An Indonesian court has jailed a militiaman for six years for the brutal murder of a New Zealand peacekeeping soldier in East Timor in 2000.

Jacobus Bere was found guilty of murdering Private Leonard William Manning, 24, near Suai in East Timor on July 24, 2000.

Dili – Almost half East Timor's population don't have enough food to eat and eke out a living on or below the poverty line, a survey carried out with the UN and other international agencies showed.

Grassroots opinion on East Timor's draft Constitution has been summarized by Constituent Assembly members over the last three days before a final debate on the document.

Joanna Jolly, Dili – The first contingent of 24 Japanese military engineers arrived Monday to join a U.N. peacekeeping force amid protests over Japan's brutal occupation of East Timor in World War II.

Jakarta – Prosecutors of the United Nations Transitional Administration in East Timor (UNTAET) have launched cases against three men accused of 27 crimes against humanity during a violent campaign against pro-independence supporters in 1999.

Dominic Whiting, Bangkok – East Timor independence hero Xanana Gusmao, the front-runner to lead the nascent Southeast Asian state, said on Tuesday he wanted to be defeated in his country's first presidential elections. Last month Gusmao, backed by 11 of the tiny territory's 16 political parties, accepted their nomination as a presidential candidate.

Mark Baker, Manila – Burma's military regime has sparked a rift within the Association of South-East Asian Nations by blocking moves towards East Timor joining the regional grouping after the country achieves independence next year.

Dili – The people of East Timor this week once again displayed intense interest and enthusiasm in the democratic process as more than 80 public consultations in all districts on the final draft of the nation's Constitution often drew hundreds of people.

Jakarta – A cemetery for Indonesian servicemen in East Timor's capital Dili has been converted to a cassava farm, Indonesia's state-run news agency Antara said Friday.

Yemris Fointuna, Kupang – Udayana Military Commander Maj. Gen. Wellem T. da Costa has ordered soldiers to shoot East Timor refugees found committing violence against Indonesians living near refugee camps in West Timor.

"... I order all TNI members to shoot any criminal on the spot. I am ready to be sued over this decision," Wellem said.

Yemris Fointuna, Kupang – Thousands of East Timorese refugees have begun to use violence and terror against local villagers in a bid to survive in East Nusa Tenggara province following the halt of their food assistance early last month.

Achara Ashayagachat – East Timor needs 10 years to prepare for joining the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, de facto Foreign Minister Ramos Horta said.

Manila – Myanmar has objected to a proposal to grant East Timor observer status to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), Philippine officials said Thursday.

Yemris Fointuna – The East Timor Commission for Truth, Reception and Reconciliation is planning to question several proindependence leaders, including Jose Alexandre "Xanana" Gusmao, for allegedly committing human rights abuses in the territory during the period of April 1974 to October 1999.

Nusa Dua – Tens of thousands of East Timorese refugees who are still reluctant to return are testing the patience of their compatriots back home, Foreign Minister Jose Ramos Horta has said.

An estimated 60,000 to 80,000 refugees remain in squalid camps in Indonesian West Timor, two and a half years after fleeing independence- related violence.

Yemris Fointuna, Kupang – Around 128,000 East Timorese people staying in numerous refugee camps in East Nusa Tenggara Province are facing starvation as their food supply is nearly exhausted.

Indonesia's recent indictment of seven military officers for crimes against humanity committed in East Timor in 1999 does not alleviate concerns that Indonesian courts can provide justice for the thousands of victims of military violence in East Timor, observed an East Timorese activist and the East Timor Action Network/US(ETAN).

Dili – The General Prosecutor of East Timor issued an indictment today charging militia commander Bernadino da Costa – also known as "Mata Satu" – with nine counts of Crimes Against Humanity including murder, persecution and the forcible transfer of hundreds of East Timorese to West Timor.

Dili – A preliminary government report that indicates 41 per cent of East Timor's population live in poverty and 48 per cent are illiterate was presented today to the Council of Ministers.

Jill Jolliffe – It is 11am on a weekday and people are queueing at Dili's Chinese Buddhist temple. Most of the East Timorese in the queue are Catholics and they have come to have their horoscopes read.

Joanna Jolly, Dili – Independence leader Jose Alexandre "Xanana" Gusmao, a potent symbol of East Timor's resistance during decades of Indonesian rule, on Saturday officially declared himself a candidate in the new nation's first presidential election.

Jill Jolliffe, Oecussi – East Timor's revolutionary hero, Xanana Gusmao, was met by enthusiastic village crowds this week as the stage was set for him to become president of the 21st century's first new nation.

Two international human rights groups questioned Indonesia's determination to bring offenders in East Timor to justice despite its indictment of seven suspects in the murderous army-backed militia attacks on independence supporters in 1999.

Dili – UNTAET and the East Timorese government met for the first time today to discuss a joint strategy to address the domestic violence problem and ensure that different government departments work together on the issue.

Indonesian prosecutors indicted seven senior officials including the ex-governor of East Timor for crimes including genocide in the territory in 1999.

Tertiani ZB Simandjuntak and Yogita Tahilramani, Jakarta – Human rights activists urged the government on Wednesday to extradite 17 former militia members and military personnel indicted in East Timor for crimes against humanity there, saying the charges against them did not involve ordinary crimes.

Dili – Independence leader Xanana Gusmao and Dili Bishop Filipe Ximenes Belo urged the Constituent Assembly today not to rush passage of East Timor's first Constitution, saying more time was needed for an upcoming public consultation on the historic document.

An agreement between the United Nations and Indonesia to pursue those responsible for the gross abuse of human rights in East Timor appears close to collapse. Under a memorandum of understanding signed two years ago, the two parties agreed to assist one other with criminal investigations and court proceedings.

Jakarta – The Indonesian government had a moral obligation to surrender 17 military men and former militiamen to the United Nations Transitional Administration in East Timor (UNTAET), which had indicted them for alleged crimes against humanity in 1999, claimed a noted lawyer.

Yogita Tahilramani, Jakarta – Indonesian officials said they would not hand over 17 men indicted by prosecutors in East Timor on Monday for alleged crimes against humanity, saying that Jakarta has no extradition agreement with the territory.

Catharine Munro, Jakarta – Militia leader Eurico Guterres today said he would answer charges of crimes against humanity in Indonesia but not in his native East Timor for his role in anti-independence activities in 1999.

Geoff Elliott – Telstra will withdraw its services from East Timor, prompting a stinging attack from East Timor foreign minister Jose Ramos Horta. Mr Ramos Horta said Telstra would not be missed as the telco giant had not done much for East Timor.

Dili – Francisco Xavier do Amaral, a Deputy Speaker of the Constituent Assembly, received a second nomination today for president. The former FRETILIN leader is the only candidate for the 14 April election with just four days remaining in the registration period.

East Timor's transition government, with little more than three months left before independence, insists that international donors cover its budget deficit over the next three years, estimated at USD 170 million, or euros 195.5 million.

Joanna Jolly, Dili – International prosecutors on Monday indicted 17 pro-Jakarta militiamen and Indonesian soldiers for crimes against humanity allegedly committed during East Timor's violent break with Indonesia in 1999.

Christopher Hitchens – In a few weeks, East Timor will be able to celebrate both its independence as a country and its status as a democracy. Elections will have produced a government able to seek and receive international recognition.

Yemris Fointuna, Kupang – The government has extended its deadline for 128,000 (sic) Timorese to vacate refugee camps in West Timor until June 20, allowing them more time to decide on their future.

Daniel Nelson – After 25 years of brutal occupation, culminating in Indonesian-organized murder and mayhem against a referendum on independence, the world's newest country is turning the spotlight on home-grown violence by launching a campaign against wife-beating.

How much did the Australian Government know about plans for an attack by Indonesian forces which would result in the death of five Australian-based newsmen? Hamish McDonald and Desmond Ball analyse new evidence concerning the affair.

Independence leader Xanana Gusmao said Wednesday he had not yet decided whether he would run for the presidency of East Timor in April 14 elections, adding that he would not bow to "pressures from anyone" to stand as an independent candidate.

Jill Jolliffe, Dili – In another step towards nationhood, East Timor's constituent assembly has approved a draft of a constitution guaranteeing basic civil liberties and a mixed economy for the new state that will emerge on Australia's doorstep in May.

Darwin – Less than a year after Australia rejected Royal Dutch/Shell Group's bid for Woodside Petroleum Ltd., the government may cite the same national interest argument to sink Shell's proposed $4.9 billion floating natural gas platform.

Yemris Fointuna, Kupang – Possible clashes are looming between East Timorese refugees and Indonesian farmers seeking to reclaim land used to accommodate the refugees on the border of West Timor and East Timor.

Dili – As East Timor prepares for full independence in May, voters lack information about the draft of the country's new constitution, according to a survey released Thursday.

Dili – Representatives of UNTAET and the Government of East Timor today held a press conference in Dili as part of an ongoing campaign to eradicate domestic violence.

Francisco Xavier do Amaral, the vice-president of East Timor's Constituent Assembly, has registered formally as the first candidate in the territory's April 14 presidential election, electoral officials said Tuesday.

Yemris Fointuna, Kupang – Despite the cancellation of humanitarian assistance as of January 1, 2002, the remaining 128,000 or so East Timorese people taking refuge in West Timor has become a headache for the government because they have not clearly chosen to stay in Indonesia or return to East Timor, and therefore their status is unclear.

East Timor is due to become officially and fully independent on 20 May 2002. As part of the process of preparing for this, the authorities have prepared a draft Constitution of the Democratic Republic of East Timor. Formal approval for this Constitution is expected on 16 March 2002.

United Nations – The UN Security Council voted unanimously on Thursday to extend its peacekeeping and nation-building operation in East Timor until the former Portuguese colony declares independence on May 20.

Dili – The Constituent Assembly voted today to transform itself into East Timor's first legislature upon final approval of the Constitution.