Muhammad Nafik, Jakarta – All 11 members of the General Elections Commission (KPU) have threatened to resign en masse if the House of Representatives passes a new election bill that would effectively undermine the commission's independence.

Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, Jakarta – As part of the campaign to put an end to the long list of assaults against the Indonesian media, Kompas daily vowed on Thursday to proceed with the legal process against the police for beating one of its reporters while reporting the Maspion worker strike in Sidoarjo, East Java.

Kurniawan Hari, Jakarta – In an effort to lower book, newspaper and magazines prices, editors and legislators on Thursday agreed to demand the government remove the imposition of value-added tax (VAT) on reading material.

Cirebon – Hundreds of bus owners grouped under the West Java and Central Java Organization of Land Transportation Owners (Organda) demanded on Thursday the release of 117 buses currently impounded by the Jakarta office of the Ministry of Transportation, apparently without good reason.

[Siri Frigaard Deputy Prosecutor in East Timor's Serious Crimes Unit, overseeing investigations into crimes against humanity in East Timor has admitted that history may be critical of the justice dealt out to perpetrators of the bloodshed and destruction in 1999.

Ahmad Junaidi, Jakarta – Political experts criticized chairwoman of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) Megawati Soekarnoputri dubbing her a "democracy killer" for defying her party's aspirations by supporting the reelection of Jakarta Governor Sutiyoso.

Nani Farida, Banda Aceh – Activists on Thursday cast doubts over the upcoming Aceh peace talks, as violence continued unabated with neither the separatist Free Aceh Movement (GAM) nor the government willing to back down from preconditions to move into a dialog.

Jakarta – A number of political leaders belonging to a loose grouping of Islamic parties, plus some Golkar Party legislators, met at the residence of deputy speaker of the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) Cholil Bisri on Jl. Kemanggisan Ilir 2B, Slipi, on Thursday evening, with the host denying that the gathering had any political agenda.

Several members of East Timor's parliament called Thursday for proposed legislation to be translated into Tetum, as Portuguese is not understood by all of the 88-member assembly.

Berni K. Moestafa, Jakarta – Widespread criticism of the government is growing as transportation fares are set to go up by 40 percent following its earlier fuel price increases.

Critics slammed the decision as a slap in the face of the poor, and called into question the government's unilateral approach of raising the fares.

Prime Minister Mari Alkatiri presented and won an overwhelming vote of confidence from East Timor's parliament Thursday for his five-year government program. The confidence vote was approved by a tally of 69 to four, with seven abstentions. Eight MPs were absent.

Marianne Kearney, Jakarta – President Megawati Sukarnoputri's overriding concern with securing her future through political deal-making is causing ripples in Indonesia's most hotly contested political race after the national elections.

Jakarta – The prosecution appeared to throw in the towel on Wednesday during the cross-examination of Hutomo "Tommy" Mandala Putra, the alleged mastermind behind the murder of Supreme Court Justice M. Syafiuddin Kartasasmita.

While Chief Prosecutor Hasan Madani normally asked probing questions, this time he seemed to skip from one question to another.

Jakarta – An armed Indonesian civilian group had held military training exercises outside Jakarta, the country's top security minister said yesterday.

Jakarta – Taking the stand for the first time, Tommy Suharto told a packed courtroom yesterday that Indonesia's security forces had protected him while he was on the run for a year.

The son of former president Suharto denied that he had killed a Supreme Court judge but admitted that he had tried to bribe associates of a former president to clear him of corruption charges.

Jakarta – Indonesia's Education Ministry plans to hire 366,630 temporary teachers next year to overcome shortages in schools around the country.

Education Minister A. Malik Fadjar said during a parliamentary committee hearing on Tuesday that his ministry was seeking a budget allocation of 2.3 trillion rupiah, or 200,000 rupiah per teacher, for the plan.

Around 150 Islamic extremists armed with sticks and swords rampaged down a street popular with foreign tourists in Jakarta yesterday, forcing their way into cafes and smashing beer bottles, police and witnesses said.

Jakarta – After participating in the Aceh provincial sports week in Sigli, nine athletes and officials from the Aceh Singkil regency were reportedly abducted by a group of unidentified armed men in Peureulak, East Aceh regency, Antara reported on Thursday.

Yemris Fointuna, Kupang – Local security authorities have broken up a network that allegedly trafficked dozens of East Timorese toddlers over the last year.

The head of the Wirasakti Militry Command in East Nusa Tenggara, Col. Muswarno Moesanip, said on Wednesday that most of the children were taken from refugee camps in the province and sent to orphanages in Java.

Jakarta – The Indonesian export volume to neighboring East Timor increased from around 20 million US dollars in 2000 to more than 33 million US dollars in 2001, an official said Thursday.

Jakarta – The House of Representatives is expected to pass soon a long-awaited bill on the settlement of industrial disputes, which will allow workers and employers to take their disputes to labor courts.

Catharine Munro, Jakarta – Eurico Guterres, the militia leader who fought against independence from Indonesia in his native East Timor three years ago, today faced a human rights tribunal in Jakarta to hear charges of abuses.

Jakarta – In a further move to implement syariah, or Islamic law, in Aceh, Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam Police will soon recruit officers for its special religious police unit, YAntara news agency reported.

Jakarta – A notorious pro-Jakarta militia leader accused of atrocities in East Timor said on Thursday he was ready to die if found guilty of the 1999 massacres, but said the real blame for the bloodshed lies with Indonesia's president at the time.

Sydney – Former prime minister Gough Whitlam today launched a book which he described as "patronising" of his dealings with East Timor as it sank into Indonesian control.

Author and journalist Bill Nicol has updated his 25-year-old book which was highly critical of the Whitlam government's lack of involvement in trying to secure the struggling nation's independence.

London – On June 16, protesters disrupted Indonesian President Megawati Sukarnoputri's meeting with British Labour Prime Minister Tony Blair. Waving placards, posters and a grave stone for the murdered Papuan leader Theys Eluay, protesters blocked the entrance to Downing Street to draw attention to the Indonesian military's human rights abuses in West Papua.

Tommy Suharto, the youngest son of Indonesia's former dictator, testified for the first time in his murder trial and accused the then-president of interfering in his earlier corruption case.

Kurniawan Hari, Jakarta – A number of legislators admitted on Tuesday that they had largely ignored their constituents, but shifted the blame for this neglect to Indonesia's electoral system.

Max Lane, Jakarta – Natalia Scholastika was a student activist in Bandung, West Java, when the first arrest warrant against her was issued in 2001. A member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PRD), she had helped organise a protest by thousands of workers in Bandung and there were clashes with the police. Several activists were arrested and put on trial. Natalia was not captured.

Jakarta – Five workers from PT Maspion Unit I in Gedangan area, Sidoarjo regency, East Java and a reporter who was covering the workers demonstration, were injured on Wednesday after a clash broke out between workers and the police, a report said.

Jakarta – Minister of Manpower and Transmigration Jacob Nuwa Wea slammed employers and law enforcers for the rampant restriction of labor unions, saying workers had the right to strike as a last resort to put pressure on management to meet their demands.

Zacharias Wuragil, Jakarta – Indonesian Military (TNI) chief Gen. Endriartono Sutarto has claimed that the security situation in Aceh has improved. However, he still considers the Free Aceh Movement Force (AGAM) as the most important party that determines security in Aceh.

Yemris Fointuna and Jupriadi, Jakarta – Twenty-nine more refugees, including one marine, have returned to their hometowns in East Timor after spending more than two years in refugee camps in South Sulawesi province.

Derwin Pereira, Jakarta – The Indonesian Armed Forces (TNI) has received crucial backing from legislators to use force against separatists in Aceh as a military offensive grew imminent in the troubled province.

Jill Jolliffe – Pro-Indonesia militia leader Joao Tavares returned to East Timor yesterday for the first time since the violence of 1999.

Speaking after crossing the border at Batugade, the man considered by many East Timorese to be most responsible for militia crimes said he was prepared to stand trial.

Novan Iman Santosa and Yogita Tahilramani, Jakarta – Not a single eyewitness against nine suspects for the murder of Papuan pro-independence leader Dortheys "Theys" Hiyo Eluay witnessed the murder, defense lawyer Warsito Sanyoto said on Tuesday.

Tiarma Siboro, Jakarta – Members of the House of Representatives (DPR) unanimously threw their support behind the Indonesian military on Monday in allowing it to flex its muscles against secessionist movements in the country, particularly the Free Aceh Movement (GAM).

Nani Farida, Banda Aceh – Acehnese human rights activists questioned on Monday the effectiveness of Presidential Instruction No. 1/2002 on the Comprehensive Solution to Aceh's Problems to settle the conflict in the province as its six-month deadline nears, while violence remains unabated.

Catharine Munro, Jakarta – International aid groups are calling for countries including Australia to help head off starvation in the Indonesian province of West Timor.

A two-month survey conducted by five international agencies showed that thousands are facing an acute food shortage following East Timor's secession from Indonesia.

Indonesia's military has ruled that the killing of seperatist leader Theys Eluay in the restive Indonesian province of Papua was not politically motivated.

Jakarta – If the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) is going to allow the people to directly elect the president and vice president in 2004, then it should allow them to make that selection all the way through, rather than halfway.

Indonesia's Vice-president, Hamzah Haz, has won the backing of a powerful group from his Islamic party for a possible presidential challenge in 2004.

The chairman of the United Development Party's in East Java, Hafidz Ma'shum, says its 38 branches have all agreed to push for the nomination of Mr Haz as the party's presidential candidate.

Kupang – Former pro-integration leaders established on Monday the Presidium of East Timorese Refugees to accommodate support for refugees of the former province of East Timor.

One of the founders, Eurico Gutteres, vowed the organization would not get involved in politics, but would merely provide humanitarian assistance for the refugees.

Ahmad Junaidi, Jakarta – The Jakarta Administration announced on Monday its plan to propose a bylaw which will ban demonstrations around the newly renovated Hotel Indonesia traffic circle on Jl. MH Thamrin in Central Jakarta.

Bambang Nurbianto, Jakarta – The health card system aims to provide a free health service for the poor. But while many destitute people are unable to enter the program due to their lack of an ID card, employees of several hospitals admitted on Monday that many of the recipients look affluent.

Tim Shorrock (Inter Press Service), Washington – As US officials lobby Congress to approve a US$16 million package of military aid for Indonesia, they are stressing the need to support political stability in the world's largest Muslim nation while downplaying Jakarta's role in the global war against terrorism.

Derwin Pereira, Jakarta – As the army manoeuvred behind the scenes to return to a position of power in Indonesia, the navy slowly distanced itself from such attempts as its new commander made clear that it would not dabble in domestic politics.

Novan Iman Santosa and Yogita Tahilramani, Jakarta – This nation seems to have a huge stock of shocking legal violations. One ongoing case involves no less a figure than Comr. Gen. Sofjan Jacoeb, a former Jakarta Police chief.

Jakarta – The death toll from Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) cases in East Java has now officially reached 30.

East Java Deputy Governor Imam Supardi said there has been an increase in HIV/AIDS cases because of local people's lack of awareness.