A'an Suryana and Berni K. Moestafa, Jakarta – A businessman once shared with an acquaintance his frustration and confusion in doing business in the democratic, but corrupt climate of Indonesia.

Derwin Pereira, Jakarta – President Megawati Sukarnoputri's Indonesian Democratic Party-Struggle (PDI-P) is divided over how to deal with her errant deputy, with some members calling for Mr Hamzah Haz to be summoned to the palace for an explanation.

Jakarta – More than 600,000 Indonesian migrant workers, mostly women, face labor exploitation in several countries as they are employed illegally, while hundreds are stranded at several embassies because of problems that developed with employers, labor exporters said on Thursday.

Kurniawan Hari, Jakarta – Television and radio broadcasting operators warned on Wednesday they would go off air if the House of Representatives (DPR) and the government failed to revise the broadcasting bill currently being deliberated.

Dadan Wijaksana, Jakarta – The economy grew by 2.47 percent in the first three months of 2002 compared to the same period last year, fueled mainly by strong consumer spending, the Central Bureau of Statistics (BPS) reported on Wednesday.

Damar Harsanto, Jakarta – High, strong fences were erected surrounding some malls and shopping centers here in the wake of the May 1998 riots, yet they fail to ensure business safety, at least for most shop owners who are still traumatized by the bloody incidents four years ago.

Bogor – Drivers of public minivans in Bogor, West Java, went on strike on Tuesday, demanding that the Bogor city council legalize the increase in bus fares from Rp 900 to Rp 1,000. But city council chairman M. Sahid rejected passing the increase into law.

[Dita Sari is a former Indonesian political prisoner and is chairperson of the militant Indonesian National Front for Labour Struggle (FNPBI) union federation. She is also a leading member of the left-wing Peoples Democratic Party (PRD). Green Left Weekly's Sam Wainwright asked Sari about the PRD's attitude to the movements for national self-determination in West Papua and Aceh.

The Indonesian National Front for Labour Struggles (FNPBI), the militant trade union federation, organised mass actions across the country on May 1. Pro-democracy groups joined the workers' rallies.

Derwin Pereira, Jakarta – Indonesia said it would not follow the Philippines in allowing US troops into the country, even as it held out the prospect for resuming military ties with the United States.

Bambang Nurbianto, Jakarta – The complicated process for obtaining permits for advertising billboards or outdoor advertisement has been used by certain officials of the city administration as a source of illegal levies from the applicants, businessmen said.

Leo Wahyudi S., Jakarta – The Jakarta administration's plan to increase bus fares does not necessarily mean improving drivers' welfare. Bus and public minivan operators claim the benefits for them are limited as they are also burdened with illegal fees, leading to a high-cost operation.

Berni K. Moestafa and A'an Suryana, Jakarta – Chatting to a number of commuters at the Gambir station, a man complains about rampant crimes. Politics too is a mess and he thinks the military should return to power. Nostalgia sets in. "It isn't as it use to be, times were better under Soeharto," he said.

Sibylle Kaczorek, Darwin – The fourth solidarity brigade to East Timor organised by Action in Solidarity with East Timor/Action in Solidarity with Asia and the Pacific will leave for Dili on May 13.

Pip Hinman, Sydney – "We have no relationship with Indonesia anymore. We have to find our own way", was how Erwanto, a visiting Acehnese democracy leader summed up his people's determination to win their independence.

Robert Go, Jakarta – Increasing rice shortages could force many Indonesians into having to give up their favourite dish of nasi goreng by the end of the decade.

According to the US Department of Agriculture, Indonesia will become the world's biggest rice importer this year.

Denpasar – A violent clash erupted here on Monday afternoon after police officers attacked 60 student protesters from Udayana University who were staging a peaceful protest to commemorate the Trisakti shooting incident in 1998.

The clash took place at 1:15 p.m. local time at the square in front of the provincial legislative building.

Jakarta – The International Monetary Fund (IMF) gave a positive report on the Indonesian economy on Monday, saying that macro economic indicators in the first few months of the year were encouraging.

IMF senior advisor for Asia Pacific Daniel Citrin urged the government to stick to the agreed reform program to maintain the current positive sentiment in the economy.

Tangerang – Around 400 workers of PT Mawar Nirwana, a plastic flowers manufacturer in Tangerang, went on strike on Monday, demanding the management dismiss the company's production manager.

Kasparman and Apriadi Gunawan, Padang/Medan – Hundreds of public minivan drivers in Padang, West Sumatra went on strike Monday, forcing thousands of students, civil servants and other commuters to find other means of reaching their destinations.

Rajiv Chandrasekaran, Jakarta – Vexed by assertions that international terrorists may have burrowed into Indonesia, Vice President Hamzah Haz decided to find out for himself – by hosting a dinner at his house for the country's Islamic extremist A-list.

Muhammad Nafik, Jakarta – Lies and irregularities uncovered during the ongoing trial of a corruption scandal implicating House of Representatives Speaker Akbar Tandjung have failed to encourage legislators to set up a separate inquiry into the high-profile scandal.

Jakarta – In a move to commemorate the bloody May riot in 1998, about 200 activists and students staged an anti-violence demonstration in Blok M, South Jakarta on Sunday.

The group staged street theater performances and orations, waved banners and posters and sung songs that urged people not to resort to violence in dealing with various matters.

Jakarta – The Indonesian Advocates and Lawyers Association (HAPI) reprimanded on Monday a lawyer defending Tommy Soeharto on weapons and murder charges for influencing witnesses to change their testimony, according to reports.

Ahmad Junaidi, Jakarta – Several non-governmental organizations (NGO) officially proposed on Monday to City Council a draft bylaw that aims to replace the controversial No. 11/1988 bylaw on public order, which is considered by many to be unjust.

Jakarta – The chairman of the Jakarta Residents Forum, Azaz Tigor Nainggolan, failed to answer a summons from the city police on Monday morning, when he was to be questioned as a suspect in defamation case involving Governor Sutiyoso.

Derwin Pereira, Jakarta – Army chief Endriartono Sutarto looks set to become Indonesia's next military commander by the end of this month after President Megawati Sukarnoputri forwarded his name to Parliament yesterday.

Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld urged the US Congress to ease restrictions on military relations with Indonesia, saying Jakarta was dealing with past human rights violations "in an orderly, democratic way."

Michael Casey, Jakarta – With tales of deception, violence, and corruption, the murder trial of Tommy Suharto is gripping this country.

Jane Perlez, Jakarta – When the United States recast the Central Asian states from dubious dictatorships to necessary allies in the war on terrorism, Indonesia's generals took heart.

Catharine Munro, Jakarta – A major international think-tank has attacked Indonesia's human rights tribunal on East Timor, saying the military's version of events is being reinforced by prosecutors.

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta A daughter of former president Sukarno said on Sunday the political party she led would likely merge with three other parties with similar support bases.

Ahmad Junaidi, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta The City Council's decision to establish several special committees could encourage corruption and collusion, activists warned on Saturday.

Fabiola Desy Unidjaja and A'an Suryana, Jakarta – As no single faction in the House of Representatives is truly fighting for labor rights, it is high time for Indonesian workers to unite and build a strong political party that could win influence in the decision making process in the country.

Devi Asmarani, Jakarta – Several regional TV stations that have sprouted across Indonesia during the past year are now on the verge of collapse due to low ratings, inability to attract advertisements and high operational costs.

Jakarta (Translated by JSMP) – The Indonesian Legal Aid and Human Rights Association (PBHI) considers that the process of the Ad Hoc Human Rights trials that relate to the murders in East Timor in the period after the popular consultation are still falling well short of international standards.

Berni K. Moestafa, Jakarta – For decades oil has driven the country's growth. But with the government cutting back on fuel subsidies, more industries are seeking cheaper energy alternatives, with gas leading the pack in both demand and supply.

Industries knew that the days of cheap fuels were over when the government last year began to peg fuel prices at market levels.

Riyadi Suparno, Semarang – As recently as the early 1960s, wild birds could be heard singing, entertaining farmers on the slopes of Mount Merbabu, Central Java. And jungle fowl, deer, monkeys, even tigers were a common sight, wandering through nearby forests.

Tasikmalaya – A little-known outfit calling itself the Taleban Brigade has taken advantage of the new autonomy laws to get the authorities in this West Java city to issue edicts to enact its radical agenda.

Kurniawan Hari, Jakarta – The Supreme Audit Body (BPK) chairman Satrio Budihardjo Joedono blamed Law No. 16/2001 on foundations on Sunday for preventing his office from auditing military foundations, but fell short of demanding the law be scrapped.

Jakarta – Security personnel in the country are reluctant to arrest or take legal action against their colleagues involved in brutality against journalists, according to two prominent press associations.

A lawyer for Tommy Suharto admitted that she had given over 600 dollars to witnesses who later changed their testimony in Tommy's murder and weapons trial.

Grace Nirang, Jakarta – The streets of Indonesia's strife-torn city of Ambon were deserted on Sunday after another day of violence but Islamic militants warned tensions could flare again following the arrest of their leader.

Andrew Quinn, San Francisco – California's Supreme Court, in an important free speech ruling, said on Thursday that sportswear giant Nike Inc. can be sued for false advertising over a publicity campaign that sought to dispel reports that Asian sweatshops are used to produce its famous footwear.

Ambon – Blasts rocked the eastern Indonesian city of Ambon yesterday and gunshots rang out as hundreds of loyalists protested against the flying of balloon-borne flags on the 52nd anniversary of a separatist group.

Annastashya Emmanuelle, Jakarta – The internal rift within the beleaguered United Development Party (PPP), mainly between the veterans and the newcomers, is widening as evidenced by fresh demands from the party's youth wing to move its congress up to 2003.

Jupriadi, Makassar – Thousands of students in the South Sulawesi capital of Makassar marched on Wednesday to commemorate the killing of three local students in a clash with security forces in 1996.

Kasparman, Padang – Some 7,000 temporarily employed teachers in West Sumatra are threatening to go on strike in protest against the provincial administration's alleged discriminatory recruitment policy and its neglect of their conditions of service.

Dean Yates, Jakarta – In the past two months foreign investors have snapped up a bond by Indonesia's top mobile phone firm, a US investment fund paid good money for the country's biggest retail bank and creditors agreed to roll over more state debt.

Devi Asmarani, Jakarta – The Indonesian government has ordered several provinces to revoke "problematic" laws and regulations in a bid to reign in regions which are exercising too much power.