Jakarta – US retired General Anthony Zinni on Thursday said he was optimistic peace could prevail in Indonesia's troubled Aceh province if Jakarta and separatists push for talks.

Damar Harsanto, Jakarta – In attempt to wash their hands of a potentially damaging case, police announced on Thursday that they had closed the investigation into an alleged plot between security officers and convict Hutomo "Tommy" Mandala Putra after the probe reached a dead end.

East Timorese President Xanana Gusmao and Prime Minister Mari Alkatiri, seeking political detente, held a first meeting Friday to discuss "sensitive" policy issues before government action.

Palu, Central Sulawesi – Drivers of public transportation vehicles in Palu, the capital city of Central Sulawesi, went on strike on Thursday to demand the local government stop inter-city buses from picking up and dropping off passengers within citylimits.

The strike started at 9am Eastern Indonesian time and left thousands of commuters stranded on Palu's main streets.

Ahmad Junaidi and Fitri Wulandari, Jakarta – The People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) Commission B asserted on Thursday that it was not seeking to terminate Indonesia's relationship with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), but for the government to improve its bargaining position in dealing with donor agencies.

Jakarta – Indonesian prosecutors lacked evidence to lay charges against powerful former armed forces commander General Wiranto over the violence in East Timor, the country's former attorney general said.

Tiarma Siboro, Jakarta – A pro-Jakarta East Timorese leader told the Rights Tribunal on Thursday that the Indonesian Military (TNI) did nothing to stop armed militias from attacking the residence of proindependence leader Manuel Viegas Carrascalao on April 17, 1999.

Marianne Kearney, Jakarta – Indonesia's highest legislative body is likely to call on the government to end ties with the International Monetary Fund, arguing that its prescriptions are not suitable for the country.

Atambua – The Belu district military command on Thursday succeeded in foiling an attempt to smuggle around 1.8 tons of kerosene to East Timor.

The smugglers were to take the kerosene across the border at Silawan, East Tasifeto sub-district, Belu district, East Nusa Tenggara (NTT).

Luciano Fernandez – Indonesian President Megawati Sukarnoputri has triggered sharp protests inside and outside her own party-the Indonesian Democratic Party-Struggle (PDI-P)-through her endorsement of the incumbent Jakarta governor Sutiyoso for the same position in upcoming elections in September.

Bambang Nurbianto, Jakarta – Some 300 people presented on Wednesday 11 ducks for the 11 factions in the City Council to mock their apparent blind loyalty to incumbent Governor Sutiyoso, who is set to become the strongest gubernatorial candidate.

President Xanana Gusmao and Prime Minister Mari Alkatiri urged East Timor's students Thursday to aid the new nation's reconstruction and development through "mature" and "constructive" debate and political participation.

Jakarta – A retired US general, who has been mediating between Jakarta and the rebels in Aceh, said on Thursday that the only way to achieve peace in the restive province was through talks.

Jakarta – An independent team of five prominent public figures is working to expedite a solution to the conflict in Aceh, advising the government not to impose a state of civil emergency on the restive province.

Ahmad Junaidi, Jakarta – Legislators at the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) renewed their calls on Wednesday for the government to give priority to dialog in solving the Aceh problem.

With the US government firmly on its side, energy giant ExxonMobil claims allegations of human rights abuses filed against it in a lawsuit on behalf of 11 villagers in Aceh province are groundless.

Muninggar Sri Saraswati, Jakarta – Seven people stood trial on Wednesday at the Central Jakarta District Court for allegedly attacking the office of the National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM). Ten people were injured in the attack.

Debbie A. Lubis, Jakarta – As political parties prepare for the 2004 General Election, experts warned the government on Wednesday of the possible mobilization of unemployed people for vested political interests.

Moch. N. Kurniawan, Jakarta – An environmentalist alleged on Tuesday that high-ranking military officers and government officials were involved in the killing and trade of endangered Sumatran tigers, rhinos and elephants.

Jakarta – A former militia boss accused of inciting a massacre in East Timor in 1999 on Thursday denied allegations by a compatriot that he had ordered his men to attack pro-independence supporters.

Human Rights Watch (HRW) condemned US government attempts to scupper a human rights lawsuit brought by a group of Indonesian villagers against oil giant Exxon Mobil.

Muhammad Nafik, Jakarta – Residents of the Riau town of Dumai threatened on Wednesday to block the operations of an oil refinery belonging to state-owned Pertamina unless a local is appointed general manager.

Fitri Wulandari, Jakarta – The People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) is likely to recommend the government to cut ties with international donor agencies, particularly the International Monetary Fund (IMF), by 2003.

Devi Asmarani, Jakarta – Three Indonesian judges involved in the high-profile and controversial bankruptcy case of a Toronto-based insurer have been suspended on charges of corruption, an indication that Jakarta is acting to clean up one of the world's most corrupt legal systems.

Jakarta – With its long record of human rights abuses, the Indonesian Military (TNI) must be made accountable for its past before the United States restores military ties with Indonesia, US Ambassador Ralph L. Boyce said on Wednesday.

Marianne Kearney, Jakarta – Violence has erupted again in Indonesia's Central Sulawesi province just as Mr Yusuf Kalla, the chief welfare minister and architect of two peace deals in the strife-torn eastern islands, said the worst was over in these regions.

Alan Beattie and Tom McCawley – The International Monetary Fund does not usually end up being sued by the people it has negotiated with. But Kwik Kian Gie, Indonesia's national development planning minister, recently advised a group of local lawyers to go ahead and file a class action lawsuit against the IMF for its policies in the country.

Kurniawan Hari and Tiarma Siboro, Jakarta – As the Annual Session of the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) entered its sixth day, thousands of student protesters staged a rally outside the Assembly building here on Tuesday demanding that the lawmakers proceed with and endorse crucial amendments to the 1945 Constitution.

Muninggar Sri Saraswati, Jakarta – An advisor at the office of the Vice President said on Tuesday that he had asked for Rp 400 million to produce favorable media reports for then president BJ Habibie.

Jakarta – The US ambassador to Indonesia warned Jakarta on Wednesday America and the world were closely watching East Timor human rights trials and the result would help determine if full US-Indonesia military ties are restored.

Palu/Makassar – At least seven people were shot and wounded, four others missing and two churches and 27 houses burned to the ground in the worst violence to hit Poso in Central Sulawesi since a peace deal was signed eight months ago, signatories and activists said on Tuesday.

Retired US General Anthony Zinni held talks with the military chief of Indonesia's Aceh province as part of efforts to pave the way for more talks between Jakarta and separatist rebels.

John Roberts – A five-judge panel of the Jakarta District Court pronounced its long-awaited verdict on Hutomo "Tommy" Mandala Putra, the youngest son of the former Indonesian dictator General Suharto, on July 26. The court found him guilty of murdering a judge, illegal possession of weapons and evading imprisonment and sentenced him to 15 years in jail.

Medan – Hundreds of Acehnese refugees clashed with police and public order officers in the North Sumatra governor's office in Medan on Tuesday, a report said.

At least four people were seriously injured, dozens of others slightly wounded while several women fainted during the clash at 10.15am. The building was also damaged.

East Timorese government and UN officials held a fourth, unannounced round of reconciliation and repatriation talks with former anti-independence militia chief Joao Tavares Tuesday in the border town of Batugade, Dili's UN mission said Wednesday.

Marianne Kearney, Jakarta – Washington's Middle East envoy Anthony Zinni, now on a tour of Aceh, is pushing for peace talks to resolve the conflict between the Jakarta government and the rebels. But his efforts are likely to be hampered by Jakarta's plan for a new military operation to be announced soon, say observers.

President Xanana Gusmao Wednesday defended his controversial request for an Indonesian court trying human rights crimes committed in East Timor to show clemency in one case, saying he was simply seeking uniformity of justice and had not interfered in Indonesia's internal affairs.

[The United States has signalled that the freeze on US military aid to Indonesia, is about to be lifted. The ban was imposed three years ago because of human rights abuses by the Indonesian military in East Timor.

Fitri Wulandari and Ahmad Junaidi, Jakarta – The Indonesia Military/National Police faction in the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) admitted on Tuesday that the military and police were still involved in politics but defended the move being based on good grounds.

Jakarta – A leading former East Timorese independence supporter wept Wednesday as he recalled the death of his son in a 1999 militia attack on his refugee-packed home in Dili.

Judges at Indonesia's human rights court briefly halted proceedings as Manuel Carrascalao sobbed uncontrollably.

Dili – Students clashed with police Tuesday in East Timor over plans to increase fees at the new country's main university.

About 300 students gathered outside the government building in the capital following news that annual fees at East Timor National University would jump from 15 to 100 dollars.

Elaine Monaghan, Washington – The United States has told a US court that a human rights-related lawsuit filed by Indonesian villagers against Exxon Mobil could hurt the war on terror, according to a letter seen by Reuters on Tuesday.

Indonesian police used water cannon against protesters who broke into the grounds of parliament demanding that legislators approve key constitutional reforms.

Police sprayed the students after several protesters began rocking and climbing the heavy steel gates at the main entrance.

Police have detained two Sri Lankan men in Dili on "strong" suspicion they were working as an advance team for an illegal immigration network apparently linked to the arrival in East Timor of a freighter loaded with Sri Lankans allegedly headed to New Zealand.

The deadlock over labor issues between Taiwan and Indonesia showed no signs of improvement with the Indonesian government reportedly barring its workers from leaving for Taiwan yesterday.

Robert Go, Jakarta – The Indonesian government yesterday formed a ministerial-level task force to deal with the hundreds of thousands of illegal workers who fled Malaysia's new tough immigration laws in recent days fearing harsh punishment, including jail and caning.

Jakarta – The former mayor of the East Timor capital Dili denied Tuesday that pro-Jakarta militia groups during Indonesian rule received any aid from the government or the military.

Tiarma Siboro, Jakarta – Former East Timor independence leader Manuel Viegas Carrascalao told the Human Rights Tribunal on Monday that the Indonesian Military did nothing to prevent the bloody violence against proindependence East Timorese in the run-up to the 1999 referendum.

Retired US General Anthony Zinni set out for Aceh's sensitive Pidie district, where Indonesian troops said they shot dead two alleged separatist rebels a day earlier.

Zinni, who has mediated in talks between Indonesia's government and separatist rebels in Aceh, arrived in the province Monday as Jakarta said it was preparing for more discussions with the insurgents.

Jakarta – The illegal logging that has swept through most of the Kerinci Seblat National Park (TNKS) in Lubuk Linggau, South Sumatra, is spreading throughout the park.

Around 800 hectares of the national park's 340,750 hectares in Rejang Lebong had been left barren due to intensive illegal logging in the last few months, the Antara news agency reported on Monday.