Andrew Burrell, Jakarta – Indonesia's Foreign Minister, Hassan Wirajuda, has claimed that lobbying by his government led Australia to slash funding to an ACTU-backed aid group that campaigns for independence in Papua.

Suherdjoko and Muninggar Sri Saraswati, Semarang/Jakarta – Former suspected members of the Indonesia Communist Party (PKI) are urging the government they be allowed to contest the legislative election after a court this week ruled part of a law banning them was invalid.

Jakarta – A panel of judges at Bengkulu district court sentenced on Thursday defendant Sardona Siliwangi, 23, to 10 years in jail for his role in the Marriott bombing last year.

Yuli Tri Suwarni, Bandung – Hundreds of fired workers from state-owned aircraft manufacturer PT Dirgantara Indonesia (PT DI) welcomed the Jakarta State Administrative High Court's (PTTUN) verdict, which requires the Bandung-based company to reinstate its employees and pay their salaries for the dispute period.

Jakarta – The Constitutional Court's decision to reinstate the constitutional rights of former communist members and their families members has sparked calls for an end to all discrimination against them.

Matthew Moor, Jakarta – Indonesia's most senior intelligence official has warned of a threat posed by a "new Jemaah Islamiah" – the Asian terror group blamed for the Bali bombings – which he said was now gathering support because of the continuing conflict in the Middle East.

Devi Asmarani – The coming Indonesia elections will not be fought and won in Jakarta or in Java alone. The mood of the people living elsewhere in this sprawling country will be critical. Starting today, correspondents of The Straits Times bring you a series of special reports from around the nation.

A. Junaidi, Jakarta – The Indonesian Military (TNI) has pledged to maintain its neutrality in the upcoming general election, its chief said on Wednesday.

In a hearing with the House of Representatives's Commission I on defense, TNI Commander Gen. Endriartono Sutarto said this would represent a small break with tradition.

Tiarma Siboro, Jakarta – Chief of the National Intelligence Agency (BIN) Lt. Gen. (ret.) A.M. Hendropriyono foresees no (major) security disturbances that could obstruct the upcoming general election, saying several minor conflicts may occur but they could be kept under control.

Surabaya/Jakarta – Influential Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) member Taufik Kiemas expressed interest in a formal coalition with the Golkar Party in the presidential elections, although this idea was quickly dismissed by his colleagues.

Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, Jakarta – The decision by Kampar Regency Council to dismiss Kampar regent Jefri Noer and his deputy A. Zakir is not final, according to Minister of Home Affairs Hari Sabarno.

Jakarta – Rizal Ramli, the former head of the National Logistics Agency (Bulog) during the era of former President Abdurrahman Wahid, has said the Supreme Court's decision to free Akbar Tanjung from charges of misusing Bulog non-budgetary funds two weeks ago is part of a grand plot which was hatched long ago.

Indonesia has hit back at an American State Department report which criticised its human rights record.

A Foreign Ministry spokesman, Marty Natalegawa, retaliated by saying the report had set a new standard in its ignorance and its failure to understand the actual conditions in Indonesia.

Muninggar Sri Saraswati, Jakarta – The human rights condition in the country has been deteriorating since the government announced wars on separatism and terrorism last year, rights watchdogs said.

Washington – The Indonesian government's human rights record remained poor last year and it continued to commit serious abuses especially in war-torn Aceh province, the US State Department said Wednesday.

Jakarta – The Indonesian government plans to sell its controlling stake in 19 state firms this year as part of its continuing privatisation programme, an official said Thursday.

The government will also sell its minority holding in nine other firms, said Parikesit Suprapto, an assistant deputy for privatisation in the state enterprises ministry.

Anton Aliabbas, Jakarta – The chairperson of the People's Representative Assembly (DPR), Akbar Tanjung, has said that there is no need to be concerned about the decision by the Constitutional Court which allows ex-members of the Indonesian Communist Party (PKI) to become legislative candidates. However he also said that communism must be guarded against.

Urip Hudiono, Jakarta – Recent floods in Jakarta that claimed six lives should serve as a warning for the city administration to build the East Flood Canal as quickly as possible. Unfortunately, the planned project has been delayed as the administration lacks the funds for land clearance for the canal.

Jakarta – Judges yesterday rejected a 20 billion rupiah (S$3.9-million) defamation lawsuit brought by a businessman against Indonesia's leading weekly news magazine, Tempo.

The Central Jakarta district court rejected the lawsuit by prominent businessman Tomy Winata because he failed to name enough plaintiffs in it, the Detikcom online news service reported.

Yuli Tri Suwarni, Bandung – Thousands of former employees at aircraft manufacturer PT Dirgantara Indonesia clashed with some 400 police on Tuesday as they demanded to be allowed to resume work.

No injuries were reported in the clash, which occurred in front of the company's factory gates in Bandung.

Richard Norton-Taylor – Arms companies and the government are evading export controls by supplying countries with components rather than complete weapons systems whose sale would be banned, according to a report published today by leading aid and human rights groups.

Tomi Soetjipto and Jerry Norton, Jakarta – A former top Indonesian general indicted for alleged human rights violations in East Timor said on Wednesday he would improve law and order and crush terrorism if he became president in this year's elections.

Derwin Pereira, Jakarta – The power behind the throne smiles. Mr Taufik Kiemas, the garrulous husband of President Megawati Sukarnoputri, sips hot Javanese tea and munches kueh lapis as he talks animatedly about his wife's impending re-election.

Moch. N. Kurniawan, Jakarta – The House of Representatives Commission I has planned to set up a working committee of inquiry into alleged irregularities in the procurement of four Russian-made Mi-17 helicopters worth US$21.6 million by the Army.

Tiarma Siboro, Jakarta – Coordinating Minister for Political and Security Affairs Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono hailed on Tuesday the Indonesian Military (TNI) for consistently upholding the reform agenda, which civilian leaders had not done.

Indra Harsaputra and Abdul Kholik, Surabaya/Jakarta – The National Awakening Party (PKB) and Muslim organization Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) expressed skepticism on Tuesday over the planned visit by Siti "Tutut" Hardijanti Rukmana, the eldest daughter of former president Soeharto, to Islamic boarding schools in East Java.

Devi Asmarani, Jakarta – Golkar chairman Akbar Tandjung has come under fire from within his own party for suggesting that he will accept the vice-presidency after the election for the legislature in April.

Max Lane – With only six weeks until the general election, there still seems to be very little popular interest in it. Even professional politicians, who are very interested, are focused on possible cross-party alliances, rather than competitive campaigning for voters support.

Fedhly Averouss Bey, Jakarta – Allowing ex-political prisoners, in particular ex-members of the Indonesian Communist Party (PKI), to become legislative candidates brings with it consequences for the security forces. The security forces must work hard to ensure that the bad things which happened in the past are not repeated.

Muninggar Sri Saraswati, Jakarta – The Constitutional Court moved closer to restoring the political rights of the former members and relatives of former members of the outlawed Indonesian Communist Party (PKI) on Tuesday by taking a historic decision to annul an article in Law No. 12/2003 which would bar them from running in the legislative election in April.

Haidir Anwar Tanjung, Pekanbaru – Hundreds of civil servants staged a rally in the town of Bangkinang in Kampar regency on Tuesday to express their lack of confidence in regent Jefri Noer and his deputy A. Zakir. The regency council had recommended that the central government dismiss the two over the weekend.

James Balowski, Jakarta – "There's no justice for the rich in Indonesia, only for the poor", "You steal a chicken 'cos you're hungry and the police shoot you, you steal a billion rupiah and they let you off", "The Megawati government is hopeless, nothing's going to ever change" – these were the sentiments on the streets of Jakarta on the evening of February 12, after the Supreme Cou

M. Taufiqurrahman, Jakarta – In the first trial for election violations at the Central Jakarta District Court, a businessman and his four employees were found guilty, but given light slaps on the wrist, for early campaigning that violated the law on general elections.

The man who was sacked as Indonesia's president in 2001 said Tuesday he is seeking a second chance to lead the country.

"I want to show that I'm capable of governing," Abdurrahman Wahid told reporters on the sidelines of an international conference of Islamic scholars.

The Jakarta Military Command will deploy 1,200 personnel to help 15,968 officers from the Jakarta Police in securing the upcoming general elections.

Haidir Anwar Tanjung, Pekanbaru – Dozens of university students in Kampar regency were seen on Friday "guarding" Sultan Syarif Qasim II Airport in the Riau capital of Pekanbaru, in order to prevent Kampar councillors from skipping out on the council's plenary meeting held on Saturday.

Bangkinang – The Kampar regency council decided in a crucial plenary meeting here on Saturday to fire regent Jefri Noer and deputy regent A. Zakir, who were elected for the 2001-2006 period.

The plenary meeting was held in response to mounting protests by thousands of teachers and students in the regency who demanded that Jefri resign.

Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, Jakarta – The government challenged on Friday the Press Council's appeal for the Supreme Court to abide by the press law in cases involving the media, saying the law was too lenient.

State Minister of Communications and Information Syamsul Mu'arif said that the press law did not fulfill people's sense of justice.

Thousands of Jakarta residents have been forced to flee their homes by flood waters as deep as two metres, officials in the Indonesian capital said.

Wagiman of the Jakarta flood control centre said at least 10 neighbourhoods had been inundated, forcing at least 10,000 to seek temporary refuge in mosques or civic offices.

Shawn Donnan, Jakarta – Authorities in Indonesia said yesterday they believed the perpetrators of last year's $200 million fraud at one of the country's leading state-owned banks used domestic capital markets to launder proceeds from the scam.

More than half of Indonesia's provinces have been affected by the dengue fever outbreak which has killed nearly 200 people, Department of Health data showed.

As of Friday afternoon the mosquito-borne virus had killed 195 people and infected 10,140 in 18 provinces since January 1, the figures showed. Indonesia has 32 provinces.

Lee Kim Chew – Indonesia's National Assembly Speaker Amien Rais is riding on a reformist platform in his bid to clinch the country's top job.

He credits President Megawati Sukarnoputri for the country's political stability, but faults her for doing too little to tackle corruption.

Jakarta – The National Awakening Party (PKB), at a national working meeting here, nominated Abdurrahman Wahid – popularly known as Gus Dur – as its main presidential candidate, PKB chairman Alwi Shihab said on Saturday.

Rusman, Samarinda – Defying protests from locals, the Samarinda government and municipality council agreed to pay a severance bonus for councillors of Rp 25 million each, a councillor confirmed on Friday.

"The decision was approved a few days ago by the government and the council," deputy speaker of Samarinda legislative council R. Yakub said.

Surabaya – The government is processing the dismissals of some 700 civil servants for joining political parties, a Cabinet minister says.

Jakarta – He is the President's man. Coordinating Minister for Welfare Jusuf Kalla is one of two politicians being courted by Ms Megawati Sukarnoputri to be her running mate in the election. Her other shield, of course, is Nadhlatul Ulama chairman Hasyim Muzadi.

Jakarta – Golkar chief Akbar Tandjung has said he would want to be president if his party posts a strong win in the forthcoming election. There would be pressure from within the party to head a ticket and aim for the presidential post, he said.

Kurniawan Hari, Jakarta – Members of the movement to ban contemptible candidates are planning to publish the names of politicians with rotten records by March 11 at the latest to help voters identify the quality of their representatives on election day April 5.

Jakarta – Arriving in two Metromini busses at around 11.30am, scores of demonstrators calling themselves the Alliance Against Rotten Non-Government Organisations demonstrated at the offices of the Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras) on Jalan Cisadane in Central Jakarta on Friday February 20.

Bambang Nurbianto, Jakarta – Non-governmental organization activists criticized local administrations across the country, including in Jakarta, for handing out unofficial "severance packages" to legislative councillors at the end of their terms.

The activists said there were no regulations to justify administrations awarding this money or councillors accepting it.