Jakarta – President Megawati Sukarnoputri, facing a tight re-election race, Monday backed the creation of a truth commission to investigate rights abuses by the military that she said have left a "deep wound" on Indonesia.

Jakarta – It is about to stage the second half of an election that promises to cement its young democracy into place. But in some ways, Indonesia still shows little sign of bringing its armed forces to heel.

Medan – It would be difficult for Indonesia to reach a 7 percent growth target in the next two years, a senior minister said on Saturday.

"It is impossible to reach such growth rate with present situation and a lagging world economy," Coordinating Minister for the Economy Dorodjatun Kuntjoro-Jakti said in a seminar organized by the North Sumatra University (USU).

Semarang – The appointment of 45 members of the Semarang legislative council was marked on Saturday by a noisy protest at City Hall from dozens of members of the Semarang People's Solidarity movement.

The protester said they were angry with the way councillors had behaved in the past by deceiving the people they represented and stealing public money.

A sensible, if imperfect, compromise appears to have retrieved relations with East Timor.

The people of East Timor are under no illusions about how much they owe Australia for its help in winning independence from Indonesia. So when East Timor recently accused Australia of bullying and stealing oil revenue this signalled a serious dispute.

M. Taufiqurrahman and Abdul Khalik, Jakarta – Weak indictments by prosecutors because of alleged pressure from the Military were blamed on Thursday for acquittals of Army generals from charges of gross human rights abuses in the 1999 East Timor violence and the 1984 Tanjung Priok massacre.

Jakarta – The National Human Rights Commission (Komnas HAM) is being urged to immediately investigate the arrest and torture of eight Acehnese Humanitarian Volunteers Association (Perhimpunan Relawan Kemanusiaan Aceh, Pemraka) activists and two civilians by police on August 7.

Matthew Moore, Jakarta – Indonesian prosecutors have again failed in their attempt to convict soldiers accused of gross human rights abuses, with the head of the army's notorious Kopassus special forces yesterday cleared of all charges by a human rights tribunal.

Indonesian human rights activists have condemned a court decision clearing a top army general of gross human rights violations for his role in a 1984 military massacre.

Nethy Dharma Somba and Oyos Saroso, Jayapura/Lampung – One person was killed and seven others injured in a tribal clash in Papua over whether Indonesian Independence Day should be commemorated, a senior police officer said on Thursday.

Bill Guerin, Jakarta – Foreign businesses say a planned new policy on taxation, still winding its way through the corridors of power, coupled with high corporate tax rates, currently at 35%, has scared off investors and made it uncompetitive for those businesses already in Indonesia.

Jakarta – Washington should mind its own business and refrain from commenting on court rulings that acquitted four Indonesian security officials of atrocities in East Timor, leading ministers here said Thursday.

Robert Go, Jakarta – Despite a hard line against offenders, Indonesia's war on drugs seems to have stalled, with users estimated at four million and rising, and the country described as a ripe target for international drug syndicates.

The government has opted for tough punishments, including the death penalty and life imprisonment, against offenders.

Jakarta – Legitimate forestry companies are contributing to illegal logging and other deforestation in Indonesia, according to a new report into the widespread exploitation of the country'svaluable timber resources.

Jakarta – Indonesian police said Thursday they had raided a gambling den reportedly owned by former East Timor militia boss Eurico Guterres, who has been convicted of crimes against humanity in his former homeland.

Jakarta – On the night of Wednesday August 11, the Tambora city sectoral police (Polsek) in West Java raided a number of gambling houses in the Tambora area. One of these was known to be owned by Eurico Gutteres, a former commander of the East Timor pro-integration militia.

Banda Aceh – The average height of children first entering school in Aceh over the last six years has decreased by eight centimeters. In 1997 the average height of children first entering school was 119cm however by the end of 2003 the average was only 110cm.

Jakarta – A number of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) protested on Wednesday the arrest of two humanitarian workers by security personnel in Aceh last week, on the suspicion that the two were members of the Free Aceh Movement (GAM).

Nethy Dharma Somba and M. Aziz Tunny, Jayapura/Ambon – The Jayapura District Court in Papua province sentenced separatist leader Yance Hembring, 50, to 10 years in prison for treason.

The sentence, handed down on Tuesday, was heavier than the five years demanded by prosecutors. Yance said he would consider appealing against the ruling.

Louise Williams – The failure of human rights prosecutions against the Indonesian military over abuses in East Timor has put millions of people at risk of continuing military abuses in the contested provinces of Papua and Aceh, a prominent Papuan says.

John Rumbiak, Papua's most influential human rights leader, said the East Timor case had set a dangerous precedent.

Piet Soeprijadi, Peter Rimmele and Anne-Lise Klausen, Jakarta – Ross H. McLeod's – Competition: Key to reform of civil service two-part article on The Jakarta Post of August 4 and 5 is an interesting eye opener that something has to and can be done to reform the Civil Service.

A spate of acquittals absolving Indonesian military officers of human rights violations is being regarded as evidence of the armed forces continuing influence. An ad hoc human rights court in Jakarta this week cleared the army special forces chief and a retired army general of charges of gross human rights violations for their role in the 1984 Tanjung Priok military massacre.

Ridwan Max Sijabat, Jakarta – The credibility of Washington-based International Foundation for Election Systems (IFES) and other independent pollsters have bee questioned ahead of the Sept. 20 election runoff, with analysts saying their opinion polls have been misleading.

Abdul Khalik and Suherdjoko, Jakarta/Semarang – Former Banyumas Police chief Sr. Comr. Andi Mapparesa admitted during a police professional ethics board hearing on Wednesday that he had been partial and had acted beyond his authority by endorsing President Megawati Soekarnoputri for reelection in a May 29 meeting.

Jakarta – Golkar chairman Akbar Tandjung threatened to take disciplinary action against party leaders and members who held meetings with the candidates in the upcoming election runoff without the prior consent of the party's central executive board.

M. Taufiqurrahman, Jakarta – A coalition of non-governmental organizations filed a complaint on Wednesday with the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) over corruption allegations concerning the procurement of materials for the legislative election by the General Elections Commission (KPU).

Cirebon/Padang/Banda Aceh – The swearing in of graft convicts and suspects at the legislatures of Cirebon, Banda Aceh and Padang municipalities has sparked protests among the local people.

Urip Hudiono and Abdul Khalik, Jakarta – The Central Jakarta District Court dismissed on Wednesday a lawsuit filed by youth organization Pemuda Panca Marga (PPM) against Tempo magazine.

Timothy Mapes and Patrick Barta, Jakarta – Australia and East Timor have worked out the broad outlines of a possible compromise that could help end a bruising two-year dispute over control of giant oil and natural-gas fields in the Timor Sea, officials familiar with the talks said.

Ian Timberlake, Jakarta – A spate of acquittals absolving Indonesian military officers of human rights violations proves how powerful the armed forces remain in the country despite their claims to have abandoned politics, observers say.

Tiarma Siboro and Muninggar Sri Saraswati, Jakarta – Representatives of major parties have jumped on the bandwagon to call for a delay in the deliberation of the military bill, with the party led by the President shifting the blame on Cabinet members who they said pushed her into approving the government-sponsored bill.

Makassar, South Sulawesi – Some 200 protesters, mostly women accompanied by their children, barred the gates of the municipal council here on Wednesday, to protest their evictions by the city administration.

Their move left at least 15 councillors and officials unable to go home, although office hours were over.

Nani Afrida, Banda Aceh – Security personnel have again arrested aid workers in the violence-ravaged province of Aceh, following a high-profile arrest to an environmental activist earlier this year.

Muninggar Sri Saraswati, Jakarta – The Golkar Party and the National Awakening Party (PKB) put an end on Tuesday to their fragile and less-than-three-month-old coalition, following the elimination of their presidential ticket from the race.

Suherdjoko and M. Taufiqurrahman, Semarang/Jakarta – Central Java's Semarang General Elections Supervisory Committee (Panwaslu) discovered on Tuesday that three related companies had contributed to the Megawati Soekarnoputri-Hasyim Muzadi campaign fund.

The head of the Indonesian military command overseeing the restive province of Aceh has said that controversial air strikes have been effective in battling separatist guerrillas there.

Yogyakarta – Yogyakarta municipal police chief Sr. Comr. Chondro Kirono confessed on Tuesday that his office had become a transit point for thousands of campaign T-shirts emblazoned with images of Megawati Soekarnoputri and Hasyim Muzadi.

President Megawati Sukarnoputri sought to reassure Indonesia's media that it would remain unshackled despite claims her government was putting the squeeze on free speech.

"Have I ever tried to shackle the press?" Megawati was quoted as saying by Indonesian Broadcasting Commission chief Victor Menayang after she met commission members at the state palace.

Sari P. Setiogi, Jakarta – Former Jakarta military commander Maj. Gen. (ret) Pranowo implicated in a massacre 20 years ago walked free on Tuesday, leaving a big question mark over the trial of his subordinate who now commands the army's elite special forces.

Bambang Nurbianto, Jakarta – In response to demands by businessmen operating in Glodok business district, West Jakarta, the Jakarta administration will delay the afternoon three-in-one traffic restriction by half an hour. The new time will be from 4:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

US-based rights groups called for a UN inquiry to bring to justice Indonesian security officers let off the hook for atrocities during East Timor's 1999 violence-marred independence vote.

Kusnanto Anggoro, Jakarta – There are quite a few positive sides to the territorial structure of the Indonesian Military (TNI), as ID Nugroho and Netty Dharma Somba wrote in this newspaper on August 6.

A public debate is raging over the Indonesian Military (TNI) bill. As the TNI maintains that a law is needed to justify its duties, activists burn placards in dissent, claiming the bill protracts the military's engagement in politics.

Medan – Hundreds of truck drivers from Belawan port staged a protest on Tuesday in front of the office of North Sumatra provincial council, demanding the council revoke a government ruling that prohibited drivers with container trucks entering the port.

Achmad Sukarsono, Jakarta – The Islamic card may not be a sure vote-winner in secular Indonesia, but candidates in the first direct presidential election are not taking any chances.

John Saltford, London – In his July 30th article in this newspaper, Foreign Affairs official Andri Hadi argues against any discussion of the 1969 Indonesian-organized act of self determination in West Papua known as the "Act of Free Choice".

Neles Tebay, Rome – It was the first time in the history of Papua that the Government of Indonesia recognized the Papuans' need for democracy (The Jakarta Post, July 30, 2004). This recognition is fundamental, not only for the Papuans, but also for the government and the international community.

Jim Lobe, Washington – Saturday's dismissal by a Jakarta appeals court of all pending cases against Indonesians indicted for crimes against humanity committed in East Timor five years ago may bolster efforts by US lawmakers to halt the George W Bush administration's normalization of ties with the Indonesian armed forces (TNI).

In the latest verdict to favor Indonesia's powerful military, a court acquitted a former army general on Tuesday of charges that he tortured scores of Muslim activists two decades ago.

Dadan Kuswaraharja, Jakarta – People living in and around mining operations find it difficult to obtain their rights. Aside from governments which don't really care, they are also confronted by militarism.