Leslie Lau – The captain and two crew members of a Malaysian-owned tanker have been kidnapped – the latest victims in a recent spate of pirate attacks being blamed on Aceh separatist rebels.

Australia would do its best to ensure Kopassus troops who trained East Timor militias would not be involved in joint activities when military links were re-established, Foreign Minister Alexander Downer said.

Damien Kingsbury – The push by the Australian Government to renew its association with the Indonesian military's feared Kopassus special forces is perhaps the most doubtful proposition in what has been a history of questionable arrangements.

Padang – Dozens of farmers from Kapa village in West Sumatra filed a police report on Wednesday, complaining about alleged intimidation against them by security personnel. The farmers say they were victims of intimidation when asked to move from their ancestral lands.

Evi Mariani, Jakarta – The current drought will not create a rice supply problem at home, but could potentially send millions of farmers into poverty, experts said.

Jakarta – Amid criticism of poor coordination among security agencies and their failure to prevent the latest bombing in Jakarta, the government is considering revising the 2003 antiterrorism law to give the security agencies more powers to thwart further terrorist attacks.

Devi Asmarani, Jakarta – The Indonesian government yesterday called on Muslims in the country to stop talking about conspiracy theories against the religion and start uniting in the fight against terrorism.

Jakarta – Economists and labor analysts warned the nation of a possible higher unemployment rate in 2004, due to the heightened security issue and the upcoming general elections.

M. Taufiqurrahman, Jakarta – The military offensive to curb the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) has resulted in rampant violations of the Geneva Convention on the protection of civilians in times of war, experts say.

They called on the government on Tuesday to halt the security operation in the country's westernmost province.

Jakarta – Investment activity in the country remains in the doldrums with the Investment Coordinating Board (BKPM) revealing a bleak picture of investment during the first seven months of this year.

The Indonesian Forum for the Environment-Friends of the Earth Indonesia (WALHI) has called for protests against major banks around the world with investments in PT London Sumatera Indonesia Tbk (Lonsum).

Jakarta – After completing its 10th review of Indonesia's economic reform program, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) praised the stable performance of the country's financial markets despite the recent bombing at a Jakarta hotel.

Muninggar Sri Saraswati, Jakarta – A farmers union criticized on Tuesday the water resources bill for allowing private companies to exploit springs, which it said would harm farmers who rely on free groundwater.

The water resources bill, which the House plans to discuss at its next session, would allow private companies to take control of springs for business purposes.

Richard S. Ehrlich, Jakarta – Accused Bali bomber Imam Samudra welcomed on Monday prosecution demands for his death, claiming it would bring him "near to God", amid an international debate about whether or not executing terrorists makes them martyrs.

Derwin Pereira, Jakarta – The Jemaah Islamiah (JI) terror network continues to survive in Indonesia even after carrying out two of the bloodiest attacks in the country's history.

Jakarta – Analysts, politicians and top government officials have joined the chorus of opposition on Tuesday to reject the proposed adoption of the draconian Internal Security Act (ISA) as a measure to preempt terrorist attacks.

Jerry Norton, Jakarta – Indonesia said on Wednesday it would probably strengthen anti-terrorism regulations to prevent attacks such as last week's bomb blast at a Jakarta hotel, as the US ambassador warned more attempts at attacks were likely.

Australia's willingness to engage internationally on the war on terror has led it recently to re-engage with the military here. But the US has not been so willing.

Moch. N. Kurniawan, Jakarta – Conservation International (CI) warned on Tuesday that Indonesia would lose its coral reefs in 10 years if the government was unable to conserve them and people continued to use fish bombs.

Jakarta – A hardline Indonesian Muslim group agreed yesterday to retain suspected terror group chief Abu Bakar Bashir as its leader for another five years.

The Indonesian Mujahedin Council (MMI), closing its congress in the Central Java city of Solo, also urged the government to acquit the detained Bashir of all charges.

Tertiani ZB Simanjuntak, Lhokseumawe – The bedug (large drum) outside the small mosque in Ujung Blang village, Gandapura district, Bireuen, pounded incessantly on Tuesday, signaling that the remains of another victim of Indonesia's brutal war in Aceh had been found.

Curious residents soon gathered at a wooden house where two bodies were laid out pending burial.

Tiarma Siboro, Jakarta – Low-ranking military personnel have given mixed reactions to an instruction by the Indonesian Military (TNI) banning enlisted members from taking side jobs to augment their income.

John Kerin Sian Powell – The US would not renew its ties with Indonesian special forces arm Kopassus until it resolved alleged military involvement in the unsolved murder of two US citizens in 2001, Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage said yesterday.

James Balowski, Jakarta – Delivering her progress report at the annual session of the People's Consultative Assembly on August 1, Indonesia's President Megawati Sukarnoputri said that, despite "occasional mishaps", her government had "put the country back on track".

Vannessa Hearman – The United States and Australia are moving closer to restoring full military cooperation with Indonesia, including with the discredited Kopassus special operations unit of the Indonesian armed forces (TNI).

A court in East Timor jailed a former pro-Jakarta militiaman for eight years and eight months for crimes against humanity during the territory's bloody breakaway from Indonesia in 1999.

Tertiani ZB Simanjuntak, Lhokseumawe – In an apparent attempt to bury the hatchet with the Indonesian Military (TNI), the National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) has pledged its support to the ongoing conflict in Aceh.

Jakarta – Indonesia can still achieve its growth target for this year despite last week's deadly bombing at the JW Marriott Hotel in Jakarta, a senior International Monetary Fund (IMF) official said yesterday.

Almost 300 civilians were killed in the first two months of the Indonesian military's campaign to crush separatist rebels in Aceh, a rights group in the province said.

The Aceh Referendum Information Centre (SIRA) said in a statement that 235 civilians were killed in the first month after the offensive was launched on May 19 and another 60 in the second month.

Jakarta – In the era of reformasi a national leadership crisis has developed, including among the younger generation. Therefore the younger generation needs to hold a youth congress which can then give rise to a future leader. This leader must have a spirit of leadership and prestige.

A female activist faces 20 years in jail if found guilty in a treason trial which began in Indonesia's Aceh province, where troops are battling separatist rebels.

M. Taufiqurrahman, Jakarta – Alleging that the labor dispute settlement committee (P4) was plagued by corruption, Minister of Manpower and Transmigration Jacob Nuwa Wea strongly urged employers and workers to settle their industrial disputes between each other, without going to P4.

Matthew Moore and Karuni Rompies, Jakarta – The terrorist suspected of blowing up Jakarta's Marriott Hotel was a member of a new suicide brigade of up to 15 bombers who are preparing more attacks, Indonesian police have warned.

Jakarta – If the forces of peace are winning over the forces of violence in the "war on terror", it is far from obvious in Indonesia.

Kurniawan Hari and Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, Jakarta – Following last week's Marriott bombing, the government is mulling the adoption of a draconian law to preempt terrorist strikes, but House of Representatives' leaders appear to be having none of it.

Devi Asmarani, Jakarta – The much-publicised three-day meeting of the Indonesian Mujahideen Council (MMI) was meant to show that the radical Islamic movement is very much alive despite the fact that its leader Abu Bakar Bashir is on trial for terrorism.

Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, Jakarta – Indonesian Military (TNI) chief Gen. Endriartono Sutarto has ordered all military units across the country to crack down on soldiers involved in criminal activities.

Australia has announced it will renew military ties with Indonesia's special forces unit, Kopassus, just four years after severing links following allegations that Kopassus had co-ordinated the East Timor massacres.

Linda Mottram: Though domestic issues are resurgent with the resumption of Federal Parliamentary sittings, security remains dominant, and the matter of how best to fight terrorism in Indonesia is fuelling a heated debate here in Australia.

Prime Minister John Howard has defended plans for Australia's military to resume links with Indonesia's notorious Kopassus special forces troops.

The Australian Defence Force (ADF) plans to resume contact and possibly counter-terrorism training with Kopassus, despite its suspected support for the militia carnage in East Timor in 1999.

Canberra – Australian Prime Minister John Howard yesterday defended a controversial plan to renew military links with Indonesia's elite Kopassus unit to help fight terror in the region – despite previously banning work with the group due to its questionable human rights record.

It was overshadowed by the Jakarta bombing. But the conviction last week of a senior Indonesian general for crimes against humanity should not be overlooked. Indonesia did all it could to avoid having its officers brought before international war crimes tribunals over their behaviour during East Timor's independence vote four years ago.

Nigel Wilson – Australia has agreed to begin talks with East Timor before the end of the year on changing the maritime boundaries between the two countries.

Jakarta – Indonesian police said yesterday that rebels from the separatist Free Aceh Movement (GAM) were behind last month's bomb attack on Parliament, and that one man still wanted over the incident had fled to the rebellious province.

Police arrested two men late on Wednesday over the July 14 attack that caused minor damage. No one was hurt in the incident.

Bandung – Hundreds of students from various organizations staged a demonstration on Friday afternoon in front of the Domestic Administration College (STPDN) in Jatinagor, Sumedang district, West Java, where President Megawati Soekarnoputri attended a student inaugural ceremony.

Muninggar Sri Saraswati, Jakarta – The State Intelligence Body (BIN) has asked for more power in the war on terror, but an analyst on Friday suggested that coordination among the country's intelligence institutions was a better solution to prevent terror attacks.

Jakarta – Indonesian newspapers have welcomed the death sentence handed to Bali bomber Amrozi even as they took President Megawati Sukarnoputri's government to task for being too laid back in tackling terrorism.

Devi Asmarani, Jakarta – Foreign infidels may have been the targets but nine of the 10 people killed in the Jakarta bombing on Tuesday were Indonesians just going about their daily life in the Indonesian capital.

Kurniawan Hari, Jakarta – Four national figures – Abdurrahman Wahid, Nurcholish Madjid, Adnan Buyung Nasution, and Salim Said – will testify before an inquiry of the National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) investigating the 1998 May riots.

Bryan Lee – The bomb blast in Jakarta earlier this week may have left several dead and many injured, but investor sentiment in Indonesia seems to have been largely unscathed.

Fund managers cited a host of reasons that work in favour of the Indonesian market. Among them: A huge market, a country with vast resources and cheap stock valuations.