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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Jakarta – Army chief Gen. Ryamizard Ryacudu installed on Thursday Maj. Gen. Djoko Santoso as his deputy to replace Lt. Gen. Darsono, who is retiring.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Nani Farida and Teuku Agam Muzakir, Banda Aceh/Lhokseumawe – Two anti-separatist groups in Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam held rallies in separate towns, demanding the government help with the relese of all people abducted by the Free Aceh Movement (GAM).

Rachel Harvey, Jakarta – Journalists covering events in Indonesia's troubled Aceh province have faced a particularly difficult task since martial law was declared last year.

Their movements are severely restricted and local reporters are officially forbidden from contacting separatist rebels of the Free Aceh Movement (Gam).

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.

Fabiola Desy Unidjaja & Moch. N.

Jakarta – The involvement of the TNI-AD (the army) in making the 2004 general elections a success does not represent an effort or ambition on the part of the TNI-AD to extend its role.

Jakarta – Holding the elections in conflict areas such as Aceh will not result in quality elections. Basically this is because violence by state security personnel against the public is still occurring, particularly violence which increases a sense of fear in society.

Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, Jakarta – The National Intelligence Agency (BIN) will have much broader powers soon after President Megawati Soekarnoputri signs a decree authorizing the agency to open offices in all provinces, regencies and municipalities across the country, creating new fears of repression.

A. Junaidi, Jakarta – The Habibie Center, a study center founded by former president B.J. Habibie, predicted on Wednesday the general elections would not produce leaders who cared about issues affecting the common people and would keep the existing six major political parties in power.

Lee Kim Chew – Indonesia's Golkar party could stage a major political comeback and beat President Megawati Sukarnoputri in the presidential election this year.

And if Golkar joins forces with Ms Megawati's party to form a ruling coalition, Indonesia will have a strong government.

Kurniawan Hari, Jakarta – The government has drafted a campaign regulation that will ban top state officials, including the President and her ministers, from using state facilities during the election campaign, but analysts said the regulation was rife with defects.

Kurniawan Hari, Jakarta – A recent survey reveals that although many respondents trust the current presidential candidates, most of them prefer other candidates to lead the nation for the next five years.

Jakarta – One person was killed and four injured when police opened fire to disperse illegal miners occupying a gold mine operated by Australian firm Newcrest, police said Thursday.

Bambang Nurbianto, Jakarta – Amid criticism from various parties, the Jakarta administration still plans to go ahead with its eviction program which is expected to affect at least 8,500 families or around 47,500 people this year, according to the Urban Poor Consortium (UPC).

Muninggar Sri Saraswati, Jakarta – The Attorney General's Office (AGO) claimed on Wednesday that it had ordered another medical examination for former president Soeharto in a bid to reactivate the prosecution case against him on corruption charges.

Jayapura – Two years after the implementation of the Law on Special Autonomy in West Papua, the level of human rights violations remains high. There has been no commitment from any parties to apply the Law on Special Autonomy consistently. Rather, this law is seen as disrupting the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia (NKRI).

John Roberts – For more than seven months, the Indonesian armed forces (TNI) have been waging a war of repression in the province of Aceh, aimed at crushing the separatist Free Aceh Movement (GAM) and intimidating the population as a whole.

Yogyakarta – One thousand students of Gadjah Mada State University (UGM) will actively empower eligible voters and watch the 2004 electoral process in Yogyakarta villages as part of their field study program, UGM Rector Sofian Effendi said.

The students would be sent to 60 villages in four districts in Yogyakarta province, he told reporters here Wednesday.

Peter King – Ever since East Timor was "lost" in September 1999 the Indonesian military (TNI) have shown strong determination to hold the line against what they see as the next most credible threat of "separatism" in outlying provinces, the independence movement in (West) Papua/Irian Jaya.

Pulo Aceh – Social Affairs Minister Bachtiar Chamsyah said the people of Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam (NAD) province should be brave and act against separatist rebels in order to restore security.

Jakarta – Separatist rebels in war-torn Aceh province said Wednesday they were willing to release 80 captives including a television cameraman in return for a two-day ceasefire.

"That's a condition that we have put forth," said the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) commander for East Aceh district, Ishak Dawood.

Ahmad Fikri, Bandung – In order to fulfill the requirements of the National Election Commission (KPU), a number of provincial legislative candidates have submitted copies of diplomas which have been certified by the Siliwangi III Regional Military Command (Kodam). The reason they gave for this was because their schools had already been closed down.