Jakarta – Indonesia said yesterday it was still willing to talk to Aceh separatists to try to save a fragile peace agreement, but demanded the rebels stop pushing for independence and start disarming.
The government gave the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) between one and two weeks to respond and held back from launching a full-scale military operation.
Two Indonesian soldiers and a boy aged six have been injured in Indonesia's Aceh province, hours after the government set terms for renewed peace talks with separatist rebels.
A grenade fired from a launcher exploded near two soldiers who were relaxing in the center of Bireuen town late Monday, an Aceh military spokesman, Dasli Averos, said Tuesday.
Which do we love more, peace or sovereignty? This question came up when Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono addressed the problem of Aceh last week. The chief security minister reportedly said: "Indonesians love peace, but Indonesians value their sovereignty and territorial integrity even more."
Yemris Fointuna, Kupang – More than 500 East Timorese people still taking refuge in West Timor held a protest recently in front of the East Nusa Tenggara provincial legislative council, demanding the Indonesian government compensate them for the assets they left behind in East Timor.
Shefali Rekhi – Indonesia's plan to buy a floating nuclear power plant from Russia is raising concerns about pollution, terrorism and accidents.
When and if a deal is signed, the floating power plant could be in place sometime between 2015 and 2017, Research and Technology Minister Hatta Radjasa has told reporters.
First to Indonesia, where security has been stepped up across the country following yesterday's bomb attack at Jakarta's international airport. Eleven people were injured after a pipe bomb exploded near an airport restaurant. It was the second bomb attack in three days. Jakarta is pointing the finger of blame at local separatists or the Jemaah Islamiah terror group.
Kathy Marks, Sydney – Eleven people were injured, one seriously, when a bomb exploded yesterday in a crowded terminal at the main airport in Jakarta, the Indonesian capital.
Jakarta – The Free Aceh Movement (GAM) threatened on Sunday to "teach colonial forces a lesson" if Jakarta resumed its military operation in Aceh, while the government meets to decide the next step in handling the restive province.
New York – The UN Security Council is scheduled to meet Monday to discuss a one-year extension of the UN mission in East Timor, a recommendation by Secretary-General Kofi Annan.
Jakarta – Indonesia's safety standards remain the worst in Southeast Asia, as it has the greatest number of workplace accidents, a report says.
For the first time, the East Timorese Government has begun taking control from the United Nations over its border with Indonesia.
East Timorese and UN authorities have today opened a new facility at Batugade to streamline immigration, police and border patrol operations along the border with West Timor.
Jakarta – The situation in Maluku is calm following the separatist South Maluku Republic (RMS)'s 53rd anniversary on Friday, which saw the arrest of more than 300 supporters of the outlawed group.
Jakarta – Two international human rights groups have strongly criticised a United Nations commission, saying it failed to demand justice for victims of atrocities in East Timor.
Amnesty International and the East Timor Action Network took issue with a recent statement from the UN Commission on Human Rights about Indonesia's trials of suspects in the 1999 bloodshed.
Jakarta/Banda Aceh – Vice President Hamzah Haz called on the government and the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) on Saturday to resume peace talks to save the peace agreement signed in December 2002.
Jakarta – Indonesian troops and police have arrested about 60 people to quell attempts to mark a separatist anniversary on Friday in the eastern Maluku islands.
The detainees had either sewn or flown flags of the outlawed Republic of South Maluku which were to be hoisted on Friday, said Ambon island district military commander, Lieutenant Colonel Yudi Zanibar.
Evi Mariani, Jakarta – Press Council vice chairman R.H. Siregar says loopholes in press law No. 40/1999 hamper freedom of the press in Indonesia by treating journalists as criminals.
Bogor – Thirteen village chiefs in Jasinga district of Bogor regency have admitted to selling 88.42 tons of rice designated for poor families.
Banda Aceh – The United States and other powers expressed "deep disappointment" on Friday at the scrapping of a crucial meeting aimed at saving the Aceh peace pact and put the blame on separatist rebels. The US, Japan and the World Bank said a successful Joint Council meeting would be necessary to save the December 9 peace agreement in the Indonesianprovince.
Devi Asmarani, Jakarta – The Indonesian government said it had lost all faith in the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) after the rebel group "disrespectfully" postponed an emergency meeting that was to salvage a peace pact between them.
Kurniawan Hari, Jakarta – The opportunity for Indonesians to vote for candidates of their choice in the 2004 presidential election is under threat, as the two largest factions in the House of Representatives have sought to limit the number of parties participating in the election.
Tertiani ZB Simanjuntak, Jakarta – The police are losing their authority and many people do not respect them – as was evident in the escape of Islam Defenders Front (FPI) chairman Habib Rizieq Shihab, as well as in the attack on Tempo magazine's office and its journalists, a lawyer said.
Jakarta – Eros Djarot announced on Friday a new name for his Bung Karno Nationalist Party (PNBK) during the party's two-day leadership meeting here.
The party has been renamed the Banteng Kemerdekaan Nationalist Party, allowing the party to maintain its original acronym.
Jakarta – Indonesia's increasing economic stability is not translating into higher growth, the World Bank said on Thursday.
The bank, in its East Asian outlook as quoted by AFP, forecast gross domestic product growth of 3.3 percent this year, lower than the government's projection, and 4.0 percent in 2004.
Bill Guerin, Jakarta – Indonesian State Minister for State Enterprises Laksamana Sukardi plans a spinoff of two renegade state enterprises, PT Semen Padang and PT Semen Tonasa, from their publicly listed parent company PT Semen Gresik.
Jakarta – Minister of Finance Boediono expressed optimism on Thursday that the economy will grow by 4 percent this year, despite a downturn in the global economy.
"We are continuing to project it at 4 percent. We are optimistic about it because our exports remain strong," Boediono said as quoted by Antara here on Thursday.
The East Timor Action Network (ETAN) strongly criticized the UN Commission on Human Rights for turning its back on the East Timorese people and jeopardizing current and future UN missions.
The Catholic Institute for International Relations (CIIR) and TAPOL, the Indonesia Human Rights Campaign, have condemned the UN Commission on Human Rights for failing to ensure that the perpetrators of gross violations of human rights in East Timor are brought to justice and for agreeing to drop the issue from its agenda next year.
Ambon – Police have found five flags of the separatist Republic of South Maluku (RMS) hoisted in different areas here.
"Two flags were found hoisted on a 7-meter bamboo pole," local police chief Adjunct Senior Commissioner Teguh Budi Prasodjo told Antara here on Thursday.
Devi Asmarani, Jakarta – With less than a year left before Indonesia conducts unprecedented direct elections, the slow, messy preparations are already sparking concerns of possible irregularities when the polls are held.
Jakarta – A small pipe bomb exploded near the main United Nations building in Indonesia's capital yesterday, just a day after the trial of the leader of a radical Islamic group opened here.
Police warned Indonesians to be on guard against future terror attacks despite a major roundup of Jemaah Islamiyah suspects and the seizure of arms and explosives.
"Threats of new attacks always exist. We have to remain vigilant," said national police spokesman Zainuri Lubis Thursday.
Jakarta – Some 2,000 workers of PT EDS Manufacturing Indonesia, a cable producer on Jl. Raya Serang, Balaraja district, staged a rally at the regency manpower agency office here on Thursday to demand that the company's contract system for workers be scrapped.
Samarinda, E Kalimantan – Some 400 workers of the Indonesian forestry company, PT Wana Rimba Kencana, staged a rally in front of the East Kalimantan governor's office here Friday to reject the Industry and Trade Ministry's unilateral decision to freeze the company's permit to export plywood.
Dili – A moral and spiritual "darkness" still haunts East Timor's Catholics, the bishop of Dili said at the Easter Vigil service.
War-weary Acehnese urged the Indonesian government and separatist rebels to get serious about saving their fragile peace pact, after a crucial meeting was called off at the last minute.
Dili – The head of the United Nations' civil police department urged East Timor Thursday to rapidly draft and approve legislation for its police forces. Calling on Dili for action "as quickly as possible", Kiran Debi challenged a seminar in the East Timorese capital "not to waste this opportunity" because "you are losing time and put the future at risk".
Nethy Dharma Somba, Jayapura – The military police unit of the Trikora Military Command overseeing Papua has arrested nine soldiers and seven civilians for their alleged involvement in the April 4 arsenal burglary in Wamena, in which two soldiers and a Free Papua Movement (OPM) rebel were killed.
Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, Jakarta – Activists have urged the international community to ensure that justice is served against all perpetrators of the gross human rights violations in East Timor, now that hopes for a fair trial have evaporated.
Gary LaMoshi, Denpasar – One of the world's great mysteries, right up there with how Jiang Zemin's hair stayed black for all those years, is that amazing strength of the Indonesian rupiah on foreign-currency markets, defying the gravity of Indonesia's economic situation.
Slobodan Lekic, Jakarta – Frustrated by Washington's long running embargo over arms sales because of human rights concerns, Indonesia plans to buy dozens of high-performance fighter bombers from Russia over the next several years.
Moscow – Indonesia's armed forces commander, General Endriartono Sutarto, has disclosed that the Indonesian air force wants to have 48 Russian-made Sukhoi fighter planes to enable it to secure the country and maintain its sovereignty.
In East Timor, continuing militia infilitration has put a spotlight on the United Nations failure to properly secure the border. Local police say militia groups have returned to East Timor, through numerous tracks along the West Timor border. The warning comes as the UN forces prepare to withdraw, leaving border security to the local police.
Gde Anugrah Arka, Bali – Made Suarsa's minibus is almost empty these days as he winds through the narrow streets of Denpasar, capital of one of the world's best-known travel destinations, Bali.
Jakarta – People in the East Timor regency of Belu expressed disappointment over the country's recent ruling to impose a US$25 visa on visitors from Indonesia, which it borders.
A number of local figures warned on Tuesday that the visa ruling, which took effect on April 19, would burden East Timor more than it would Indonesia.
M. Rizai Maslan – Although they have been convicted for the murder of the chairman of the Papaun Presidium Counicil, the convicted men are seen differently in the eyes of the chief of staff of the army, General Ryamizard Ryacudu. In his eyes, these men are heroes.
Indonesian police said they have arrested 18 more suspected members of the Jemaah Islamiyah terror network and seized guns and explosives.
As the Muslim cleric accused of leading JI went on trial for treason, national police chief General Da'i Bachtiar said the seizures indicated that suspects were planning fresh terrorist attacks before next year's general elections.
Cleric Abu Bakar Bashir who heads the conservative Indonesian Mujahidin Council, has faced court in Jakarta charged with attempting to overthrow the Indonesian state. Mr Bashir is accused of setting up the outlawed Jemaah Islamiyah group 10 years ago, as part of a plan to replace the Government with an Islamic state.
Matthew Moore, Jakarta – He was the first person to be accused of planning the Bali bombings, but when Indonesia's most notorious preacher, Abu Bakar Bashir, goes on trial in a Jakarta court today it will not be for his role in that crime.
Jakarta – Prodemocracy activists, analysts and mass media are certainly not the only ones longing for the emergence of a strong, fair and wise national leader to bring the nation out of its prolonged crisis, uphold justice and build peace.
Arya Abhiseka, Jakarta – The General Elections Commission (KPU) admitted on Tuesday that many flaws were evident in the voter registration process as revealed by a resistance to the program in some regions.