Bandung – West Java Governor Danny Setiawan rejected on Thursday workers' demand for a repeal of the governor's decree on the minimum wage.

Danny said the decree had been agreed by all parties concerned, including workers' representatives.

Indonesian prosecutors' bid to link a radical Muslim cleric to bomb attacks suffered another setback when a key witness withdrew a confession tying the militant to a regional extremist group.

Yuli Tri Suwarni, Bandung – Thousands of West Java factory workers, grouped under the National Workers Union (SPN), staged a five hour protest on Wednesday outside the West Java governor's office, demanding that the governor raise the minimum wage in the province.

Muninggar Sri Saraswati, Jakarta – The Constitutional Court annulled on Wednesday Electricity Law No. 20/2002, ruling that it was against the nation's Constitution for opening the door to full competition in the electricity business. It was the first law to be annulled by the powerful court since its establishment last year.

Kornelius Purba and M. Taufiqurrahman, Nusa Dua/Bali – This week's Golkar Party congress will feature rich, deceptive and powerful people bidding to win the chairmanship of the party, which controls the most seats in the House of Representatives.

There's high drama in Bali at the annual conference of the powerful political party Golkar. Indonesian police have confirmed they're investigating a possible attempt to poison the Vice President Yusuf Kalla, whose attending the conference and is standing for its leadership.

Matthew Moore, Jakarta – The leaders of Indonesia and East Timor have quietly agreed to discuss setting up a "truth and friendship commission" that would reconsider the massacre of East Timorese about the time of their 1999 vote for independence.

Kurniawan Hari, Jakarta – The government must give authority to the General Elections Commission (KPU) in local elections to prevent the interference of regional legislatures, an observer says.

Under Law No. 32/2004 on regional administrations, local elections are organized by local election commissions (KPUDs), which are accountable to regional legislatures (DPRDs).

Tony Hotland, Jakarta – A government-sanctioned joint team announced its official report on alleged Buyat Bay pollution here on Wednesday, maintaining its stance that PT Newmont Minahasa Raya (NMR) is guilty of contaminating the bay in North Sulawesi.

Muhammad Nafik, Jakarta – Although it is emerging as the world's largest Muslim democracy, the country still has a long way to go until it plays a greater role in the Muslim world and other international affairs due to lingering domestic problems, say analysts.

Reporter: Anne Barker

Eleanor Hall: East Timor has upped the ante in its dispute with Australia over oil and gas reserves in the Timor Sea.

Jakarta – Indonesian Military (TNI) chief General Endriartono Sutarto has said that the TNI is ready to be placed under the ministry of defense ministry only if this was aimed at reaching a better democratic life. The TNI is basically obliged to encourage the democratization process in Indonesia towards a better situation.

Darmawan Sepriyossa, Cunding Levi, TNR – A team of eight men had apparently come and gone with the wind. They arrived in Papua "stealthily". On Sunday a fortnight ago, boarding a chartered Airfast flight, they landed at the Moses Kilangin Airport, Timika, Papua. No official reception awaited them. In fact, even the local administration had no previous knowledge of their arrival.

Born of a long, bloody revolution which taxed immeasurable sacrifice, it is no wonder that the words "war" and "struggle" are etched into the fables of Indonesian nationalism.

[East Timor: Testimony. Elaine Briere. Between the Lines Books. 128 pages, 64 photographs, $56.95.]

Stephen Langford – For people involved in East Timor's struggle, this book is a must-read. I have Elaine Briere to thank for my start in East Timor solidarity, and I am an admirer of her photography, and of her documentary on East Timor, Bitter Paradise.

Kurniawan Hari, Jakarta – The Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) is considering modifying the prerogatives granted to party leader Megawati Soekarnoputri, in an attempt to become more modern.

PDI-P deputy secretary-general Pramono Anung Wibowo said here on Tuesday that special powers could only be exercised after consultation with other party leaders.

Nani Afrida, Central Aceh – Musirah, 50, remembered the day her village fought against the Free Aceh Movement (GAM), when hundreds of armed insurgents besieged the village on June 6, 2001.

The guerrillas had previously attacked and burned down other villages in the districts of Batu, Timang Gajah, Bandar and Syiah Utama.

Muninggar Sri Saraswati, Jakarta – Attorney General Abdul Rachman Saleh says Indonesia will continue to impose the death penalty for certain crimes, as the country lacks competent law enforcement institutions. "I think the death penalty remains relevant," he said on the sidelines of a seminar on the death penalty sponsored by the European Union here on Tuesday.

James Rose – Indonesian and international groups have called for a halt to BP's Tangguh liquefied natural gas project in Indonesia in a letter to BP chief executive Lord Browne, citing sustainability concerns.

The letter highlights concerns over progress on key human rights commitments, transparency, and issues surrounding the West Papua secessionist rebellion movement.

Evi Mariani, Jakarta – Billions of rupiah in change from traffic fines remain idle at a state bank, as most people have been reluctant to go to court over traffic tickets and preferred to pay out-of-court settlements.

Ruslan Sangadji, Palu – Enraged by the latest attacks on churches in Palu, Central Sulawesi, Christian leaders demanded here on Tuesday that the government investigate the bloody incidents thoroughly.

Fabiola Desy Unidjaja and Kurniawan Hari, Jakarta – The government has finalized a draft presidential regulation to transfer control of the directorate general of post and telecommunications from the Ministry of Transportation to the Office of the State Minister of Information and Communication.

Damar Harsanto, Jakarta – At least 2,500 families will lose their homes next year when the city administration launches a massive eviction operation to remove squatters who are living along riverbanks, under overpasses and on idle plots of land.

The administration, however, promised that the people would relocated to nearby low-cost apartments provided by the city.

Jakarta - Suciwati, the wife of the late Munir, is to seek international support. She will be forced to do this if an Indonesian independent investigation team is not able to work effectively.

Nethy Dharma Somba, Jayapura – Police personnel will not hesitate to arrest any parties who attempt to commemorate the 16th anniversary of the proclamation of the West Melanesian State, a top police officer in Papua warned on Monday. The anniversary celebration falls on December 14.

Dili – Dili understands the worries of investors over corruption in East Timor and the government is determined to crackdown on the emerging phenomenon in tandem with aid donors, Foreign Minister Josi Ramos Horta said Tuesday.

Devi Asmarani, Jakarta – Indonesia is planning mandatory military service for its citizens in a bid to beef up the country's defence forces.

Tiarma Siboro, Jakarta – The Ministry of Defense is looking into the procurement of 100 Scorpion light tanks from a leading British arms company in the mid-1990s, in hopes of helping the anticorruption unit in a potential bribery investigation.

Kanis Dursin, Jakarta – The 150 or so people in the room suddenly burst into laughter when one of the speakers conveyed what he said was an appeal from Papuan girls.

Nani Afrida, Banda Aceh – "Are you Acehnese? Then you must be GAM." This sort of intimidating remark is frequently uttered by soldiers when conducting checking motorists and passers-by for identity cards and weapons. Local resident Muhammad, 32, has had enough of it.

Matthew Moore, Jakarta – The oldest daughter of former Indonesian president Soeharto is being investigated for corruption after revelations that she received a 16.5 million pounds ($A42.2 million) payment from a British arms company.

Shawn Donnan – Indonesian human rights activist Munir had plenty of powerful enemies. As an outspoken critic of the former Suharto regime and institutions such as the military, he had become so accustomed to death threats, friends say, that he long ago stopped counting them.

Most residents say the Jakarta Police are unable to deal with crime and traffic in the capital. In conjunction with the Jakarta Police's 55th anniversary on December 6, The Jakarta Post asked residents for their opinion on this much-maligned force.

Scholars have warned the public that they should not anchor much hope on President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's administration, as from the outset it has shown signs of incompetence.

Urip Hudiono and Zakki P. Hakim, Jakarta – Apparently irritated by recent reports highlighting the grotesque corruption within the directorates under his control, the finance minister has ordered the directors general dealing with taxation and customs and excise to sign an antigraft pledge.

Eva C. Komandjaja, Jakarta – Police managed to recover only Rp 139.7 billion out of Rp 8 trillion (US$889 million) lost to corruption over the past three years, said a police officer on Friday.

The House of Representatives and political parties have been labelled the most corrupt institutions in Indonesia by an international corruption watchdog. Transparency International Indonesia (TI Indonesia) ranked them first in its corruption barometer report for 2004 released earlier this week.

Slamet Susanto and Tarko Sudiarno, Yogyakarta – President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has called on the nation to avoid drugs, free sex and smoking as part of a healthy lifestyle campaign he launched on Friday.

Tony Hotland, Jakarta – Relatives and close friends of the late rights campaigner Munir have established a new award called the Munir Courage Award, and will present it beginning next year to exemplary human rights activists.

Jakarta – Police broke up a fine arts fair in Surakarta, Central Java, on Friday, as students and activists staged protests around the country to mark International Human Rights Day.

Attendees of the arts fair were forcibly dispersed by police intelligence officers, who said they were preventing a possible social disturbance.

Tiarma Siboro, Jakarta – Marking International Human Rights Day, the National Commission on Human Rights recommended on Friday that President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono reopen probes into past shooting incidents that killed students who were demanding reform.

Kurniawan Hari, Jakarta – The Golkar Party held a one-day meeting here on Friday, with several of its local leaders proposing that the party's regency branches be granted the right to vote at its upcoming election for a new chairman. Golkar is holding its national congress to elect a new leader from December 15 through December 20 in Nusa Dua, Bali.

Sri Wahyuni, Yogyakarta – A theater performance in the city during the weekend pulls in a packed house, but this is no usual theater audience. Instead of middle class actors playing to an upwardly mobile crowd, this was a play about and by "the help".

Tangerang – Thousands of workers held a rally at the Banten gubernatorial office in Serang on Friday, arguing that the Rp 693,500 (about US$77) monthly minimum wage set for 2005 was below the minimum cost of living.

A thief who cries thief, or maling teriak maling, is a famous old Indonesian expression that has come back into vogue with the dawn of the government's latest corruption campaign.

John Vidal, Dili – The only way to reach the village of Fatuhei in East Timor is a four-hour hike over tropical mountains. You are then in one of south-east Asia's most isolated places – seven miles from the nearest school and health clinic, 10 from a rudimentary road, and 20 from any public transport.

John Aglionby in Jakarta, Rob Evans, David Pallister and David Leigh – Anti-corruption investigators in Indonesia launched an inquiry yesterday into the Guardian's disclosures that a British arms company paid 16.5 million pounds to ex-president Suharto's daughter over a deal to sell light tanks.

Muninggar Sri Saraswati, Jakarta – Leading Papuan figures said the establishment of West Irian Jaya province as a province from Papua was still the subject of heated controversy despite the Constitutional Court's ruling upholding the split.

Brendan Nicholson – Troops in East Timor were allegedly told to stop filing reports on Indonesia's role in the violence there.

Jakarta – The International Monetary Fund (IMF) is upbeat on this country's economy, saying it could expand even more than predicted, due mostly to a favorable market response to the peaceful general elections and the new government's policy intentions.