Marianne Kearney, Jakarta – Drug addicts in a crowded Jakarta kampung are being submitted to one of the toughest drying-out regimes around. They are being chained to a post in a mosque for weeks on end.

But the unconventional cure has helped dozens over the past few years as the number of drug abusers in the country has exploded.

Devi Asmarani, Jakarta – The seemingly forgotten issue of enacting an anti-terror law resurfaced in Indonesia after several prominent figures, including the military chief and the head of the country's largest Islamic body, stressed the need for a legal basis in the fight against terrorism.

Ellen Nakashima and Alan Sipress, Jakarta – Indonesia's decision to detain and interrogate Seyam Reda, a German citizen suspected of links to al Qaeda, marks a significant shift for Indonesian security forces, which earlier turned suspects over to the United States for questioning elsewhere, according to diplomatic and security sources.

[One of Australia's top Indonesia-watchers says that Indonesia's military is promoting, not fighting, communal violence. Dr Harold Crouch has told the annual Indonesia Update Conference that it serves the interests of the Indonesian Army to keep violence going in areas such as Aceh and West Papua.]

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Dean Yates, Jakarta – Foreign countries must stop giving the impression Indonesia is home to a terrorist network, otherwise this could incite popular anger in the world's largest Muslim nation, Vice President Hamzah Haz said.

Slobodan Lekic, Magelang – They take classes in human rights, are required to carry a handbook listing international conventions and are taught to put themselves in the place of prisoners of war.

They are officer-cadets at Indonesia's equivalent of West Point, in an army hoping to shake off a notorious reputation for brutality and oppression.

Multa Fidrus, Tangerang – Life is hard for thousands of farmers in the northern coastal areas of Tangerang regency. After being hit by huge floods early this year, now they are being attacked by drought which is destroying their rice fields.

Matthew Moore, Jakarta – For a fleeting moment on Monday it looked as if Indonesians might be getting closer to the truth about the Bush Administration's contentious claim that their country had been infiltrated by al-Qaeda.

Jakarta – About 60 per cent of Indonesia's four million civil servants are unqualified for their jobs, according to the State Administrative Reforms Minister.

Mr Feisal Tamin said on Wednesday that studies by his office and other parties showed that only 40 per cent of Indonesia's civil servant force were qualified, the state Antara news agency reported.

Ahmad Junaidi, Jakarta – Dozens of activists and city councillors marched to the Ministry of Home Affairs on Friday, demanding the annulment of the recent election of Sutiyoso and Fauzi Bowo as the new governor and deputy governor of Jakarta, due to allegations of money politics.

Jakarta – The number of people with HIV/AIDS has increased sharply in the northeast coastal areas of West Java in the past two years because of increased drug use and prostitution in the area.

Jakarta – Religious radicalism has no place in the world's most populous Muslim country due to the fact that the sociocultural diversity of the people here would discourage such extremist movements, analysts said on Friday.

After decades of authoritarian rule, Indonesia closed its notorious Department of Information three years ago and declared censorship was dead. But journalists, academics and commentators were right to remain cautious.

Devi Asmarani, Jakarta – Debt collectors, not a terror group, were behind Monday's deadly grenade explosion near a building owned by the United States embassy, police said.

Pontianak – Indonesia's environment minister said on a visit to the smoke-choked island of Borneo on Friday corruption was blocking the international help needed to tackle forest fires.

Jakarta – Outspoken activist Azas Tigor Nainggolan was arrested by city police on Thursday for slandering Governor Sutiyoso by alleging that he had bribed city councillors.

Surakata – About 1,500 militant Muslims from various regions in Java and Sumatra attended a mass anti-US rally in Surakata on Wednesday and declared they were ready to wage a jihad against Washington.

Bill Guerin – Thousands of Javanese sugarcane farmers staged a massive rally in Jakarta on Tuesday demanding protection from the glut of cheap imported sugar that has threatened their very existence.

Dean Yates, Jakarta – Indonesia's military chief said on Thursday that foreign terrorists were in the world's most populous Muslim nation, saying they had operated in two eastern regions hit by Muslim-Christian violence.

Jakarta – Legislators have once again raised some issues regarding President Megawati Soekarnoputri's overseas trips.

Four people were wounded when a bomb exploded near police headquarters in the troubled town of Poso in Central Sulawesi province in Indonesia.

The bomb exploded inside a public minibus outside the Poso main market. The minibus was just 10 metres from the town's district police headquarters. Another public minibus was also damaged.

Schools have been ordered to close in the capital of Indonesia's Central Kalimantan province because of persistent choking haze caused by fires, an official said.

Robert Go, Jakarta – The United States envoy told moderate Muslim leaders in Jakarta yesterday that the Al-Qaeda network is present here and urged all Indonesians to tackle the problem.

Dean Yates, Solo – Abu Bakar Bashir ambles around the grounds of an Islamic school in Indonesia's central Java in white robes and a skull cap, chatting with students and looking every bit the avuncular teacher he claims to be.

Moch. N. Kurniawan, Jakarta – Thousands of workers from various labor unions continued their rowdy rallies on Tuesday to voice their opposition to the two controversial labor bills, a move labor experts claim will backfire on the workers themselves.

The rallies turned ugly when the police called up water cannon as the workers began shaking the House's entrance gate.

Jakarta – Thousands of farmers across the country marked National Farmers' Day on Tuesday with protests demanding comprehensive land reform and protection from the relentless onslaught of the free market.

But an agricultural analyst said that the country needed agrarian reform and not land reform as demanded by farmers.

Cimahi – Around 2,000 workers demonstrated at the Leuwigajah market in Cimahi, West Java on Tuesday. Thirty two demonstrators were arrested by police because they were said to have demonstrated without asking for permission from security forces.

[A group of Indonesian politicians has called for President Megawati Sukarnoputri to address the parliament on US intelligence reports that Islamic extremists have twice unsuccessfully tried to assassinate her.

Jakarta – The Federation of State Enterprises' Labor Unions (FSP-BUMN) threatened on Tuesday to file a class action against State Minister of State Enterprises Laksamana Sukardi should he proceed with the ongoing privatization of state enterprises.

Jakarta – After conflicting statements made about a deadly grenade explosion near a house belonging to the US Embassy on Monday, the police have linked the fatal incident to a loan dispute, quelling allegations that the case may have been an act of terrorism.

Robert Go, Jakarta – The anti-US backlash in Indonesia is approaching a feverish pitch.

Dr Amien Rais, Speaker of the country's top legislative body, wrote yesterday in his nationally syndicated column which appeared in many newspapers, that the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) has cooked up "misleading information in order to provoke trouble in Indonesia".

Tertiani ZB Simanjuntak, Jakarta – After nine months without a permanent director, the Indonesian Legal Aid Institute Foundation (YLBHI) elected on Tuesday Munarman its top executive.

Munarman, who formerly headed the Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras), pledged to consolidate the foundation members as his first move.

Jakarta – Thousands of demonstrators from a number of groups demonstrated in front of the parliament in Jakarta on Tuesday afternoon. The workers were rejecting the Draft Law on the Resolution of Industrial Disputes and the Draft Law on Establishment of Labour Efficiency.

About 60 per cent of Indonesia's four million civil servants are reportedly unqualified for their jobs.

The state administrative reforms minister Feisal Tamin says studies by his office and other parties show that only 40 per cent of Indonesia's civil servant force are qualified.

Marianne Kearney, Jakarta – Residents in several parts of Java and the Indonesian capital are suffering from a water shortage – the result of a drought caused by the extremely dry El Nino season in the country.

Jakarta – The National Mandate Party (PAN) urged the police on Tuesday to question a gubernatorial candidate who reportedly gave 10 cheques worth Rp 450 million each to 10 of the party's coucillors to vote for him as governor during the recent election.

Tim Dodd – Indonesia's Foreign Ministry has a message for Australia that it evidently wants to be heard loud and clear, rather than in the confines of normally discreet diplomatic communication.

Tertiani ZB Simanjuntak and Jupriadi, Jakarta/Makassar – Following the indefinite delay to the endorsement of two bills on labor issues, the House of Representatives offered on Monday to mediate between employers and workers, both of whom are upset, in a bid to improve the draft laws.

Marianne Kearney, Jakarta – Traffic on the roads was as chaotic as any other day, offices and shops were open for business and people made their way about the city unperturbed.

Multa Fidrus, Tangerang – Some 6,800 locked-out workers of PT Doson Indonesia, a subcontractor for shoe giant Nike, staged a rally on Monday in front of the company factory. They protested that the management had closed the company suddenly without giving them any advance warning.

Bambang Nurbianto, Jakarta – About 2,000 bus drivers, conductors and other employees of state-owned Djakarta Transportation company (PPD) went on strike on Monday morning, causing thousands of commuters to be left stranded at bus stops and stations during rush hour.

Maros – Around 300 workers from the Indonesian National Front For Labor Struggle (Front Nasional Perjuangan Buruh Indonesia, FNPBI) clashed with Mobil Brigade (Brimob) troops in the area of the Hasanuddin airport in the Moros regency of South Sulawasi on Monday.

About 1,000 Indonesian workers have stormed the parliament building in a protest against a draft labor law which they said favors employers.

Jakarta – Noted economist Syahrir declared on Monday the formation of the New Indonesian Association Party (PIB) at Hotel Indonesia and was observed by some 3,000 people.

Jakarta – The calls for Mr Akbar Tandjung to quit as Golkar chief are growing louder. In the second serious blow to his grip over the party, his right-hand man Agung Laksono joined the ranks of those demanding his ouster.

Jakarta – Choking smog worsened in Indonesian parts of Borneo island on Monday but rains cleared much of the haze that had been blanketing Sumatra, officials said.

Visibility was again reduced to tens of metres (yards) in at least two of Borneo's provinces and many schools and offices remained closed as transport continued to be disrupted.

Raymond Bonner, Jakarta – "Beware of US Propaganda." That front-page headline in one of the leading newspapers here this morning spoke to far more than just the article below it.

Don Greenlees, Jakarta – On June 5, alleged al-Qa'ida operative Omar al-Faruq was arrested by Indonesian intelligence officials and handed over to the CIA. Al-Faruq's arrest and deportation were kept quiet from the Indonesian public; the national police were not even informed.

Robert Go, Jakarta – There is a growing backlash here against perceived attempts by the United States and neighbouring South-east Asian nations to pressure Indonesia into cracking down on domestic Islamic militants.

Ellen Nakashima and Alan Sipress, Yogyakarta – Abubakar Baasyir is a wanted man in Malaysia and Singapore. The Bush administration is weighing whether to add him to its terrorist list for what intelligence officials say is his leadership of a militant Islamic network linked to al Qaeda.