaidir Anwar Tanjung/BI & GB, Pekanbaru – Seven islands in Riau province have disappeared completely since 1980 due to environmental degradation caused by excessive oil drilling offshore, contamination of the sea by oil tankers, the clearance and destruction of mangrove areas and the disappearance of coral reefs.

Dini Djalal, Jakarta – Luxury resorts across the country were inspected, as were fancy restaurants and race tracks, the favourite haunts of the youngest son of former President Suharto, 38-year-old Hutomo "Tommy" Mandala Putra. Family retreats have been under scrutiny, their closets and cabinets searched.

Ali Kotarumalos, Jakarta – Police fired warning shots Thursday and beat demonstrators at the national parliament, where opposing groups rallied for and against President Abdurrahman Wahid. At least four protesters were injured.

Vaudine England, Jakarta – Giving money and power to more than 350 districts across the country is the only way Indonesia can survive as a nation-state, the Minister of Settlement and Regional Infrastructure, Erna Witoelar, said yesterday.

Max Lane, Jakarta – Leaders of the struggle against neo-liberal globalisation here are preparing a major gathering of activists to discuss strategies to stop the imperialist onslaught on the Indonesian economy and people.

Jakarta – The Indonesian government on Wednesday warned that it will get tough against separatist movements in Aceh and Irian Jaya provinces at opposite ends of the far flung archipelago.

Max Lane, Jakarta – On November 14, six members of the Central Leadership Council of the People's Democratic Party (KPP-PRD) announced the formation of the Democratic Socialist Association (PDS).

Jakarta – The Indonesian National Resilience Institute, an institute under the Ministry of Defense, said here Wednesday that the country is facing an imminent collapse and a breakdown of the country seems to be a matter of time.

Vaudine England, Jakarta – The remains of 24 former communists slaughtered during the massacre of 1966-67 have been recovered from a mass grave in a Javanese forest.

Jakarta – The Indonesian Attorney-General's Office has found initial evidence of corruption in four contracts agreed by state oil and gas company Pertamina during the rule of former President Suharto.

Dan Murphy, Jakarta – When a rash of explosions rocks Jakarta, they are the immediate suspects. When mysterious "ninja" killers execute dozens of Muslim scholars in East Java, senior politicians whisper their names. And when aid workers are killed in West Timor, United Nations officials point their way.

Lindsay Murdoch in Jakarta and David Lague – The Howard Government will lodge a diplomatic protest after Australia's most senior diplomat in Indonesia, Mr John McCarthy, was attacked yesterday and bailed up for almost an hour by a group of about 20 pro-Jakarta East Timor protesters.

Pip Hinman – Prime Minister John Howard, under pressure, once described the successive Australian governments' approaches to East Timor as "bipartisan wrong policy". Yet this hasn't influenced his views on the self-determination struggle being waged by the West Papuan people.