Jakarta – Human rights activists say National Military Police investigating the abduction of political activists were "powerless" and that the 11 members of the Army's Special Force (Kopassus) suspected of the crime were still on the loose.

Louise Williams, Los Palos – Less than two weeks after the brass bands and media circus of Indonesia's "goodwill" withdrawal of combat troops from East Timor in July, a big barge slid silently to shore under the cover of darkness on the lonely, distant coast to the east.

Jakarta – A private Indonesian group fighting against corruption has singled out 79 decrees issued by then-President Suharto over the past five years as flawed, reports said Saturday

Sydney – East Timorese leaders in Australia criticised on Thursday Indonesian Foreign Minister Ali Alatas two-day meeting with about 60 East Timorese representatives in Bali earlier this week. The representatives of the East Timorese resistance movement complained that they had been informed for the meeting, which began on Thursday, a mere 24 hours in advance.

Jay Solomon, Banyuwangi – Dariah didn't see who attacked her as she returned home last Sunday evening from the village mosque, nor does she know why her black-hooded assailants targeted her.

Jose Manuel Tesoro, Manado – Manajil "Roger" D. Salahuddin thinks of himself as a small-timer. He has been bringing cheap goods from Indonesia to the southern Philippines for just over five months. The amount of dollars he spends for his purchases often hovers in the high three figures, at most a thousand. He does not fly to Manado from Mindanao's main city of Davao.

Douglas Appell – The rupiah's collapse from late last year accelerated the economic and political turmoil that knocked Indonesia off the map of global stock investors. Is the currency's recent rebound bringing it back?

Jakarta – Indonesian President B.J. Habibie has issued a ruling ordering officials and government institutions to avoid discriminating between Indonesians based on their origins, a report said here Thursday.

Sander Thoenes, Sanur – She has proved she can paint a town red, but can Megawati Sukarnoputri run the world's fourth-largest nation?

Tommy Ardiansyah, Dili – East Timor spiritual leader Bishop Carlos Belo on Thursday urged an end to Indonesian military activity in the troubled territory amid reports of fresh armed clashes with rebels.

Amy Chew, Jakarta – Indonesian legislators have unanimously backed sweeping political reforms proposed by President B.J. Habibie to make the nation more democratic, officials said on Wednesday.

Jakarta – Indonesia's ministry of lands has initiated moves to seize lands owned by fallen president Suharto and his family that were obtained illegally or harmed community interests, the state Antara news agency said Wednesday.

Sydney – The Indonesian authorities announced on Monday the detachment of four mobile police brigades (BRIMOV) in the occupied territory of East Timor, according to Indonesia's national news agency, Antara.

Jakarta – Hundreds of university students protested at the Indonesian national parliament here on Tuesday demanding a fair first general assembly since the fall of ex-president Suharto in May, a reporter said.

Jakarta – The government's move to probe into high level corruption cases in the country is a half-hearted effort merely to refine its image, an American expert on Indonesia's political economy said here Monday.

Dili – About 15,000 East Timorese staged a second consecutive day of protest today and demanded the provincial governor quit over a threat to fire government employees who support an independence referendum for the troubled territory.

Jakarta – Employees of 100 companies operating in Jakarta and its surrounding areas established on Sunday a new union called Serikat Buruh Jabotabek (Greater Jakarta Labor Organization) in a bid to improve their bargaining position. The new organization was announced at the end of a two-day congress attended by about 200 employees of the 100 companies.

Jakarta – A recent statement by a close presidential advisor that President B.J. Habibie's strongest opposition in a presidential election bid would come from within Golkar's own ranks has triggered speculation from political observers.

Jakarta – An international rights group Monday called for better protection for a group probing the rapes of ethnic-Chinese in Indonesia following the murder of a teenage volunteer from the team. New York-based Human Rights Watch also called for a full investigation into the murder here Friday of 17-year-old Marthadinarta, known as Ita, a member of the Volunteers for Humanity.

Henny Sender, Washington – There were low expectations on both sides when the Indonesian delegation at last week's International Monetary Fund-World Bank talks held a breakfast meeting to present creditors with Jakarta's latest plan to deal with its corporate sector's huge debts.

Jakarta – Indonesian police said Sunday they had arrested a common thief for the brutal murder here of a young woman activist who counselled girls raped during savage May riots here.

Derwin Pereira, Bandung – The writing is on the wall for the Indonesian armed forces (ABRI). Literally. At the renowned Gadjah Mada University in Yogyakarta, students have written on campus walls: "Go to hell with ABRI." They are not alone in castigating the military these days.

Jakarta – The Indonesian military denied reports it had launched attacks against separatist rebels in the troubled territory, the official Antara news agency reported on Sunday.

"There were no assaults or armed clashes," East Timor military commander Colonel Tono Suratman was quoted as telling reporters in the territory's capital of Dili on Saturday.

Jakarta – Thousands of protestors rallied in the troubled East Timorese capital of Dili Sunday demanding the replacement of the Indonesian government-appointed governor of the territory, a resident source said.

Jakarta – Thousands of people prayed for peace Sunday at a rally in Indonesia's capital and called on the country to avoid violence as it struggles through an economic crisis.

Jakarta – Some 400 East Timorese students studying in neighboring Indonesian West Timor have returned home after being terrorized by men dressed in black "ninja" suits, the Kompas daily reported Saturday.

United Nations – Portugal and Indonesia reviewed proposals for autonomy for the disputed territory of East Timor but came to no decision during three days of talks ending on Thursday, a UN official said.

Jakarta – The National Police are to send officers to the United States to investigate the alleged forgery of promissory notes worth about US$3 billion by Ibnu Hartomo, former president Soeharto's brother-in-law.

Jakarta – Sixteen inmates escaped from an Indonesian prison in the troubled territory of East Timor today as the population of the main city of Dili launched a "silent protest" against the Jakarta-appointed governor.

Mike Head – Megawati Sukarnoputri, widely touted by the Western media as Indonesia's next president, pledged to uphold the "open market system" of global capitalism on Thursday, the opening day of the congress staged by her faction of the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI).

Jakarta – Rights activists have said that the grisly murder spree that took place in East Java over the past two months has now claimed 157 victims and appears to have been perpetrated by an organized force.

Andrew Perrin, Dili – Tension was rising last night following accusations of a major military offensive against Timorese resistance forces in the past two weeks.

Richard Lloyd Parry, Jakarta – The Indonesian government is covertly sending thousands of combat troops into the occupied territory of East Timor in what looks alarmingly like a preparation for a military offensive, according to Western diplomats in Jakarta.

Muklis Ali, Jakarta – Indonesia said on Friday it had found evidence of corruption in deals between state oil firm Pertamina and 159 companies – most linked to the family and friends of former President Suharto – and may renegotiate them.

Louise Williams, Sanur – Tens of thousands of people descended on a dusty field in the tourist island of Bali yesterday as Indonesia's pro-democracy figurehead, Megawati Soekarnoputri, launched her bid for the presidency from a makeshift stage.

Jakarta – Thousands of villagers went on a rampage at a pineapple plantation in southern Sumatra in Lampung province, looting and burning warehouses and other facilities, sources and press reports said Thursday. Angry mobs from 10 villages in Padangratu district, Lampung province, began looting the plantation shortly after midnight Tuesday.

Banyuwangi – Police in Indonesia's East Java said on Wednesday there was mounting evidence that members of the military were involved in a mysterious murder spree that has claimed more than 100 lives.

Jakarta – Indonesia's beleaguered rupiah broke through the key target of 10,000 to the dollar on Wednesday, reaching its strongest levels since former President Suharto resigned in May amid economic turmoil and mass unrest.

Derwin Pereira, Jakarta – The Indonesian Armed Forces (ABRI), in its first-ever public acknowledgement, has conceded that it was used as a political tool by former President Suharto to further his political and other interests when he was in power.

Jakarta – Thousands of villagers looted state owned shrimp ponds on the Indonesian island of Nusakambangan, a report said Wednesday. Around 2,000 people from southern Central Java crossed the narrow strait to Nusakambangan late Saturday and looted the local state cooperative shrimp ponds, the Republika daily said.

Jennifer Lin, Bantar Gebang – Nine-year-old Wasmin beamed with pride when he came home from school one recent day lugging a big bag of rice, cooking oil, and an armful of secondhand clothes.

Surabaya – East Java Police chief Maj. Gen. M. Dayat has said he suspected a mysterious murder spree in several East Java towns was the result of "organized crime". As many as 100 Islamic teachers and others accused of practicing "black magic" have been killed to date.

Jakarta – Rights activists alleged on Tuesday that military atrocities occurred in Central Aceh regency--in addition to those found recently in the regencies of Pidie, East and North Aceh – when the province was a military operation zone from 1989 to 1998.

Jakarta – The Indonesian economy slumped 17.4% in the third quarter of this year proving the sprawling country's downturn hasn't bottomed out yet. But analysts noted that gross domestic product and inflation data released Monday show the speed of Indonesia's economic slump has slowed markedly from earlier this year.

Allan Thompson, Vancouver – A government lawyer has denied that Canada offered favours to an Indonesian dictator or that demonstrators were dealt with improperly at last year's Asia-Pacific summit.

Jakarta – Hundreds of people protested in a town in South Sulawesi Tuesday after failing to get their money out of a financially troubled local savings agency.

Jakarta – Politicians, religious leaders and observers expressed alarm at the weekend over the stated support of the National Front – an association of retired generals, officials and ex-Golkar leaders – for Student activists' 40-day campaign to force President B.J. Habibie to resign.

Jakarta – Indonesian humanitarian workers Tuesday spoke of terror and pressure against them to stop their efforts in investigating violence during the May riots. "Terror against humanitarian workers have become rampant since the May riots," Ita Nadia from the Volunteers of Humanity told reporters at a joint press conference here with several human rights groups.

Jakarta – Police in the remote Indonesian province of Irian Jaya Tuesday arrested an alleged separatist leader, the Antara news agency said. The police in Jayapura, the main town of Irian Jaya, arrested Theys H. Eluay at his home in the Sentani area around 6am Antara said.

Jakarta – Tempo, Indonesia's leading weekly news magazine banned by the government of former president Suharto in 1994, hit the streets Tuesday with the issue of rapes during the May riots as its cover story. "There are so many stories and not too many facts about the rapes.