Igor O'Neill, Jakarta – On January 7, riot police opened fire on local residents protesting against the environmental and social impacts of Melbourne-based mining company Newcrest's Toguraci goldmining operation on the Indonesian island of Halmahera. At least one person was shot dead, several were savagely beaten and six were detained.

Jakarta – Despite only having 50 percent of its troops available, the Indonesian Military (TNI) would still be ready to help the police secure the 2004 general elections, an officer says.

Muninggar Sri Saraswati, Jakarta – The government's failure to reform the Indonesian Military (TNI), the National Police, and the Supreme Court as well as the Attorney General's Office had worsened human rights protection in 2003, a human rights watchdog says.

Eva C. Komandjaja, Jakarta – Indonesia is facing daunting challenges in its efforts to eradicate leprosy, which remains a serious health problem in 111 of its 440 regencies and mayoralties.

Indonesia's highest court has confirmed the acquittal of a senior policeman accused of human rights abuses in the last days of Indonesian rule over East Timor. The decision clears the way for the inspector to take up another controversial appointment.

Jill Jolliffe, Dili – East Timor's chief prosecutor has accused the United Nations of blocking an arrest warrant for war crimes against Indonesia's General Wiranto, a frontrunner for presidential elections in July.

"There are no legal obstacles, only political obstacles, both in Indonesia and East Timor," Longuinhos Monteiro said.

Jason MacLeod – On December 3, Indonesian security forces detained four West Papuan students for their part, two days earlier, in releasing West Papuan flags – known as the Morning Star – attached to balloons in the central Java town of Semarang.

Jakarta – A number of non-governmental organizations here on Tuesday called on the government to hold a national dialogue to end conflicts in eastern Papua province.

Jakarta – Thousands of dismissed workers of PT Dirgantara Indonesia (PT DI), a state-owned aerospace company in Bandung, West Java, have refused to go home, and say they will stay for another two days in Jakarta despite having little confidence that the Central Committee for the Settlement of Labor Disputes (P4P) will rule in their favor.

Moch. N. Kurniawan, Jakarta – The General Elections Commission (KPU), the Election Supervisory Committee and the Indonesian Broadcasting Commission (KPI) are drafting election campaign guidelines to govern coverage on radio and television, which will set limitations on the length of the advertising slots allocated to candidates.

Jakarta – In response to earlier protests that Siti Hardiyanti "Tutut" Rukmana's presidential nomination was solely based on the desire to uphold New Order values, Chairman of the Concern for the Nation Functional Party (PKPB) R. Hartono claimed that her candidacy reflected the will of the people.

Jakarta – The maneuver of some political parties to include celebrity personalities on their legislative candidate lists clearly shows that those parties are desperate to lure voters, an analyst says.

Abdul Khalik, Jakarta – With 30 percent of Jakarta's legislative candidates facing possible disqualification, doubts are emerging as to just how qualified the Jakarta Provincial Elections Commission (KPUD) and its supervisory committee (Panwaslu) are to do its job.

Luhur Hertanto, Jakarta – Functional Party of National Concern (PKPB), [former army chief of staff] R. Hartono is ready to face people who want to bury the New Order [regime of former President Suharto]. According to Hartono, burying the New Order is the same as burying [the state ideology of] Pancasila.

Arif Shodiq Pujiharto, Jakarta - Around 50 people from the group Youth Community Mistrusts the Elections (Kaum Muda Tidak Percaya Pemilu) held a demonstration at the offices of the National Elections Commission (KPU) in Jakarta on Wednesday January 14 demanding that the KPU have the courage to bring rotten politicians to court.

Ruslan Sangadji and Irvan NR, Palu – The major police operation "Sintuwu Maroso", aimed at maintaining security in the troubled regency of Poso, has been extended for another six months, a top police officer said on Tuesday.

Rendi A. Witular, Jakarta – The Directorate General of Taxation has completed the revision of the country's tax laws, which will include greater power for the tax office to detain major tax evaders without trial and impose stronger sanctions on a range of lesser violations.

With the January 19 deadline approaching for some 24 political parties to resubmit their lists of legislative candidate, there is concern that not all of the parties will be able to meet the 30 percent quota for women candidates for the April 5 general election.

Indonesia's progress towards national elections has had a rather inasupicious start ... with the Indonesian Electoral Commission rejecting calls to extend enrolment deadlines.

Presenter/Interviewer: James Panichi Speakers: Dr Nazaruddin Sjamsuddin, General Elections Commission chairman; Dr Robert Elson, professor in South East Asian history, University of Queensland.

Yemris Fointuna, Kupang – The chief editor of the Timor Express (Timex) daily complied with a police summons on Monday for questioning over libel accusations made by the Wirasakti Military commander.

Indonesia's efforts to reform its judiciary could face another blow if the parliament passes a bill that would bar non -career judges from sitting on the Supreme Court bench. Often portrayed as corrupt, dysfunctional and ineffective .... an attempt was made in 2000 to change that image.

Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, Jakarta – State Intelligence Agency (BIN) chief Hendropriyono said on Monday that the planned establishment of his agency's branches at the provincial, municipal and regental levels was aimed at revitalizing the office.

Dili – East Timor called on the United Nations Monday to extend its mandate in the country as the leader of a UN team arrived to assess whether the tiny nation was strong enough to go it alone.

Mark Dodd and Ian McPhedran – In a dramatic show of military muscle, an Indonesian warship has blasted a contested island near East Timor with gunfire and a missile just weeks after peacekeepers left the area.

By May, the last United Nations troops stationed in East Timor are due to hand over responsibility for security to the local army and police.

Coordinating Minister for Political and Security Affairs Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono says democracy and human rights should not be considered the absolute goals of the Indonesian nation.

Marilin, Depok – Residents of Curug subdistrict, Cimanggis district, Depok, have complained about pollution in the nearby Rawa Kalong pond that killed thousands of their fish last October.

Surabaya – An activist of the Tanwir Mosque, Adi Suryana, who happened to be a resident of Asemrowo village, North Surabaya, was abducted on Friday by an anti-terror team from the National Police Headquarters.

Magelang – Some Rp 24 billion (US$2.8 million) has been embezzled from Bank Mandiri's Magelang branch, adding yet another scandal to Indonesia's bank industry.

"Three people have been named suspects, and they are being questioned by the police," said Insp. Gen. Didi Widayadi, the chief of Central Java Police, on Friday.

Kelly McEvers, Jakarta – Mira Augustina married her husband the same day she met him. It was the first time he had proposed, by way of the 21-year-old's father.

"We met at nine o'clock in the morning. We talked a little, and then he asked if I wanted to be his wife. And by 6pm we were married. Oh yes, it was a very happy day for me," Augustina said.

Kurniawan Hari, Jakarta – People's Consultative Assembly Speaker Amien Rais and President Megawati Soekarnoputri's husband Taufik Kiemas top the list of lawmakers who rarely or never attended House of Representatives' meetings over the past year, a parliamentary forum revealed.

Sri Wahyuni, Yogyakarta – Gadjah Mada University (UGM) is planning to replace the obligatory community service program – which is traditionally undertaken by undergraduate students in their final year – with a program to monitor the 2004 general election, a top UGM official has said.

Nethy Dharma Somba, Jayapura – An ad hoc team with the National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) will probe alleged gross violations of human rights in the province of Papua.

Dewi Santoso and M. Taufiqurrahman, Jakarta – The city administration's policy on transportation development, such as the construction of new elevated roads in 2003 has victimized the urban poor, a group of activists concluded in their year-end evaluation, revealed on Friday.

Gerard McManus – Don't run over the chooks or goats ... that's unofficial rule No. 1 in the Australian Defence Co-operation Group's manual for troops operating in the villages and remote mountainous regions of East Timor.

The directive has an obvious practical purpose in an economy that still mostly operates at near-subsistence levels.

A. Junaidi, Jakarta – A respected non-governmental organization predicted on Friday a gloomy outlook of the country's environment, forecasting increasing natural disasters and continued violence directed against tribespeople.

Bill Guerin, Jakarta – Jakarta plans to sell small stakes in three state-owned mining companies this year as part of efforts to meet its privatization target of Rp5 trillion (US$590 million). Up to 14 percent stakes in miners Tambang Batubara Bukit Asam (Bukit Asam), PT Timah Indonesia (Timah) and Aneka Tambang (Antam) will be offered.

Atambua – The Indonesian Defence Forces (TNI) is mulling the reopening of traditional markets on the Indonesian-East Timor border, a local military official said.

East Nusatenggara Military Commander Col Moeswarno Moesanip said here Saturday the markets were closed down after an incident in which a former East Timorese refugee, Vegas Biliatu, was shot dead last October 19.

Surabaya – Dozens of people grouped under the banner of the Indonesian Youth Struggle Front (FPPI) rallied on Thursday to support a poll boycott, saying the political parties contesting the 2004 elections were more concerned about their own interests rather than the public's.

Frans Sudiarsis, Research and Development Unit, Jakarta – One of the leaders of the reform movement to topple Soeharto in 1998, Amien Rais was once very confident that we could bid good riddance to Golkar, Soeharto's political vehicle during his 32-year rule, in the 1999 party election.

Jakarta – The city administration told political parties on Thursday not to place their flags and banners in public places before the campaign period for the 2004 General Election begins in March.

Public order agency head Soebagio confirmed that placing such articles without the consent of the city administration was a violation of Bylaw No. 11/1988 on public order.

Kurniawan Hari, Jakarta – The Elections Supervisory Committee (Panwaslu) asked the General Elections Commission (KPU) and the 24 political parties eligible for the elections to reach a common understanding on several campaign regulations, which the committee described as "gray areas".

Moch. N. Kurniawan, Jakarta – A number of public figures who top the lists of legislative candidates representing their respective parties are among those who have not yet submitted all the required documents, including wealth declarations, to qualify for this April's election.

Moch. N. Kurniawan, Jakarta – The General Elections Commission (KPU) said on Thursday it would carry out daily monitoring of the ballot box production process beginning Saturday.

The plan comes on the heels of serious concerns about a possible delay of the ballot boxes, which must be completed by the end of January. The commission has ordered 2.19 million boxes.

Detikcom, Jakarta – The Indonesian Intelligence Network (JII) is not part of intelligence activities undertaken by TNI Indonesian National Military Forces. However, JII is an organization established by an individual, namely Andang Supriyadi, and operates in the southern part of Sumatra.

Sandy Darmosumarto and Muninggar Sri Saraswati, Jakarta – One tribesman on the North Maluku island of Halmahera was shot dead and four others were injured when paramilitary Mobile Brigade police opened fire to disperse hundreds of protesters demanding the closure of an open pit mine operated by an Australian firm, police said on Thursday.

Nethy Dharma Somba, Jayapura – Following a public meeting held by the Papua provincial legislative council in December last year, the council will convey the outcome of it to President Megawati Soekarnoputri in Jakarta.

Jakarta – Indonesia's Attorney-General has reopened the corruption case against former president Suharto, who seems well enough to give his eldest daughter the green light to run for president.

The A-G Office has called for another medical examination on the former leader. Doctors from the Cipto Mangunkusumo General Hospital (RSCM) have been asked to carry out the job.

Banda Aceh – Indonesian troops hunting separatist rebels in the restive province of Aceh mistakenly shot dead a teenager and wounded his younger brother, the victims' mother said yesterday.

Mrs Darwati, from Leubu Lapehan in Bireuen district, said her oldest son Muntasir, 17, was shot dead by troops on Wednesday and a younger son, Harmadi, 14, was wounded.

Jakarta – Dozens of members of several associations staged a protest outside the House of Representatives compound over the recent attack on a temple on Jl. Pluit Raya, North Jakarta.