Toronto – Speculation that a gold field in Indonesia won't live up to expectations – coupled with the sudden and dramatic death of a mining company geologist – hurt the shares of Canadian gold-mining firm Bre-X Minerals Ltd.

John McBeth, Jakarta – Mystery continued to hang heavily in the disappearance of Bre-X Minerals exploration manager Michael de Guzman Friday, as Philippine Embassy officials complained that the company's Jakarta office failed to respond to their phone calls and inquiries.

In a country where the army makes no bones about channeling its support to the ruling political group, Golkar, talk of factionalism within Indonesia's military always causes concern. In the past, such groupings were described as fluid. But foreign military sources in Jakarta say they have spotted a worrying new trend.

A special course for senior Indonesian army officers planned by the Centre for Defence Studies of Kings College, London, has been scrapped following a wave of criticism within Kings College, from human rights organisations and in Parliament. An official announcement from the CDS is expected on Monday.

Jakarta – Indonesia's special forces chief Major-General Prabowo Subianto says the country's armed forces (Abri) need a larger budget to improve their professionalism, the official Antara news agency reported yesterday.

Louise Williams, Jakarta – Australia is unlikely to follow the United States in expanding links with opposition groups in Indonesia and believes in the underlying stability of our northern neighbour despite increasing nervousness over recent civil unrest.

Semarang, C Java – A member of the National Human Rights Commission (Komnas HAM) has called on the government to set up a special team to fend off issues that tend to "corner" Indonesia.

Jakarta – The trial of a PRD activist in the Jakarta state court on Wednesday (19/3), was again coloured by "walk-out" actions by the accused and defense lawyer. However in the trial of Garda Sembiring, one of the members of the panel of judges left the courtroom although the trial had not been closed by the presiding judge Madnjono.

Stephen Labaton and Jeff Gerth, Washington – In late June of 1994, Indonesian businessman James Riady saw President Clinton and some of his aides in five days of White House visits ending on a Saturday.

Jakarta – Soebadio Sastrosatomo's personal secretary, Buyung Rachmat Buchori Nasution was arrested by the police on Wednesday (19/3). In the arrest warrant Buyung was referred to as a suspect.

Megawati Sukarnoputri: "... if my name is not among the list of candidates standing for election, many people will decide not to participate in these elections."

Gerry van Klinken – Why is it so difficult to secure justice against the interests of the state? Because 'political' cases are sewn up outside the courthouse. But, if not in the courthouse, exactly where are these decisions made? In a little known but powerful club named Makehjapol, say lawyers widely quoted in the press recently.

Indonesian Ministers are due to take a decision approving plans for a 70,000 hectare oil palm plantation and transmigration project in the buffer zone of Siberut NationalPark in early 1997. With advice from Indonesian environmental NGOs, Down to Earth has sent the following letter to the Indonesian authorities urging them to withhold permission.

Washington – The US Democrat Congressman, Patrick Kennedy, has proposed to the US Congress the cut of military aid to Indonesia included in the 1997 budget.

The proposal presented on Wednesday would cut an estimated US$26 million-military aid to Indonesia provided annually by Washington, unless Jakarta improves its human rights records.

Bandung, West Java – Foreigners will not be allowed to monitor the May 29 general election but will be permitted to observe the democratic process, Army chief of staff, Gen R Hartono said Tuesday.

S N Vasuki – A senior official of Indonesia's Armed Forces (Abri) has moved swiftly to end a raging internal debate on whether the army should now announce its preferred candidates for the presidential and vice-presidential positions in the March 1998 elections.

In local campaigning for national elections in May, parties are not afraid to nail their colours to the mast, even if they have to paint whole towns to do it, reports Herald Correspondent LOUISE WILLIAMS from Solo, Central Java.

Army chief of staff General Hartono said the armed forces will take action against foreign observers of the elections who violate provisions in force in Indonesia. 'They can observe the election, as long as they stick to the rules,' he said.

Jakarta – The Indonesian Army is not "concern" with the US proposal to stop aid to the country because of its human rights violations, military sources in the Indonesian capital Jakarta have said.

[Plus Aberson trial update.]

Jakarta – Budiman Sudjatmiko along with his defense lawyers carried out a "walk-out" action on Tuesday (18/3) at the Central Jakarta state court.

Jakarta – Around 20 youths calling themselves Komite Pemuda Indonesia (KPI, Indonesian Youth Committee) held an action at the attorney general's office demanding that Sri Bintang Pamungkans and his companions be released. They unfurled banners reading: "Release our friend".

Indonesia has ordered an unspecified number of armored personnel carriers from Ukraine's UKRSPETSE, the country's state-owned arms corporation, according to a top company official.

Andrei Koukin, UKRSPETSE's director general, disclosed the deal yesterday during a press conference at the IDEX '97 defense exhibition in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.

"Then you leave. The court evicts the accused from the court...", said the presiding judge Asmar Ismail in the subversion trial of PRD activists, Thursday (13/3). The accused Suroso left smiling. Seeing this, defense lawyer Denny Kailimang cleared away his things moving to leave the court room.

Jakarta – Sri Bintang Pamungkas, Julius Usman and Saleh Abdullah, suspects in a subversion case, Tuesday (18/3), have "boycotted" their investigation by the attorney general's office.

Assistant Secretary of State for basic rights and labour affaires, John Shattuck, visited labour leader Muchtar Pakpahan in hospital on Tuesday 18 March. He wanted to visit Pakpahan who is on trial for subversion to find out for himself Pakpahan's state of health. He spent thirty minutes with the labour leader.

Jakarta, Indonesia – Shares fell sharply Tuesday on continued selling pressure in large-capitalization shares, led by Telekomunikasi Indonesia in moderate dealings.

The Jakarta Stock Exchange Index fell 11.495, or 1.7%, to its lowest level this year at 659.441. Decliners outnumbered gainers 103 to 38 with 43 shares unchanged, and 72 stocks were untraded.

Jakarta – Secretary General of the Home Affairs Department, Suryatna Subrata, affirmed that of late it has been proven that non-objectivity is present in the induction of candidate civil servants in the sphere of the Department of Home Affairs.

Ong Hock Chuan, Jakarta – The Salim, Sinar Mas and Gajah Tunggal groups have retained the top three positions in the latest ranking of Indonesia's 100 largest conglomerates published by the monthly business magazine Eksekutif.

Peter Kingston – A London university research centre's controversial plan to train senior Indonesian army senior Indonesian army officers is likely to be shelved this week because of the storm of protest it provoked after it was revealed in The Guardian.

The Indonesian military has criticised a move in the United States Congress to cut off an estimated 26-million dollars in military aid because of Indonesia's human rights record, particularly in East Timor.

A military spokesman, Colonel Sutan Iskandar, said Indonesia was NOT impressed by the move, being sponsored by a Republican Party Congressman, Patrick Kennedy.

Jakarta – Ex-governor of Jakarta, retired Let-Gen Ali Sadikin was called in by the Attorney General on Monday (13/3) in relation to the banning of the book "New Era New Leader, Badio [Soebadio] rejects New Order Engineering" by Soebadio Sastrosatomo.

M Joesoef, ex-General Secretary of the Department of Information, was also called in relation to the same case.

Jakarta – Ali Sadikin, a prominent figure of the Petition of 50, was questioned om Monday (17/3) by the Intelligence Operations Center of the Attorney General's Office for about an hour. Besides Ali Sadikin, information was also requested from former Information Department Secretary General Jusuf Ronodipuro.

Indonesia's President Suharto and the Singapore Prime Minister, Goh Chok Tong, will jointly launch a giant marine and industrial complex on the Indonesian island of Karimun later today (Monday).

The Karimun Marine and Industrial Complex, 40 kilometres southwest of Singapore, is the third big industrial centre developed by the Singapore and Indonesian private sectors.

Jakarta – The Legal Aid Institute (LBH) Jakarta as proxy of Iwan Setiabudi, Friday (14/3) wrote a letter to the Directorate General Protocol and Consulair of the Department of Foreign Affairs (Deplu). The letter reported the act of the RI Consulate General (KJRI) in Berlin which was felt as complicating the extension of said LBH's client.

Semarang, Central Java – Foreign parties should be subject to the Indonesian but not international standard in observing the implementation of the upcoming general elections in Indonesia, a human rights activist said.

Gerry van Klinken – Once thought of as a shoe-in for vice-president, Habibie's political stature has declined markedly in recent weeks. Both of his political 'legs', namely his technological prowess and his access to the Islamic community via ICMI, have been weakened by recent developments.

Denpasar – The situation of Lombok Tengah district town of Praya returned to normal on Saturday moon after security officers were able to control a riot by public transport drivers and local residents in protest against the relocation of bus terminal into the West Nusa Tenggara's town, a regional military spokesman said here on Saturday.

Jakarta – Indonesia's two opposition parties have filed official complaints about the May election campaign regulations, saying they are too restrictive.

"We think the regulations do not make the campaign process smooth, but they limit the space for parties like ours," United Development Party (PPP) chairman Ismail Hasan Metareum said.

Jakarta – Golkar has accepted a government idea to have foreign observers present during the May 29 general elections. However if "errors" are found in the results of the observations, Golkar suggests that the government takes definite steps.

Jakarta – Two ethnic groups which clashed for weeks in West Kalimantan province leaving scores of dead have signed a peace treaty.

"The peace document was signed yesterday in front of the military headquarters in a peace ceremony attended by thousands of people," said Captain Nurhamdani of the military headquarters in Pontianak, in West Kalimantan.

Praya – Some 1,000 people held a demonstration to demand annulment of the relocation of the city transportation terminal on Saturday (15/3) in Praya, Central Lombok.

Jakarta – The suspect in the subversion case Sri Bintang Pamungkas asked his legal advisors team to prepare a suit against the Chairman of the Group of Functionaries Fraction (F-KP) of the House of Representatives (DPR) Moestahid Astari.

Jakarta, Sutoyo NK – The Director General of Socio Politics of the Department of Home Affairs Sutoyo NK justified government's intention to invite foreign observers from a number of neighbouring countries to witness the General Elections process in Indonesia. But their presence was not for investigating.

Joe Leahy, Jakarta – President Suharto has renewed threats to punish anyone advocating a general election boycott in May, amid growing government fears a record number of voters will abstain.

Jakarta – Soldiers are to be deployed to serve as teachers in understaffed schools in the Mamberamo Hulu district of Indonesia's Irian Jaya province, the Indonesian Observer newspaper reported.

Jakarta – The Solo branch of the United Development Party (PPP) is to sue the Central Java governor for imposing the yellow livery of the ruling Golkar in public places.

President Suharto has said, meanwhile, that the authorities would act against people who encouraged others not to vote in the May 29 general election, the official Antara news agency reported.

Hundreds of people have rioted in a town on the eastern Indonesian island of Lombok, over the building of a new transport terminal.

Police said the riot in the town of Praya resulted in damage to the new terminal, located outside the town, and to shops built at the site of the old terminal. No casualties or arrests were reported.

Jakarta – Recent religious and ethnic riots in Indonesia, political uncertainty and the country's questionable economic regulations will not have a great impact on US business interests here, representatives of a 100-strong delegation of US business figures said here.

Keith Loveard, Jakarta – President Suharto is not a man to be crossed, or to be taken for granted. Those who do so invariably put their careers at risk, as two prominent Indonesians recently learned the hard way.

Jakarta – Because the police were not informed, a one-day seminar with the theme of Direct, general, free, secret, honest and fair general elections, failed to materialize. The organizing committee itself disbanded the program, which was taking place in the PMKRI Students Building on Thursday (13/3), at the request of the Central Jakarta Metro Police.