Supporters of radical Indonesian cleric, Abu Bakar Bashir, say the four year jail term handed down by a court in Jakarta is only a token sentence to spare the Indonesian Government the embarrassment of an acquittal. The alleged spiritual leader of Jemaah Islamiah was found guilty of participating in a campaign of treason against Indonesia.

James Balowski, Jakarta – Taking a leaf out of US President George Bush's cynical manipulation of the 9/11 terrorist attacks in New York and Washington, the Indonesian military (TNI) is trying to take advantage of public fear and anger over last month's deadly bomb attack at the Marriott Hotel in central Jakarta to get more power to deal with "internal security threats".

Devi Asmarani, Jakarta – The four-year jail sentence on Abu Bakar Bashir proved a disappointment for both supporters and detractors of the militant cleric.

While his followers and sympathisers believe the guilty verdict was unjust, others think the four-year imprisonment was too light, especially compared to the 15-year jail sentence demanded by the prosecutors.

Derwin Pereira, Jakarta – Muslim cleric Abu Bakar Bashir did not have to shed any tears in court when his verdict was read out yesterday. His four-year jail sentence – with a prospect of an appeal – was a far cry from the 15 years Indonesian prosecutors had pressed for.

Robert Go, Jakarta – Abu Bakar Bashir ended his day in court yesterday in the same way that he had begun it.

Matthew More, Jakarta – Indonesia has failed in its attempts to prove Abu Bakar Bashir is the head of the terrorist organisation Jemaah Islamiah that was responsible for carrying out the Bali bombings.

The Australian government's support for closer military ties with the Indonesian armed forces (TNI), including the Kopassus special forces, is a discredited form of interference in Indonesian politics and society, according to a number of non-government organisations.

Jakarta – The water table in Jakarta has dropped by two meters due to the severe drought in Java this year, threatening water supplies to nearly half of Jakarta's 8.6 million population, a Cabinet minister says.

Nugroho and Ainur R. Sophiaan, Surabaya – The East Java administration plans to promote free education for the first nine years of school in the country's second most populated province next year by providing subsidies for more than five million students of elementary and junior high schools.

A'an Suryana and Mochammad N. Kurniawan, Jakarta – A senior government official has asked the General Election Commission (KPU) to postpone its October 9 deadline for political parties to register for the 2004 general elections.

Jakarta – The reform movement which has the principle aim of eliminating corruption, collusion and nepotism can no longer be left to the large political parties who obtained significant votes in the 1999 general elections. After almost five years in power, not one objective of reformasi has been carried though by the big parties.

Jakarta – Inflation, as measured by the consumer price index (CPI), rose in August by 0.84 percent, bringing the rate for the first eight months of the year to 2.11 percent, the Central Statistics Agency (BPS) said on Monday.

Indra Harsaputra, Surabaya – As many as 150 out of 250 timber and sawmill companies in East Java have closed down due to the increasing number of levies being imposed by some government institutions, an official said.

It was not immediately clear, however, how many employees were affected by the closure of the companies.

The Australian government's support for closer military ties with the Indonesian armed forces (TNI), including the Kopassus special forces, is a discredited form of interference in Indonesian politics and society, according to a number of non-government organisations.

Jakarta – Hundreds of squatters staged a rally in front of West Jakarta Mayoralty on Monday, protesting Mayor Sarimun Hadisaputra for issuing an eviction order against them.

The squatters claim the owner of the one-hectare plot next to Mal Taman Anggrek shopping center, Munawar Salbini, permitted them to occupy and cultivate the land.

Leo Wahyudi S – Governor Sutiyoso's idea to plate the Arjuna Wijaya statue in bronze, along with his plans to beautify the city – by placing statues of heroes on streets named after them – have incited various responses. Most people are incredulous that the project will cost Rp 4 billion (US$470,588). The Jakarta Post talks with them.

Derwin Pereira, Jakarta – Behind every man is a powerful woman, or so runs an old cliche. In the corridors of Indonesia's presidential palace, the roles have been reversed.

John Kerin – Indonesia's notorious Kopassus special forces soldiers are eager to resume counter-terrorism training with the Australian military and do not understand lingering concern about their alleged brutality or links to terrorist groups, a parliamentary inquiry has heard.

The Jakarta Transportation Office's plan to have all private vehicles undergo periodic road worthiness tests starting next year has evoked strong reactions from the public, and has become one of the hottest issues of debate in this capital city, Jakarta.

The idea came from Ground Transportation director general Iskandar Abubakar.

Ridwan Max Sijabat, Jakarta – State-owned insurance company PT Jamsostek and labor unions have strongly urged the House of Representatives to maintain the government's monopoly in running social security programs for workers, in its amendment of the social security law to allow private company participation.

Indonesia's pesantren schools have been accused of breeding JI terrorists. Matthew Moore and Karuni Rompies talk to teachers and pupils and find deep suspicion of the West.

Matthew Moore, Solo – A man accused by two members of Jemaah Islamiah of being a member of the outlawed terrorist group's central command is living openly in central Java, where he says he often prays with local police on Fridays.

Jakarta – The Defense Department through the Directorate General of Defense Strategy has admitted that one of the intentions in revising Law Number 15/2003 on Anti-Terrorism is to increase the powers of the intelligence agencies.

Leo Wahyudi S. – A number of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) have condemned the recent evictions at Jembatan Besi, Tambora, West Jakarta, which left around 10,000 people homeless. They said that landowner PT Cakra Wira Bumi Mandala could have warned people about the planned eviction and taken more humane measures against the squatters.

Kafil Yamin, Jakarta – Indonesia's former armed forces chief and would-be president, General Wiranto, is all for reforms to make the country truly democratic and have a more professional military, but he believes this reformasi should be guided by the military itself.

Muninggar Sri Saraswati, Jakarta – The government appears to be undeterred by a recent massive demonstration in Bali against the new visa policy and vows to start charging incoming tourists from countries such as Japan and Australia with visa fees, starting October 1.

Former Udayana military chief Maj. Gen. Williem T. Da Costa and five other senior military officers were sworn in as new legislators to replace six others who have reached mandatory retirement age.

The information disclosed by new media watchdog Aceh News Watch on Wednesday that most national newspapers and television stations had failed to practice the very basic media principles of impartiality and coverage of both sides in a conflict in their reportage of the war in Aceh surprises no one.

How should Australia respond to the growing terrorist threat in Indonesia? Unfortunately, if the knee-jerk reaction of many politicians and commentators is anything to go by, we should turn to the military as the only force in Indonesia capable of confronting terrorists.

M. Taufiqurrahman, Jakarta – To rectify past mistakes when resolution of labor disputes could take years to complete, Minister of Manpower and Transmigration Jacob Nuwa Wea vowed on Thursday that the bill on industrial dispute settlement currently being deliberated by the House of Representatives would produce a speedy outcome.

Apriadi Gunawan, Medan – The North Sumatra legislative council approved on Thursday a controversial bylaw on spatial planning for the province, which critics say fails to protect the interests of people and allows illegal loggers to denude protected forests.

Damar Harsanto, Jakarta – One of two packages exploded in the front yard of the residence of renowned human rights activist Munir on Jl. Cendana XII No. 12 in the Jaka Sampurna housing complex, South Bekasi.

As drought continues to grip much of Indonesia, it was little surprise to see agricultural policies in the news last week. Nor was it much surprise to see that one of the people making noise was the chairman of the Indonesian Farmers Association, Ir Siswono Yudohusodo.

Tertiani ZB Simanjuntak, Jakarta – The involvement of public order officers, policemen and military officers in the eviction of around 10,000 illegal occupants of private-owned land at Jembatan Besi area, Tambora, West Jakarta, has been protested by urban activists.

Robert Go, Jakarta – Indonesia took delivery of its first two Russian-made Sukhoi fighter jets yesterday as officials declared that the arms embargo by the United States and its allies would drive them to search for alternative suppliers.

At least three people have been killed and 45 injured in clashes between supporters and opponents of the setting up of Central Irian Jaya province in Timika since Saturday, when the province was formally established.

Sari P. Setiogi, Jakarta – A noted woman activist and legislator called on Wednesday for a specific revisions to Marriage Law No. 1/1974 in order to promote more equal relations between husband and wife.

Oyos Saroso HN, Lampung province – Many thousands of people from Lampung have been forced to start eating cassava as the drought continues its stranglehold over the impoverished province.

Jakarta – Plans by a large number of foreign companies here to relocate their operations to other countries is an apparent reaction to their frustration over the slow progress by the government to improve the country's business climate.

Jakarta – Coordinating Minister for People's Welfare Yusuf Kalla said on Wednesday that the government had distributed 1,800 tons of relief rice to 250,000 farmers in Java, which is suffering from harvest failure due to the long drought.

Evi Mariani, Jakarta – Non-governmental organizations (NGOs), farmer and labor unions from across Indonesia gathered in Jakarta on Tuesday for a two-day meeting to prepare for the September 10 to September 14 World Trade Organization (WTO) ministerial summit in Cancun, Mexico.

Max Lane – Indonesia is in a process of transition out of the period of dictatorship during the presidency of Gen. (ret) Soeharto. This process of transition is occurring in the midst of a severe and continuing economic crisis, often seen to be linked to globalization.

Bali – More than 1,500 Balinese tourist industry workers took to streets of the capital, Denpasar, on Wednesday to protest government plans to revoke visa-free travel for foreign visitors.

A new study of the extremist Jemaah Islamiyah movement says the group may have been set back by recent arrests – but is far from stalling in its plans to carry out a holy war – or jihad – in the region. In fact, the report's author says she's has had to reassess the size of the organisation that was behind the Bali bombing and dozens of similar attacks across the region.

Jakarta – Police fired warning shots and tear gas yesterday to disperse about 500 slum dwellers protesting against an attempt to evict them from their Jakarta settlement.

Jakarta – The Investment Coordinating Board (BKPM) warned on Tuesday that more foreign companies were set to relocate their operations here to other countries due to the worsening investment climate in the country.

M. Taufiqurrahman, Jakarta – A coalition of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) here on Tuesday revealed that the police had committed human rights abuses when they violently quelled a recent riot in Bulukumba regency, South Sulawesi.

Police claimed to have shot dead only two people during the July 21 incident, but the NGOs said the death toll reached five.

Tony Sitathan, Jakarta – Indonesia is in the midst of a political storm over the implementation of a comprehensive anti-terrorist bill or even an Internal Security Act (ISA) modeled after Singapore and Malaysia ever since the latest terrorist attack ripped through the heart of the JW Marriott Hotel in Jakarta, killing at least 14 people and injuring close to 150 others.

Jakarta – The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) is currently running a campaign to urge global companies to stop buying plywood from Indonesian firms suspected of retaining illegal logs and damaging the environment.

Moch. N. Kurniawan and Suherdjoko, Semarang/Jakarta – Due to a threat to the water supply of 128 million people living on Java, the government declared on Monday a ban on logging and decided to review farming policies on this densely populated island.