Jakarta – Indonesian President B.J. Habibie said he would not step down before 2000, as surveys published Thursday indicated the nation had mixed feelings on whether he should hang on or go now.

Jakarta – The government stood its ground during the deliberation of its three political bills on Wednesday insisting that next year's general election use a combination of district and proportional representation systems. Represented by Minister of Home Affairs Lt. Gen.

Jakarta – The Indonesian parliament Thursday passed a new bill that controls demonstrations and protests in the country, which is being plagued by violence and protests.

Surabaya – Following threats made to Moslem preachers by unidentified people here, journalists have been warned that they will be among the next victims in the killing spree which has so far claimed more than 150 lives in East Java. The threats were printed on flyers and circulated widely among the public in the provincial town of Jember.

Andrew Marshall, Jakarta, – Crisis-ridden Indonesia is not short of worries on the economic front, but policy makers are now grappling with an unexpected new concern – is the beleaguered rupiah bouncing back too strongly?

Don Greenlees, Jakarta – Indonesia backed away yesterday from claims President B. J. Habibie offered to open an investigation into the killings of the Balibo Five during the initial, covert phase of the invasion of East Timor in 1975.

By Louise Williams in Jakarta and James Woodford in Canberra – A senior minister in the Habibie Government has flatly denied new allegations that he supervised the killing of five Australian-based journalists in East Timor, but President B.J. Habibie has promised to re-examine the deaths during the 1975 Indonesian invasion.

Andrew Marshall, Jakarta – The rejuvenated Indonesian rupiah broke through the 7,000 level against the dollar on Wednesday for the first time in more than eight months, providing a ray of hope for an economy crushed by crippling debt and interest rates.

Dili – An assistant to the UN secretary general said here Wednesday he has met jailed East Timorese resistance leader Xanana Gusmao at his Jakarta jail.

"I went to jakarta to hear the comments of Xanana (Gusmao) on the results of the Senior official meeting," said Tamrat Samuel, the UN secretary general's assistant on political affairs for Asia and the Pacific.

Jakarta – Indonesia's legal mechanism is incapable of prosecuting ousted president Suharto, alleged to have amassed wealth during his 32 years in power, an Indonesian group fighting corruption said Wednesday.

Jakarta – Few people in this country buy the Armed Forces' (ABRI) warning of a possible communist comeback, believing that the Indonesian Communist Party (PKI), outlawed since 1966, has been used as a convenient scapegoat when no other answers are available according to a survey jointly commissioned by The Jakarta Post and D&R weekly magazine.

Shoeb Kagda, Jakarta – The ongoing controversy between one of Indonesia's largest foreign investors and the country's legislators is threatening to undermine the country's standing among foreign investors, and could disrupt its long-term economic revival.

Jakarta – Hundreds of university students protested at the Indonesian national parliament here on Tuesday, calling on the government to scrap a planned session of the upper house, the first in the post-Suharto era.

Jakarta – At least five students and one policeman were injured after a clash Monday during a protest in front of the military headquarters in southern Sumatra.

Kate Linebaugh, Jakarta – The International Monetary Fund on Monday signed a new letter of intent with the Indonesian government, clearing the way for further release of assistance funds for the country. IMF Asian-Pacific Director Hubert Neiss said after the signing that the new letter of intent focused on the country's bank-restructuring and public-expenditure programs.

United Nations – Indonesia, grappling with a severe shortage of hard currency, has been forced to slash its defense spending and shelve an ambitious military modernization program.

Jakarta - A group of farmers evicted from their land in 1974 to make way for a cattle ranch for former president Suharto, Monday called on the attorney general to take the veteran leader to court.

Jakarta – Indonesia's military chief, echoing the leader of the country's most influential Islamic movement, said conflicts among the country's political elite were behind more than 150 murders in East Java, a report said Monday.

Padang – About 2,000 angry villagers attacked an Indonesian palm oil plantation, burning down all the buildings at the company's base camp, reports said Monday.

Jakarta – Human rights activists say National Military Police investigating the abduction of political activists were "powerless" and that the 11 members of the Army's Special Force (Kopassus) suspected of the crime were still on the loose.

Jakarta – A three-day meeting of regional military commanders ended here on Friday with a commitment to maintain a distance from all political groupings – a break from New Order tradition where military chiefs very often made policies that favored Golkar.

Jakarta – The People's Awakening Party (PKB) has asserted that it does not support Megawati Soekarnoputri and will pick its own candidate in next year's presidential election.

Jakarta – A private Indonesian group fighting against corruption has singled out 79 decrees issued by then-President Suharto over the past five years as flawed, reports said Saturday

Louise Williams, Los Palos – Less than two weeks after the brass bands and media circus of Indonesia's "goodwill" withdrawal of combat troops from East Timor in July, a big barge slid silently to shore under the cover of darkness on the lonely, distant coast to the east.

Douglas Appell – The rupiah's collapse from late last year accelerated the economic and political turmoil that knocked Indonesia off the map of global stock investors. Is the currency's recent rebound bringing it back?

Jose Manuel Tesoro, Manado – Manajil "Roger" D. Salahuddin thinks of himself as a small-timer. He has been bringing cheap goods from Indonesia to the southern Philippines for just over five months. The amount of dollars he spends for his purchases often hovers in the high three figures, at most a thousand. He does not fly to Manado from Mindanao's main city of Davao.

Jay Solomon, Banyuwangi – Dariah didn't see who attacked her as she returned home last Sunday evening from the village mosque, nor does she know why her black-hooded assailants targeted her.

Sydney – East Timorese leaders in Australia criticised on Thursday Indonesian Foreign Minister Ali Alatas two-day meeting with about 60 East Timorese representatives in Bali earlier this week. The representatives of the East Timorese resistance movement complained that they had been informed for the meeting, which began on Thursday, a mere 24 hours in advance.

Tommy Ardiansyah, Dili – East Timor spiritual leader Bishop Carlos Belo on Thursday urged an end to Indonesian military activity in the troubled territory amid reports of fresh armed clashes with rebels.

Sander Thoenes, Sanur – She has proved she can paint a town red, but can Megawati Sukarnoputri run the world's fourth-largest nation?

Jakarta – Indonesian President B.J. Habibie has issued a ruling ordering officials and government institutions to avoid discriminating between Indonesians based on their origins, a report said here Thursday.

Amy Chew, Jakarta – Indonesian legislators have unanimously backed sweeping political reforms proposed by President B.J. Habibie to make the nation more democratic, officials said on Wednesday.

Jakarta – Indonesia's ministry of lands has initiated moves to seize lands owned by fallen president Suharto and his family that were obtained illegally or harmed community interests, the state Antara news agency said Wednesday.

Jakarta – Hundreds of university students protested at the Indonesian national parliament here on Tuesday demanding a fair first general assembly since the fall of ex-president Suharto in May, a reporter said.

Sydney – The Indonesian authorities announced on Monday the detachment of four mobile police brigades (BRIMOV) in the occupied territory of East Timor, according to Indonesia's national news agency, Antara.

Jakarta – The government's move to probe into high level corruption cases in the country is a half-hearted effort merely to refine its image, an American expert on Indonesia's political economy said here Monday.

Jakarta – A recent statement by a close presidential advisor that President B.J. Habibie's strongest opposition in a presidential election bid would come from within Golkar's own ranks has triggered speculation from political observers.

Dili – About 15,000 East Timorese staged a second consecutive day of protest today and demanded the provincial governor quit over a threat to fire government employees who support an independence referendum for the troubled territory.

Jakarta – An international rights group Monday called for better protection for a group probing the rapes of ethnic-Chinese in Indonesia following the murder of a teenage volunteer from the team. New York-based Human Rights Watch also called for a full investigation into the murder here Friday of 17-year-old Marthadinarta, known as Ita, a member of the Volunteers for Humanity.

Jakarta – Employees of 100 companies operating in Jakarta and its surrounding areas established on Sunday a new union called Serikat Buruh Jabotabek (Greater Jakarta Labor Organization) in a bid to improve their bargaining position. The new organization was announced at the end of a two-day congress attended by about 200 employees of the 100 companies.

Henny Sender, Washington – There were low expectations on both sides when the Indonesian delegation at last week's International Monetary Fund-World Bank talks held a breakfast meeting to present creditors with Jakarta's latest plan to deal with its corporate sector's huge debts.

Derwin Pereira, Bandung – The writing is on the wall for the Indonesian armed forces (ABRI). Literally. At the renowned Gadjah Mada University in Yogyakarta, students have written on campus walls: "Go to hell with ABRI." They are not alone in castigating the military these days.

Jakarta – Thousands of protestors rallied in the troubled East Timorese capital of Dili Sunday demanding the replacement of the Indonesian government-appointed governor of the territory, a resident source said.

Jakarta – The Indonesian military denied reports it had launched attacks against separatist rebels in the troubled territory, the official Antara news agency reported on Sunday.

"There were no assaults or armed clashes," East Timor military commander Colonel Tono Suratman was quoted as telling reporters in the territory's capital of Dili on Saturday.

Jakarta – Thousands of people prayed for peace Sunday at a rally in Indonesia's capital and called on the country to avoid violence as it struggles through an economic crisis.

Jakarta – Indonesian police said Sunday they had arrested a common thief for the brutal murder here of a young woman activist who counselled girls raped during savage May riots here.

Mike Head – Megawati Sukarnoputri, widely touted by the Western media as Indonesia's next president, pledged to uphold the "open market system" of global capitalism on Thursday, the opening day of the congress staged by her faction of the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI).

Jakarta – Sixteen inmates escaped from an Indonesian prison in the troubled territory of East Timor today as the population of the main city of Dili launched a "silent protest" against the Jakarta-appointed governor.

Jakarta – The National Police are to send officers to the United States to investigate the alleged forgery of promissory notes worth about US$3 billion by Ibnu Hartomo, former president Soeharto's brother-in-law.

United Nations – Portugal and Indonesia reviewed proposals for autonomy for the disputed territory of East Timor but came to no decision during three days of talks ending on Thursday, a UN official said.