The International Monetary Fund was fiercely criticised for its failure to salvage the Indonesian economy in 1997-98. Much of the criticism was justified. With financial markets crashing around it, the IMF's mission should have been to restore investor confidence and macro-economic stability.

Muninggar Sri Saraswati and Fitri, Jakarta – "Being a becak driver is easy. I just have to use my muscles," said Yatim.

Abdul Razak Ahmad – Only one road leads to the house of Pramoedya Ananta Toer and I am not on it. Lost instead in a maze of back lanes in the Javanese village of Desa Waringin Jaya, I am driving around in circles trying to find the house of the man generally regarded as the greatest living writer in Indonesia.

Robert Go, Jakarta – Less than four weeks after she became Indonesia's leader, Ms Megawati Sukarnoputri presided over an emotional Independence Day ceremony in front of what was the Dutch colonial governor's palace.

[The following is the state-of-the-nation address delivered by President Megawati Soekarnoputri before the House of Representatives on August 16, 2001 ahead of Independence Day.]

Lely Djuhari, Jakarta – President Megawati Sukarnoputri, a staunch nationalist, said yesterday she respected East Timor's right to secede from Indonesia, and apologised for atrocities in Aceh and Irian Jaya.It was the first time that Ms Megawati, who opposed East Timor's independence, has publicly acknowledged its right to self-determination.

Jakarta – With an unstable security situation and well-entrenched separatist movements, Indonesia has become fertile soil for international terrorist groups to sow seeds of violence, experts warned.

Lindsay Murdoch, Jakarta – President Megawati Sukarnoputri has disappointed observers in Jakarta by appointing as Attorney-General a low-key prosecutor who failed to pursue senior military officers over atrocities in East Timor.

Marianne Kearney – Anti-corruption campaigners and human-rights lawyers yesterday criticised President Megawati Sukarnoputri's choice of Attorney-General as a step back in the government's drive to tackle graft and rights abuses.

Jakarta – House of Representatives (DPR) speaker Akbar Tandjung hailed on Wednesday the decision by President Megawati Soekarnoputri to appoint M.A. Rachman, a career attorney, as thenew attorney general.

Jakarta – The owner of a car repair shop who is facing a possible death sentence for the bombing of the Jakarta Stock Exchange building told the court on Wednesday that he was a scapegoat and had been framed.

Medan – A court in the North Sumatran capital of Medan has jailed for 11 years a man found guilty of making and posting 14 bombs to churches and clergymen on Christmas Eve last year.

The sentence was lighter than the 20-year jail term sought by chief prosecutor Freddy Siregar.

Max Lane – Military generals and figures linked to the regime of former dictator Suharto have done well in the first cabinet of newly-elected President Megawati Sukarnoputri, which was announced on August 9.

Jakarta – Indonesian President Megawati Sukarnoputri Wednesday swore in career prosecutor Muhammad Abdur Rahman as her new attorney general, a choice which left human rights advocates disappointed and sceptical.

Megawati said she had chosen someone from within the attorney general's office "to enhance the image of the office, which has recently been not too good."

Max Lane – Militant trade union leader and former political prisoner Dita Sari has been awarded the Raymond Magsaysay Award, considered an Asian Nobel Prize, for being a "leader of new forces in Asia".The chairperson of the Indonesian National Front for Workers' Struggles, Dita Sari told the People's Democratic Party's August 8 issue of Our Tasks, that she was "very moved [by the aw

Jakarta – Responding to the increasing number of terrorist attacks in the country, Coordinating Minister for Political and Security Affairs Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has instructed all branches of the security forces to mobilize their intelligence potential to prevent further outrages.

Max Lane – In moves which confirm activists' appraisals that her government represents a return to power of those allied with former dictator Suharto, the government of newly-elected president Megawati Sukarnoputri is escalating a targeted program of political arrests.

Pip Hinman – It doesn't come as much surprise that PM John Howard has been so quick to visit Jakarta. Barely a day after the new Indonesian cabinet was announced, Howard was on his way to make a deal with the Sukarnoputri-military government.

Michael Schuman – A deteriorating Indonesian economy could constrain new President Megawati Sukarnoputri's efforts to pursue much-needed reforms.

Robert Go, Jakarta – Indonesia will sell assets cheaply, if necessary, to meet state-budget targets and to conform to the prescriptions of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), said the country's new minister of state-owned enterprises.

Jakarta – Some 74 becak (pedicab) drivers, formed a union here on Monday to fight for the right to peddle the streets of Jakarta. The decision was announced by drivers during a three-day congress held in a field opposite the Gapura Angkasa Building in Kemayoran, Central Jakarta, that started on Sunday.

Jakarta – Hundreds of angry pedicab drivers set fire Tuesday to two Jakarta city council vehicles during an attempt to get them off the streets of the Indonesian capital, witnesses said.

The two pickup trucks were torched during an attempt by city officials to remove the pedicabs from main streets in the central Roxy and Karanganyar areas, one witness told AFP.

Jakarta – Human rights groups accused the the Indonesian army of hampering the hunt for the fugitive son of former dictator Suharto, as police interrogated his wife yesterday. Hutomo "Tommy" Mandala Putra has eluded authorities since he was convicted of corruption last year and sentenced to 18 months in jail.

Lindsay Murdoch, Jakarta – Australia has buried the hatchet with Indonesia's new government over East Timor, opening the way for renewed contact between the two countries' armed forces.

Robert Go, Jakarta – President Megawati Sukarnoputri's efforts to re-establish stability in the regions will involve a temporary pulling back of Indonesia's decentralisation programme, a move that threatens to spark protests from the country's 350-plus bupatis, or local administrators.

[Source: Media Indonesia, Jakarta, August 13]

Jakarta – The State Intelligence Agency (BIN) will become an umbrella organization for all existing intelligence agencies, according to newly-appointed BIN head AM Hendropriyono.

Devi Asmarani, Jakarta – The Indonesian police have come under fire for their half-hearted attempts at arresting the fugitive son of former President Suharto. Hutomo "Tommy" Mandala allegedly ordered the murder of a senior judge and masterminded bombings in the capital.

Jakarta – Former president Abdurrahman Wahid, familiarly known as Gus Dur, warned the new government against the arbitrary arrest of prodemocracy activists, saying it would sow hatred against the security authorities.

Jakarta – Australia's prime minister on Sunday became the first foreign leader to visit new Indonesian President Megawati, vowing to be a good mate as his troubled neighbour moves towards democracy.

Robert Go, Jakarta – Indonesia's big-bang decentralisation programme took effect eight months ago and gave wide-ranging powers over taxation, education and exploitation of resources to the country's bupatis.

Jakarta – An investigation into the July 26, 2001 murder of Justice Syafiuddin Kartasasmita has revealed that fugitive Hutomo "Tommy" Mandala Putra had once offered the judge billions of rupiah in return for ruling in favor of the convict in a 1996 corruption case.

Lynn Fredriksson – Recent reporting in Indonesia has predictably focused on expectations about newly appointed President Megawati Sukarnoputri.

Marianne Kearney, Jakarta – While Indonesia's new Cabinet has won praise for its high percentage of seasoned professionals, it will have to move fast to prove its capability.

Jakarta – Newly appointed Minister of Forestry M. Prakosa is facing calls to impose a log export moratorium to help save the country's forest resources and protect local timber-related companies.

Associated Press in Jakarta – An angry mob beat and burnt a man to death after he allegedly tried to steal a chicken from a coop outside a house on the outskirts of Jakarta, news reports said on Saturday.

The victim, 25, was killed early on Friday morning by villagers in Tangerang, just west of the capital, Kompas newspaper reported.

Robert Go, Jakarta – Market players do not expect miracles, but they see the quick signing of Jakarta's next agreement with the International Monetary Fund as a major test of President Megawati Sukarnoputri's new economic Cabinet.

Jakarta – Tommy Suharto, the fugitive son of Indonesia's former dictator, has offered to surrender to face questioning over the murder of a senior judge and other alleged crimes, the Jakarta police chief said Friday.

Sofyan Yacub said he was confident Tommy would hand himself in based on a letter to police from his eldest sister Tutut, received Thursday afternoon.

Susan Sim, Jakarta – President Megawati Sukarnoputri's failure yesterday to name a new attorney-general might be indicative of the difficulties her government will have in deciding how to deal with the ghosts of the past – the same ones that her predecessor insists brought him down because he went after them.

Robert Go, Jakarta – By drafting respected technocrats and businessmen into her economic dream team, President Megawati Sukarnoputri made clear her intentions of reclaiming the international community's support and getting the economy back on track.

Vaudine England, Jakarta – President Megawati Sukarnoputri finally announced her cabinet yesterday and immediately won praise for achieving a judicious balance of professionals, politicians and personal friends.

Comment by Hamish McDonald – The new Megawati Cabinet will reassure foreign lenders and investors that the Government will continue with the economic rescue plan negotiated with the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank.

Warren Caragata, Jakarta – On a day when most business executives in Jakarta were chasing rumors about the possible shape of President Megawati Sukarnoputri's cabinet, investment banker Tim Gray was past caring. Let others worry whether her government will prove any more stable than that of her impeached predecessor, Abdurrahman Wahid. Gray is leaving town.

Tomi Soetjipto, Jakarta – Indonesia's new president announced her long-awaited cabinet on Thursday, winning immediate praise for her choice of a team to pull the country out of years of crisis.

Almost three weeks after taking office, President Megawati Sukarnoputri announced her new cabinet today.

She said the 31-member body will include retired army general Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono as the senior security minister, seen as the most powerful cabinet position. He lost the same post in Wahid's cabinet in June.

Jakarta – Hundreds of residents of Kendari, the provincial capital of Indonesia's Sulawesi province, smashed windows of Chinese-owned shops in anger at reports that an ethnic Chinese man had abused his local maid.

Jakarta – The chief of the justices team preparing the establishment of an ad hoc human rights tribunal, Benjamin Mangkoedilaga, expects that they could start the court hearings in October this year.

Yeoh En-lai – Indonesia's military will continue to play a strong role as the present crop of politicians is far from securing the future of the country, Indonesia's former defence minister said yesterday.

Jakarta – President Megawati Soekarnoputri has ordered the police to immediately arrest the fugitive son of former president Soeharto, Hutomo "Tommy" Mandala Putra, after linking him to a series of bomb attacks and the murder of a prominent judge.

Reuters in Jakarta – Indonesia's Megawati Sukarnoputri has set three conditions for running to replace embattled President Abdurrahman Wahid, including guarantees she won't be challenged before her term ends, a newspaper said on Monday.