Jakarta – Indonesia's former military chief Gen. Wiranto, who is accused of war crimes in East Timor, has been nominated by a small nationalist youth group as a candidate in the country's first direct presidential elections next year.

Jim Lobe, Washington – Reports that the Bush administration will release funds train Indonesian military officers – despite a recent vote by a key Senate committee that calls for training to be suspended until the army's responsibility for the killing of two US teachers is clarified – have drawn strong expressions of concern by human rights groups here.

The General Election Commission (KPU) has determined the total number of seats in the People's Regional Council (DPRD) at the provincial as well as regency level, giving legislative candidates a clear picture of how to act in the election next April.

Rony Panengah, Jakarta – If there are no obstacles, another political party will soon be born. What's interesting is that this political party represents opposition forces which to date have chosen to take there struggle into the streets.

Speaking at a ground breaking ceremony for the new Batam intelligence academy on 9 July, she said "in today's global world, the use of intelligence expertise can not be limited solely to the military, police and other government organizations, but is also needed for civilian purposes."

In Jakarta Monday July 14 a coalition of environmental groups and NGOs formed to oppose mining in Indonesia's protected forest areas issued a press statement claiming widespread support from regional government administrations and communities throughout Indonesia.

Suwarjono, Jakarta – As many as 16 opposition groups plan to form a new party to participate in the 2004 general elections. Among them are the People's Democratic Party (PRD) and the Indonesian Front for Labour Struggle (FNPBI).

Antony Barnett – The British Government faces fresh embarrassment over its controversial policy of selling arms to Indonesia as the first evidence emerged of the Indonesian military using UK-made tanks to crush a rebellion in its Aceh province.

Derwin Pereira, Jakarta – These days, oil baron Arifin Panigoro rarely attends the central executive board meetings of the Indonesian Democratic Party-Struggle (PDI-P).

He and other PDI-P stalwarts prefer to stay on the sidelines and watch their party wiggle through an enormous tangle of Mission Impossibles – brought on, ironically, by its chairman Megawati Sukarnoputri.

Kurniawan Hari, Jakarta – Two constitutional law experts have sharply criticized the newly endorsed bill on the composition of legislative bodies that gives more power to the House of Representatives and will make changes to the political system.

Jim Lobe, Washington – Two of the world's largest human-rights organizations say the government of Indonesian President Megawati Sukarnoputri is filling the country's jails once again with political prisoners, only five years after all prisoners of conscience were released with the ouster of former president Suharto.

Damar Harsanto, Jakarta – Increasing social pressure in Jakarta is believed to be the main factor in people committing suicide, experts say, in response to a tripling in the number of suicide cases reported by the police.

Erik W. and La Remy, Palu – Peace in the Central Sulawesi town of Poso, once wracked by bloody sectarian fighting, was put to the test on Friday after a homemade bomb exploded in a food stall, injuring four people.

Richard Lloyd Parry – When she first came to world attention seven years ago, Megawati Sukarnoputri was hailed as a heroine. Stubborn, matronly and majestic, the leader of the Indonesian Democratic Party won admirers across the world for her peaceful struggle against the dictatorship of President Suharto.

Jakarta – The Central Jakarta District court sentenced Hidayat Lukman, alias Teddy Uban, to five months in jail plus 10 months probation for assaulting Tempo weekly news magazine journalist Ahmad Taufik.

Kurniawan Hari, Jakarta – The House of Representatives closed its session on Wednesday with the same old problem – a massive backlog of outstanding bills.

Kurniawan Hari, Jakarta – The House of Representatives cleared on Wednesday the last hurdle to next year's elections by endorsing a bill on the status and composition of legislative bodies.

With the passage of the bill, the country has all four of the political laws necessary to organize legislative and presidential elections next year.

Jakarta – Indonesian President Megawati Sukarnoputri is scheduled today to re-launch a number of development projects, worth billions of US dollars, which were shelved in the wake of the 1997 economic crisis.

Endy M. Bayuni, Jakarta – Corruption in the courts, rather than within political parties or the police, is the problem that needs the most immediate attention in Indonesia, according to a new opinion survey.

Robert Go, Jakarta – Indonesia is soon to open two schools where students will learn how to break into buildings, hack into computers, and bug phones, among other unusual skills.

Ridwan Max Sijabat, Jakarta – Minister of Manpower and Transmigration Jacob Nuwa Wea regretted the low awareness of workers about unionization, since only 20 percent of the more than 40 million workers employed in the formal sector have unionized, despite the reform era.

M. Taufiqurrahman, Jakarta – The International Labor Organization (ILO) urged the Indonesian government on Tuesday to phase out the worst forms of child labor in the next four years in view of the increasing exploitation of children in the country.

Endy M. Bayuni, Jakarta – The good news is that Indonesia has been making progress in almost all facets of human development. The not so good news is that the country still rates poorly in the fight to improve the lives of its people when compared to other countries, including most in the region.

Daniel Cooney, Jakarta – The soldiers who killed a peace-advocating separatist leader were "heroes." Two Germans shot by troops were "stupid" for vacationing in a strife-torn part of the country.

The comments by Indonesia's Army Chief of Staff Gen. Ryamizard Ryacudu have thrown the spotlight on the tough-talking presidential loyalist who some tip to become military chief.

Pip Hinman, Sydney – The Indonesian government has an almost "pathological hostility to separatism", Dr Ed Aspinall, lecturer in South-East Asian Studies at Sydney University, told a forum on July 2.

Robert Go, Jakarta – Yet another jet saga is brewing in Jakarta with senior officials and military brass demanding explanations, and possibly apologies, from Washington.

The problem: five American F-18 jets are said to have inappropriately breached Indonesian airspace over the Java Sea last Thursday.

Surabaya – Around 5,000 workers of shoe company PT Fortune Mate Indonesia (FMI) staged a demonstration here on Tuesday to demand better conditions.

The protesters, mostly women, urged the management to fire the company's human resources development head, Kusnardi, whom they blamed for reducing their allowances. "Kusnardi has failed to protect us," one protester said.

Jakarta – Growing numbers of Indonesians are being jailed for their political views under "draconian" laws that call into question President Megawati Sukarnoputri's commitment to political openness, two leading rights groups said.

Jakarta – An angry mob set fire to a police station in South Sumatra province in protest against the police's failure to curb a series of crimes, leaving one person wounded, an officer said on Tuesday.

Multa Fidrus, Tangerang – Villagers from Selapanjang in Tangerang have threatened to stage a protest at the Soekarno-Hatta International Airport. The residents have been demanding compensation since they were evicted from their land due to the airport's expansion project which began last year. The project was operated by PT Angkasa Pura II.

Children as young as 13 are engaged in the drugs trade in the Indonesian capital and about four percent of all users are aged under 17, the International Labour Organisation (ILO) said.

Jakarta – Minister of Defence Matori Abdul Djalil has criticised a number of NGOs which only talk about human rights when considering the situation in parts of Indonesia in which conflicts are raging.

Meidyatama Suryodiningrat, Jakarta – News of the affirmation by Nurcholish Madjid, better known as Cak Nur, that he would enter the Golkar Party convention process in a bid to secure a presidential nomination has been met with incredulity, trepidation and abhorrence.

Jakarta – An estimated two million Indonesians have abortions each year, mainly through unsafe procedures, a researcher told an abortion seminar in Yogyakarta on Saturday.

Jakarta – The House of Representatives (DPR), in its plenary meeting presided over by Deputy House Speaker Soetardjo Soerjogoeritno here on Monday, agreed to pass the bill on presidential election into law.

Ambon – Even as the military campaign to quell the separatist movement in Aceh shows no sign of coming to a speedy end, fresh trouble is brewing in another trouble spot – Maluku, where separatist and sectarian violence is threatening the province.

Jakarta – It is not enough to hold a judicial review of the anti-terrorist laws numbers 15/2003 and 16/2003 which were promulgated three months ago. These laws must be totally revised or amended so they do not allow for their misuse by the authorities.

Andi Hajramurni, Makassar – The presidential race kicked off within the country's second biggest party, Golkar, on Friday, with five would-be candidates presenting their visions and missions on the first day of a three-day meeting of Golkar-affiliated mass organizations in Makassar, South Sulawesi.

Kurniawan Hari, Jakarta – High school graduates, suspects, or convicted persons can be nominated as presidential candidates in 2004 when the country will organize the first direct presidential elections following a consensus of the nine House factions on those issues on Friday.

Matthew Moore, Jakarta – In Indonesia's better hotels you will sometimes see signs that read: "No Durians Past This Point." Because the prickly green fruit has a smell that lingers like a blocked drain, staff are taught to treat it like non-paying guests.

Derwin Pereira, Jakarta – The Indonesian government has declared it will proceed with buying Russian fighter jets despite controversy raging in Parliament about the deal.

Matthew Moore, Jakarta – After 13 years studying it, and eight years living in it, Thomas Walton feels confident to nominate his No. 1 issue: "Urban air quality is the single worst environment problem in Indonesia ... so many people are affected and they can't get away from it."

Muninggar Sri Saraswati, Jakarta – The management of 68H radio news lodged a strong protest on Friday with the martial law administration in Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam over an assault the previous day on one of its journalists, Alif Imam Nurlambang, in Panton Luas, South Aceh.

Jakarta – Indonesia's Director General of Foreign Trade Sudar yesterday said the purchase of Russian-made jet fighters and helicopters was free from collusive practices.

"I am responsible for that," he said after a meeting with the House of Representatives' working committee tasked to look into the purchase.

Ethnic violence has broken out again in West Kalimantan province, while hundreds of people in South Sulawesi province have run amok during a protest demanding the creation of a new province.

Jakarta – Indonesian police yesterday warned of fresh terrorist attacks in the country after disclosing that key suspects are still in the country and are seeking funds for another bombing.

Indonesian's top security minister, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, is reportedly preferred over incumbent Megawati Sukarnoputri as the country's next president.

According to a poll conducted by the Centre for the Study of Development and Democracy ,13 percent of 3,000 respondents in 13 provinces have picked Mr Yudhoyono. Mrs Megawati trails in second place with seven percent.

Jakarta – The most senior Indonesian military officer indicted by Jakarta's special tribunal for the violence in East Timor in 1999, Major-General Adam Damiri, made a heartfelt plea this week for mercy from the five judges trying his case. The verdict is to be announced on August 5.

Tertiani ZB Simanjuntak, Jakarta – Nothing was as usual on Wednesday at the Jakarta Legal Aid Institute (LBH Jakarta), located at Jl. Mendut No. 1 in Central Jakarta, which used to be crowded with justice seekers and activists throughout the day.

Richard Norton-Taylor, London – The value of British arms cleared for export to Indonesia rose from 2 million Pounds in 2000 ($A4.9 million) to more than 40 million Pounds last year, a 20-fold increase.