Jakarta-- Indonesian Minister for People's Welfare Hamzah Haz has resigned amid allegations he was involved in a 13 billion rupiah (1.8 million dollars) corruption scandal, a presidential press official said Friday.

Jakarta-- Security forces opened fire during fresh battles between Muslims and Christians in the strife-torn Indonesian city of Ambon Friday leaving at least 21 dead and more than 100 wounded, residents said.

Paul Daley, Canberra – Indonesia's former President Dr B.J. Habibie feared his armed forces commander-in-chief would stage a military coup in October, raising fears among senior Australian diplomats and defence analysts of a possible war with Indonesia.

Jakarta – Chairman of the National Commission on Human Rights Marzuki Darusman said on Wednesday that he would propose to the government that military personnel who were allegedly involved in past rights abuses be tried in nonmilitary courts.

Chris Latham, Jakarta – Despite torrential rain, thousands of students participated in protests here to commemorate the first anniversary on November 13 of the Semangi tragedy, named after the Semangi bridge where six students were shot dead by the military during the mass protests against the special session of the People's Consultative Assembly.

Marina Carman and Chris Latham, Jakarta – On November 9, we met with activists from Forkap (Women's Communication and Action Forum) at the University of Indonesia.

Shoeb Kagda, Jakarta – International investor confidence is slowly returning to Indonesia, with upscale commercial properties and companies in export-oriented businesses fast-becoming prime acquisition targets, sources told BT.

Jakarta – The Indonesian parliament will reject a proposal by the government to gradually lift fuel subsidies, saying it would be a burden on the nation's poor, a report said Tuesday.

Jakarta – Tensions were running high in the strife-torn Indonesian islands of Maluku Monday with troops placed on alert after sectarian clashes left six dead and 24 injured, officials and the Antara news agency said.

Four more people were injured late Sunday when a clash broke out in the Christian-dominated Mardika district in downtown Ambon, Antara said.

Jakarta – Indonesia's lower house has backed President Abdurrahman Wahid's vow to pardon former strongman Suharto but only after he has been tried by a court for allegations of graft, a report said Monday.

Richard Borsuk and Puspa Madani, Jakarta – Indonesian President Abdurrahman Wahid came under strong criticism in an historic parliamentary session Thursday, but he signaled that he has no plans to change his controversial policies on Aceh and other issues – and no intention of cutting back on his provocative statements.

Malcolm Brown – The Federal Government was accused yesterday of obstructing efforts by the International Commission of Jurists to obtain evidence from East Timorese evacuees in Australia about atrocities committed in their country.

Greg Torode, Washington – President Abdurrahman Wahid may have sought to cosy back up to the United States during his mission over the past three days, but Washington will be "sleeping with one eye open" in the months ahead, officials said.

Jakarta – The spread of the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) in the country remains unknown after 12 years of efforts to trace people infected with the deadly virus, a health official said on Monday.

Jakarta – The House of Representatives' 11 factions have unanimously approved President Abdurrahman Wahid's request to grant amnesty and absolution to some 85 political detainees and prisoners.

Joanne Collins, Dili – East Timor spiritual leader Bishop Carlos Belo on Monday condemned UN slowness over an inquiry into abuses in the territory, saying evidence had long gone.

United Nations – Despite objections from Indonesia and nine other countries, the UN Economic and Social Council on Monday endorsed the call for an international commission to gather information on possible human rights violations in East Timor.

Jakarta – At least 1,000 students from various universities gathered at the Atma Jaya University campus on Jl. Sudirman in Central Jakarta on Saturday, commemorating the November 13 shooting incident at the nearby Semanggi cloverleaf, which killed 14 people including eight university students.

Jakarta – The Indonesian army's legal chief said rape and killing should not be classified as human rights violations and is calling for soldiers accused of rights abuses to be tried in military courts, according to reports here Saturday.

Cameron W. Barr – Members of an Indonesian military unit known as Battalion 745 are the leading suspects in the execution-style murder of Monitor contributor Sander Thoenes, according to sources familiar with the investigation.

Jakarta – A fresh demand was aired on Saturday for Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) to cut its traditional affiliation with the National Awakening Party (PKB) when the country's largest Muslim organization holds its congress later this month.

Nisid Hajari – Abdurrahman Wahid doesn't call himself a holy man, but the new Indonesian President seemed to pull off a miracle last week. On Tuesday, Wahid met the challenge of picking a cabinet that reflects the diversity of the country and the 11th-hour coalition that voted him into power, while cleansing the slate of those associated with the worst excesses of previous regimes.

Jakarta – The Indonesian Military (TNI) unveiled a major reshuffle on Thursday morning following the official handover of the force's command from Gen. Wiranto to Adm. Widodo A.S.

Jakarta – Eight people have been killed and some 100 homes burned down in the latest outbreak of Muslim-Christian violence in Indonesian's province of North Maluku, reports said Friday.

Despite current depressed prices and rental values, Chan Fookkheong sees opportunities for capital gains for cash-rich investors

Shoeb Kagda, Jakarta – In a major shift in economic direction, Indonesia's newly-elected President Abdurrahman Wahid has asked the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to focus more on agriculture under its US$49 billion (S$81.5 billion) rescue plan for the country.

Jakarta – Hundreds of Indonesian students lowered the national flag outside the Riau provincial governor's office in protest after President Abdurrahman Wahid warned separatist activists would be arrested, a report said Wednesday.

Jakarta – George Aditjondro has just ended a three-month trip to 10 countries – the United States, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Belgium, Switzerland, Germany, the Philippines, Hong Kong, Singapore and Malaysia – doing what he has always done: tracing the wealth of Indonesia's autocrat Soeharto and his cronies.

Jakarta – Some 100 former political prisoners jailed by the authoritarian govenrment of ousted president Suharto on Wednesday urged the new government to restore their good names.

Jeremy Wagstaff, Jakarta – It's 2am on October 20, and Indonesia's parliament has delivered a stunning rebuke to President B.J. Habibie. It has just rejected his "accountability speech" – the equivalent of a no-confidence vote. In the expansive parlor of the presidential mansion, Mr.

Jay Solomon, Jakarta – The $123.5 million secretly transferred out of Bank Bali went into the bank accounts of some of former Indonesian president B.J. Habibie's senior aides, as well as his own political party, and entailed a massive money-laundering effort aimed at hiding numerous beneficiaries, according to a report by auditors PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC).

Jakarta – Dozens of Indonesian soldiers ran amok and destroyed a traditional market in the capital, seriously injuring two market workers, reports said Tuesday.

The Suara Karya daily said the soldiers were angered after four of their colleagues were reprimanded by the market's security guard for creating noise and drinking at a bar there on Sunday night.

Jakarta – A mob of some 200 Muslims armed with crude weapons set fire to a church in a town south of Jakarta early Tuesday, residents said.

Some 30 police who rushed to the burning Jemaat Salom church in the Depok township were helpless as they were outnumbered by the arsonists, armed with machetes and other home made weapons.

Jakarta – Indonesia's senior economy minister, Kwik Kian Gie, on Tuesday handed a copy of an audit into the murky Bank Bali scandal to the IMF, paving the way for a resumption of multilateral aid to Jakarta.

Malang – Mass unrest and riots on Friday and Saturday (29th-30th October) followed the looting of coffee and cocoa belonging to the Sumbermanggis Plantations in Jogomulyo village, Tirtoyudo subdistrict, south of Malang.

David Liebhold – The Asian financial crisis of 1997 helped bring down Suharto, so President Abdurrahman Wahid had better pay attention to economics if he wants to hold onto power – and hold Indonesia together. Democracy may have triumphed, but the economy is a mess.

Jakarta – Indonesia's consumer price index (CPI) rose 0.06% in October from September, and was up 1.58% from a year earlier, the Central Bureau of Statistics said Monday. Bureau head Sugito Suwito said he saw the inflation rate for the whole of 1999 at no higher than 2.5% despite an anticipated rise in the index in December.

Lindsay Murdoch, Jakarta – A group of high-ranking officers in Indonesia's armed forces have made unprecedented public criticism of the military's powers, including its role in civilian affairs.

Jakarta – Indonesia's new President faced his first security scare from irate protesters yesterday after delivering a tough anti-corruption warning as his cabinet was sworn in.

The cabinet that was announced on Tuesday eliminated the information and social affairs ministries, sparking protests on Thursday and yesterday by civil servants fearful for their jobs.

Jakarta – Students in Makassar, the capital of Indonesia's South Sulawesi province set fire to a bus after a minister described their demand for an independent state as "half-hearted," reports said Saturday.

Barry Porter – President Abdurrahman Wahid's reformist cabinet ministers have begun the huge task of resolving Indonesia's economic mess and restoring investor confidence.

Jakarta – A group of Indonesian students Wednesday held their first street rally since President Abdurrahman Wahid took office to reaffirm their committment to act as a watchdog on the government.

Jakarta – The so-called National Unity Cabinet, announced on Tuesday, lives up to its name as it groups people from different sociocultural backgrounds, professions and political affiliations.

Some of the new ministers are "nobodies" to the media, compared to their colleagues who often appear on television or in print.

Keith B. Richburg, Jakarta – President Abdurrahman Wahid of Indonesia on Tuesday unveiled a new-look cabinet for the country's democratic era, naming an entirely fresh economics team unsullied by corruption scandals and taking steps to bring the powerful armed forces under greater civilian control. With the new lineup, Mr.

Amy Chew, Jakarta – Indonesia's day-old government on Wednesday moved swiftly to bring disgraced former president Suharto to justice, highlighting its new clean image and meeting a key demand from reformists who put it in power.

David Jenkins – Indonesia's new Cabinet doesn't look too bad at first glance, with some impressive names in the list of ministers.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dr Alwi Shihab, is a sophisticated moderate who once taught at Harvard.

Jakarta – Indonesians are confident that new President Abdurrahman Wahid and Vice President Megawati Sukarnoputri can overcome the country's major problems, a poll published Tuesday revealed.

The poll, which canvassed 919 people in Jakarta and the surrounding area on October 22 and 23, was carried out for the Kompas daily.

Jakarta – Indonesia's new cabinet announced Tuesday by President Abdurrahman Wahid reflects the new leader's preoccupation with accommodating all factions in the country's politics rather than emphasizing professionalism, analysts said here.

Jakarta – full list of members of the new Indonesian cabinet as announced by Vice President Megawati Sukarnoputri and President Abdurrahman Wahid on Tuesday:

Coordinating Ministers:

Noel Fung, Jakarta – Uncertainty over the economic policies of the new cabinet and the fact that many of its ministers lack a track record is set to damp investor interest in Jakarta stocks in the short term, and wipe out the euphoria over the country's dawning democracy, analysts said Tuesday.