Jakarta – The chairman of Indonesia's People's Consultative Assembly, Mr Amien Rais, said yesterday that lawmakers would block a plan by President Abdurrahman Wahid to end a 34-year-old ban against communists.

Jakarta – Thousands of Muslims marched on the presidential palace in central Jakarta yesterday to protest against a move by the government to lift a ban on communism. The protesters also burned an Israeli flag and accused the Jewish state of being an "enemy of all Muslims".

Jakarta – Indonesia's Finance Minister has accused the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank of interfering in the country's programme of economic reforms.

Vaudine England, Jakarta – Protests against President Abdurrahman Wahid's policies – particularly his perceived openness to communism – escalated yesterday with thousands of Islamic protesters gathering outside the presidential palace and around Jakarta's central Welcome Monument.

Jakarta – In their biggest show of force so far, Muslim radicals called yesterday for a holy war against the country's Christians and demanded the removal of President Abdurrahman Wahid, saying he was protecting the enemies of Islam.

Banda Aceh – Some 500 students on Friday held a peaceful rally here in Aceh's provincial capital to protest the death of a woman medical student allegedly shot by security forces the previous day.

Jakarta – Several Indonesian business groups have set up a slush fund to pay out bribes to hamper an investigation into official corruption in the logging industry, the Forestry and Plantation Minister said yesterday.

Marianne Kearney, Jakarta – In a move to restore confidence and address allegations of corruption, Indonesia's Attorney-General announced that his office would appoint non-career judges next week to help clear the backlog of commercial and civil cases now awaiting trial.

Jakarta – The US government expressed regret on Monday over a lawsuit filed against Indonesian Army Lt. Gen. Johny Lumintang for his alleged role in violence in East Timor last year.

James Balowski – Thousands of students, civil servants and other workers protested in Indonesia on April 1 against cuts to subsides on fuel, public transport and electricity. The demonstrators came out despite the Indonesian government's partial backdown on the cuts.

Chris Latham – On April 1, Indonesian students involved in the National Student League for Democracy (LMND) participated in a national mobilisation in Jakarta demanding that the government abandon plans to cut education subsidies to state universities. The policy is expected to result in tuition fee increases of around 300%.

Robert Go - Representatives of Indonesia's lower-level civil servants last week warned parliamentary leaders of possible strikes should the government implement a plan to raise drastically the salaries and allowances of top civil servants.

Daniel Cooney, Jakarta – Riot police blocked roads leading to ex-President Suharto's house today as hundreds of protesters rallied in central Jakarta calling for the former dictator to be prosecuted for corruption.

Jakarta – City police chief Maj. Gen. Nurfaizi regretted the seemingly endless dispute between two neighboring residents in the Matraman area, East Jakarta, urging the disputed parties to settle the prolonged battle on their own. The police, Nurfaizi said, would do their best to stop the never-ending battle but could not do it without the help of the warring neighbors.

Jakarta – Indonesia's Parliament has delayed a controversial hike in the salaries of senior civil servants that was scheduled to have taken effect this month, the official Antara news agency reported yesterday. "Parliament has studied this and decided to delay the rise in civil servants' salaries," Minister for State Administrative Reform Freddy Numberi was quoted as saying.

Time is running out for President Abdurrahman Wahid to spur his squabbling cabinet into action and deliver promised economic reforms – or risk unravelling Indonesia's precarious recovery.

Jakarta – The Indonesian government and parliament should meet to discuss the impact of fuel subsidies on the nation's budget, Mines and Energy Minister Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said yesterday.

Jakarta – The National Defence Forces (TNI) will make a "comprehensive and meticulous" assessment of President Abdurrrahman Wahid's proposal to revoke a 1966 Provisional People's Consultative Assembly (MPRS) resolution banning the dissemination of communism, Leninism and Marxism, TNI Commander Admiral Widodo said here Monday.

Jakarta – Jakarta Police Chief Major General Nurfaizi has appealed to warring gangs in East Jakarta, who were still fighting yesterday, to stop their continual clashes.

The Berlan gang and Palmeriam gang, separated by Jalan Matraman Raya, frequently clash and end up damaging shops, restaurants, stalls and houses along the road.

Semarang – Indonesian Vice-President Megawati Sukarnoputri has announced a new line-up for the executive board of her Indonesian Democratic Party Perjuangan but her party members doubt if it will work.

Jakarta – More than 200 Indonesian protestors picketed an empty parliament building here for the second consecutive day yesterday to demand that the government scrap a planned rise in fuel prices.

"A mere postponement means nothing. The people will continue to suffer," one demonstrator yelled at a free speech forum set up at the main entrance to the parliamentary complex.

Haryoso, Semarang – The Central Java high seas are rich in marine resources; most notably fish but, ironically, loan sharks, who prey on local fisherfolk by throwing them into the jaws of sheer poverty.

Jakarta – Violence marred protests against the controversial fuel price hike and former president Soeharto on Saturday.

Robert Go, Jakarta – Taking his case directly to the people after Friday prayers in Jakarta, President Abdurrahman Wahid made his strongest appeal yet for a review of 1966 parliamentary decrees banning the communist ideology in Indonesia. "The spirit of this regulation infringes on someone's basic rights without clear justifications," he said.

Marianne Kearney, Jakarta – In a manner some here see as reminiscent of Golkar's elections during the rule of former President Suharto, Vice-President Megawati Sukarnoputri was unanimously re-elected to lead the country's largest party until the next elections in 2004.

Jakarta – Indonesia faces a race against time to fulfil pledges made to the International Monetary Fund if it is to persuade creditors to reschedule its debt and the IMF to release its next loan instalment, officials said yesterday.

Michael Richardson, Singapore – The United States is moving toward restoring full military ties with Indonesia that were cut in September when hard-liners in the Indonesian Army were accused of supporting a campaign of killing, destruction and forced movement of people by militia gangs after East Timor voted for independence.

Derwin Pereira, Jakarta – The Indonesian government yesterday delayed a fuel hike to avert threats of mass demonstrations in the country.

Esther Permatasari, Jakarta – Around 2000 students from the National Student League for Democracy (LMND) and 5000 workers under the banner of the Indonesian National Front for Labour Struggle (FNPBI) are presently preparing to pack out the national parliament building.

Marianne Kearney, Semarang – Charismatic Vice-President Megawati Sukarnoputri is still hugely popular with ordinary Indonesians. But her popularity may not last until the next elections if her party does not reform itself, say party critics.

Jakarta – Jakarta Police chief Maj. Gen. Nurfaizi said on Friday the capital would be on high alert from Saturday through until the end of April.

Jakarta – The Indonesian capital, put on top security alert in anticipation of planned massive demonstrations against fuel price hikes, was essentially quiet Saturday except for a brief clash involving students calling for former president Suharto to be tried for corruption.

Jakarta – Although on Friday the government delayed the price increase of fuel, thousands of high school, university students and workers went ahead with a demonstration on Saturday. They were protesting the government policy on fuel, electricity the regional minimum wage and [high-ranking civil service] wage increases.

Jakarta – After more than two years of waiting as a result of unclear stories, Diah Sujirah, the wife of a young poet and member of the People's Democratic Party (PRD), have finally reported the disappearance of Wiji Thukul to the Committee of the Disappeared and Victims of Violence (Kontras)

Jakarta – The government collected Rp 95.57 trillion (US$12.74 billion) in income, sales, value-added and property taxes in the fiscal year which ended on Friday, about 3 percent above the Rp 92.14 trillion target.

Indonesia has consulted the International Monetary Fund on its delay in raising fuel prices, said Economics Minister Kwik Kian Gie. He added that the IMF gave no reaction and Mr Kwik said this means no objection.

Jakarta – The Indonesian government has shut down polluting pulp maker PT Inti Indorayon Utama (JSX: INRU) in Porsea, North Sumatra, pending a permanent settlement of its case by an arbitrator, an Indonesian environmental activist said.

Jakarta – Indonesian police fired tear gas during clashes yesterday with protesters against a planned weekend increase in fuel and electricity prices.

The clashes occurred a short distance from the house of former President Suharto, who earlier in the day failed to turn up for questioning about alleged corruption.

Jakarta – Seven student and labor organizations have vowed to bring some 10,000 people to the streets on Saturday to protest the government's plan to raise fuel prices the same day.

Slobodan Lekic, Jakarta – Leaning forward in his armchair, Indonesia's founding father, President Sukarno, hands a sheaf of papers to a general seated on his right. Other generals, presidential aides and the first lady watch impassively.

Sidrap – Thousands of farmers in Sidrap regency, some 230 kilometers north of the South Sulawesi capital of Makassar, have threatened to stop growing rice if the price of unhusked rice does not improve before the next harvest in October.

Frustrated by the fact that they had not benefited from planting rice this harvest, the farmers claimed they would prefer to plant cacao.

Jakarta – President Abdurrahman Wahid openly criticized his Cabinet – particularly the economic team – on Thursday, banning ministers from overseas travel until they are able to resolve a pressing problem with the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

Jakarta – The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has warned that instability could occur if the government presses ahead with its plan to increase prices in the energy sector, at a time when economic recovery is still in a fragile state.

Shoeb Kagda – Concern over the International Monetary Fund (IMF) delaying its next loan payment of US$400 million to Indonesia sent the rupiah skidding yesterday to its lowest level in over two months.

The Indonesian currency fell to as low as 7,630 against the US dollar in morning trade before recovering later to close at the 7,600-level.

Lindsay Murdoch, Jakarta – Only a day after attending a lavish reception in Jakarta for his grand-daughter's wedding, former president Soeharto has claimed he is not healthy enough to answer questions about corruption during his 32-year rule.

Comment by Max Lane – Socialists and progressive people face an important challenge in the coming few years to match the "solidarity" the Australian ruling class is extending to the new government of Indonesia and to any new conservative elite who may emerge as rulers in East Timor.

Singapore – The chief of the Indonesian Bank Restructuring Agency (IBRA) said Tuesday top Indonesian ministers have given "verbal" approval to issue bonds to bail out 48 companies indebted to IBRA.

Pip Hinman – Indonesian House of Representatives speaker and Golkar faction leader Akbar Tandjung wants the Abdurrahman Wahid government to ratify the draconian security law which was pushed through a depleted parliament during the last hours of the B.J. Habibie government on September 24.

Editorial and opinion – Competing agendas remain one hindrance to reform within the Indonesian Military, says Damien Kingsbury, the Executive Officer of Monash Asia Institute, who recently wrote Guns and Ballot Boxes: East Timor's vote for independence.

Hundreds of Indonesian illegal immigrants rioted at a holding centre in Johor. Local newspaper reports quoted an Indonesian consulate official as saying that the riot began after a detainee was allegedly assaulted by a guard and sent to hospital.