The man accused of masterminding the Bali bombings has alleged that police interrogators tortured him into confessing a role in the attacks.

Macau – Dili's foreign minister, Josi Ramos Horta, said Monday that East Timor would likely be admitted to ASEAN's Regional Forum security structure next year, with hopes of obtaining formal observer's status in ASEAN by 2006.

Luhut M.P. Pangaribuan, Jakarta – The martial law in the province of Aceh was issued in a decree signed by President Megawati Soekarnoputri. The decision was taken based on the reasoning that a comprehensive approach and dialog had failed to change the separatist intentions of the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) from unitary state of Indonesia (NKRI).

One month has passed since the "integrated operations" under the auspices of a military emergency were launched to settle the Aceh conflict once and for all, and the question has become, are we moving closer to a solution? Judging by the latest events and most recent statements, it is anybody's guess.

Lhokseumawe – Three dozen British-made Scorpion tanks have joined Indonesian troops in Aceh to fight local separatists, risking further dispute with the European country.

The heavily armed tanks arrived on Sunday as part of the reinforcements from the West Java-based First Cavalry Battalion of the Army Strategic Reserves Command (Kostrad).

Jakarta – For the first time since violent clashes broke out between Muslims and Christians on Indonesia's Ambon island in 1999, members of both communities are jointly cleaning mosques and churches.

About 400 Muslims and Christians from Ambon's Sirimau sub-district joined soldiers and officials to clean churches and mosques, the state Antara news agency reported.

East Timor won huge goodwill as it launched into independence. But Asia-Pacific editor Rowan Callick has discovered, in investigating a deeply troubled Australian venture there, that the tasks of winning business confidence and creating the rule of law are, for now, proving too hard.

Moch. N. Kurniawan, Jakarta – Hazardous industrial waste is becoming an increasing threat to the country's biggest cities, including Jakarta, Semarang in Central Java, and Surabaya in East Java, according to an expert.

Jakarta – The government will administer a nationalism test to all civil servants throughout the country from July 1 through July 31 to ensure that all state employees are completely loyal to the unitary republic of Indonesia, the home affairs minister disclosed on Sunday.

Rob Kerr – From the back seat, social studies teacher Steve Emma heard what he thought were rocks striking the Toyota Land Cruiser carrying Emma and his colleagues from the Tembagapura International School on a picnic outing through the rain forest of Papua, Indonesia, on August 31, 2002.

Banda Aceh (AFP) – More than 170 civilians have become casualties in the first month of Indonesia's military offensive against separatist rebels in Aceh province, a human rights group report said on Saturday.

YS Tong, Banda Aceh – They see with their eyes the victims of almost every battle, dead or alive, in conflict-torn Aceh province, located at the tip of northern Sumatra.

Devi Asmarani, Jakarta – Prestigious state-run universities are being criticised for their decision to admit students who fail entrance exams, as long as the students fork out millions of rupiah in donations.

Tiarma Siboro, Jakarta – The martial law administration in Aceh has moved to tighten control over media reporting on the current military operation in the troubled province with defiant journalists facing the threat of expulsion from the area.

Tiarma Siboro, Jakarta – Press defenders voiced strong protests over the killing of Banda Aceh-based TVRI cameraman Jamaluddin, 30, saying that the Aceh martial law administration should protect journalists, instead of restricting news seekers from covering the ongoing war in the troubled province of Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam.

David Hencke and Rob Evans – Britain is threatening to refuse export licences for spare parts for Hawk jets to Indonesia, after growing government concern about human rights abuses by the military in the suppression of rebels in Aceh.

Matthew Moore, Jakarta – Indonesia has an image problem, that much is agreed. And with the pace of war quickening in Aceh province, and the terrorist trials rolling on in Bali, there are few signs that things are about to get better.

Army chief General Ryamizard Ryacudu says American journalist William Nessen, who has spent the past six weeks with separatist rebels in Aceh province, could be punished by death if he is proven to be a spy.

Jakarta/Banda Aceh – House of Representatives Speaker Akbar Tandjung on Friday called on the Aceh martial law administration to release detained politicians who supported the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) separatists out of fear rather than voluntarily.

A'an Suryana and Tiarma Siboro, Jakarta – The Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras) called on Friday for an end to the military operation in Aceh, slamming it as having failed to live up to its initial objectives.

Nethy Dharma Somba, Jayapura – Indonesian security forces are claiming initial success on the front lines of its second war against separatists in Indonesia, Papua, but warn the worst it yet to come.

Tiarma Siboro & Berni K. Moestafa, Jakarta/Lhokseumawe – After one month attempting to crush independence rebels in Aceh, the Indonesian Military (TNI) says it is to change strategy so as to intensify night operations.

Jakarta (AFP) – Indonesian police said Friday that more than 100 civilians have been killed during a month-long military offensive to crush separatist rebels in Aceh province.

National police spokesman Col. Zainuri Lubis said the victims have been identified by their families, who denied they were members of the Free Aceh Movement (GAM).

Nur Raihan, Banda Aceh – Two volunteers from the Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras), Zakaria (72) and Nuraini (27), have been held by the Pidie district police since Friday morning.

Banda Aceh/Jakarta – Leading the life of a human rights activist working in war-torn Aceh is obviously not something that everyone is cut out for.

Intimidation, assault, abduction and even murder have long been occupational hazards for activists in the province, which has been the scene of a bloody conflict for over 27 years.

Mark Baker, Phnom Penh – Australia has chided regional governments for stalling moves to admit East Timor to their annual security talks with the United States, Japan and China.

The 23-member ASEAN regional forum voted on Wednesday to defer a decision on membership applications from East Timor, Pakistan and Bangladesh.

Robert Go, Jakarta – The harrowing tale of a Madurese woman who escaped from a brothel in Batam is throwing the spotlight yet again on the thousands of Indonesian women who go for lucrative job offers, but end up as prostitutes.

Banda Aceh – A bloody clash between Indonesian troops and rebels in troubled Aceh killed at least 12 people, a military official said on Thursday, showing the war to crush the rebellion was far from over.

Bandung – Political analyst from the Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), J. Kristiadi, says that the national political situation following the 2004 elections will not produce in any changes to the quality of the country.

Devi Asmarani, Jakarta – The Indonesian government has come under fire from parliament for allegedly misusing the state budget funds and violating laws and procedures in the recent purchase of Russian jet fighters and military helicopters.

Muninggar Sri Saraswati, Jakarta – Investigation into human rights violations during May 1998 riots has met with strong resistance from military and police officers allegedly involved in the incident.

Jakarta – During the period of the government of Megawati Sukarnoputri and Vice-president Hamzah Haz the use of the term political prisoner remains valid. Records since May 2003 indicate that 23 people have been detained as political prisoners, the vast majority being accused of insulting the head of state.

Muninggar Sri Saraswati, Jakarta – The government's restrictive policy on the presence of foreign journalists in covering the military offensive in Aceh could disrupt its own efforts to wage a clean war in the violence-torn province, says a press observer.

Arif Shodiq Pujiharto, Jakarta – They were intending to hold an action opposing violence against civilians in Aceh. But because they carried pictures of President Megawati Sukarnoputri and Vice-president Hamzah Haz which had been crossed out, two demonstrators were arrested by police.

A key Bali bombing suspect said that Indonesian police threatened him with torture to try to make him incriminate elderly cleric Abu Bakar Bashir.

Amrozi was giving evidence Thursday at the trial of Bashir, who is alleged to lead the Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) regional terror network.

Meulaboh (Antara) – A commander of Aceh's separatist movement has surrendered to the Indonesian military, reportedly disillusioned by the rebel group's extortion and kidnapping activities, a military officer said here Thursday.

Matthew Moore – The Indonesian Government has issued new rules restricting access by foreigners to Aceh, but has not imposed a feared complete ban.

Pidie/Jakarta – While in most parts of Aceh people seek shelter to get away from the frequent gunfights between government troops and Free Aceh Movement (GAM) fighters, hundreds of residents in Pidie have been displaced following a military search for rebels.

Jakarta – At least 34 million Indonesian children are living in poverty and badly need help, a cabinet member said on Wednesday.

Sydney – Prime Minister John Howard on Thursday gave East Timor an open-ended commitment of military support. He said Australian troops might stay on in the world's newest country "for years". Of the 2,800 United Nations peacekeepers in the former Portuguese colony around 1,000 are Australian.

Mark Baker, Phnom Penh – The Foreign Minister, Alexander Downer, has strongly defended the Indonesian military crackdown in Aceh and criticised the violent tactics of the province's secessionist rebels.

Max Lane – When Hasan de Tiro proclaimed the independent state of Aceh and launched the Aceh Sumatra National Liberation Front, also known as the Free Aceh Movement (GAM), in 1978, he attracted little support.

Acehnese refugees forced into camps to escape fighting between Indonesian troops and separatist rebels are suffering health problems due to overcrowding and lack of clean water.

Almost 41,000 people have been moved into the tented camps, sometimes against their will, during the first month of a major offensive to crush the Free Aceh Movement.

James Balowski, Jakarta – Just hours after claiming significant progress in its operation to crush the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) and its supporters, the Indonesian military (TNI) on June 9 lost seven soldiers in an ambush in the Bireuen regency in northern Aceh.

YS Tong, Banda Aceh – Thousands of unarmed Acehnese civilians from Banda Aceh began to gather in a field as early as 7am on Tuesday for what has now become a routine activity since the military operation started in late May.

Banda Aceh – Indonesian Red Cross workers have removed 194 bodies from conflict zones in the western province of Aceh since a military offensive against rebels there began last month, the Red Cross said on Wednesday.

Michael Casey, Jakarta, Indonesia – An American journalist on the run with rebels in Aceh province said Wednesday that Indonesia's military wants to detain him on trumped-up charges and possibly shoot him.

Freelance journalist William Nessen defied a military order to surrender to the army by June 14, saying he first needs assurances he will not be jailed.

Jakarta – Most of the human rights workers in Aceh feel threatened with arbitrary arrest if they try to continue working in war-torn Aceh as the martial law administration in the province has alleged that they are involved with armed separatists.

Tiarma Siboro, Jakarta – The government issued on Tuesday a decree that restricts foreigners from traveling to the war-torn province of Aceh.

More than 600 people in East Timor have been made homeless by severe monsoonal flooding.

Anne Barker reports one person has died and two more are missing. The United Nations says unseasonal rains in East Timor's south have caused widespread damage to crops, livestock, houses and roads.