Banda Aceh – The police here forced some 300 activists of the Aceh Referendum Information Agency (SIRA) to disperse as they staged a demonstration in front of the local office of the He

East Timor's President Xanana Gusmao has taken another swipe at the new country's politicians in a Christmas message to his people.

Seven Indonesian special forces soldiers accused over the murder of Papua pro-independence leader Theys Hiyo Eluay will go on trial next month, a general said yesterday.

Berni K.

Jakarta – Employees of PT Indosat, a state-owned overseas call operator, threatened here on Monday to stage a strike later this week if the government does not cancel the recent sale of

Debbie A.

Derwin Pereira, Jakarta – A series of bizarre revelations and rulings last week has raised serious questions once again about Indonesia's legal system.

Jakarta – A high-ranking official of the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) reportedly attended a ceremony marking the 46th anniversary of the Aceh Military Command in Banda Aceh on Monday, Antar

Indonesia has agreed to let agents from the US Federal Bureay of Investigation (FBI) join an investigation into an ambush that killed two Americans and an Indonesian in Papua province.

Simon Elegant, Venelale – During the bloody insurrection that produced the new nation of East Timor, Hasan Basri presented residents of the small town of Venelale with a proposition: gi

Two soldiers, a policeman and five civilians were shot dead in Indonesia's Aceh province over the weekend despite this month's peace agreement, an army officer and a rebel leader said.

Peace monitors began work in Indonesia's Aceh province as fresh violence erupted between troops and separatist rebels despite a ceasefire pact this month.

Jakarta – The Supreme Court has ruled to favor of Shangri-La Hotel in its termination of 75 former hotel employees who were involved in a strike, illegal demonstrations and occupation o

Matthew Moore, Jakarta – US President George Bush has told Indonesia's President Megawati Soekarnoputri that Indonesia must find and punish those responsible for shooting dead two Ameri

Dili – East Timor's outgoing bishop, Carlos Belo, hit back Friday at accusations he had made a fool of an Indonesian human rights court hearing charges against Indonesian military offic

Jakarta – The draft budget proposal for regular perks for high-profile Jakarta Governor Sutiyoso, who was recently in the public eye over allegations of corruption, is raising eyebrows.

Jakarta – A long-time golfing partner of former Indonesian dictator Suharto has been frequently absent from the island prison where he is serving time for corruption.

John Ward and Peter Symonds – In the wake of violent protests in the capital of Dili on December 4, the East Timorese government, backed by UN officials, has attempted to deflect attent

New York – The Indonesian ad hoc court for East Timor has utterly failed to bring to justice the perpetrators of the 1999 violence in East Timor, Human Rights Watch charged in a new bri

Banda Aceh and Lhokseumawe – Neat rows of red and white flags around Banda Aceh's historic Baiturrahman mosque are the Indonesian government's way of saying that, despite a truce signed

Jakarta – The family of missing poet Wiji Thukul rejected the Yap Thiam Hien human rights award mainly because a foreign-based mining company is allegedly involved in several human righ

Craig Skehan – Australia's Foreign Minister has cautioned Vanuatu that any change to Indonesia's boundaries to provide for independence for the province of Papua would result in bloodsh

[The United Nations and legal workers in East Timor have accused the international community, including Australia, of failing to offer continuing support to the country's reconstruct

Sidney Jones, Jakarta – Since President Soeharto resigned in May 1998, violence and conflict seem to have become part of Indonesian life.

Veronica Brooks, Canberra – The Australian government Wednesday said it welcomes the passage of East Timor's legislation implementing the Timor Sea Treaty.

Yemris Fointuna, Kupang – Dominggus dos Santos, the suspected main actor in the deadly riot in Dili, East Timor on December 4, was arrested on Monday night in the Indonesian territory o

Nigel Wilson – The East Timor parliament has ratified the Timor Sea Treaty with Australia, further embarrassing the Howard Government.

Jill Joliffe, Dili – The recent resignation of Bishop Carlos Ximenes Belo as head of the Catholic Church in East Timor has brought to a close a courageous and painful period in the life

Tony Sitathan, Jakarta – When Indonesia's national monument to independence, the Monas, underwent a major renovation project recently, another national hallmark – bureaucratic corruptio

Jakarta – The Indonesian Military (TNI) is considering dropping its plan to sue US-based The Washington Post daily provided it writes a letter apologizing to TNI for the use of unverifi

Banda Aceh – Indonesian President Megawati Sukarnoputri said on Tuesday a landmark peace pact agreed with Aceh rebels was a dream come true, although both sides have started to accuse e

Lela E. Madjiah, Surabaya – Army Chief of Staff Gen.

Jakarta – Indigenous youth and migrants clashedin Kalimantan on Monday leaving at least one person dead, AP reported.

Phil Zabriskie – When East Timor formally celebrated its independence in May, it closed the chapter on four centuries of stern Portuguese colonization and 24 years of brutal Indonesian

Derwin Pereira, Jakarta – The peace deal between the Indonesian government and the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) could go into a tailspin as the rebels still eye independence.

Nethy Dharma Somba, Jayapura – Police here dispersed a separatist street parade at the Cendrawasih University compound, arrested three people and confiscated two flags representing the

Chris Brummitt, Jakarta – Indonesian security forces looked on but did nothing when a pro-Indonesia mob attacked a church in East Timor, killing at least 27 people, a witness said Monda

Life appears to be returning to normal in Aceh, a week after an historic peace deal was signed in Geneva.

Jakarta – A human rights court trying an Indonesian army general heard the first live televised testimony Monday from witnesses in East Timor.

Dili – The parliamentary inquiry into Dili's deadly rioting found that street demonstrations began "spontaneously" but appeared to have turned into mob action for "political motivations

Jakarta – Around 30 suspected separatist rebels, some armed with automatic rifles, ambushed a group of government officials in Indonesia's Papua province on Monday.

Jakarta – Indonesian Military (TNI) Chief Gen.

[Inside Indonesia's Special Forces, By Ken Conboy, Equinox Publishing (Asia), 2002, 320pp.]

As many as six people have been killed in Aceh by Indonesian troops hunting separatist rebels despite the signing of a peace pact December 9, a resident and a rebel commander said.

Nethy Darma Somba and Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, Jakarta/Jayapura – The government has for the time being shelved plans to create three new provinces from the country's easternmost province

Mark Baker, Dili – It is a simple but splendid house with whitewashed walls and a high-pitched roof of traditional timber and thatch.

Jakarta – The country's green organization Walhi said on Friday they plan to sue state-owned forestry company Perhutani for alleged illegal logging above a hotspring resort in Mojokerto

Jill Jolliffe, Dili – Five gunshot victims interviewed by The Age in the Dili hospital yesterday say they were shot by roaming groups of special police in the capital's outer suburbs af

Mark Baker, Dili – The Federal Government is locked in a bitter dispute with East Timor over control of multi-billion-dollar oil and gas reserves in the Timor Sea that is threatening to

Another person has been shot dead in Aceh province where a ceasefire between Indonesian troops and separatist rebels is in force, humanitarian workers said.