Max Lane – On August 22, hundreds of members of the Riau Farmers Union demonstrated outside the Indonesian People's Bank in Pekanbaru demanding rural assistance loans so that they could buy seeds for the next harvest season.

Indonesia: An Eyewitness Account By Michael Maher Viking, Penguin Books 274pp. $30

Review by Pip Hinman – "Suharto had promised to build foundations that would secure Indonesia's future. Instead, he bequeathed his people a house of cards".

Jakarta – Tension between Indonesia's two main Muslim organizations heightened Wednesday with thousands of supporters of President Abdurrahman Wahid threatening their rivals with violence if its chairman seeks to unseat the president in mid-term.

Jakarta – Mines and Energy Minister, Purnomo Yusgiantoro, yesterday said that despite the grant of regional autonomy, oil and gas industry operations will still be controlled by the central government, although other aspects of the mining sector may be handed over to the regions.

NL& BS/Fitri & KR, Jakarta – Thousands of employees from 60 branches of the giant Hero supermarket chain across Java and Bali went on strike and rallied causing many stores across Jakarta to close to the public, Wednesday. The protesters poured into the Hero headquarters on Jl Gatot Subroto, South Jakarta, and many others also rallied at their respective Hero branches.

Protesting community members in East Kalimantan were violently attacked by the Indonesian Mobile Police Brigade (BRIMOB) on October 8. Seven protesters were shot, several were seriously wounded, and two were declared missing. The violence ended a peaceful, 14-day blockade of UNOCAL's Tanjung Santan oil refinery.

Jakarta – The Indonesian rupiah plunged to its lowest level of the year Tuesday, prompting the government to promise further central bank intervention this week to prop up the ailing currency.

The rupiah touched a 10-month intra-day low of 9,500 to the dollar before staging a slight technical rebound to 9,350-9,380 by late afternoon. It closed Monday at 9,385-9,425.

Calvin Sims, Jakarta – Relations between the United States and Indonesia have deteriorated rapidly after a series of high-profile disputes between the American ambassador and officials and lawmakers, who have accused the US of meddling.

Vaudine England, Jakarta – Indonesia's dangerous flirtation with anti-Americanism is gathering pace in the wake of fresh threats to American tourists and the decision by the US Embassy in Jakarta to stay closed until at least tomorrow.

Vaudine England – Attacks by men in Muslim garb wielding staves inside Jakarta nightclubs and bars – and last week at City Hall – are unlikely to happen again, according to a senior policeman.

Jakarta – State-owned insurance company PT Jamsostek called on labor unions to help promote the 1992 law on social security programs for workers, saying the way the government enforces the law is not effective enough.

Jakarta – An Indonesian parliamentary committee investigating financial scandals allegedly linked to President Abdurrahman Wahid was accused by a sacked member on Monday of working to bring down the embattled president, reports said.

Nurul Hidayati/BI, Jakarta – Despite the political instability and the ongoing conflicts that threatened the integrity of Indonesia, the Youth's Pledge taken by inspiring youths during the Dutch colonization in 28th October 1928, still play a major role as an adherent in holding the country intact.

Vaudine England, Jakarta – Beheadings and chopping attacks between indigenous Malays and migrant Madurese in the West Kalimantan city of Pontianak have left at least seven dead, prompting a curfew and shoot-to-kill orders for hundreds of police rushed in by Jakarta.

Robert Go, Jakarta – Already testy ties between Washington and Jakarta could suffer further strain following revelations yesterday of a naval incident in the waters around Maluku Islands last week involving two Indonesian warships and an American destroyer.

More than 250,000 Australians face paying up to $100 for a tourist visa to travel to Indonesia as relations between the countries take a new dip.

Jakarta – A tense calm descended on the riot-torn city of Pontianak on Borneo island Saturday after three days of bloody ethnic clashes that killed at least 10 people, reports and the military said.

Marianne Kearney, Jakarta – The latest outbreak of ethnic violence which erupted this week in Pontianak, West Kalimantan, may spin out of control as police struggle to control ethnic-Malay gangs who yesterday beheaded several Madurese youths and continued to roam the streets.

Amy Chew, Ambon – It happened suddenly. A group of men armed with machetes and calling themselves Christians descended upon the small Ambon village in Indonesia's farflung Maluku islands. It was a Muslim village. Without hesitation Kojip, a community leader, stepped forward and offered his life in exchange for those of his family and friends.

Jakarta – Indonesia's newly established State Officials Wealth Audit Commission (KPKPN) has requested high salaries and luxury cars for its members, but the government is likely to turn the proposal down, a state minister said.

Vaudine England, Jakarta – Foreign Minister Alwi Shihab yesterday played down death threats delivered to the US Ambassador to Indonesia, Robert Gelbard, the latest in a series of spats between the two countries.

Jakarta – Moody's Investors Service said Friday it had upgraded the debt and deposit ratings of eight Indonesian banks, reflecting improvements in their financial fundamentals and in Indonesia's external position. The deposit ratings of the eight banks were raised to Caa1, according to a Moody's statement received here.

It was a surprise for a small group of demonstrators marching near the home of former Indonesian President Suharto yesterday to demand that he be put on public trial. After years of brutal clashes in the streets, the police greeted them with a smile and a welcome banner, instead of the usual riot shields and tear gas.

Jakarta – At least five people were killed and four injured in renewed clashes between local Malays and settlers in the Indonesian province of West Kalimantan on the island of Borneo on Thursday, reports and the military said.

Pontianak – Indonesian riot police fired blanks to keep apart two feuding communities yesterday after a row erupted between locals and migrants in the western part of Borneo island.

By mid-afternoon, police in the West Kalimantan capital of Pontianak were stationed between local Malays and migrants from the island of Madura, off Java.

Michael Vatikiotis – Friday, around 3pm, and a tannoy rudely blares from a wall inside the US embassy in Jakarta. "There is a large demonstration outside the embassy at this time," squawks the speaker. "There will be no entry or exit from the embassy ..." Trapped.

Jakarta – Indonesia has accused Australia's opposition party of interfering in its sovereignty following a call by the party's president for a self-determination ballot in Irian Jaya, a report said Thursday.

Jakarta – Indonesia signalled its intention to crack down on bosses of failed banks yesterday, naming timber tycoon Mohamad "Bob" Hasan and two other businessmen as suspects in probes over the collapse of their financial institutions.

Chaidir Anwar Tanjung/GB, Jakarta – Caltex operations in Bengkalis, Riau, on Sumatra island, have been halted once again by disgruntled locals demanding employment at the oilfields. The situation seems to be deteriorating further as Caltex workers told the Riau Legislative Council that the company has discriminated against them in wage and contractual matters.

Jakarta – Hundreds of Islamic students protested Wednesday in front of the US Embassy in Jakarta, which suspended some services after receiving what was described as "a credible threat." Waving banners reading "Kill Jews" and "Israel, you are a devil," nearly 300 protesters chanted and denounced what they consider US support for the Jewish state.

Devi Asmarani, Jakarta – Dangerous radioactive materials have been stolen from a factory warehouse in Java, the Indonesian Nuclear Energy Control Board (Bapeten) said yesterday.

Romawaty Sinaga, Jakarta – Following a long battle, the militant Indonesian National Front for Workers Struggle (FNPBI) has finally won legal status as one of the country's 38 recognised unions.

Jakarta – Some 800 people from seven Islamic organizations staged a rally in front of the National Police Headquarters on Monday, urging the police to immediately solve various high-profile crimes, particularly those allegedly related to President Abdurrahman Wahid.

Taufik Subarkah/PT & Fitri, Jakarta – Around 300 prawn farmers from Dipasena Lampung in South Sumatra have staged a demonstration in front of the Presidential Palace, on Jl Medan Merdeka Utara, Tuesday. They are furious over President Abdurrahman Wahd's announcement to postpone the prosecution of Sjamsul Nursalim, the boss of PT Dipasenan.

Budi Sugiharto/Hendra & GB, Sidoarjo – Sidoarjo, Surabaya, East Java, was a hot-bed of destructive demonstrations after around 3,000 striking workers from Indonesian electrical goods producer PT Maspion were provoked by hired thugs at the factory and rioted.

Djoko Tjiptono/Hendra & GB, Jakarta – Chairman of the People's Democratic Party (PRD) Budiman Sudjatmiko met the National Ombudsman Commission and then went to the Supreme Court to protest the handling of the party's case against 13 high ranking military and civil officials who blamed the PRD for the 27 July 1996 incident.

Bandung – Before the law on regional autonomy is implemented in January next year, more than 2.6 of the 4.2 million central government employees will be transferred to provincial administrations, a minister said on Monday.

Jakarta – Abortion is on the rise in Indonesia, especially among unmarried women, and has now reached an alarming level, a family planning group said yesterday.

Michael Millett, Tokyo – The Australian official shrugged his shoulders: "Do you penalise a whole country for the activities of a bunch of thugs?"

Susan Sim, Jakarta – President Abdurrahman Wahid has been telling insiders this new joke for some weeks now: "There are three bodies beginning with the initials A.S. which do not like me.

Jakarta – Indonesia's Foreign Minister, Mr Alwi Shihab, has said President Abdurrahman Wahid will probably postpone a working trip to Australia next month, ministry officials and reports said yesterday.

Jakarta – Noted rights activist Munir refused on Friday to help the government draft a revision of the Emergency Law and argued that such a lawis completely unnecessary.

Robert Go, Jakarta – President Abdurrahman Wahid has announced temporary immunity from legal prosecution for three of Indonesia's biggest debtors in yet another controversial disclosure that is sure to draw fire from the country's angry legislators.

Yogyakarta – The Yogyakarta branch of the Alliance of Independent Journalists (AJI) sent a letter to the National Police Chief Gen. Surojo Bimantoro on Friday, protesting the decision to promote Brig. Gen. Mulyono Sulaiman as Jakarta Police chief.

Elected on October 20, 1999 amid a growing division among people – especially between supporters of B.J. Habibie and those of Megawati Soekarnoputri – Abdurrahman, or Gus Dur, was the escape hatch. He was, for many, "the lesser" of several evils. Does this view still hold now? The Jakarta Post recently asked a number of people to "grade" Gus Dur's performance over thepast year.

Anastasia Vrachnos, Jakarta – "Vasectomies! Vasectomies!" screams a bright-red poster in the white, shiny waiting room of the Family Clinic. But the words miss their mark. The men at whom they are aimed are outside, waiting for their wives in the parking lot of this small community clinic in the Jakarta neighborhood of Tebet.

Jakarta – Jakartans saw at least three rallies, each of which had a different theme, in the capital on Thursday. But, they had one thing in common: they were all protesting President Abdurrahman Wahid's erratic personal behavior and political stances.

Derwin Pereira, Jakarta – Indonesia's Parliamentary Speaker Akbar Tandjung said yesterday that it was very hard for the beleaguered President Abdurrahman Wahid to last out his term until 2004 given growing pressures in the legislature to oust him.

Derwin Pereira, Jakarta – Parliamentary Speaker Akbar Tandjung sought to downplay suggestions yesterday that he would team up as a running mate to Ms Megawati Sukarnoputri in the case of a leadership change. He said if President Abdurrahman Wahid were to fall, Ms Megawati, who is now Vice-President, would be his constitutional successor.

Budi Sugiharto/BI & GB, Surabaya – Around 15,000 workers from PT Maspion, an Indonesian electrical manufacturing company in Sidoarjo, Surabaya, East Java, have continued their strike action from Wednesday into Thursday demanding an increase in their meal and transport allowances.