R.K.

Francisco Xavier do Amaral, the vice-president of East Timor's Constituent Assembly, has registered formally as the first candidate in the territory's April 14 presidential election, el

Ibnu Mat Noor, Banda Aceh – Despite two days of dialog between the Indonesian government and the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) in Geneva on Saturday and Sunday, violence continued unabated i

Viva Goldner and Tertiani ZB Simandjuntak, Jakarta – As House of Representatives (DPR) Speaker Akbar Tandjung today (Tuesday) is questioned by the Attorney General's Office (AGO) over t

Lindsay Murdoch – When Australian Prime Minister John Howard visited Jakarta six months ago, Indonesians held high hopes that their just-installed President, Megawati Sukarnoputri, woul

Tertiani ZB Simanjuntak, Jakarta – Despite the public demands for a transparent screening process to pick prosecutors for the ad hoc human rights trials, the Attorney General's Office h

Gland, Switzerland – Wildlife conservation experts raised the alarm on Monday about an Indonesian forest where a record number of plant species are under threat from logging.

Jakarta – Separatist rebels in Indonesia's restive province of Aceh, in a statement received Monday, urged local and foreign journalists to investigate conditions there and promised the

Tiarma Siboro, Jakarta – Religious leaders in the restive province of Papua rejected on Saturday the inclusion of military and police personnel in the planned National Investigation Com

Tarko Sudiarno, Yogyakarta – Tension engulfed the tourist city of Yogyakarta on Sunday as hundreds of supporters of the United Development Party (PPP) clashed here with groups of local

Berni K.

Ian Timberlake, Jakarta – A deadline plagued by delays has finally been met, but there are doubts that members of the Indonesian military, who might soon face trial for crimes in East T

Jakarta – It is impossible to stop the rain. But it is possible to minimize floods, or at least be prepared them. Unfortunately, what happened in Jakarta was just the opposite.

Kurniawan Hari, Jakarta – The next general election in 2004 is still a long way off, but political parties have been seen politicizing the severe floods in the capital city as clearly d

Banda Aceh – At least four people including two suspected separatist rebels have been killed in Indonesia's restive Aceh province on the eve of peace talks due this weekend in Geneva, t

Robert Go, Jakarta – President Megawati Sukarnoputri's economic team shows signs of wear and tear after six months in office, as Cabinet members slug it out over a controversial debt-ex

Dadan Wijaksana, Jakarta – Total exports fell by 9.8 percent to US$56.03 billion last year, the biggest percentage decline in 12 years, the Central Bureau of Statistics (BPS) said on Fr

Apriadi Gunawan, Medan – A total of 1,660 illegal Indonesian workers were deported home by Malaysian authorities between January 11 and January 31 via Belawan port in Medan, North Sumat

Jakarta – Indonesian exports fell 9.8 percent in 2001, the biggest percentage slump in 12 years, the Central Bureau of Statistics said Friday.

Ahmad Junaidi, Jakarta – Jakarta Governor Sutiyoso tried to calm hundreds of angry flood victims by partially opening the Manggarai floodgate in Central Jakarta on Friday.

Rendi A. Witular, Jakarta – Floods have become an all too familiar disaster for Jakartans. When tragedy struck this year, however, the floodwaters turned out to be the worst ever.

Jakarta – Indonesia should follow the lead of Singapore and Malaysia in taking firmer action against suspected terrorists, US Ambassador Frank Lavin said here.

Yemris Fointuna, Kupang – Despite the cancellation of humanitarian assistance as of January 1, 2002, the remaining 128,000 or so East Timorese people taking refuge in West Timor has bec

Kurniawan Hari, Jakarta – A number of legislators at the House of Representatives (DPR) admitted on Friday that they were not working for the interests of people at large, but blamed th

Jakarta – Inflation in Indonesia rose 1.99 percent in January and surged 14.42 percent year-on-year, the Central Bureau of Statistics said Friday.

Alex Wilson and Kurniawan Hari, Jakarta – The House of Representatives' decision to retain four legislators representing East Timor has raised eyebrows as the former Portuguese colony n

A'an Suryana, Jakarta – A member of the General Elections Committee (KPU) urged the House of Representatives on Thursday to immediately revise the 1999 Election Law, or else the committ

Yogita Tahilramani, Jakarta – The lawyer of the Indonesian Mujahidin Council (MMI) chief Abu Bakar Ba'asyir said on Thursday there was no evidence of a link between his client and the a

East Timor is due to become officially and fully independent on 20 May 2002.

Jakarta – An Indonesian court yesterday jailed two bodyguards who procured forged documents for Tommy Suharto, the youngest son of a former president, while he was on the run from the l

Tertiani ZB Simanjuntak and Tiarma Siboro, Jakarta – The Commission of Inquiry into Human Rights Violations (KPP HAM) during the 1999 Trisakti, Semanggi I and Semanggi II incidents has

Jupriadi, Makassar – Representatives from both of Maluku's warring factions flew home on Thursday after meeting separately with government negotiators in the South Sulawesi capital of M

Jakarta – Flooded areas in Jakarta, Tangerang and Bekasi have paralyzed economic and office activities since the last three days in the capital.

[This year we have still to see the worst of the floods.

Dili – The Constituent Assembly voted today to transform itself into East Timor's first legislature upon final approval of the Constitution.

Tertiani ZB Simanjuntak, Jakarta – A number of non-governmental organizations suggested on Wednesday that the government dissolve the Public Servants' Wealth Audit Commission (KPKPN) fo

United Nations – The UN Security Council voted unanimously on Thursday to extend its peacekeeping and nation-building operation in East Timor until the former Portuguese colony declares

Tiarma Siboro, Jakarta – The Papuan people's hope for a thorough investigation into the apparent murder of pro-independence Papua Presidium Council (PDP) Chairman Dortheys "Theys" Hiyo

Jakarta – Indonesia's army chief admitted Thursday that soldiers may have been involved in the murder of a Papua separatist leader and pledged action against any who were proven guilty.

Lhokseumawe – Weapons are not the way to wipe out the separatist Free Aceh Movement (GAM) guerrilla army even though their leader was killed last week, says the commander of Indonesian

Jakarta – Indonesia lacks the legal framework and the necessary counter-terrorism laws to deal with the problem, said national police chief Da'i Bachtiar.

Prime Minister John Howard today urged the United Nations to maintain its support for East Timor and not to skimp on resources for the new nation after it achieved independence.

New York – East Timor will have to face up to atrocities committed by the liberation movement during the 25-year independence campaign if the new nation hopes for true reconciliation an

The Indonesian government and the separatist Free Aceh Movement (GAM) will resume peace talks in Switzerland this weekend after a break of more than six months, according to a mediation

Max Lane – The Australia Indonesia Institute (AII) is advertised as a body promoting people-to-people relations between Australia and Indonesia.

Devi Asmarani, Jakarta – Indonesia's second-largest political party, Golkar, could be coming apart at the seams.

Protestant and Catholic leaders in East Timor have proposed ten alterations to the text of the draft Constitution currently being discussed by the Constituent Assembly in Dili.

Pidie – An unmarked mound of muddy earth marks the grave of Abdullah Syafii, the Acehnese guerrilla commander killed by Indonesian troops last week.

Max Lane – The Indonesian government's implementation of policies demanded by the International Monetary Fund – the reduction of subsidies on petrol and kerosene, as well as on electric

Jakarta – Indonesia's armed forces – widely suspected of involvement in the murder of a Papua separatist leader – will be represented on a proposed national commission to investigate th