• No MPR session this year, says Amien - Straits Times
• Ban PKI, not communist ideology: Abdurrahman - Jakarta Post
• Muslim allies lose faith in Wahid - Sydney Morning Herald
• Rumors abound of political intrigue - Jakarta Post

• Jihad threatens to aggravate instability - Strathfor Intelligence Update
• Poso crippled as unrest continues - Jakarta Post

• Students protest at Aceh massacre trial - South China Morning Post
• Three more killed in Aceh bloodshed - Associated Press
• Police chief sacked as soldiers go on trial - Sydney Morning Herald
• Eight die, 18 injured in fresh wave of violence in Aceh - Agence France- Presse

• Teachers threaten to boycott national exams - Indonesian Observer
• May Day win for strikers - Green Left Weekly
• Thousands of teachers protest at parliament - Agence France-Presse

• Reshuffle boosts graft probe's clout - South China Morning Post
• Government bows to pressure and reshuffles Jakarta judges - Straits Times
• Death-row migrant in spotlight - South China Morning Post

• Pedicabs want to return to Jakarta - Straits Times
• Suharto's assets seized - Agence France-Presse
• Yorrys Raweyai admits following military orders - Indonesian Observer
• Student conduct to be factor in passing exams - Agence France-Presse
• Two witnesses say Time magazine wrote balanced story - Agence France-Presse
• 300% hike in allowances for teachers - Agence France-Presse
• Gus Dur calls for alliance of Asian countries - Straits Times
• 'Laskar Jihad' vacates training camp - Jakarta Post
• How we lied to put a killer in power - The Independent

• Over 1 million babies born malnourished - Jakarta Post

• Soldiers must choose between politics and military - South China Morning Post

• Split Cabinet blamed for slow recovery - Straits Times
• IMF demands greater transparency at IBRA - Jakarta Post
• S and P downgrades foreign currency issuer rating - Agence France- Presse
• Parties out to exploit state firms: Sources - Jakarta Post
• 16 mining companies delay exploration activities - Jakarta Post

A new style of justice to try militia abuses

Nicole Winfield, United Nations -- The first militia leaders accused of serious crimes in East Timor are expected to be brought to trial before international and East Timorese judges by June or July, a senior UN official said.

The trials will be among the first for East Timor's nascent judiciary, created by the UN administration as one of the cornerstones of its transition to independence.

East Timorese courts are handling prosecutions independently of Indonesian investigations into abuses committed by the Indonesian armed forces following the independence vote on August 30.

The UN administration guiding East Timor to independence had so far appointed 23 East Timorese judges and prosecutors and a pool of defence lawyers to handle cases, said the deputy legal adviser to the UN administration, Mr Hansjoerg Strohmeyer.

So far about 65 people had been detained. About 20 were militia members who would come before a special panel of two international judges and one East Timorese judge hearing cases alleging genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity, torture, sexual offences and murder, he said.

An appeals court with similar international participation, sitting in the capital Dili, would hear challenges to the lower court's ruling.

Indonesia recently agreed to transfer suspects to the East Timorese courts, but the agreement is believed to cover only militia members -- not senior military officials who might be brought before an Indonesian tribunal.

Mr Strohmeyer noted that all the judges, prosecutors and defence lawyers appointed so far were of East Timorese origin. They had had no prosecutorial or judicial experience because Indonesia only appointed Indonesian officials to those posts during its 25-year occupation of the former Portuguese colony.

All had law degrees, but, "except for very few exceptions, none of them has even set foot in a courthouse, so that places a major burden on the issue of training and education". As a result the UN administration has hired experienced prosecutors and judges from other countries to advise Timorese officials.

Asked how such an inexperienced judiciary could carry out fair and credible trials, Mr Strohmeyer pointed to the international participation and special support for the prosecutors. In addition, the UN peacekeeping force had gathered so much evidence that "some of the cases are, one would say, almost watertight. They don't need long or lengthy investigations", he said.

The Indonesian Attorney-General's office would next week summon former East Timor governor Mr Abilio Soares, former local military commander Brigadier-General Tono Suratman, and former East Timor police chief Brigadier-General Timbul Silaen in connection with alleged human rights violations, the Indonesian Observer reported.

"Our probe in the East Timor question is now in the investigation stage, so we want as much information as possible from those officials as a cross-check," said an office source.

Australia's 20 dollar spy 'misguided', says Cosgrove

Sydney -- An Australian soldier facing expulsion from East Timor for trying to be a "spymaster" was well-intentioned but misguided, former Interfet commander Major General Peter Cosgrove said Tuesday.

The soldier, a member of the UN peacekeeping force that replaced the UN-backed Interfet, is being disciplined for paying an East Timorese civilian 20 dollars (12 US) to collect information about militia activity in Indonesian West Timor.

The commanding officer of the UN peacekeepers, Lieutenant-General Jaime de los Santos, had to apologise to Indonesian defence force chief Admiral Widodo on Monday over the incident, which has embarrassed Australia. Santos also announced he would ask the United Nations to order the soldier's withdrawal.

Cosgrove, who planned and led the operation that restored peace in East Timor after militia violence last September, told reporters he believed the soldier had done the wrong thing with good intentions.

"You can't see it in any other way than the young man striving in this way -- which probably turned out to be misguided -- to achieve a bit of extra foreknowledge on the activities of these marauding militia," he said. "It was not appropriate, but we should probably keep it in the context that this was quite a junior man who was acting in a well-intentioned and misguided way."

Cosgrove, who is now Land Commander based in Sydney, said even if the soldier was sent home the punishment should not be excessive. "He was quite a junior soldier, and the motivation of course is only to ensure protection for our own forces and the East Timorese," he said. "And from my point of view, once all this is over, he should return to what I'm sure is meritorious service."

A spokesman for the Australian Defence Force said the soldier would be removed when a formal UN request was received. Currently 1,600 Australian military personnel and 300 support staff are participating in the UN peacekeeping operation in East Timor.

Cosgrove's Australian troops who spearheaded the Interfet operation in East Timor are to be honoured with a welcome home parade here on Wednesday.

When tolerance wears thin, 'Negotiator' is called in

Sonny Inbaraj, Darwin -- In East Timor, Avelino da Silva is nicknamed the 'Negotiator' -- a reference to one of the main characters in a Frederick Forsyth novel.

But unlike Forsyth's Quinn -- an ex-US special forces man who negotiates with kidnappers and terrorists -- Avelino is a Marxist who "negotiates" with the UN and private businesses in the territory, on behalf of workers.

"Marxism is not a dogma; it's just a tool. We understand that we have to find political solutions and make compromises in the midst of political realities on the ground," said the secretary- general of the Socialist Party of East Timor (PST), now on a week-long speaking tour of Australia organised by the group Action in Solidarity with Indonesia and East Timor.

And in the present East Timor, where tensions are high because of soaring prices, the lack of food as well as employment opportunities, Avelino's role as an interlocutor is becoming increasingly important.

Avelino da Silva, together with Nobel Peace Laureate Jose Ramos- Horta, was called recently to help calm a mob of more than 800 angry East Timorese protesters outside the Dili headquarters of the United Nations Transition Authority in East Timor (UNTAET).

Many in the crowd had shown up for promised job interviews but the UN had earlier cancelled them without informing the applicants. When the East Timorese became angry, UN staff panicked and called the riot police.

Last month Avelino was called to negotiate in a labour dispute in a floating hotel used by the UN. The East Timorese workers were getting paid five US dollars a day, less than the average price of a meal in the hotel's canteen, with the management demanding they work a 12-hour shift.

Desperate, angry and frustrated that their pleas for better working conditions fell on the management's deaf ears, they urged Avelino to negotiate on their behalf. A compromise was reached. The workers are now paid nine dollars a day for an 8-hour shift.

To a people already traumatised by the destruction and killing when Indonesian military-supported militias terrorised East Timor after the Aug 30 UN-supported independence referendum, the signs are deeply disturbing.

For those who do not speak English, employment opportunities are almost nil. More and more, East Timorese are directing their anger at UNTAET officials and international aid workers whose task it is to help them.

"We, at last, won in the referendum, but still remain unable to govern ourselves in our country," the new Tetum language paper, 'Lalenok', wrote in its debut editorial. "The simple reason? We are not given the opportunity to be leaders in our own country." But Avelino cautioned the East Timorese against getting their hopes too high. "Let's be realistic about things.

For the first year in the rebuilding of East Timor, UNTAET will only be able to accommodate 7,000 people. So it means many Timorese will remain unemployed," he said. In order to help alleviate the unemployment problem, Avelino called for foreign investment into the territory. "We would like the establishment of joint ventures -- that is foreign investors have to set up partnerships with local businesses." He added: "If you take local people as partners, then they will feel at home -- there'll be less resentment of foreigners."

In 1997, Avelino, then a firebrand activist made news headlines when he, his wife and two children, including two others, sought asylum in the Austrian embassy in Jakarta. The Indonesian military refused to grant him safe passage out of the country and claimed he was the mastermind of a bomb-making squad operating from Dili and Semarang in Java.

Early last year, Avelino and his family managed to escape from the Austrian embassy, after being holed up there for two years. He was believed to have been in Indonesia during the bloodbath in East Timor late last year.

But Avelino bears no grudges and for the sake of reconciliation in East Timor is willing to let bygones be bygones."We have to forgive the past even though we cannot forget the past. That's moving on in the current political realities in East Timor."

During East Timor's transition to independence, Avelino's biggest fear is that political expression could be stifled. On March 15, UNTAET's head Sergio Vieira de Mello said East Timor was likely to have a United Nations-supervised election next year to appoint its first democratically elected parliament.

Despite UNTAET's mandate on developing local East Timorese capacity to assume responsibility for self-government, Avelino warned there were those against political parties. "These so- called Timorese elites are saying political parties could divide society, reminding us of the events in 1975," said the PST chief.

Certain leaders in the National Council of Timorese Resistance (CNRT), an umbrella group representing 21 disparate parties, warned recently the dismantling of CNRT could lead to instability of the seventies.

In August 1975, a bloody civil war broke out between two political parties -- the popular leftist Fretilin and the Union of Democratic Timor. Numerous acts of violence were reported, many of which could be traced to personal vendettas among rival families and tribes using the civil war to settle old scores.

"PST always encourages the people to be members of political parties -- arguing that political parties are most important for the implementation of democracy, during the transition period and after that," said Avelino. "We don't accept the argument that political parties will divide East Timor -- rather the lack of democratic culture will."

Timor's social gap

Dili -- Bishop Carlos Belo would be shocked if he knew. It is well after midnight and the streets of Dili are deserted, except for a few stray dogs. But the discotheque on the multi-storey cruise ship moored at shore is packed, sweaty and jumping to loud music. Two women peacekeepers attached to the United Nations mission are drunk and, for an apparent dare, take off their panties and dance with them over their heads.

At weekends groups of UN personnel and international peacekeepers pack beaches just east of Dili, where hundreds of bodies washed up after Indonesia's bloody 1975 invasion. Many women are scantily clad, a few even go topless at more secluded areas, while closer to town, along a winding track littered with beer cans, Timorese women swim at another beach wearing long sleeved shirts and shorts.

The arrival of almost 10,000 UN peacekeepers and UN personnel in East Timor after last year's violence and destruction has raised concerns about a clash of cultures in the staunchly Catholic territory and is fuelling anti-foreign sentiments among Timorese. Before the arrival of the UN contingent, Belo, the head of the church, would get upset when he saw young unmarried Timorese holding hands in public. On New Year's Eve he protested when he heard Timorese partying after midnight at the offices of the National Council for Timorese Resistance, led by the former guerilla fighter Jose "Xanana" Gusmao, who is widely tipped to be East Timor's first president. And as the UN cranks up its multi- million-dollar operation steering East Timor to independence, many unemployed Timorese who battle each day to feed themselves and their families see the new arrivals living the good life. Mob violence has returned as people vent their anger, forcing the UN to step up security for its staff, especially on the foreshore adjacent to the two ships which are home to hundreds of foreigners from distant parts of the world.

Six months after the Indonesian military, police and their proxy militia looted and destroyed almost everything of value in Dili, the town is quickly acquiring facilities usually seen in Asian resorts. Entrepreneurs are targeting the wallets of UN staff, most of whom are on salaries and allowances starting at $US50,000 a year, while the territory has joined the world's list of very poorest nations with the most impoverished African states.

Take a helicopter flight across the half-island territory ($US300 for 10 minutes). Sit on the beachfront sipping lattes and eating fresh bagel sandwiches. Take a bay cruise with Wombat Charters (full-moon special recommended). Eat a hearty breakfast of eggs, toast and lashes of bacon at the old UN compound where last September diehard UN staff, journalists and Timorese refugees huddled under gunfire, existing for days off meagre rations and sleeping on concrete. Or, as the UN Secretary-General, Kofi Annan, did on his recent visit, enjoy good food and wine served in the ruins of a burnt-out house, one of more than a dozen restaurants in a town that a few months ago had none.

"There's a lot of aggression that's been built up and there are not effective ways to deal with it," says Ramona Mitussis, the co-ordinator in East Timor for Apheda, the overseas aid agency of the Australian Council of Trade Unions. "There are no jobs. There's a lack of food. Basically, if you've got money you are OK, but the vast majority of the population have no means of obtaining money."

Sergio De Mello, the head of the UN operation, admits there is a "lot of frustration" among the Timorese. But he says that while the destruction of East Timor took only days, rebuilding takes a long time. Donor countries which pledged $US522 million to a recent conference in Tokyo wanted first to see detailed reconstruction plans, he says.

"In terms of reconstruction, we are talking months," he says. "I cannot change that." But representatives of many governments in East Timor, international aid agencies and organisations like the World Bank, which broke all records going into the territory last year, are critical of the slowness and priorities of the UN bureaucracy. Staff sit in air-conditioned offices -- the first to be rebuilt -- and hold seemingly endless meetings.

"The UN people in East Timor are dedicated and hard working," says a UN career officer over a beer on the deck of one of the cruise ships. "We have come here to help the Timorese people, willing to risk getting malaria or dengue fever and face the isolation," he says. "But we are as frustrated as anybody else about the mountains of red tape we have to cope with, the rules and regulations. It's the nature of the UN."

Mark Plunkett, a Brisbane-based lawyer who runs Paximus, a peace operation and conflict management company, says the UN is on the road to making the same mistakes as it did during its $US2 billion operation in Cambodia in the early 1990s.

"The main problem is that the UN on the ground has not moved quickly enough to establish a rule of law, which should be at the heart of every peacekeeping mission," says Plunkett, who was the UN's Special Prosecutor in Cambodia. "While the UN personnel are usually well meaning, many are clueless about adopting practical measures to restore law and order in a traumatised society."

Plunkett says that, as happened in Cambodia, the UN has failed to quickly provide justice logistics, there are not any functioning courts and the only operational jail in Dili is full. "The international civilian police who have arrived in the territory are unsure of their role or powers," Plunkett says. "All the signs are there for civil unrest in the short and medium future unless the UN acts promptly." In some outlying areas such as Liquica, 40 kilometres from Dili, UN police have been unable to charge several accused murderers despite strong evidence because no jail cells are available.

An Adelaide businessman, Gino Favaro, whose family owns the beach-front Hotel Dili and plans to build 350 new rooms, describes the latest violence as a "bit of gangsterism" that is being pushed by members of pro-Jakarta militia who, he says, have returned and want to stir up trouble.

"If it gets out of hand and cannot be handled by the temporary administration, the local people will act," he says. "These people don't want handouts. They want to be able to work so they and their family members have food and shelter, the basics of life." Favaro says the local chamber of commerce, of which he is vice-president, wants to see the UN employ 10 Timorese for every one international staffer, while the UN is now employing only one Timorese for every foreigner.

Apheda's Mitussis says the East Timorese feel they are in a vacuum. "They have no idea what is going on," she says. "The UN publications, for instance, are very generalised and don't debate issues and aren't open to having issues debated within them." Favaro says many Timorese are desperate. "They have seen their country destroyed and now it is being run outside their control, outside their wishes."

UN police control crowd upset over bank exchange rate

Dili -- Portuguese national guardsmen serving with the UN police force in East Timor were called Friday to the BNU bank in Dili, to control a crowd dissatisfied with a revised exchange rate for Portuguese escudos and Indonesian rupiahs.

The problems began shortly after the BNU (Lisbon-based Banco Nacional Ultramarino) branch in the East Timor capital opened on Friday morning. During the first hour of operations the bank was offering 33 escudos for each rupiah. This was subsequently changed to 32 escudos per rupiah following reception of the revised daily rates. The bank was forced to close for more than an hour as the Portuguese UN police sought to calm the crowd.

The BNU's director for East Timor, Tubal Gongalves, told Lusa that the rate change was a "perfectly normal" operation in all countries, adding that the worst problems were caused by speculators. "The black market has begun working at full strength and 90 percent of the people here to change money are from the black market," he said.

The growth of the black market has not been controlled by the authorities and is causing major problems for the territory's only fully operational bank, Gongalves stated. "These people, who normally don't have many scruples, come here and cause big problems and disruptions, going so far as to prevent our customers from entering," he said.

Thousands of East Timorese concentrate daily in front of the BNU branch in Dili to receive Portuguese government subsidies, exchange money and, more recently, inquire about bank loans under the World Bank program applied through the bank.

Moneychangers have in turn set up business outside the bank, changing any of the four currencies that are legal tender in East Timor: the escudo and rupiah, along with the American and Australian dollars. With calculators and money in hand, they offer "favorable" rates to customers entering or leaving the bank.

The former Portuguese colony of East Timor has been under UN administration since last October, following 24 years of occupation by Indonesia.
 

Government/politics

No MPR session this year, says Amien

Derwin Pereira, Jakarta -- National Assembly (MPR) chairman Amien Rais said that Indonesia's highest legislative body will not hold a special session this year amid speculation that several groups were working behind the scenes to support one to topple President Abdurrahman Wahid.

Speaking to reporters after meeting the 59-year-old Islamic cleric, Dr Amien explained that there were little grounds to get the 1,000 MPR members to take a vote on the President in a setting that ironically led to the fall of his predecessor, Dr B. J. Habibie, in October last year.

"A special session will be held only if there is an urgent issue to be addressed," he maintained. "This could be a state of emergency or to meet demands for the election to be brought forward. I don't see a need for such a session."

The American-trained political scientist, who has been increasingly critical of the administration, told The Straits Times in an interview last week that the legislators would expect to accept Mr Abdurrahman's progress report of his 10-months in office even if the track record was "not so good".

But there would be concerted moves, he disclosed, to get the President to resign next year if the government continued to show little progress in redressing the country's economic and political problems. "We must be fair to him," he said. "It is mission impossible for any leader to overcome 32 years of Suharto rule."

Dr Amien's comments took place against a background of reports that a constellation of radical Islamic forces and military elements were keen on a special session because it offered them "the most constitutional means" to bring down Mr Abdurrahman.

Senior army sources said that the armed forces, which still holds a critical presence in the MPR, was still adopting a "wait and see" approach and as an institution would toe the line the President takes.

But they admit that there are disgruntled elements -- affected by the military shakeup -- who are keen to launch a "counter offensive" against the reformist leader during the August assembly.

They are joined by the Amien Rais-led Central Axis group coloured by their modernist Islamic outlook and opposed to several of Mr Abdurrahman's policies which they say are aimed at undermining their power in the fragile coalition government.

Sources believe that the "unholy alliance" between the two groups might be behind the recent demonstrations in the capital for a jihad or holy war in the troubled Maluku islands and also to oppose plans to repeal the ban on the communist party.

The Nation Awakening Party, the political arm of the 30-million- strong Nadhlatul Ulama which Mr Abdurrahman used to head, lashed out at Dr Amien last week for possible involvement in the jihad protests, calling on him to resign.

But Dr Amien brushed aside suggestions that he was involved in any scheme to undermine the government. The MPR leader maintained that his public criticism of the President should not be construed as a means to bring him down.

"We can all criticise him, the MPR, the press, as sharply as we want," he stressed. "But it does mean that there are forces working behind the scenes to topple him."

Ban PKI, not communist ideology: Abdurrahman

Klaten -- President Abdurrahman Wahid rebuked criticism of his support for the revocation of MPRS Decree No. 25/1965, saying Communist political parties should be banned not the ideology. "I need to put this in the correct perspective. Our constitution does not prohibit communism. The MPRS decree was based on three rebellion attempts by the PKI (Indonesian Communist Party)," he said in response to a question during a dialog held after Friday prayers here.

"If necessary, the MPR (People's Consultative Assembly) should revoke the decree and then issue another decree [which bans the PKI]," he said during the 20-minute talk.

Abdurrahman's support for a repeal of the decree has evoked ire from several leading politicians, particularly those aligned with the Axis Force coalition. There have been suggestions from politicians such as Assembly Speaker Amien Rais and leaders of the Crescent Star Party that a Special Session of the Assembly be held to review Abdurrahman's presidency due to the matter.

But Abdurrahman has remained unfazed in his conviction that no specific ideology or belief should be banned by the state. "The state can't regulate people's beliefs. People are free to profess any belief," he said, adding that he would further discuss his motivation for supporting the revocation of the decree during National Awakening Day on May 20.

Abdurrahman also noted the New Order administration used the perceived threat of communism to rob many Indonesians of their political rights. "If it true that our society can't accept the philosophy of communism, then educate our society to give them a better understanding of it," he added.

Following his brief stop in Klaten, the President paid his respects at the royal burial site of Imogiri, where the kings of the Mataram Kingdom are buried. He then visited the burial plot of famed poet Ronggo Warsito, located some 12 kilometers south of here.

Muslim allies lose faith in Wahid

Lindsay Murdoch, Jakarta -- Six months after becoming Indonesia's first democratically elected president, Mr Abdurrahman Wahid, is facing mounting criticism from some of his once strongest Muslim allies, including the influential parliamentary Speaker, Dr Amien Rais.

Amid many controversial reforms introduced by Mr Wahid one issue is emerging as a threat to his hold to the leadership: his push to rescind a 1966 decree banning communism.

Dr Rais's stand reflects the deeply held view in Indonesian society, including among some of the political elite, that communism has been responsible for most of the evils that have dogged the country for decades. The now discredited former president Soeharto often used trumped-up allegations of communist links to destroy his political opponents.

In the wake of an aborted 1965 coup, hundreds of thousands were were killed when Muslim activists led attacks on alleged communists and other groups.

Almost two years after Soeharto's fall Muslim politicians are still fuelling fear and ignorance of the ideology. The Islamic Crescent Star Party, which supported Mr Wahid's election over Indonesia's most popular politician, Ms Megawati Sukarnoputri, has threatened to press for his impeachment during parliamentary sittings in August.

Other members of a loose alliance of Islamic parties which backed Mr Wahid for the presidency have indicated they are considering withdrawing their support over a range of policies. Some want to see Mr Wahid replaced by Ms Megawati, with Mr Akbar Tanjung, a member of Soeharto's Golkar party, to become vice-president.

While the country's military, which has dominated civilian affairs for decades, has largely stayed out of the debate, some of its top officers are known to be strongly opposed to lifting the ban on communism.

Dr Rais, whose support for Mr Wahid was crucial to his election last October, yesterday described the move to allow communism as "stupid" and warned the President's position would be put at risk unless he rectifies his "mistakes". His comments come amid reported backroom dealings between major parties to remove Mr Wahid from office after his return to Indonesia on Monday from a nine-day foreign tour.

"First of all he [Mr Wahid] has to stop irresponsible statements, and then he has to go to his office every day just like other presidents," Dr Rais said. "You know ... he must not travel around again and again, both domestically and abroad ... and he has to focus his attention on economic affairs."

Criticism of Mr Wahid during his visit to South Africa, Cuba, Japan and Hong Kong prompted Ms Megawati to reaffirm her loyalty upon his return. The Jakarta Post newspaper quoted a source close to the palace as saying that she "assured the President she would never break her pledge to be his loyal partner under any circumstances".

Mr Wahid has insisted that lifting the 34-year-old ban on communism would bring about national reconciliation. Asked about growing criticisms of him, Mr Wahid said: "Sometimes these people don't understand. They say that I am careless but they're actually the ones who make reckless statements."

A growing number of politicians are calling for the August general session of the People's Consultative Assembly, or MPR, to be turned into a emergency session to put Mr Wahid's presidency under scrutiny. Cabinet appears divided on many issues amid rumours of an imminent ministerial reshuffle.

Asked about the possibility of the August session turning into a forum on his performance, Mr Wahid said: "Go ahead, I have no problem with that but I think [the process] will not be as easy as that."

Rumors abound of political intrigue

Jakarta -- President Abdurrahman Wahid returned from a nine-day foreign tour on Monday amid rumors of intensive backroom dealings between major political parties to try to remove him from office.

Gus Dur, as the President is popularly called, came home to a different political atmosphere than the one he left behind on April 8 when he embarked on a trip that took him to South Africa, Mexico, Cuba, Japan and Hong Kong.

Abdurrahman proceeded directly to the presidential palace upon arrival at Halim Perdanakusuma air base. He made no statement upon his arrival, much to the disappointment of the hordes of journalists anxious for his comment on the new situation he found himself in after the foreign visit.

House of Representatives Speaker Akbar Tandjung and People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) Speaker Amien Rais, however, toned down their statements, having earlier condoned calls for an emergency MPR session to scrutinize and possibly remove the President from office.

Gus Dur received on Monday a pledge of support from Vice President Megawati Soekarnoputri who visited him at Merdeka Palace soon after his arrival.

A source close to the palace said that during the meeting, Megawati reiterated her loyalty to the President, dashing rumors that she had also been involved in some of the backroom political dealings to replace Gus Dur. "She assured the President that she would never break her pledge to be his loyal partner under any circumstances," the source told The Jakarta Post.

The MPR is scheduled to hold its General Session in August, but there have been calls to either turn the meeting into an emergency session, or hold one earlier than scheduled, to put the President's record under scrutiny and possibly remove him from office.

Amien meanwhile called on the public to judge his criticism of the President as a part of his efforts to improve the government's performance, and not to undermine the government.

Amien said his National Mandate Party (PAN) and Muslim parties grouped under the Axis Force had no intention of moving to replace the President. "We (the Axis Force) don't play behind the scenes. We always state our opinions openly," he said.

Gus Dur and Amien have exchanged tirades through the media over the past week. Amien attacked the President for his plan to lift the ban on communism, while Gus Dur accused Amien of making reckless political statements by condoning the calls for an MPR emergency meeting to review Gus Dur's performance.

The Islamic Crescent Star Party (PBB), one of the members of Amien's Axis Force, has already announced its intention to call for a special MPR meeting because of the President's plan to end the ban on communism.

Amien changed his tune on Monday, saying that the MPR's scheduled meeting in August would not be an occasion to ask for the President's accountability, but only to hear his progress report.

House Speaker Akbar made an about-face by throwing his support behind Gus Dur. "Gus Dur was elected democratically. He should be supported," Akbar, who is also chairman of the Golkar Party, said.

The Indonesian Military (TNI) appeared ambivalent on the question of whether or not a special MPR meeting was necessary. In Malang, East Java, TNI Chief of Territorial Affairs Lt. Gen. Agus Widjojo stressed that the military fully trusted the people's representatives and political elites to carry out the national political agenda, including the planned MPR session. When asked if TNI would fully support the government, Agus said: "Let's see the procedures and the mechanisms. Everything will emerge at the coming MPR session."

Agus was in Malang for a highly publicized dialog between TNI top officers with leaders of the Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), Indonesia's largest Muslim organization which Gus Dur chaired for 15 years until his election to the presidency in October.

Army Chief of Staff Gen. Tyasno Sudarto, considered a loyal Gus Dur supporter, separately renewed his support for the President. "The Army will remain consistent in its support for Gus Dur and his legitimate government because he was elected through a democratic and valid election," Tyasno said in Jakarta when asked to comment on the call for an Assembly special session.

He said he did not see the need for the House to call for a MPR special session. "The President has not violated the Constitution or the state policy guidelines," he said, adding that Gus Dur's five-year term of office should be maintained.

"If Gus Dur goes, then according to the Constitution, he will be replaced by Vice President Megawati. If we are not satisfied with Megawati, then we can call for an MPR emergency session," he said. Later, when he traveled to Malang, Tyasno stated that the military would stay out of politics and instead improve its professionalism.

Ichlasul Amal, rector of Gadjah Mada University in Yogyakarta, said there were not enough grounds for the MPR to remove Abdurrahman from office. "Under our presidential system, a president can only be impeached if he is involved in a crime, such as corruption," he said.
 

Regional conflicts

Jihad threatens to aggravate instability

The Laskar Jihad, a 10,000-strong force, is preparing to travel to Indonesia's Maluku province in a stated attempt to end the simmering sectarian violence between Muslims and Christians. An initial 3,000 volunteers are to arrive as early as April 23, threatening to fuel problems in the strife-torn province. The force not only endangers the stability of Maluku, but also has much broader implications for Indonesia's political landscape. The religious violence in Maluku has become a central point of contention among Indonesia's political factions, aggravating Jakarta's already uncertain political stability.

The religious violence in Maluku has widened splits between Indonesian President Abdurrahman Wahid and People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) speaker Amien Rais, both key Indonesian Muslim leaders and long time competitors. It is also raising tensions between the military and the Central Axis, a loose coalition of Muslim parties headed by Rais, as the Axis is seen supporting the Laskar Jihad. In addition, the ongoing conflict in Maluku is fueling opposition within the party of Vice President Megawati Sukarnoputri, the Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), further weakening her party's political effectiveness. The announced Jihad Force is bringing all of these tensions to a head, and will likely lead to a reorganization of Indonesia's political scene.

Calls for a Jihad in Maluku have received tacit or direct support from Central Axis leaders, including Amien Rais, who heads the National Mandate Party (PAN), and Hamzah Haz, leader of the United Development Party (PPP). In January, both Rais and Haz were speakers at a rally of tens of thousands of Muslims in Jakarta protesting the killing of Muslims and warning of a Jihad if the government failed to quickly stem the violence in the province.

In April, at a similar rally drawing fewer people, Muslim demonstrators pledged to carry through with their planned Jihad, opening a volunteer training camp in Bogor, West Java, less than 100 miles south of Jakarta. The rally was triggered by Wahid, who reportedly said the fighting in Maluku was caused by the mistreatment of Christians in the province. Wahid further said the situation had worsened because the previous "government gave special treatment to Muslims in Maluku, like golden boys."

Rais and the Central Axis have capitalized on Muslim discontent with Wahid's performance in ending the fighting in Maluku, as well as his calls for a repeal of the ban on communism, citing it as one of several examples of Wahid's inability to adequately perform his duties as president. During Wahid's recent overseas trip, rumors abounded that the MPR would be called into special session to review Wahid's performance and possibly remove him from office.

While Rais toned down his rhetoric following Wahid's return, saying Wahid would be given another year to prove himself, he continues to position himself in opposition to the president. In an interview published in the April 19 Straits Times, Rais credited himself with getting Wahid elected, adding, "I did not give him a blank cheque to do whatever he wanted after taking office." Rais's threats to remove Wahid from office, and his opposition to Wahid's calls to lift the decades-old ban on communism in Indonesia have brought counter threats from Wahid's National Awakening Party (PKB). PKB Deputy Secretary-General Yahya C. Staquf April 19 said his party would call for a new speaker of the MPR to replace Rais, who they also link to the Jihad planning to go to Maluku.

In addition to his own party, Wahid has another powerful ally in countering a threat from the Central Axis and Rais -- the military. Following widespread rumors of plans to unseat Wahid in a special MPR session, Army Chief of Staff Gen. Tyasno Sudarto reportedly said that the armed forces would resist any political effort to topple Wahid, as he is the constitutionally elected head of Indonesia. Not only has the military pledged to protect Wahid, the navy has also promised to stop any attempt by the Laskar Jihad to reach Maluku.

Besides widening the gap between Wahid and Rais and strengthening ties between Wahid and the military, the threatened Jihad is also further weakening Megawati and her PDI-P. Megawati has faced growing challenges from inside PDI-P as the party transitions from an opposition organization to one in power.

Eros Djarot, a key PDI-P challenger to Megawati, told a meeting of the Alliance of Independent Journalists that Party politicking was hampering Megawati's ability to deal with issues of national importance.

Djarot, citing Wahid's mandate to Megawati that it was her responsibility to settle unrest in Maluku and Irian Jaya, told journalists, "she's not ready to do that. She has not formed a team to outline and manage a clear plan to carry out the president's mandate." With Megawati responsible for security in Maluku, but preoccupied with internal party factions, the Laskar Jihad has only added fuel to her challengers' rhetoric, who point to her inaction in Maluku and pre-occupation with PDI-P politics as a serious weakness.

The internal splits in PDI-P and the rising tensions between Indonesia's main Muslim factions are all likely to come to a head as the first wave of the Laskar Jihad attempts to arrive in Maluku Easter Sunday. The threat of the arrival is likely in itself to further strain religious tensions in the province. With the military preparing to block their arrival, a clash between the Muslim volunteers and the armed forces may be impending. Further, Laskar Jihad has warned that if it is blocked from reaching Maluku, it will hold a Jihad on Java.

The links between Laskar Jihad and the Central Axis will further polarize Indonesia's military from the more extreme Muslim Parties. It will at the same time enhance the alliance between Wahid and the military. Wahid's focus on military restructuring and reform has been matched by an interest to modernize the force, both politically and technically. While this led to serious strains between Wahid and several military commanders, reconciliation is under way.

Further, for the military, supporting Wahid is the most ideal option. While Wahid's popular power base comes from Indonesia's moderate Muslims, he has established and maintained ties across the spectrum of Indonesia's elite, where he carries out his political deals. Contrarily, the military is concerned about the possible leadership of Rais or the Central Axis, which wields its power through tacit or open support of extremist Muslims. As well, as long as Megawati continues to base her support on the ability to call forth the masses in the streets as a demonstration of her popular mandate, this too runs counter to the military's overarching goal of national stability.

A familiar shape is returning to Indonesia's government. Wahid, backed by the military, is courting the support of Golkar, the party of former President Suharto. Despite being weakened by its links to Suharto, Golkar still represents a substantial part of Indonesia's bureaucracy following decades of virtually unopposed rule.

The formation of the Wahid's PKB-Golkar-military bloc will spur attempts by Rais and Megawati to form an opposition alliance. However, such an alliance would be inherently weak due to fundamental differences in support and goals.

While the Laskar Jihad in itself is not a significant force in Indonesia, its formation is spurring the change in Indonesia's political leadership. With PDI-P and Megawati hampered by infighting and Rais and the Central Axis supporting potentially destabilizing activities, Wahid, backed by the military and likely in alliance with the Golkar bureaucracy, will emerge with a firmer grasp on power. While the return to a semi-autocratic system may slow Indonesia's transition to Western ideals of democracy, it may instead help to maintain Indonesia's national stability.

Poso crippled as unrest continues

Palu -- Sectarian riots continued sporadically in the Central Sulawesi town of Poso on Tuesday despite the heavy presence of security personnel. Antara reported that smoke was seen billowing from buildings across the paralyzed town. Markets and shops were closed as fearful residents stayed indoors.

Some 700 people whose homes were burned down in the unrest have been evacuated. Many of them were sheltered at the local military dormitory and offices. In their flight, many of the people brought nothing but the clothes they were wearing.

Spokesman for the Wirabuana Military Command overseeing Sulawesi Maj. Joko Warsito said at least 600 reinforcements were sent to the area. "We've just deployed another 200 troops from the Infantry Battalion 711 in addition to more than 100 reinforcements sent there soon after the riots exploded. We just don't want the unrest to develop on a bigger scale," Joko said.

Kompas daily reported three fatalities since the clashes broke out on Sunday. At least 127 houses, a church, two Christian high schools, one elementary school and a police dormitory in Kasintuwu were damaged. The conflict was sparked by a fight between teenagers at the bus terminal on Sunday, which grew into clashes between residents from Lambogia and Kayamanya.

Two of the dead were identified as Moh. Husni M. Usman, 29, and Yanto Yusuf Bakri, 17. They were shot by security officers who were trying to disperse a mob setting houses on fire. The other fatality was identified as Rofel, 25.

Joko said Poso was vulnerable to sectarian riots. He said residents living in the northern area clashed many times with those in the south. Military and political observers have warned that Sulawesi could descend into communal violence after prolonged sectarian strife in the neighboring Maluku islands. The Maluku unrest has claimed thousands of lives since it broke out in January 1999.

The new chief of Wirabuana Military Command, Maj. Gen. Slamet Kirbiantoro, was in Jakarta on Tuesday. Joko said he would not speculate when asked if the Poso incident was orchestrated by a particular group.
 

Aceh/West Papua

Students protest at Aceh massacre trial

Associated Press in Banda Aceh -- A landmark trial of soldiers accused in the massacre of 57 students and teachers in strife- torn Aceh province resumed on Saturday amid tight security as protesters claimed the proceedings were staged.

As lawyers of the defendants -- 24 soldiers and one civilian -- filed into the courthouse, police cordoned off about 50 students who demanded the trial to be cancelled.

Chanting "We need a trial of those really responsible for the murders, not just their subordinates" and "This trial is staged," the students demanded that top army generals be brought to justice. They were watched by about 2,000 people outside the courthouse. At least two students were injured in a similar protest when the trial opened on Wednesday.

Most of those charged with the killings are enlisted men, and the highest ranking officer is a captain. The commander of the operation, Lieutenant-Colonel Sudjono, has been missing since he was named as a suspect late last year.

A statement released this week by New York-based Human Rights Watch warned that the trial will be seen as "tokenism" unless senior commanders face justice.

All 25 defendants have been accused of the premeditated murder of a group of villagers attending Islamic class in Beutong Ateuh village in west Aceh in July. If found guilty, they can be sentenced to death.

Witnesses said the victims -- a preacher and 56 followers -- were rounded up and taken to a nearby forest where they were executed. The army contended that the victims were members of the rebel group of Free Aceh Movement, and they were killed in a gun battle with security forces.

Separatist rebels have been waging a 25-year struggle to set up an independent state in the oil-rich and staunchly Muslim province on the northern tip of Sumatra. More than 5,000 people have been killed in the past decade.

The trial is the first of five human rights cases planned in coming months for the province. The trials are being heard in a specially convened court by a panel of both civil and military judges.

Three more killed in Aceh bloodshed

Banda Aceh -- Two policemen and a civilian were killed in the latest violence in Indonesia's strife-torn province of Aceh, police and witnesses said yesterday.

The killings occurred just hours after the opening on Wednesday of a landmark human rights trial in Banda Aceh in which 24 soldiers and a civilian are charged with massacring 57 unarmed villagers.

The officers were shot by unidentified gunmen in separate incidents in the capital, Banda Aceh, and in the district town of Bireuem, officials said.

The civilian also died in western Aceh on late Wednesday, said witnesses who spoke on condition of anonymity. They claimed the villager had been shot by police. Major Supriyadi Djalal, of the local police, said officers were investigating the incident.

The gas- and oil-rich Aceh region has long been plagued by civil war, pitting Indonesian forces against rebels belonging to the Free Aceh Movement. More than 5,000 people have been killed in the past decade, and about 300 in the past year alone.

Police chief sacked as soldiers go on trial

Jakarta -- A senior police officer has been removed from his post and up to 1,000 police and soldiers are being deployed ahead of the expected human rights trial today of soldiers in Indonesia's northern province of Aceh.

A police spokesman said the officer in charge of a crackdown on separatist rebels in violence-racked Aceh had been removed on presidential orders.

Human rights groups say the crackdown, known by the codename Awake Rencong III, has resulted in massive human rights abuses and a wave of killings. A Jakarta-based police spokesman, Colonel Saleh Saaf, said Colonel Yusuf Muharam had been recalled to Jakarta and was being investigated. "At the moment he is under investigation; we are investigating the actions which he took during his service in the post," Colonel Saaf said.

The Awake Rencong III operation, which takes its name from a traditional type of dagger used in Aceh, is the latest in a series of such operations aimed at crushing the separatist Free Aceh rebels. Launched in February, it came after police and military were authorised to use "repressive" measures to control the rebellion late last year.

It follows mass calls in the staunchly Muslim, resource-rich province in the northern tip of Sumatra, for a referendum on independence from Indonesia.

Amnesty International said in early March that unconfirmed reports suggested close to 200 people had been killed this year in counter-insurgency operations against the rebels.

Eight die, 18 injured in fresh wave of violence in Aceh

Banda Aceh -- At least eight people were killed and 18 others injured in the latest violence to rack the troubled Indonesian province of Aceh, police and residents said yesterday. Two explosive devices, believed to be hand grenades, were thrown at a guard post at a fertiliser plant near the main town of the North Aceh district, Lhokseumawe, on Monday night. Four soldiers, two company security guards and 11 civilians were injured, a local journalist said.

In another incident, a group of unidentified men threw two hand grenades into a fuel depot of the state oil and gas company Pertamina in North Aceh's Banda Sakti sub-district late on Monday evening, North Aceh Police Chief Lt-Colonel Syafei Aksal said. The explosions did not cause serious damage, he said.

Aceh has been wracked by a series of violent incidents over the weekend. A village chief in Pidie district was shot dead on the terrace of his house around midnight on Sunday, a family member said.

In another village in the area, a man was gunned down by unidentified assailants on a motorcycle, according to Pidie district police chief Lt-Col Endang Emiqail Bagus.

Mr Muhammad Hamid, 47, was also shot dead by two motorcyclists while waiting for public transport in Lhoksukon, North Aceh, on Sunday, while another victim was abducted on Saturday, and was found hanging from a beam in a small prayer room of a restaurant in West Aceh, on Sunday.

The body of a man with stab wounds was also discovered in Meulaboh on Sunday and taken to the local state hospital. He too had been kidnapped from his home by armed men on Saturday, local police said.

In Banda Aceh, six masked and armed men forced their way into the National Land Affairs office, rounded up four security guards and set up two bombs in the building. They also sprinkled kerosene on the walls and floor. Only one of the bombs exploded, damaging two rooms but caused no casualties since the building was unoccupied, Aceh Besar district police chief Lt-Col Sayed Husaini said.

More than 300 people have been killed this year in clashes on Aceh between Indonesian troops and the rebels and their supporters.
 

Labour struggle

Teachers threaten to boycott national exams

Jakarta -- Thousands of teachers in Jakarta and other cities yesterday continued to protest over their low salaries, threatening to boycott this month's national exams, despite the government's promise to significantly increase their pay.

About 100 protesting teachers from Central Java were received at the Bina Graha presidential office in Jakarta by President Abdurrahman Wahid, who pledged to give them a pay rise.

Speaking to reporters after attending the meeting, Education Minister Yahya Muhaimin said the president assured the teachers the government understood their plight and would raise their salaries. However, he said the government could not yet set an exact percentage for the increase until Finance Minister Bambang Sudibyo returns from an overseas trip.

At a cabinet meeting chaired by Wahid yesterday, ministers agreed that teachers should be paid more, but could not agree by how much. Muhaimin said that based on the state budget, it is impossible for the government to increase the salaries of state teachers by up to 500%, as the nation is still suffering from the economic crisis.

The government's promises failed to dampen protests by the teachers. In South Sulawesi, thousands of teachers and students yesterday rallied at in the province's capital of Makassar. Apologizing to the parents of their students for the strike, the teachers threatened to boycott the national exams set for May 29.

"We ask all parents to forgive us. We're not attempting to shirk our responsibilities. We are forced to boycott the exams, although it was a bitter decision. We have to take this option because we are oppressed and ignored," said Syamsu Niang, leader of the protest.

Private schools

A similar protest was held in Jakarta, involving at least 100 teachers from private schools in the West Java city of Tangerang. Carrying banners and posters, the teachers entered the House of Representatives building, where they held a free speech forum.

They were received by House Deputy Speaker Soetardjo Soerjo- goeritno of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P). Representatives of the protesting elementary school teachers told Soetardjo their monthly salaries range from Rp40,000 (US$5.15) to Rp 80,000 (US$10.30). "We have to moonlight by selling basic commodities or operating ojeks [motorcycle taxis]," one teacher said. Some said they have been teaching for as long as 18 years but had never been well paid.

Responding to their demand, Soetardjo said the House will ask private schools to give more attention to their teachers' welfare. He said the House will on April 27 discuss the teachers' welfare with the president during a regular monthly session.

The biggest protests erupted on Tuesday with more than 20,000 teachers on the government payroll from West Java thronging to the capital, causing severe traffic jams across the city.

In Yogyakarta, another 6,000 teachers marched in front of the Gunung Kidul regent's office, also threatening to boycott the national exams and teachings. "Boycott teaching if the salary is not raised," read one banner carried by the protesters who arrived on motorbikes and in cars.

They said the government should revoke its decision to increase the wages of high-ranking officials by up to 1,800%."If the government does not soon increase the salaries of teachers and postpone raises in structural wages, teachers in Gunung Kidul will boycott teaching and the national exams," said Supardi, one protester.

In a response to the boycott, Minister Muhaimin asked teachers to cancel their plans for a strike, saying they should not neglect their main duties. He said there are indications the protests were masterminded by certain groups for their political gains. He did not elaborate.

Paid protests

In Bali, National Police Chief Lieutenant General Rusdihardjo yesterday said he believes there are organizations which are paid to arrange street rallies.

"How many people join the rally and what kind of demands they shout voice out depends on the order. The most important thing is that those who place the order must pay these organizations a certain sum of money." was quoted as saying by Antara in Denpasar.

The orders also cover the length of time of the demonstrations, be they half-a-day or one whole day, he said."People can even order demonstrations for several days, depending on how much they are willing to pay the organizations," he said.

Exactly where these organizations are based remains a secret, he said. Asked if anybody could do such a business, he said there are no clear regulations on the matter. As long as the business does not disrupt public order, police will have difficulty taking action against these organizations, he said.

So far, the companies supplying demonstrations have not caused public unrest, he said. "They still operate within tolerable limits," he added.

May Day win for strikers

May Sari, Jakarta -- A three-day strike by 1800 workers employed at the PT Isanti shoe factory in Semarang, Central Java, forced the company to grant 23 out of their 25 demands on April 11.

The strike was organised by the Central of Semarang Workers (PBS), affiliated with the militant independent union, National Front for Indonesian Workers' Struggle (FNPBI).

Among the demands conceded by the company were the abolition of compulsory overtime, full payment of wages during national holidays, and that May 1 be a public holiday. Only two of the demands were not agreed to by the company -- a meal allowance of 4000 rupiah per day and a transportation allowance of 2000 rupiah per day.

As is common in most factories in Indonesia, the company compelled its employees to work overtime without overtime pay. Resentment against this and other working conditions, however, was not enough to overcome the workers' fear of being sacked by the company or tortured by the military if they engaged in strike action.

Iin, an organiser for PBS since late last year, had been visiting an area where the workers employed by PT Isanti lived. "The workers I met didn't talk too much", she said. "They were really afraid. I had to work very hard to convince them."

"Until we had contact with PBS, we weren't sure if industrial action could be the means of our struggle", said Ryanto, one of the workers. "We were pushed to join the old union here but in fact they have never fought for our rights. There are times when they sit and laugh together with the company."

After many months of discussions with PBS organisers, the workers decided to take action. Only an hour after the strike started, the military attacked the picket line outside the factory.

However, the workers succeeded in repulsing the attack, and maintained their picket. The confidence and sense of solidarity this generated among the workers forced the company to give in to most of the demands three days later.

The most significant outcome of the strike was the company's agreement to make May Day a paid holiday. "I think PT Isanti is the first company in Indonesia to agree to that", said PBS chairperson Narso. "We hope the case of PT Isanti will be followed other companies." The FNPBI has called for the first of May to be made a national holiday.

Thousands of teachers protest at parliament

Jakarta -- Some 10,000 teachers Tuesday flooded the grounds of the national parliament compound here in a mass protest to demand at least a 100 percent increase in their salaries.

The teachers crowded the parliament compound and buildings, shouting and waving posters urging the government to pay heed to their plight.

"We are demanding better pay and more allowances to narrow the huge gap between structural and functional employees in the education sector," said Suwandi a protestor from Bandung, West Java. "For the sake of the future of the state and nation, pay attention to our welfare," said one of the banners carried by the protestors.

Parliamentary speaker Akbar Tanjung told representatives of the protestors that the government is now looking for sources of funding to increase the basic pay of teachers, who are among the lowest-paid civil servants in the country. "There are 1.7 million teachers nationwide. If a teacher gets a pay increase of 1,000 rupiah (15 US cents), the budget will have to be increased 1.7 billion (rupiah). This should be considered," Tanjung said.

The crowd of teachers swelled from 3,500 early in the morning to 10,000 by midday. Tanjung also said a 300 percent increase in teachers' allowances agreed by the government Monday would add trillions of rupiah to the exisiting budget.

Gogo Sumantri, an elementary school teacher in Bandung, said his salary of 800,000 rupiah (105 dollars) a month was barely enough to meet his family's daily needs. "I wanted my children to study in universities, but that's impossible with a low salary. So as they finish high school, I ask them to find jobs," he told "I've been a teacher for 25 years but I still can't afford to buy a house. I have six children to feed," he said. He and his family live in a house provided by the school.

Another 1,000 teachers went to the education ministry and demanded a meeting with the minister. They rejected a meeting with a director general who came to address them.

"We came here to directly meet with minister Yahya Muhaimin. If he doesn't come, we'll pitch camp here until he agrees to hold a dialogue with us," one of the protestors said according to the Detikcom online news service.

Structural teachers -- those who also hold administrative posts in schools -- have had their allowances raised under a scheme for senior public officials that became effective this month. But those who only teach have had no raise. The system has resulted in vast income gaps between teachers with the same length of service. Suwandi said the teachers were seeking a pay rise of at least 100 percent and an increase in teachers's allowances of around 500 percent.

The Jakarta protests were the latest in a series of teachers' strikes and protests in the past two weeks. The state Antara news agency reported that an estimated 32,000 teachers left Bandung for Jakarta early Tuesday morning on dozens of buses.

And in Payakumbuh city in North Sumatra some 6,000 said they planned to protest against the local branch of the Indonesian Teachers' Federationfor its failure to fight for their welfare, Antara said. "We haven't seen the role of PGRI in fighting for teachers here. PGRI should reform itself," said teacher Adnin Syam.

Education minister Muhaimin said Monday that a meeting between government officials and the teachers' association had agreed to raise teachers' allowance by 300 percent. But he said the decision had yet to be approved by the president.

He said the meeting also agreed to review a controversial government decision to raise allowances and pay for senior officials.

The minister had previously said that although the government wanted to raise teachers' pay, cash shortages would only allow a rise of some 100 percent. The increase in teachers' allowances alone would cost the government 1.7 trillion rupiah (226.7 million dollars), according to the finance ministry.
 

Human rights/law

Reshuffle boosts graft probe's clout

Vaudine England, Jakarta -- In the face of strong public criticism, the Attorney-General has reorganised staff and departments to give greater priority to the corruption case against former president Suharto.

The most obvious move has been taking the head of the investigating team, Chairul Imam, off the case pending his planned retirement.

Attorney-General Marzuki Darusman said yesterday the move was routine "in the sense that it is part of structural changes under way in the office". "These are intended to give more attention to the Suharto cases," Mr Darusman said. Office spokesman Yushar Yahya said: "Imam is preparing to retire soon."

Mr Darusman, rather than suggesting any lack of zeal by Mr Imam, has used the move to give added impetus to an investigation that has become mired in political considerations and the allegedly failing health of 78-year-old Suharto.

The investigators have been rebuffed by Mr Suharto's lawyers over three attempts to summon him for questioning. Efforts to question him at his home have been stopped twice by his doctors.

Although many Indonesians favour holding Mr Suharto to account in some way, leaders including President Abdurrahman Wahid say the former strongman should be pardoned.

But Mr Darusman wants it clear that prevarication by the former president will not stop a case he defines as the key test of the Government's desire to reform a shattered legal system and restore confidence to the business community.

"We are making reasonable progress," Mr Darusman said. "Obviously, Suharto's health is a problem, not just for me but, increasingly, for the public. But this is not an either-or situation, this is a multi-faceted investigation. If things slow down on one front, we will be tackling others."

An indication of the Attorney-General's approach was seen last week when Mr Suharto's eldest daughter, Siti "Tutut" Hardyanti Rukmana, was called in for five hours of questioning about charitable foundations run by the Suhartos on the basis of forced donations from state firms.

Within days her brother, Bambang Trihatmodjo, also experienced five hours of grilling on the same subject. Mr Suharto's closest golfing friend and business associate, Mohamad "Bob" Hasan, remains in administrative detention for questioning about alleged embezzlement of forest aid funds. "With the latest changes, we and the public expect that things will speed up," Mr Darusman said.

Prosecutors under Mr Imam last week also barred Mr Suharto from leaving Jakarta. But they have stopped short of following a suggestion from Mr Wahid that he be placed under house arrest if he does not co-operate with the investigation.

Mr Bambang said his father, who is a virtual recluse in his home in a plush downtown Jakarta suburb, had not yet been told of the travel ban.

Wahid rival and chairman of the People's Consultative Assembly, Amien Rais, now favours pardoning Mr Suharto for past mistakes if he submits to a speedy trial, in absentia if necessary, and returns any corruptly gained wealth. "I am trying to be wise now and I sympathise now with Suharto," Mr Rais said.

He said Mr Suharto could not be held solely responsible for mistakes made during his 32-year rule. The blame should also be shared by the MPs who kept re-electing him, by the Muslim leaders who preached in his favour, and by the media and academics who praised him and his moves, Mr Rais said.

Government bows to pressure and reshuffles Jakarta judges

Jakarta -- The Indonesian government is shifting two-thirds of the judges in Jakarta to other courts outside the island of Java in response to public pressure and criticism of some court rulings.

The massive reshuffle is set to affect 50 to 60 per cent of judges throughout Jakarta, including all the chiefs and deputies in the capital's five district courts.

Law and Legislation Minister Yusril Ihza Mahendra said on Wednesday the move was the start of major reform in the country's judicial system. He said the massive rotations would start in a matter of weeks.

Since the advent of the reform era, the judicial system has been one of the areas most highlighted for reform. Mr Yusril also admitted that the mass rotations were partly due to strong public pressure and criticism over numerous court rulings.

"Some critics might say that such a measure is useless as the judges are not the only ones to blame, but rather it is the system which has been corrupt all this time," he said.

But he defended the move, saying the reassignment of judges and replacement of court executives outside Java were part of long- term measures planned by his office and the Supreme Court to improve the quality of judges and court rulings.

However, deputies in the Central Jakarta and East Jakarta courts would remain an additional three months in their current postings. This was to allow them to tutor their replacements as these courts often presided over more complex cases that intertwined criminal and civil jurisdictional lines.

Commenting on judges in Jakarta, Mr Yusril said the government had set a maximum age limit of 40 years for them. "The younger they are, the better they perform," said the 44-year-old minister.

He also said his office would allow independent watchdogs to oversee the performance of the new judges in Jakarta. The mass rotation is expected to affect courts in major cities across the country.

Death-row migrant in spotlight

Vaudine England, Jakarta -- The fate of Kartini bin Karim acquires special symbolic importance today. Diplomatic efforts are under way to free the Indonesian migrant worker from a death sentence of stoning in the United Arab Emirates for alleged adultery.

The Indonesian Women's Solidarity for Human Rights said yesterday her case was typical of many Indonesian women. "Married and a mother of two, Kartini has chosen to fight her way out of perennial poverty by working overseas," the group said.

Kartini was also the name of an Indonesian regent's daughter during Dutch colonial rule who, through her letters home, outlined her dreams for better education. She died aged 25 a few days after giving birth to her first child.

A variety of myths have made the original Kartini a nationalist hero and feminist symbol. Today is a public holiday, known as Hari Kartini, dedicated to the memory of the turn-of-the-century hero.

The modern-day Kartini is one of 25,000 legal Indonesian migrant workers in the UAE. Unlike Filipino migrant workers, Indonesians who work abroad often have little awareness of their rights.

Kartini took a job as a domestic helper in February 1998. The following year, she became pregnant and her employers accused her of adultery. She was handed over to the local authorities and delivered her baby while in custody.

Since she was found guilty, Indonesia's Foreign Minister, Alwi Shihab, has promised action, sending officials to the emirates to try to have her freed.

Kartini's case has highlighted the plight of others, including Siti Zaenab Juhri who has been sentenced to be beheaded in Saudi Arabia for adultery.
 

News & issues

Pedicabs want to return to Jakarta

Marianne Kearney, Jakarta -- Thousands of becak drivers took to the streets of central Jakarta yesterday to demand that their pollution-free form of transport again be allowed to ply Jakarta's central streets.

At least 2,000 becaks or pedicabs -- many sporting the red and white Indonesian flag, others the flag of Ms Megawati's PDI Perjuangan party -- peacefully rode from the National Monument (Monas) to the Welcome Monument in central Jakarta and then all the way to Jakarta's port of Tanjung Priok.

The becak drivers, who were celebrating World Environment Day, demanded that they again be allowed to transport people in the streets around the centre of Jakarta.

Once a common sight cycling along Jakarta's jam-packed main streets, the drivers were banned from the inner city last year because they slowed down the already sluggish traffic. Outside central Jakarta, however, becaks are still a common and cheap form of transport still used to go short distances or to travel along streets too small for buses.

As if to prove that their leg-powered, three-wheel vehicle is no slower than their motorised counterparts, the mostly passenger- less becaks kept pace with the motorised traffic on the long 20- km stretch to Tanjung Priok yesterday.

Drawing attention to the negative effects of Jakarta's diesel- spewing traffic, the becak drivers' flyers proclaimed that "our earth has been destroyed by motorised vehicles".

Jakarta's frequent haze is blamed on vehicles still permitted to use diesel fuel -- a high-lead-content fuel that has been phased out of most modern cities.

"Why can't we drive around Monas when we don't make any pollution?" asked Mr Mohammad Sanusi, a 41-year-old becak driver who wants to be able to drive his pedicab around the smaller streets of Jakarta's main attractions such as the National Monument.

Mr Mohammad agrees that becaks slow traffic on highways and major roads, but he thinks the three-wheelers should be permitted to use the minor roads around markets and residential areas in the inner city.

He wants access to central Jakarta because he says he makes only a little money driving around a small area in Tanjung Priok. "If it's busy I make 20,000 rupiah (S$5) a day, but if it's not, maybe less than rupiah 10,000," said Mr Mohammad, who became a becak driver when he lost his job as a construction worker eight years ago.

Suharto's assets seized

Jakarta -- The government has started seizing assets belonging to former President Suharto, a spokesman for the Attorney-General's Office said yesterday. "His assets in various forms have been seized," spokesman Yushar Yahya told the Indonesiakini online news service. "The seizure was done in a confidential manner," he said, adding that the move was continuing and that a search was on for assets that might be hidden. He refused to elaborate on the assets that had been confiscated.

One of Mr Suharto's lawyers, Mr Denny Kailimang, said his client had submitted a list of his assets to the Attorney-General's Office. "Some of the bank accounts owned by Tutut were blocked," a source told Indonesiakini, referring to Mr Suharto's eldest daughter Siti Hardiyanti Rukmana.

President Abdurrahman Wahid said earlier this year that his government had sought the assistance of the Swiss government in recovering any of the assets that might be in Swiss banks.

Mr Suharto, 78, has been named a suspect in a revived investigation into his alleged corruption during his 32 years in power. An earlier probe was dropped in the last days of the Habibie government for "lack of evidence". Mr Suharto has denied any wrongdoing and has sued the Time magazine over a cover story last May which estimated his family's wealth at some US$15 billion.

The Attorney-General's office has put the former Indonesian leader, who suffered a mild stroke last year, under "city arrest" and barred him from travelling overseas for a year.

Earlier this month, he was questioned on graft charges at his home after failing to answer three successive summons to appear at the prosecutors' office.

Yorrys Raweyai admits following military orders

Jakarta -- Head of the feared Pemuda Pancasila organization Yorrys Raweyai, who was on Tuesday arrested by police, yesterday admitted the Jakarta Military Command had ordered him to mobilize his forces ahead of the July 27 riots of 1996.

However, he denied that he or Pemuda Pancasila had taken part in the attack on the Central Jakarta headquarters of the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI), which sparked the bloody unrest.

Yorrys' lawyer Doni Antares Irawan, who yesterday visited National Police headquarters to protest against the detention of his client, said the military had tasked Yorrys to "secure" the PDI headquarters on Jalan Diponegoro and several nearby buildings. Pro-democracy activists claim that Pemuda Pancasila, which is widely regarded as a thugs-for-hire organization, was actively involved in the attack on the PDI building.

Irawan said Yorrys told police investigators the Jakarta Military Command had tasked him to secure a school near the PDI headquarters, as well as the residence of then-women's affairs minister Mien Sugandhi and the Palestinian Embassy. The lawyer said Yorrys had also been ordered to "mobilize the masses" at the grounds of the Artha Graha building near the Jakarta Police headquarters before the attack commenced.

"That was also ordered by the Jakarta Military Command," said Irawan. At the time of the incident, the Jakarta Military Command was led by Lieutenant General Sutiyoso, who is now the governor of Jakarta. Irawan told police they must interrogate the military officers who gave the orders.

The attack on the PDI headquarters was conducted by hired thugs, backed by the military and police. The purpose of the assault was to remove supporters of ousted PDI leader Megawati Soekarnoputri, who had been inside the building. In the ensuing anti-government and anti-military riots, several people were killed and many went missing.

Analysts say the attack was an effort to repress pro-democracy activists and to silence critics of then-president Soeharto and his ruling Golkar Party. Coincidentally, the month before the attack, Soeharto had given his blessings to a Pemuda Pancasila congress.

Irawan admitted Pemuda Pancasila has always been close to the security forces, but denied the organization was close to a certain political party. "Yorrys admits that one of Pemuda Pancasila's tasks was to help the government. At that time, Yorrys did not know there would be an attack on the PDI headquarters," he claimed.

Pakpahan names masterminds

In a related incident, head of the Indonesian Workers Prosperity Union (SPSI) Muchtar Pakpahan, who was charged with subversion and jailed following the July 27 riots, yesterday urged the government to admit that he was wrongfully imprisoned, and to arrest the real masterminds of the unrest. "Of course it was not me. General Feisal Tanjung, General Syarwan Hamid the former Attorney General Singgih were the masterminds of the July 27 incident," Pakpahan told reporters at Handayani Restaurant in East Jakarta yesterday.

At the time of the unrest, Tanjung was Indonesian Armed Forces commander, while Hamid was the military's chief of socio- political affairs.

Pakpahan first ran into trouble with Soeharto's authoritarian regime in April 1994, when he was blamed for labor demonstrations in Medan, North Sumatra, and sentenced to four years jail. In September 1995, the Supreme Court released him. But in October 1996 the release order was canceled and Pakpahan remained in jail from then until Soeharto's successor B.J. Habibie released him in late May 1998.

"After the incident of July 27, 1996, I was arrested on July 30 at midnight by Military Police, accused of being the leader and mastermind of the incident. I was not tried but was put in jail for two years. I need my good name restored, and furthermore, I will sue the National Police for Rp27 billion [US$3.47 million]," said Pakpahan. He said that while police investigators have arrested former PDI leaders Soerjadi and Buttu Hutapea, as well as Yorrys, authorities will not lay their hands on him now because they know he has done no wrong.

"Unfortunately, the masterminds -- as I have mentioned before -- General Feisal Tanjung, General Syarwan Hamid former Attorney General Singgih, all are still free."

Pakpahan's lawyer Meh Bob has filed a claim to the South Jakarta District Court, requesting that he be declared free from guilt, so the government will be able to restore his name. "I remember that my client was suffering from a tumor in his lung when he was arrested. Because of that and because there was no trial, the government or police must compensate him for the cost of his medical treatment and the salary he did not receive while in jail," said Bob. He said if police continue to arrest only minor players, and remain too scared to detain generals, they will fail to uncover the whole scenario of the July 27 case.

Student conduct to be factor in passing exams

Jakarta -- Conduct will soon be added to grades to determine whether an Indonesian student achieves a pass mark, press reports said yesterday.

Besides a good academic performance, the education authorities will also consider a student's conduct or ethics to decide whether a pass mark is warranted, the Kompas daily said.

The head of the Jakarta office of the National Education Ministry, Mr Alwi Nurdin, told journalists the new measure would be in force for the current school year and would apply to results of the May 22 school examinations. Under the new measure, a student who is brilliant in all subjects could still fail should the school's council of teachers decide his or her conduct or ethics were bad.

"We want schools to bear part of the responsibility regarding the quality of their graduates and that will in the future become the reference to appraise a school's quality," Mr Nurdin said.

The measure was covered by a decree from the director-general for elementary and secondary education dated April 10, Kompas quoted Mr Nurdin as saying. The criteria on good conduct and ethics would be left to the school's council of teachers, he said.

Public criticism has been mounting over lax discipline in schools as increasingly violent mass street brawls involving students of different schools have been on the rise in the capital and other majpr cities during the past few years.

Indonesia has embarked on a gradual overhaul of its education system. Sweeping reforms to reduce academic burdens and to develop more rounded students are planned. The current curriculum, consisting of 10 compulsory subjects for elementary and advanced levels, has come under severe criticism since its implementation in 1994.

The new curriculum beginning in July will not only allow students to participate in more extracurricular activities, but will also see students doing subjects tailored to the particular demands of their local areas. The reforms are expected to be completed in five years.

Two witnesses say Time magazine wrote balanced story

Jakarta -- Two witnesses on Tuesday testified in favor of Time magazine in a hearing of the 27 billion dollar defamation suit filed against the the US weekly by former Indonesian strongman Suharto.

Communications expert Andi Abdul Muis and senior Indonesian journalist and author Gunawan Mohamad -- appearing at the Central Jakarta district court as Time's "expert witnesses" -- both said the magazine had attempted to cover both sides in their May 24, 1999 edition.

Suharto sued Time for 27 billion dollars in July last year after the magazine alleged the former strongman and his family were sitting on a fortune of 15 billion dollars.

Mohamad, one of the founders of the leading Tempo weekly magazine, told the court that Time had "covered both sides" in their four-month investigative piece on Suharto.

In the cover story the magazine alleged that the former leader had transfered some nine-billion dollars from banks in Switzerland to Austria shortly after he resigned in 1998.

Asked by presiding judge Sihol Sitompul about what "cover both sides" meant, Mohamad said: "Covering both sides is something that has to be done by a journalist and it has to be mentioned in the story. It means that the reporter has approached the source but did not receive any response, and that can be defined as 'cover both sides'," he said.

Muis told the court that journalists' ethics stipulate that they must try to approach both sides of a story involving "conflicting interests." But he said that should sources be unavailable for a response or comment, "the journalist could try to find alternative sources which could represent the primary source."

Time says its reporters tried to interview Suharto and his family but had been turned down. They interviewed two of Suharto's lawyers, Juan Felix Tampubolon and O.C. Kaligis instead. Referring to Suharto, Muis said that "a public figure must always be open to public assesment."

Meanwhile Mohamad said the chief editor of a media organization "must be responsible" if his or her journalist refuses to answer a court order to reveal their sources during a trial. He described Time's cover depicting a smiling Suharto with the "Suharto Inc." inscription as "a mere charicature," adding that the article did not constitute a "trial by the press." The trial resumes next Tuesday to hear another two expert witnesses.

300% hike in allowances for teachers

Jakarta -- Underpaid teachers will see a 300-per-cent increase in allowances, reports said yesterday as teachers in parts of the country began a three-day strike to demand better pay.

The decision was reached during a meeting with civil servants earlier yesterday, National Education Minister Yahya Muhaimin was reported by Detikcom news agency as saying. "The agreement will be reported to the President," Mr Yahya said.

The minister had said previously that cash shortages would only allow a rise of some 100 per cent. This would cost 1.7 trillion rupiah (S$385.4 million), said the Finance Ministry's director for budgetary affairs, Anshari Ritonga.

Five agreements were reached at the meeting, Mr Yahya said, including measures to improve teachers' welfare and narrow the salary disparities between teachers. It also agreed to review a controversial government decision introduced this month to raise allowances and compensation for senior officials.

Indonesian teachers, among the lowest paid of the country's civil servants, have been conducting strikes and street protests across the country in the past two weeks. About 20,000 teachers in the eastern Indonesian province of West Nusatenggara began a three- day strike yesterday to demand better pay, said the Antara news agency.

Teachers are not the only winners. Transport owners have also reached an agreement with local government regarding price hikes. Starting next month, regular bus fares would rise 66.7 per cent to 500 rupiah and minibus fares would go up 40 per cent to 700 rupiah. Taxivans too will have their fares raised by 140 per cent to 1,200 rupiah.

The public transport owners' association had earlier sought a 300-per-cent fare rise and had threatened a mass strike but the plan was cancelled after discussions with the city authorities. Jakarta, a city of 11 million people, depends heavily on its public-transport system, mostly buses and minibuses, operated by the private sector.

Gus Dur calls for alliance of Asian countries

Hongkong -- President Abdurrahman Wahid said Indonesia, China and India should go forward together with the help of Japanese and Singaporean "capital, know-how and technology" to create a mutually beneficial loose association.

He made the call at a dinner on Sunday hosted by the non- governmental Asia Society in Hongkong, where he asked investors and Asian neighbours to help his country become an economic powerhouse.

"If these countries can regroup into one single but loose entity then the businessmen of the ... five countries will be able to stand up to anybody in the world," he said. "Asia has emerged as a world economic power especially in commerce because of rich abundance of natural resources, and the industriousness of the people will ensure that we are able to utilise these forces in full."

He also urged businessmen and governments worldwide to invest in the economic recovery of Indonesia, which he said was stable and secure despite recent outbreaks of ethnic and religious violence. "Indonesia is secure, stable, and stability is there," he told the gathering of investment bankers and business executives. "Please invest in Indonesia," he said in a largely improvised speech at the US$385 a plate gala dinner.

While Mr Abdurrahman has been away on an overseas trip, a group of radical Indonesian Muslims has pledged to send thousands of fighters to lead a holy war against Christians in the Malukus, or spice islands. Last week, hundreds of students protested and clashed with police in Jakarta to demand the jailing of ailing former President Suharto, who has been banned from leaving the capital.

Despite reports of religious and political tensions at home, Mr Abdurrahman insisted that territorial integrity of the sprawling archipelago had been achieved, and blamed the media for sensationalism. "Regardless of what you see on television everyday or read in the newspapers, don't believe all of it, because it is useful for the press to give priority to the blackened picture," he said. He added that he had followed a successful policy of accommodation and negotiation with separatist Aceh rebels.

He said he also had assurances that Muslims and Christians were co-operating over humanitarian efforts in the Malukus, which were racked by a major wave of religious bloodshed around the New Year. As for the controversy over investigations into allegations of corruption by 78-year-old ousted Mr Suharto, he said they were moving slowly because of "respect for former leaders".

During the dinner, Wahid also rebuffed his critics, including People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) Speaker Amien Rais, and warned of a backlash against his political foes if they failed to back up their criticism.

"If we have strong reasons for our policies and the MPR finally decides to follow us, I'm afraid that in the end, Mr Amien is the one who will end up pinching his own ears," Mr Abdurrahman told journalists in the presidential entourage.

He was responding to a question about Mr Amien's earlier statement that he would not hesitate "to pinch" the President's ears should the government veer off track in its policies. "Sometimes those people just don't understand. They say that I am careless, but they're actually the ones who make reckless statements," Mr Abdurrahman said.

He has maintained that the Assembly session in August is only meant to deliver a progress report on the government's work, not to serve as a special session to demand the President's accountability. "People just talk, but they don't know what they're talking about and this makes me confused," he said.

'Laskar Jihad' vacates training camp

Bogor -- After a one-day delay, thousands of members of Laskar Jihad (Jihad Force) vacated the military-style training camp in Munjul village under tight police security in the early hours of Monday.

The group commander, Jaffar Umar Thalib, said they were moving their main base to Kaliurang, some 15 kilometers north of Yogyakarta, via the southern route through Bandung, the capital of West Java. "Many of our members will also go to their respective hometowns for a couple of days before rejoining the Jihad Force training in Kaliurang," Jaffar said, while helping his men get on the buses.

The Laskar Jihad Ahlus Sunnah Wal Jama'ah Forum volunteers will be further selected for deployment in Maluku at the end of this month after undergoing training at several Islamic boarding schools in Central Java.

About 3,000 members boarded a total of 37 chartered buses headed for various destinations, including Yogyakarta, Depok, Bandung, Cirebon, Surakarta, Cilacap, Wonogiri, Malang and Surabaya and cities outside Java, such as Medan in North Sumatra. Others who live closer to the camp, which is located some 55 kilometers south of Jakarta, traveled by train and public bus, Jaffar said.

Bogor Regional Police, in coordination with the West Java Police, escorted the group to the border of Central Java. "The training ground in Munjul has been emptied and only 20 people are left to pack and guard the provisions, such as tents and chairs, as a lot of it was rented and has not yet been returned," Jaffar said.

Police had ordered the forum, whose members had staged armed protests in Jakarta earlier this month, to leave the training camp and warned they would use force if the group failed to do so.

The chartered bus managements of Mitra Rajasa and Nan Tungga told The Jakarta Post on Monday that they previously had no idea that their buses, along with those from other companies, would be rented by Laskar Jihad members. "Our buses, along with others from Damri, Giri Indah, Limas, Merdeka, Andalas and Waspada, were chartered for Rp 800,000 to Rp 1 million per bus," Mitra Rajasa official Zaenal said. "Actually the price is much higher as the ticket for a trip to Central Java is Rp 22,000 per person for nonair-conditioned buses and Rp 27,000 each for air-conditioned buses," Zaenal said, adding that the group told them they had no more money to pay for extra expenses.

An employee of the National Land Agency (BPN), Ibrahim Sipala, was among the officials who escorted the group's departure as he was looking for the sons of his friend, Lukman Rauf and Arfan, who reportedly joined the Jihad Force.

"My friend asked me to check on the two boys but it was futile," he said. The forum repeated their pledge on Sunday to send 3,000 volunteers to Maluku in late April to protect fellow Muslims involved in a year of communal clashes there, which have claimed at least 2,000 lives. Jaffar said their main mission would be to propagate Islam, but added that the volunteers were prepared to anticipate "attacks by enemies".

The group has repeatedly voiced its dissatisfaction with President Abdurrahman Wahid's handling of the Maluku conflict, accusing him of favoring the Christian minority.

As many as 3,150 Muslim youths have taken part in the military- style training in Munjul village of the Kayumanis area in the Tanah Sareal district in Bogor since April 6 on land belonging to the Al Irsad Foundation chaired by Jaffar Hilal Thalib.

Locals, however, have expressed fear over the group's activities and complained that the Jihad Force had harmed the environment by using the nearby Cibadak River and cutting trees down without permission. A local said the group donated eight goats to the residents. It is said that the group received the goats from the Bogor regent, but refused to consume them because "they were not obtained by halal (allowed by Islamic law) money". Official confirmation from the regent was not available.

How we lied to put a killer in power

Paul Lashmar and James Oliver -- The world's press was systematically manipulated by British intelligence as part of a plot to overthrow Indonesia's President Sukarno in the 1960s, according to Foreign Office documents. The BBC, the Observer and Reuters news agency were all duped into carrying stories manufactured by agents working for the Foreign Office.

Last night, Denis Healey, Labour's defence secretary at the time, admitted the intelligence war had spun out of control in Indonesia. At one point the British were planting false documents on dead soldiers.

Lord Healey even had to stop service chiefs from taking military action. He said: "I would not let the RAF drop a single bomb although they were very anxious to get involved."

The left-leaning Sukarno was overthrown in 1966 and up to half a million people were massacred by the new regime. Now a Foreign Office document obtained by the Independent on Sunday reveals the full extent of the "dirty tricks" campaign orchestrated from London, and how the world's journalists were manipulated.

A letter marked "secret and personal" from propaganda expert Norman Reddaway to Britain's ambassador in Jakarta, Sir Andrew Gilchrist, brags about the campaign which aimed to destabilise Mr Sukarno by suggesting his rule would lead to a communist takeover. One story "went all over the world and back again", writes Reddaway, while information from Gilchrist was "put almost instantly back into Indonesia via the BBC".

This included an allegation, with no apparent basis in reality, that Indonesian communists were planning to slaughter the citizens of Jakarta.

Reddaway, a specialist with the FO's Information Research Department (IRD), writes: "I wondered whether this was the first time in history that an ambassador had been able to address the people of his country of work almost at will and virtually instantaneously."

Showing his low opinion of journalists, he boasts that "newsmen would take anything from here, and pestered us for copy". He had been sent to Singapore to bolster British efforts to overthrow the Indonesian president and support General Suharto. His brief from London had been "to do whatever I could do to get rid of Sukarno", he revealed before his death last year. He therefore embarked on an extensive campaign of placing favourable stories with news wires, foreign correspondents and the BBC, and also used the pages of Encounter, an influential magazine for the liberal intelligentsia which, it later emerged, had been funded and controlled by the CIA.

His letter even suggests that the Observer newspaper had been persuaded to take the Foreign Office "angle" on the Indonesian takeover by reporting a "kid glove coup without butchery".

Last month, Abdurrahman Wahid, the country's current president, gave his support to a judicial inquiry into the massacres of 1965-66 and, in an interview broadcast on state television, promised to punish those found guilty.

Newly discovered cabinet papers show that British agencies, including MI6, had supported Islamic guerrillas and other dissident groups in an effort to destabilise Sukarno. The disorder fostered by the British led to General Suharto's takeover and dictatorship, and a wave of violence unseen since the Second World War. The massacre set the stage for almost 35 years of violent suppression, including the 1975 invasion of East Timor, which was only reversed last year.

The cabinet documents (which are separate from the revelations of Reddaway) were uncovered by David Easter, an historian at the London School of Economics. His research -- which is published this week in the journal Intelligence and National Security -- shows that the cabinet's defence and overseas policy committee asked the head of MI6, Dick White, to draw up plans for covert operations against Indonesia in January 1964. According to Dr Easter, these operations began in the spring of that year and included supplying arms to separatists in the Indonesian provinces of Aceh and Sulawesi.

These actions were complemented by a propaganda campaign run out of Britain's Far East HQ in Singapore by the IRD, which had close connections with MI6. The unit was behind stories that Sukarno and his tolerance of the Indonesian Communist Party (PKI) would lead to a communist dictatorship in Indonesia. Reddaway was a key part of this. His letter, written in July 1966, was released to Churchill College, Cambridge, which holds the private papers of Sir Andrew Gilchrist.

Last night, Lord Healey owned up to the Foreign Office misinformation campaign. Lord Healey said: "Norman Reddaway had an office in Singapore. They began to put out false information and I think that, to my horror on one occasion, they put forged documents on the bodies of Indonesian soldiers we had taken. I confronted Reddaway over this.

"The key thing here is that Indonesia was infiltrating its troops into Borneo and had organised a coup against the Sultan of Brunei with whom we had a treaty. So we reacted similarly. I think it has been long known that British Special Forces -- the SAS, SBS and Gurkhas -- were used to tackle the Indonesians. But everything was done on the ground. I would not let the RAF drop a single bomb although they were very anxious to get involved."

Lord Healey denied any personal knowledge of the wider MI6 campaign to arm opponents of Sukarno. But, he added: "I would certainly have supported it."

According to one of the country's leading commentators on security matters -- Richard Aldrich, a professor at Nottingham University -- the episode shows Britain's post-war operations at their most effective. "It represents one of the supreme achievements of the British clandestine services," he said. "In contrast with the American CIA, they remained politically accountable and low-key. Britain has a preference for bribing people rather than blowing them up."

Professor Aldrich added that modern journalistic deadlines had made today's media even more open to manipulation than it was 30 years ago.
 

Environment/health

Over 1 million babies born malnourished

Jakarta -- State Minister of Women's Empowerment Khofifah Indah Parawansa revealed on Monday that 30 percent of 3.5 million babies born in the last two years had serious malnutrition.

"Many of these babies were born weighing less than two kilograms because of their mothers' poor health," Khofifah said in a ceremony marking the first anniversary of PT Sara Lee's Zwitsal Love Indonesian Children Program here.

Malnutrition has been prevalent among newborns and infants in rural and urban areas following the economic crisis that hit the country in 1997. "Many babies were born underweight because their mothers, especially those from young families, suffered malnutrition," the minister said.

Their growth would be retarded, both physically and mentally, she said, adding that unless help came quickly, they would become "the lost generation". "These children will likely face a dark future and they will become a serious social problem for the nation," she said.

Khofifah, who also heads the National Family Planning Board (BKKBN), called for a nationwide campaign to address the problem of malnutrition and its impacts on women and children.

The family planning agency, she said, has a health care program for babies and mothers in its social safety net programs launched over the last two years, but these would be inadequate without public support, particularly from non-governmental organizations and consumer goods producers. "We should give attention to newborns because the nation's future lies in their hands," she said.

Spike Braunius, president of PT Sara Lee, said his company in cooperation with Kenari Foundation and Sayap Ibu Foundation in Yogyakarta raised Rp 403 million over the last year to help more than 1,400 babies and infants suffering malnutrition in provincial cities in Java.

"Under the health care program, 78 percent of the babies and infants have grown normally. The other 22 percent are still in the program," he said. The program consists of supplementary food distribution, regular health checkups and facility restoration projects for mothers and children, he said.

"We have helped build several kindergartens and health care centers for mothers and children in provincial cities," he said, adding that his company has also distributed DHA vitamins to health centers to help increase children's intelligence.
 

Arms/armed forces

Soldiers must choose between politics and military

Agence France-Presse in Jakarta -- Armed forces commander Admiral Widodo Adi Sudjipto reassured the nation yesterday that the military had no desire to return to politics, and would dismiss anyone who did.

"TNI [the armed forces] is currently showing a significantly different face, in the context of its having left the political scene," Admiral Widodo said after meeting of top brass in Jakarta. "It is the strong commitment of the entire rank and file of the TNI to no longer engage in practical politics or what was known as the TNI's socio-political function."

He said the neutrality of the armed forces during last year's elections -- the country's first free and fair polls in more than four decades -- should be read as a commitment to keep out of politics. "Besides that, TNI will no longer enter political polemics," he said.

The admiral stressed that members of the armed forces had to choose whether to take part in politics, and shed their links with the military, or to remain in the forces but out of politics.

"Whoever in the TNI decides to take an active part in politics, for example if an individual joins a [political] campaign as a speaker, he should first resign from his unit, and from the military," Admiral Widodo said.

"So a choice has to be taken," he said, adding that those who opted for politics in the post-Suharto era would have to seek early retirement. During the 32-year rule of former president Suharto, himself a retired general, the Indonesian armed forces, especially the army, played a pervasive and often decisive role in politics.

Under a law issued during Suharto's rule, the military was guaranteed a political role alongside its traditional role of defending the nation. The law meant military men took key postings in the government, judiciary and legislature as well as in social organisations and in business. The reform drive that dragged down Suharto in 1998 included demands for the military to quit politics and return to the barracks.

Earlier yesterday, the Antara news agency quoted army chief General Tyanso Sudarto as saying: "There is absolutely no intention to re-involve the TNI into the political scene." General Sudarto said that next March the TNI would reorganise itself to adjust to the demands of the times, but it would be up to the Government and the legislature to approve the changes. The two-day military leadership meeting was held to examine its new role in the post-Suharto reform era, press reports said.
 

Economy & investment

Split Cabinet blamed for slow recovery

Jakarta -- Political divisions are slowing economic reform in Indonesia, but this is unavoidable given the size of the nation's political transformation, State Enterprises Minister Laksamana Sukardi has said.

"What makes Indonesian progress and recovery so slow, compared to Thailand and South Korea, is that our leaders are not united," Mr Laksamana told a business forum.

"The chairman of Parliament goes in a different direction, the President a different direction, the parties make different comments. The Cabinet -- it looks like a coalition Cabinet but there is no such ... coalition in the Cabinet. You cannot have ministers in the Cabinet ... acting like a populist opposition attacking all of the government policies."

But Mr Laksamana said the confusion was part and parcel of efforts to rebuild civil society after the military-based rule of former president Suharto. The country was on the right track, even if it was a little "bumpy" for investors, he said.

"But this is one of the consequences ... it's only dreaming when Indonesia is converting to a democracy after 35 years of authoritarian rule," Mr Laskamana said. "This is a learning process, this is an expensive learning process." His comments echoed those of Defence Minister Juwono Sudarsono, who said the transition in Indonesia might take up to 15 years.

Mr Juwono has also made the point that increases in foreign aid to Indonesia should be "carefully calibrated" as the present political system might not be developed enough to use it properly.

IMF demands greater transparency at IBRA

Jakarta -- The International Monetary Fund (IMF) said on Wednesday that an independent body to oversee the Indonesian Bank Restructuring Agency (IBRA) must be established in a bid to ensure transparency and restore public trust in the agency. IMF Indonesia representative John Dodsworth said on Wednesday that public trust was crucial for IBRA to succeed in restructuring the ailing economy.

"[IBRA] is important as a symbol for improved governance and transparency. If there is no trust in IBRA, then the economic program as a whole is in jeopardy," Dodsworth told a seminar.

He explained that the government needed to balance two conflicting aims between an urgency in moving to sell assets and restructuring debts, but at the same time ensuring the integrity of the process.

"There need to be effective checks and balances on IBRA's operations to ensure that the taxpayer is the true beneficiary, that asset values are maximized and that the actions of IBRA are not perverted into serving narrow political or commercial interests," he said.

"A new oversight body is needed that combines political support with independence of decisions and technical competency," he added. Dodsworth said that the oversight role played by the International Review Committee (IRC), daily reporting to the Minister of Finance, obtaining clearance from the Financial Sector Policy Committee (FSPC) on large transactions and consultations with President Abdurrahman Wahid on policy issues were insufficient.

IBRA was created by the government in early 1998 to help restructure the country's ailing banking and corporate sector. The agency now controls over Rp 600 trillion worth of various banking assets surrendered by or taken from former bank owners and businessmen.

With the vast assets under its control, IBRA also plays an important role in stimulating foreign investment and financing the state budget. The agency is targeted to raise some Rp 18.9 trillion in cash in the 2000 budget year. But the large size of assets also opens the possibility for abuse and corruption.

IBRA was badly hit last year by the high profile Bank Bali scandal which allegedly involved several senior government officials. There have also been reports of alleged misconduct by IBRA officials in the restructuring of assets.

Dodsworth said that the government's privatization program was also an important source to help finance the state budget. He said that potential investors were looking for greater clarity in the government's privatization objectives. "What investors are looking for is management control [in state companies]," he said.

He said that although in some sectors the government might be able to raise privatization proceeds without releasing majority control in state enterprises, in others it clearly was not capable of doing so.

He said that another objective of the privatization program was to promote increased efficiency, partly with changes in management. The IMF is sponsoring the country's economic reform programs.

Dodsworth said that the IMF's managing director Stanley Fischer was expected to come to Indonesia soon, followed by a team of experts to review the country's progress with the reform measures. The IMF is expected to disburse a US$400 million bailout tranche in May, depending on whether it approves the reform progress.

Separately, Coordinating Minister for the Economy, Finance and Industry Kwik Kian Gie said after a Cabinet meeting on Wednesday that Indonesia was considering changing the $400 million IMF payout to a standby loan.

He said that the change would allow the government to draw on the loan only when needed. He said the standby loan would provide security for the country's foreign exchange reserves. Kwik expressed optimism that the IMF would disburse the cash in the middle of next month because the government had completed almost all of the reform programs agreed with the IMF in January.

The IMF was supposed to disburse the loan earlier this month, but delayed it because the government failed to meet the end of March deadline to complete the various economic reform measures.

S and P downgrades foreign currency issuer rating

Jakarta -- Standard and Poor's said Tuesday it had downgraded Indonesia's long-term foreign currency issuer credit rating to "selective default" from CCC+ in the wake of last week's debt rescheduling by Paris Club donor countries. The global ratings agency in a statement issued in London and received here said it had also downgraded the country's short-term foreign currency issuer credit rating to "selective default" from C.

"The downgrades reflect the fact that Indonesia is now effectively in default on 850 million dollars of foreign currency commercial bank loans," it said in the statement.

The ratings on the 850 million dollars of loans were lowered to "default" from CCC+ and its senior unsecured debt ratings on 1.43 billion dollars of other foreign currency loans and bonds were affirmed at CCC+.

The agency also affirmed Indonesia's long-term and short-term local currency issuer credit and senior unsecured debt ratings at B- and C respectively, affecting local currency bank- recapitalisation bonds, with a face value of 320 billion rupiah (42 billion dollars).

"All ratings have been removed from CreditWatch with negative implications, where they were placed on September 13, and the outlook on the long-term local currency issuer credit rating is stable," the statement said.

The rescheduling had strenthened Indonesia's external financing and effectively cut out the risk of annual reschedulings, S and P added. "The loans, partially amortising before end-March 2002, will be restructured on terms that are disadvantageous to creditors, reflecting Indonesia's commitment to seek similar magnitudes of debt relief from private lenders as that secured from the Paris Club of 19 bilateral creditor governments on Friday," the agency said.

"The Paris Club, by agreeing to a generous rescheduling of about 5.8 billion dollars of principal on bilateral debt coming due between April 1, 2000, and March 31, 2002, has strengthened Indonesia's external finances and eliminated the "hitherto significant" risk that sovereign debt restructurings would recur annually.

The statement said that it was significant that neither Indonesia's 26 million dollar floating-rate note (FRN) nor its benchmark 400 million dollar Yankee bond have been pushed into default.

Parties out to exploit state firms: Sources

Jakarta -- State companies remain highly vulnerable to exploitation as cash cows for political groups like they were under previous political administrations, informed sources said on Monday.

Officials at the Office of the State Minister of Investment and State Companies Development Laksamana Sukardi disclosed that many vested-interest political groups aggressively lobbied to have their choice of representative appointed to boards of directors of state companies.

The sources, who requested anonymity, said Laksamana was increasingly frustrated because his drive to clean up state companies from corruption was often undermined by politically well-connected officials in his own office.

They added that some top officials at Laksamana's office were found to have misused the minister's name for payment or other forms of personal favors from state companies' management.

Laksamana's predecessor, Tanri Abeng, who is now a suspect in a corruption case related to the Bank Bali scandal, also expressed concern over what he called the use of state companies as a political instrument.

"I heard several state companies' directors complain of uncertainty about their real function due to strong intervention from outside to make the public companies a political instrument for certain groups," Tanri said in Bandung over the weekend. He added the practice must be stopped or state companies would become uncompetitive and eventually be edged out of the market.

Several members of the House of Representatives also have expressed concern that many state companies were managed by corrupt officials appointed during Soeharto's administration. "It is deplorable that not all senior officials at Minister Laksamana's office fully support the cleanup campaign at state companies," Didi Supriyadi of the House finance and budget commission said.

Didi said what has been dubbed the fit-and-proper test conducted to screen professional managers with high integrity for state companies' boards of directors appeared to have been manipulated by some political groups to ensure their choices were picked.

Another House member, Usman Ermulan, recommended that independent assessments be assured through the selection of personnel for state companies' boards of directors under clear-cut guidelines by an interministerial team.

16 mining companies delay exploration activities

Jakarta -- At least 16 foreign mining companies have delayed their activities due to uncertainty in security or financial problems, a senior government official said on Monday.

Simon Sembiring, the director of mining development at the Ministry of Mines and Energy said the 16 companies, which obtained their contracts of work (COWs) between 1996 and 1998 to explore and produce mineral resources other than coal, were mostly in the exploration stage.

Some companies, which are mostly from Canada and Australia, temporarily stopped their exploration due to security reasons while others quit mining operations due to financial difficulties suffered by their parent companies. "With Indonesia's current uncertain social and economic situation, it's understandable if people hesitate to invest here," Simon said, declining, however, to name the mining companies.

He said Indonesia's newly founded democracy had resulted in outbursts of regional discontent over mining and timber operations, which have so far only benefited the central government. The dissatisfaction has often led to conflicts between the local community and mining companies, he said.

Unlike others, gold mining operator PT Kuta Raja, which operates a mine site in Aceh, delayed exploration activities due purely to security reasons in the troubled province where armed conflicts between military and proindependent movements continued unabatedly, he said.

He said the delay in the 16 companies' projects would result in a sharp decline in investment spending in the country's mining sector because each company generally spends about US$5 million to $10 million a year on exploration activities. "There is no particular loss for Indonesia," Simon said, but he added that the delay directly affected local workers who were forced to leave their jobs.

He said some companies also quit their projects because most of their concession overlapped with protected forests. "Why bother exploring if the land is prohibited for mining?" Simon said.

Director General of General Mining Surna Tjahja Djajadiningrat said 19 companies and village cooperatives were found to have conducted illegal coal mining activities in South Kalimantan. Surna said the illegal miners operated in some 238 locations of areas totaling about 1,000 hectares.

He said the government had yet to calculate losses in taxable or nontaxable revenue and environmental destruction caused by the illegal miners. Illegal miners have reportedly encroached upon the concessions of giant coal mining companies PT Adaro Indonesia and PT Arutmin.

The findings were based on the Ministry of Mines and Energy's two-week investigation into identifying illegal mining in South Kalimantan. "This is what we can do: now that we know who they are, the next step will be prosecution," Surna said in a news conference.

He said illegal mining violated Law No. 11/1967 on mining and Law No. 23/1997 on environment. Under Law No. 11 and Law No. 23, miners could face imprisonment of up to six years and ten years respectively if convicted. While the maximum fine for illegal mining in Law No. 11/1967 is Rp 600,000 (about $78), charges of environmental destruction could cost up to Rp 500 million.

Surna said the ministry had revoked some of the companies and cooperatives' mining licenses on charges of improper use of their permits. He said cooperatives were often used by illegal mining companies to obtain mining licenses, because of the former's easier requirements.

Surna could not guarantee that once the licenses were revoked that miners would stop operating, saying that was a matter for law enforcement. He urged mining companies to cooperate with traditional miners to prevent them from turning illegal.

He said mining companies could provide locals with land to mine, from who companies could buy their coal. "It's basically like paying the locals to become the companies' coal workers," Surna said.