Robert Go, Jakarta – Potholed roads, crumbling hospitals, torn school books – that is the bleak picture in store for Indonesia if the government fails to sell immediately some of its assets to investors, warned the top official of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in Jakarta.

A UN official of East Timor4s transitional administration Wednesday criticized Indonesia for its repeated delays in bring to trial military officers and officials indicted for human rights atrocities committed in the territory in 1999.

Shoeb Kagda, Jakarta – As emerging market assets lose their shine in the current global environment, Indonesia faces an uphill task in implementing its privatisation programme, but not going ahead with it would prove more detrimental for the country in the long term, said the International Monetary Fund's senior resident representative yesterday.

Jo Ellis, Cairuhi – Australian solidarity activists have spent nearly two weeks here helping East Timorese counterparts begin an ambitious educational program which will involve local people in discussions about socialism and democracy.

Max Lane, Jakarta – The most right-wing elements among politically organised Islam have sought to use the US "war on terrorism" to seize the political initiative in the world's most populous Muslim nation.

Jakarta – The House of Representatives finally approved on Tuesday a long-awaited new oil and gas law, which will end the decades-old lucrative monopoly of state oil and gas firm Pertamina.

Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, Jakarta – Vice President Hamzah Haz repeated calls on Monday to stop the anti-US rallies in the country and underlined that Indonesia may face an economic collapse should the country fail to guarantee foreign investors' security.

Vaudine England, Jakarta – Parliament is set to pass seven laws this week in a plenary session starting today – although public disapproval is loud on bills including Irian Jaya autonomy and the role of the police.

Jakarta – Indonesia's parliament, under pressure from powerful labour unions, said on Tuesday it had postponed a plan to pass a draft labour law this week due to fears of fresh unrest in the impoverished country.

Bambang Nurbianto, Jakarta – Speaker of the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) Amien Rais expressed his support on Monday for several legislators' suggestions to set up a special committee at the House of Representatives to probe the alleged misuse of the State Logistics Agency (Bulog)'s non-budgetary fund.

Badri Jawara, Palu – Central Sulawesi Provincial Police confirmed on Monday that six people of the 42 detained for questioning were interrogated over Saturday's sectarian clash in Tabalu village, some 20 kilometers north of Poso, in which one police officer was killed.

Apriadi Gunawan and Fadly, Medan/Batam – Five underage women identified as IM, A, FY, E and W had no idea that they would be traded as prostitutes in a red light district in Dumai, Riau, when Romantan Sinaga alias Nico or Onces, and Andi Haryanto offered them a good job with a high salary during a coincidental meeting at the Aksara Medan Plaza in August.

Marianne Kearney, Jakarta – Canberra's strained relationship with Jakarta was highlighted at the Apec summit over the weekend when Indonesian President Megawati Sukarnoputri refused to meet Australian Prime Minister John Howard.

Dadan Wijaksana, Jakarta – The House of Representatives budget committee approved on Monday a government proposal to increase fuel prices by an average 30 percent starting January next year, but delayed once again the completion of a crucial debate on the 2002 draft state budget.

Poso (Sulawesi) – Clashes between Christian and Muslim gangs, armed with knives and homemade guns, left at least eight people dead, police and witnesses said yesterday.

Seth Mydans, Jakarta – Less than three months ago Abdurrahman Wahid was swept from Indonesia's presidency on a wave of public exasperation after a truncated tenure that one prominent scholar calls one of the strangest periods in Indonesian history.

Yuli Tri Suwarni, Bandung – Commission B of the West Java legislative Council, along with non-governmental organizations (NGOs), is processing a long-awaited bylaw on forest management and the distribution of forest products.

The local administration's plan, however, has been opposed by locals, who have not been included in forest management for decades.

Derwin Pereira, Jakarta – President Megawati Sukarnoputri's honeymoon with her deputy is over as both leaders tussle over Indonesia's response to the US military campaign against Afghanistan.

Vaudine England, Jakarta – Parliament adopted a new code of ethics this week, but experts said it would have little impact on attendance and the practice of buying and selling votes.

Vaudine England, Jakarta – The police, the judiciary, Customs and the Tax Department are the most corrupt institutions in Indonesia, a survey has found.

Jakarta – Traffic police, customs and tax officials, and the judiciary were ranked the most corrupt institutions in Indonesia's public sector, according to a recent survey.

Vaudine England, Jakarta – The trial of a separatist leader in Ambon, the capital of Indonesia's Maluku islands, that began yesterday had a hidden political agenda, analysts said.

Apriadi Gunawan, Medan – Activists warned authorities in North Sumatra about the possibility of environmental damage following a plan to extract sand from the province's eastern coastal areas to Malaysia and Singapore, saying it could hasten coastal erosion and consequent flooding on the mainland.

Jakarta – Over 1.3 million visitors have cancelled trips to Indonesia because of heightened anti-American sentiment since the United States launched air strikes against Afghanistan – resulting in the loss of US$1.1 billion in potential tourist income, said a government minister.

Achmad Sukarsono, Jakarta – More than 10,000 Muslims, some singing "our blood is boiling", marched through the Indonesian capital of Jakarta on Friday in the country's biggest protest to date against the US-led strikes on Afghanistan.

Devi Asmarani, Jakarta – Inspired by Aceh, the only province where the Islamic Law or Syariah is officially in place, Muslim groups in several other provinces in Indonesia are also pushing for the implementation of the law. To assuage the groups, the government has been forced to revise the criminal law and give it a more Islamic touch.

Jakarta – The green turtle (Chelonian) found on the southern coast of Sukabumi regency in West Java province is acing extinction due to the poaching of its eggs, chairman of he Green Foundation, Cevy Th Mulyana, said on Thursday.

Jakarta – Public pressure has been increasing for the House of Representatives to set up a special committee in charge of investigating the State Logistics Agency (Bulog) scam involving some 40 billion rupiah (US$4 million) allegedly perpetrated by Golkar Party chairman and current House Speaker Akbar Tandjung.

Jakarta – Indonesia stands to lose three million jobs if it decides to sever diplomatic ties with the United States, Minister of Manpower and Transmigration Jacob Nuwa Wea said. "Where will we channel those three million labourers who get laid off if Indonesia cuts its ties with the US?" he asked on Wednesday.

Apriadi Gunawan, Medan – For the first time, nine private companies in North Sumatra have withdrawn from the social security programs due to their dissatisfaction with the compulsory insurance scheme for workers.

Jakarta – At least half of the factories in Indonesia face bankruptcy if the country cuts diplomatic ties with the United States, sending millions more workers out of work and disrupting economic recovery program, analysts and business leaders warned.

Jeremy Page, Shanghai – A senior Indonesian minister denied on Thursday that President Megawati Sukarnoputri had condemned US-led strikes on Afghanistan and said Jakarta had not wavered in its support for a war on terrorism.

Marianne Kearney, Jakarta – Declaring a jihad or holy war against America and its citizens in Indonesia has become a surefire way for radical Muslim groups to gain their 15 minutes of fame and maintain their position in Indonesia's unsettled political landscape.

Tiarma Siboro, Jakarta – Despite separation between the National Police and the Indonesian Military (TNI) since 1999, a reform bill currently being deliberated at the House of Representatives by a special committee, has failed to promote a spirit of reform, observers said on Wednesday.

Jakarta – Long criticised for its lack of action, the Indonesian government has moved to lower vehicle-emission levels in major cities.

Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, Jakarta – The government reaffirmed on Wednesday its support for combating global terrorism, but warned that the continued US strikes on Afghanistan were endangering world peace.

Coordinating Minister for Political and Security Affairs Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said that the prolonged assault would also give rise to Islamic radicalism worldwide.

Marianne Kearney, Batu Keras (West Java) – This town is situated in one of Indonesia's most devout Muslim provinces.

Devi Asmarani, Jakarta – Golkar chief and Parliament Speaker Akbar Tandjung has come under fire on allegations of corruption, which observers said may be a move from within his own party to unseat him from the coveted leadership post.

Jakarta – A Muslim group waging a "holy war" against Christians in Maluku said yesterday it would not join rallies against the US military attacks on Afghanistan. "We have never staged anti-US demonstrations and we will not do so. We are not good at organising demonstrations," Laskar Jihad spokesman Wirawan Adnan told a press conference.

Jakarta – A mob ransacked and torched a church in the south of Indonesia's Sumatra island, a report said Wednesday.

Craig Skehan – The Prime Minister, John Howard, has cautioned Indonesia's President Megawati Sukarnoputri against her growing criticism of United States-led military attacks on Afghanistan. Ms Megawati said on Monday that "blood cannot be cleansed with blood".

Yuli Tri Suwarni, Bandung – Thousands of employees of state-owned aircraftmaker PT Dirgantara Indonesia (PTDI) staged a strong protest at the dismissal of the chairman and the secretary of the Employee Communication Forum Arif Minardi and A.M. Bone on Tuesday.

Ahmad Junaidi, Jakarta – Dozens of people were injured and 12 were arrested as some 1,500 people who staged an anti-US rally in front of the House of Representatives building clashed with police officers on Monday.

Derwin Pereira, Jakarta – President Megawati Sukarnoputri yesterday ordered her deputy to meet several Muslim clerics and leaders of militant groups to defuse growing anti-American sentiments that were undermining foreign investor confidence in Indonesia.

Muninggar Sri Saraswati, Jakarta – City councillors could possibly commit corruption, but not on the same scale as that which may have been committed by their predecessors, a deputy chairman of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-Perjuangan) hinted on Saturday.

Leo Wahyudi S, Jakarta – The government should retake the initiative in reforming the nation's defense sector from the hands of the Indonesian Military (TNI), the International Crisis Group (ICG) has said.

Lindsay Murdoch, Jakarta – Indonesia's President Megawati Sukarnoputri has condemned the United States-led air strikes on Afghanistan as her Government continues to take tough action against radical groups that have threatened to attack Western interests in the country.

Frida Berrigan – Things seemed to be looking up for Indonesia in July, when President Abdurrahman Wahid, widely viewed as corrupt and incompetent, finally was voted out of office – and Vice President Megawati Sukarnoputri assumed leadership.

An Indonesian general has been found guilty in an American court. Is there any resounding impact?

Fabiola Desy Unidjaja and Tiarma Siboro, Jakarta – Hamzah Haz, in his capacity as chairman of the Muslim-based United Development Party (PPP), urged the US on Saturday to stop its military campaign in Afghanistan.