Tiarma Siboro and Muninggar Sri Saraswati, Jakarta – Puteh will still be free to resume his duties as Aceh governor and the province's civil emergency administrator, after the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) has finished questioning him in a graft scam, a minister has said.

Fabiola Desy Unidjaja and Muninggar Sri Saraswati, Jakarta – President Megawati Soekarnoputri officially stripped Abdullah Puteh of his powers as Aceh governor and administrator of the civil emergency on Wednesday.

However, Puteh's lawyers say the move means Puteh would be back at work in his job as early as this week.

State troops have killed more than 230 suspected separatist rebels in Aceh province since martial law was lifted two months ago, an official said Wednesday (21/7/04).

Police spokesman Senior Commissioner Anjaya said that from May 19 to July 19, troops killed 232 members of the Free Aceh Movement (GAM). That's an average of more than four killings a day.

Tim Johnston, Jakarta – Indonesia soldiers carry body of Said Adnan, who has been identified as a governor for Free Aceh Movement in North Aceh. File photo – Jan. 16, 2004

Reports from Indonesia's northern province of Aceh say that more than 200 people have been killed by the army and police in the past two months.

Adianto P. Simamora, Jakarta – Indonesia accepts the Swedish prosecutors' decision to drop charges against Hasan Tiro, the exiled former chief of the separatist Free Aceh Movement (GAM), Minister of Foreign Affairs Hassan Wirayuda said on Tuesday.

But Hassan urged Sweden to continue the legal action against the self-styled GAM leaders Zaini Abdullah and Malik Mahmood.

Jakarta – Indonesian troops have killed more than 230 alleged separatist guerrillas in Aceh province since martial law was lifted two months ago.

Some 232 alleged members of the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) – or almost four people a day on average – died in clashes between May 19 and July 19, said Police Senior Commissioner Anjaya.

Nani Afrida and Tiarma Siboro, Banda Aceh/Jakarta – Acehnese people will again have to face the bitter reality of the government's failure to consult and to take into account their aspirations every time it takes a major policy decision, even though the decision will greatly affect their lives.

Stockholm, Sweden – A Swedish prosecutor has dropped an investigation of the exiled leader of the Aceh rebel movement, saying the aging Hasan Tiro no longer controls the group, news reports said Sunday.

Tiro, 80, and two other exiled leaders of the Free Aceh Movement are accused by Indonesia of staging assassinations, bombings and kidnappings.

Fabiola Desy Unidjaja and Tiarma Siboro, Jakarta – President Megawati Soekarnoputri is reportedly considering a replacement for Aceh Governor Abdullah Puteh as pressure mounts on her to fire him due to graft charges against him.

Tiarma Siboro, Jakarta – Graft suspect Abdullah Puteh admitted on Thursday that no tender was held for the purchase of a Russian-made helicopter in 2001, but denied suggestions that he had violated any law in the deal.

Jakarta – Indonesian troops killed 15 suspected rebels in Indonesia's Aceh province, and guerrillas set fire to a passenger bus, an army spokesman said Wednesday.

Sam Zarifi, New York – Come Monday, most of Indonesia's 150 million registered voters will be able to cast (or not cast) their ballots in a relatively peaceful environment.

Indonesians should be proud that they have reached yet another major political and logistical milestone on their road to full democracy.

Jakarta – Acehnese rebels Thursday accused Indonesian police of torturing to death one of their district leaders, the latest allegation of rights abuses against security forces in the war-torn province.

Ahead of Indonesia's first direct presidential election on 5 July, BBC News Online has been hearing from a range of voters about their hopes and expectations.

Achmad Humam Hamid, a sociologist and human rights campaigner from Syiah Kuala University in Aceh province, said there was little difference between the main contenders.

Banda Aceh – Indonesia Tuesday expelled two Malaysians and a US citizen after they illegally entered the restive province of Aceh which remains under a state of civil emergency, an official said.

A room in the fifth floor apartment in Alby, Stockholm, Sweden, was already without its police guard. The occupant, President of the Free Aceh Movement (GAM), Teuku Hasan Muhammad di Tiro, 79, under house arrest since last Tuesday, had been released for the time being.

Sian Powell – A rusting billboard greets visitors to Jantho, in the forested hills southeast of the provincial capital of Banda Aceh. "Let's make Jantho a tourist area," it says.

Jakarta – The governor of Indonesia's war-torn Aceh province claimed Sunday that security was improving in the region, state news agency Antara reported, despite recent clashes that have killed at least nine alleged rebels.

Sian Powell, Jakarta – Most Acehnese believe the blood-drenched province needs a ceasefire, or at least an end to hostilities, but Governor Abdullah Puteh said yesterday his prime requirements were tourism and foreign investment.

Given the attention that is currently being paid in both government and media circles to the Swedish court's decision to release two leaders of the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) from custody, Indonesians are certainly right to ask how relevant events in Sweden are to the peaceful and lasting settlement of what is known here as the Aceh problem.

Simon Elegant, Jakarta – Bilal looks down at the bloody corpse of his neighbor, Mohammed Ishak, and says: "They must have hated him very much to put so many bullets into his body."

Tiarma Siboro, Jakarta – Despite the Swedish court's decision to release the leaders of the Free Aceh Movement (GAM), the Indonesian government was optimistic that the cases against the exiled men would go ahead.

Farish A. Noor – Aceh has played a crucial role in the development of Indonesian national identity and the Indonesian nation-state. But after sacrificing so much to the idea and ideals of Indonesia, it appears that the struggle of the people of Aceh is far from over

Mafoot Simon – In an apartment in the Stockholm suburb of Alby a year ago, a leader of the movement that has fought a violent struggle with Jakarta authorities for a separate state in Aceh, Sumatra, told an interviewer that he hoped Sweden would not buckle under Indonesian pressure.

Banda Aceh – Indonesia's presidential favourite vowed on Friday to achieve peace in rebellious Aceh and restore dignity to people in the strife-torn province if he was voted to office.

Tiarma Siboro, Jakarta – The government issued on Wednesday guidelines for the implementation of integrated operations in Aceh under a state of civil emergency, which restrict the governor's authority over local administrations.

M. Rizal Maslan, Jakarta - The State Intelligence Agency (BIN) believes that arrest of three Free Aceh Movement (GAM) leaders in Sweden is a political victory and they now need to lobby for GAM to be included in the list of international terrorist organisations.

Fabiola Desy Unidjaja and Tiarma Siboro, Jakarta – The detention of two Aceh rebel leaders in Sweden may have been based on a UN resolution requiring member states to take action against anyone that threatens the territorial integrity of states.

Larry Thompson – A 28-year conflict between the Indonesian government and the separatist Free Aceh Movement (GAM) has killed thousands of civilians, displaced hundreds of thousands of people, and destroyed much of the infrastructure of Aceh.

Police in Sweden have arrested three leaders of Indonesia's separatist Free Aceh Movement after raiding their homes in a Stockholm suburb.

Stephen Brown, Stockholm – Swedish police on Tuesday arrested three leaders of an Aceh separatist group which has been fighting Indonesia for independence since 1976, saying they were suspected of "grave breaches of international law."

Banda Aceh – Injustice is at the root of a separatist movement in Indonesia's Aceh, presidential hopeful Amien Rais said on Saturday during the first visit by a candidate to the troubled province.

Banda Aceh – The civil state of emergency administrator state in Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam (NAD) province has stated that the shoot on sight order is still in force as regards all perpetrators who disturb security and destroy public facilities in the province as of Wednesday (09/06).

Jakarta – Indonesian troops killed 12 alleged separatist rebels in Aceh province where violence has continued despite the recent lifting of martial law there, the army said on Thursday.

Ibnu Mat Noor, Banda Aceh – Governor Abdullah Puteh announced on Wednesday that despite the province's change of status to civil emergency, a number of regulations from the martial law period still applied, including the ban on foreigners entering the province.

Ahmad Taufik, Yuswardi A. Suud, Banda Aceh – Investigations into allegations of corruption linked to the purchase of electrical generators and a helicopter have begun. Governor Abdullah Puteh is finding himself painted into a corner.

Banda Aceh – An Indonesian general on Monday officially handed over power to the civilian governor of restive Aceh province almost three weeks after martial law was lifted.

Governor Abdullah Puteh and former martial law chief Maj. Gen.

Tiarma Siboro, Jakarta – The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) said on Friday that Aceh Governor Abdullah Puteh knew that some procedures had been violated in the purchase of a Russian-made Mi-2 helicopter in 2002.

Nani Afrida, Banda Aceh – The sharia police officers here are being criticized over their "sweeps" on women – who have allegedly donned attire deemed inappropriate under Islamic law – which has been in force in Aceh since 2001.

Abdul Khalik and Muninggar Sri Saraswati, Jakarta – The National Police here questioned Aceh Governor Abdullah Puteh in Jakarta for more than eight hours over a corruption case worth Rp 30 billion (US$3.1 million) in losses to the state.

Banda Aceh – Indonesian troops have shot dead four separatist guerrillas and captured another in Aceh province, the military said on Monday.

Indonesian troops gunned down 12 suspected separatist rebels over the weekend as violence continues despite the government's decision to lift martial law in the troubled Aceh province.

Nine rebels were shot dead Saturday in gunbattles across the region on the northern tip of Sumatra island, said Lt. Col. Asep Sapari.

Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, Jakarta – The police plan to question Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam governor Abdullah Puteh would not, for the time being, affect his status as civil emergency administrator, the government said on Sunday.

Jakarta – President Megawati Sukarnoputri has given police the go-ahead to investigate allegations of a multimillion-dollar graft case involving the governor of the war-torn province of Aceh.

Nani Afrida – The Jakarta Post's correspondent in Aceh, spent two nights two weeks ago at the Free Aceh Movement's (GAM) hideout in East Aceh regency, after she and five other journalists offered themselves as collateral for the release of about 100 GAM hostages, including RCTI television cameraman Fery Santoro.

Yuli Tri Suwarni, Bandung – Aceh military operation commander Maj. Gen. George Toisuta will soon be promoted to head the first division of the Army's Strategic Reserves Command, the Indonesian Military (TNI) spokesman said.

Jakarta – President Megawati Sukarnoputri has given police the go-ahead to investigate allegations of a multimillion-dollar graft case involving the governor of the war-torn province of Aceh, a spokesman said Friday.

Nani Afrida, Banda Aceh – "Free Aceh Sumatra!," shouted several guerrilla rebels of the Aceh Free Movement (GAM), during a ceremony for the release of 155 hostages, including RCTI cameraman Ferry Santoro, in a village in East Aceh regency recently.

Muninggar Sri Saraswati, Jakarta – Despite earlier assurances that the governor of Nanggroe Aceh Darrussalam would remain in charge of the civil emergency administration, a presidential instruction to be issued on Thursday will effectively curtail his powers.

Jakarta – Six suspected separatist rebels were killed in Indonesia's Aceh province Thursday, as Amnesty International said the continuing military campaign there had caused "a marked deterioration" in the province's human rights situation.