Jakarta – The police said on Friday they would summon Governor Sutiyoso as a witness in the alleged misuse of funds for flood victims by non-governmental organization (NGO) ICE (International Civic Education) on Indonesia.

Leo Wahyudi S, Jakarta – Several men in shabby clothes are seen every day lying down or sitting in this small park off of Jl. Permata Hijau Barat in Kebayoran Lama, South Jakarta. They are sheltering from the sun under a big shade tree in the area where a luxury housing complex is located.

Robert Go, Jakarta – Indonesia's failure this week to win an extended amnesty period or leniency for its citizens who work illegally in Malaysia has prompted the country's vice-president to describe his own government as incompetent, and sparked an open feud between two senior Cabinet ministers.

Jakarta – One of Indonesia's leading Muslim organisations has warned the United States not to launch an attack on Iraq saying it had no moral grounds to do so, the Jakarta Post reported on Saturday.

The US is debating an attack on Iraq to topple the regime of President Saddam Hussein, seen as a threat over efforts to develop weapons of mass destruction.

Jakarta – Pressure on Indonesia from the United States and Southeast Asia to crack down on Islamic militants could backfire and turn them into heroes, according to a report by Brussels-based think tank.

The International Crisis Group (ICG) report also says the world's most populous Muslim nation is not a terrorist hotbed.

Oktovianus Pinontoan, Ambon – Two bomb explosions in North Maluku's Tobelo district and fresh clashes between two villages on Wednesday left one dead and several houses burned, military reports said.

A mob from Gorua village attacked the neighboring Wari village following the blasts, marking the first violent reaction to a string of bomb explosion this year.

Palu, Central Sulawesi – Drivers of public transportation vehicles in Palu, the capital city of Central Sulawesi, went on strike on Thursday to demand the local government stop inter-city buses from picking up and dropping off passengers within citylimits.

The strike started at 9am Eastern Indonesian time and left thousands of commuters stranded on Palu's main streets.

Jakarta – Some 200 students from Jakarta and its environs staged another rally outside the legislative assembly building here Thursday to press for the completion of the latest round of constitutional amendments by the Annual Session of the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR).

Marianne Kearney, Jakarta – Indonesia's highest legislative body is likely to call on the government to end ties with the International Monetary Fund, arguing that its prescriptions are not suitable for the country.

Matthew Moore – The United States risks destabilising Indonesia and turning Muslim militants into heroes by pressuring the Indonesian Government to arrest them, a report published yesterday says.

Ahmad Junaidi and Fitri Wulandari, Jakarta – The People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) Commission B asserted on Thursday that it was not seeking to terminate Indonesia's relationship with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), but for the government to improve its bargaining position in dealing with donor agencies.

Damar Harsanto, Jakarta – In attempt to wash their hands of a potentially damaging case, police announced on Thursday that they had closed the investigation into an alleged plot between security officers and convict Hutomo "Tommy" Mandala Putra after the probe reached a dead end.

The dissenting voices rejecting the present parliament are not confined to student activists and renegade politicians.

A number of retired generals joined forces Thursday with around 100 men protesting in the name of the 1945 Independence Defenders Front (FPP) and the 1945 People's Movement Rejecting Amendment (Geram 45).

Jakarta – Hundreds of people rallied in front of the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR)/House of Representatives (DPR) complex on Thursday to reject amendments to the 1945 Constitution.

The protesters also rejected demands for the inclusion of sharia in Article 29 of the 1945 Constitution.

Indonesian parliamentarians have blamed security and legal concerns for the country's failure to win China's first major liquefied natural gas supply contract.

Tubagus Haryono, the deputy chairman of a parliamentary commission on energy affairs, says efforts had been to reassure Chinese authorities over the legal and security issues, but to no avail.

Fitri Wulandari, Jakarta – The People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) is likely to recommend the government to cut ties with international donor agencies, particularly the International Monetary Fund (IMF), by 2003.

Jakarta – With its long record of human rights abuses, the Indonesian Military (TNI) must be made accountable for its past before the United States restores military ties with Indonesia, US Ambassador Ralph L. Boyce said on Wednesday.

Devi Asmarani, Jakarta – Three Indonesian judges involved in the high-profile and controversial bankruptcy case of a Toronto-based insurer have been suspended on charges of corruption, an indication that Jakarta is acting to clean up one of the world's most corrupt legal systems.

Alan Beattie and Tom McCawley – The International Monetary Fund does not usually end up being sued by the people it has negotiated with. But Kwik Kian Gie, Indonesia's national development planning minister, recently advised a group of local lawyers to go ahead and file a class action lawsuit against the IMF for its policies in the country.

Marianne Kearney, Jakarta – Violence has erupted again in Indonesia's Central Sulawesi province just as Mr Yusuf Kalla, the chief welfare minister and architect of two peace deals in the strife-torn eastern islands, said the worst was over in these regions.

Human Rights Watch (HRW) condemned US government attempts to scupper a human rights lawsuit brought by a group of Indonesian villagers against oil giant Exxon Mobil.

Muhammad Nafik, Jakarta – Residents of the Riau town of Dumai threatened on Wednesday to block the operations of an oil refinery belonging to state-owned Pertamina unless a local is appointed general manager.

With the US government firmly on its side, energy giant ExxonMobil claims allegations of human rights abuses filed against it in a lawsuit on behalf of 11 villagers in Aceh province are groundless.

Moch. N. Kurniawan, Jakarta – An environmentalist alleged on Tuesday that high-ranking military officers and government officials were involved in the killing and trade of endangered Sumatran tigers, rhinos and elephants.

Debbie A. Lubis, Jakarta – As political parties prepare for the 2004 General Election, experts warned the government on Wednesday of the possible mobilization of unemployed people for vested political interests.

Luciano Fernandez – Indonesian President Megawati Sukarnoputri has triggered sharp protests inside and outside her own party-the Indonesian Democratic Party-Struggle (PDI-P)-through her endorsement of the incumbent Jakarta governor Sutiyoso for the same position in upcoming elections in September.

Bambang Nurbianto, Jakarta – Some 300 people presented on Wednesday 11 ducks for the 11 factions in the City Council to mock their apparent blind loyalty to incumbent Governor Sutiyoso, who is set to become the strongest gubernatorial candidate.

Muninggar Sri Saraswati, Jakarta – Seven people stood trial on Wednesday at the Central Jakarta District Court for allegedly attacking the office of the National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM). Ten people were injured in the attack.

Palu/Makassar – At least seven people were shot and wounded, four others missing and two churches and 27 houses burned to the ground in the worst violence to hit Poso in Central Sulawesi since a peace deal was signed eight months ago, signatories and activists said on Tuesday.

Kurniawan Hari and Tiarma Siboro, Jakarta – As the Annual Session of the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) entered its sixth day, thousands of student protesters staged a rally outside the Assembly building here on Tuesday demanding that the lawmakers proceed with and endorse crucial amendments to the 1945 Constitution.

Fitri Wulandari and Ahmad Junaidi, Jakarta – The Indonesia Military/National Police faction in the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) admitted on Tuesday that the military and police were still involved in politics but defended the move being based on good grounds.

[The United States has signalled that the freeze on US military aid to Indonesia, is about to be lifted. The ban was imposed three years ago because of human rights abuses by the Indonesian military in East Timor.

John Roberts – A five-judge panel of the Jakarta District Court pronounced its long-awaited verdict on Hutomo "Tommy" Mandala Putra, the youngest son of the former Indonesian dictator General Suharto, on July 26. The court found him guilty of murdering a judge, illegal possession of weapons and evading imprisonment and sentenced him to 15 years in jail.

Muninggar Sri Saraswati, Jakarta – An advisor at the office of the Vice President said on Tuesday that he had asked for Rp 400 million to produce favorable media reports for then president BJ Habibie.

Jakarta – The US ambassador to Indonesia warned Jakarta on Wednesday America and the world were closely watching East Timor human rights trials and the result would help determine if full US-Indonesia military ties are restored.

Robert Go, Jakarta – The Indonesian government yesterday formed a ministerial-level task force to deal with the hundreds of thousands of illegal workers who fled Malaysia's new tough immigration laws in recent days fearing harsh punishment, including jail and caning.

The deadlock over labor issues between Taiwan and Indonesia showed no signs of improvement with the Indonesian government reportedly barring its workers from leaving for Taiwan yesterday.

Indonesian police used water cannon against protesters who broke into the grounds of parliament demanding that legislators approve key constitutional reforms.

Police sprayed the students after several protesters began rocking and climbing the heavy steel gates at the main entrance.

Tom Wright, Jakarta – The US has moved to block a lawsuit against Exxon Mobil Corp. (XOM) for alleged human-rights abuses at its Indonesian natural-gas operations, claiming the court action could hurt relations with Jakarta and undermine the war on terrorism.

Jakarta – The illegal logging that has swept through most of the Kerinci Seblat National Park (TNKS) in Lubuk Linggau, South Sumatra, is spreading throughout the park.

Around 800 hectares of the national park's 340,750 hectares in Rejang Lebong had been left barren due to intensive illegal logging in the last few months, the Antara news agency reported on Monday.

Elaine Monaghan, Washington – The United States has told a US court that a human rights-related lawsuit filed by Indonesian villagers against Exxon Mobil could hurt the war on terror, according to a letter seen by Reuters on Tuesday.

Robert Go, Jakarta – Decisions by Nike and Reebok to cut orders from local manufacturers leave Indonesia's footwear industry under siege, and laid-off workers may harm the country's economy further by staging rowdy street protests and scaring off potential investors.

Jakarta – More than 5,000 Muslims called for the nationwide imposition of Islamic sharia law and voiced opposition to secular President Megawati Sukarnoputri at a demonstration on Monday at Indonesia's parliament.

Oyos Saroso H.N., Gunungsugih, Central Lampung – Farmers in Lampung are clamoring for a higher base price for unhusked rice to compensate for the soaring price of fertilizer.

Damar Harsanto, Jakarta – A number of gubernatorial candidates said on Friday they would go on with their struggle to realize their programs after their names were removed from the list of candidates for lack of support from the City Council's factions.

Multa Fidrus, Tangerang – Thousands of workers at PT Delton Indonesia, a sub-contracting factory of shoe giant Nike Inc. of the United States, will very likely lose their jobs as the US firm will stop its shoe orders from some areas of Indonesia in November.

Muhammad Nafik, Jakarta – Prominent Muslim scholars are urging the United States to shift its counter-terrorism aid from Indonesia's notorious military to moderate Muslim groups promoting human rights and democracy.

They also dismissed suggestions by foreign media that pesantren (Islamic boarding schools) and Islamic universities here were producing radical Muslims.

Leo Wahyudi S – Despite the ongoing Annual Session, people remain skeptical that the 700 members of the People's Consultative Assembly will actually be able to come up with solutions to cope with the country's political and economic crisis. They shared their views with The Jakarta Post.

Dozens of students from several universities in Greater Jakarta sent a bag of cow's feces to members of the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) staying at Hotel Mulia Senayan in Central Jakarta to protest the legislators' poor performance during the Annual Session.

Todd S. Purdum, Manila – Secretary of State Colin L. Powell announced on Friday that the Bush administration would resume direct military training aid to Indonesia for the first time in a decade, in a move aimed at bolstering the efforts against terrorism in the world's most populous Muslim nation.