Jakarta – Two of those accused of subversion from the Peoples Democratic Party (PRD) presented their objections at the South Jakarta State Court, Tuesday 17 February. In essence, they questioned the relevance of continuing the trial in the midst of the lack of legal clarity and the "authorities" which has coloured the course of the trials.

Jakarta – Indonesia's army chief has blamed migrants from East Java for the outbreak of ethnic riots in West Kalimantan, the official Antara news agency reported yesterday.

"We have proof, there were bad people from East Java who came there to incite, so something happened which we did not want," General R. Hartono told reporters yesterday.

Jakarta – The Indonesian Army Commander Gen R Hartono has reaffirmed there will be no changes in the set up of the regional military territory commanders before the upcoming general election.

"There is no regional military commander entering retirement age before the general election, so there won't be any change of the set up," Hartono told journalists here Monday.

Jakarta – Indonesia's state-owned oil and gas company plans to sell to Japanese investors a 13 percent stake in a giant gas project in the South China Sea, the government said Tuesday.

Research and Technology Minister B.J. Habibie said that negotiations are under way for Pertamina to possibly sell a one percent stake each to 13 Japanese companies.

Bogor – The General Chairman of the Central Directing Board of the Indonesian Democratic Party (DPP PDI) Soerjadi clarified that the implementation of the General Elections (Pemilu) 1997 campaign would experience a setback if there are too many rules which will be beneficial for one of the OPP (pemilu participating organization).

Kuala Lumpur – Two Indonesian contract workers were killed and one escaped unhurt when a scaffolding on a building which was undergoing construction in Damansara Heights gave way yesterday.

Abdul Karim Sakariya, 24 and Jeseri Ibnuh, 41, died on the spot while Mursinah Murni, 25, was unhurt.

Phnom Penh – President Soeharto clarified that the developing countries need to increase cooperation to support solidarity to overcome arising problems. This is important, because the changes which happen in the world are still more profitable for the advanced industrial countries.

Jakarta – Police has sent a second summons to ousted party leader Megawati Soekarnoputri and his husband Taufik Kiemas to explain about the political activity they held at their home on January 10, a South Jakarta police chief said here on Monday.

It came to my attention the article of Sunday Observer of December 15, 1996 by Charlotte Clayton. As the person recently often used by the Indonesian Government propaganda machine to denigrate the name of my brother Jose Ramos-Horta by using this so-called book "the Eyewitness" I wish to state publicly the following:

Jakarta – A prosecution witness told the court trying labor leader Muchtar Pakpahan yesterday that he had not heard Pakpahan utter any antigovernment statements between August 1995 anc! July 1996.

Jakarta – PT Indofood Sukses Makmur, the largest instant noodle maker in Indonesia, is buying control of six affiliated companies for 1.75 trillion rupiah (S$1.05 billion), or about 15 times their projected 1996 profit.

Jakarta – The Secretary General of the Central Directing Board of the Functional Group, Ary Mardjono, affirmed that the Functional Group can accept the three regulations regarding the implementation guidance for the 1997 general elections, including those issued by the Minister of Home Affairs, the Minister of Information, as well as the State Police Headquarters.

Ong Hock Chuan and agencies, Jakarta – International bidding for the rights to operate one of the world's largest gold mines may have to start again if two of the main contenders do not settle a shareholding dispute by Monday.

Jakarta – Indonesia warned all Japanese media Monday against what it calls bias in their recent coverage of riots in Indonesia.

The Information Ministry sent warning letters to all Japanese media affiliates based in Jakarta.

Canberra – The state-owned aircraft manufacturing company IPTN will join the Australian International Air Show and Aerospace Expo in Avalon Airport, Geelong, Victoria, on February 18 to 23.

Jakarta – The Indonesian Center for Environmental Law (ICEL) attacked the government Saturday for allowing a coal mining firm to control 100,000 hectares of a Kalimantan national park.

Pontianak – The Tanjungpura Regional Military Commander, MayGen Namuri Anoem, said that he had no intention to withdraw around 3,000 personnel of the Armed Forces (ABRI) already deployed to the riot-stricken West Kalimantan.

Jakarta – The Indonesian government has issued a warning to Japanese media correspondents here about their coverage of recent ethnic unrest in West Kalimantan province.

"We are very worried that these mass media are being used by certain groups which do not want to see Indonesia progress," said a letter to the journalists, dated Friday and obtained Monday.

Dili – Col Mahidin Simbolon, the East Timor military commander,firmly denied unconfirmed reports that six people were killed in a recent mass brawls in Uatolari sub-district, Viqueque, East Timor.

Canberra – Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer told anti-integration activist Ramos Horta that Australia will not review its support to the East Timor integration to Indonesia.

Jakarta – The International Confederation of Free Trade Unions (ICFTU) yesterday said it had called on the United Nations human rights investigator to investigate the trial of an Indonesian independent labour union leader charged with subversion.

Manuel de Oliveira, Mateus Goncalves, Renato dos Santos, Antonio (no surname), Manuel Alves , Berta (no surname)

The East Timor Human Rights Centre has received a report about intensive military operations which took place in December 1996 in the village of Leo Rema, located on the border between the districts of Ermera and Liquica.

Adelaide – Australia has said that it will stand firm in its policy of recognizing East Timor's annexation by Indonesia while backing United Nations-sponsored talks to find a solution for the former Portuguese colony, East Timorese activist Jose Ramos Horta has said.

Richard Borsuk, Jakarta, Indonesia – A dramatic saga over who will develop the giant Busang gold deposit on the island of Borneo is set for a surprise ending.

A mob is reported to have attacked supporters of the Indonesian opposition leader, Megawati Sukarnoputri, in a town south of Jakarta.

The secretary general of the Megawati faction of the Indonesian Democracy Party, Alex Litaay, said about 50 people attacked a group of its supporters in the town of Kopo, about 70 kilometres south of the capital.

Jakarta – Representatives from the clashing ethnic groups in West Kalimantan are drafting a peace agreement to end the conflict that has rocked the Indonesian province since December, reports said.

It is being drawn up by members of the indigenous Dayak community and migrants from Madura, an island off East Java, the Indonesian Observer reported yesterday.

Jakarta – Police arrested two men who they believed had planned a grenade attack on a Muslim gathering attended by President Suharto last weekend, the state Antara news agency reported yesterday. Chief of the City Police Detectives, Colonel Paimin Aboemr, said on Friday that police had been tipped off about the plot.

Jakarta – The Secretary General of the Central Leading Board of the United Development Party (DPP PPP) Tosari Widjaya clarified, that the DPP PPP sees the possibility of a setback in the implementation of the General Elections (Pemilu) of 1997. This is caused by ever increasing restrictions which briddle freedom, particularly in implementing Pemilu campaigns.

Driving inland from the west coast of Kalimantan, the Indonesian-controlled part of the island of Borneo, is like entering a war zone.

Jakarta – Army Chief of Staff General R Hartono said that the security stability situation and condition in West Kalimantan, up to last week has been amenable to control. Although victims had fallen and considerable material loss suffered, there had been no loss of life of Armed Forces members.

Temanggung – Over 2.5 hours security forces with help from social figures tried to calm down a riot in the Kledung village in Parakan on Wednesday and Thursday. Three people were wounded, a car set ablaze and a police post destroyed. Traffic between Temanggung and Wonosobo was halted by the authorities for 3.5 hours.

Jakarta – Indonesia's Parliament will pass a controversial Bill on nuclear power at its plenary meeting on February 26, legislator Muhammad Buang, who has been involved in deliberations, told The Jakarta Post.

On February 5, the ABRI (Armed Forces) Social and Political Chief of Staff, Syarwan Hamid called in 83 social and political organisations to discuss how to overcome SOB (situation of national crisis) [Javanese acronym - JB]

Ben Dummett, Toronto – Bre-X Minerals Ltd.'s (BXMNF) stock is under selling pressure, indicating that investors are disappointed with the Calgary firm's reported deal for the development of its huge Busang gold prospect in Indonesia's East Kalimantan province.

Names:

Jakarta – The Indonesian government announced Friday deregulation measures that extend export facilities to six new sectors in a bid to bolster the country's non-oil-and gas export competitiveness.

Minister of Industry and Trade Tunky Ariwibowo told reporters Friday these export facilities will be focused on resource-based sectors, which have high locally-based content.

East Timorese activist and Nobel Peace Prize winner, Jose Ramos Horta, has had talks in Adelaide with Australia's Foreign Minister, Alexander Downer.

The one-hour meeting was the first between Mr Ramos Horta and the Howard Government.

Mr Ramos Horta says he heard no change to government policy about the Indonesian occupation of East Timor.

Names: Acacio, 20;Adelino, 27;Agostinho Orlandor, 19;Agostinho, 19;Agustinho da Silva, 19;Alberto, 16;Aleixo da Carvalho, 24;Armando, 25;Armindo Soares, 30;Celestino Jerronimo;DomiNGOs Pinto, 22;Eduardo Amaral, 20;Egas, 20;Evangel Menezes, 22;Fransisco Jesus, 18;Fransisco Rangal, 23;Fransisco Ximenes, 28;Gaspar Pinto, 19;Gaspar, 18;Gaspar, 18;Joaquim, 25;Luis Gama, 20;Luis Pinto, 16

Jakarta – Police questioned Andrianto, leader of non-governmental organisation Humanika on Thursday, about the slander charges he has filed against Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) chairman Abdurrahman Wahid.

Geneva – The 1996 Nobel Peace Prize co-laureates, East Timorese Bishop D. Ximenes Belo and activist Jose Ramos Horta, have been invited for a joint news conference during the annual meeting of the United Nations Human Rights Commission (UNHRC) scheduled for March in Geneva.

Louise Williams, Jakarta – Indonesian military sources have confirmed that indigenous Dayak tribespeople in the troubled province of West Kalimantan have reverted to head-hunting in their ethnic conflict with Muslim migrant settlers.

Following reports confirmed yesterday of the killing of at least seventeen Dayaks earlier this month at a military roadblock east of Pontianak, the capital of the Indonesian province of West Kalimantan (Borneo), TAPOL has asked the British Government to take the lead, in the European Union, in calling for an international investigation into the disturbances.

One year on from the Scott Report, three organisations are threatening to take the Government to court for arming one of the world's most repressive .regimes, Indonesia. They have obtained unique photographic evidence which proves that the Government is breaching its own policies on arms exports and human rights.

Jakarta – President Soeharto on Wednesday expressed concern over some Indonesian journalists' way of using the framework of the foreign press in reporting the country's events.

"I call for a deeper re-examination of the values inherent to the foreign press' way of reporting events in Indonesia, "Soeharto said in his address commemorating the National Press Day.

John Aglionby, Jakarta – Hundreds of people have been killed in two weeks of ethnic unrest in the Indonesian province of West Kalimantan in Borneo, a military source said yesterday.

Other reports said Indonesian soldiers had shot 17 people in quelling the violence between indigenous tribes and migrants from Madura, an island north-east of Java.

Jakarta – The Indonesian military has banned a book by two dissident groups about the July 27 riot in Jakarta that killed five people, the official news agency Antara said Thursday.

"The July 27 Incident," released in January, accused President Suharto's government of fueling a power struggle within an opposition party that led to the violence.

Kuching – The Sarawak-West Kalimantan border post at Tebedu, 100km from here, was reopened at noon yesterday, about 10 days after the gate was closed to control the movement of people following racial riots on the Indonesian side.

An Immigration Department official at the Tebedu checkpoint said the police instructed them to reopen it.

Around one-hundred people are believed to have been detained by authorities in East Timor, following more than a week of unrest. Church sources say rioting was sparked by military heavyhandedness in the Viqueque district.

Indonesia correspondent Michael Maher reports:

Jakarta – Militant Muslim leaders in Indonesia have attacked as insufficient a planned government decree which will limit sales of alcoholic drinks, a newspaper said Thursday.

It has all the hallmarks of a great saga: members of Indonesia's most powerful political family vying for control of a spectacular treasure, with most of the international intrigue going on behind the scenes. LOUISE WILLIAMS reports on the battle to mine Busang, the world's richest gold deposit.