Indonesia: Continuing Series of EmergencyNet News "HotSpot" Reports 
-- 02 June 2000 to 31 May 2001

31 May 2001

INDONESIA:

TODAY'S CENTRAL FOCUS

Security Forces Brace For More Violence In Indonesia

After the Indonesian parliament voted to begin impeachment proceedings against President Abdurrahman Wahid, security forces in Jakarta and elsewhere were bracing for more violence from angry supporters of the embattled president. About 2,000 supporters of Wahid had gathered at Jakarta's central Monas square by late Thursday morning and more were expected ahead of a planned demonstration against parliament, where 5,000 joined a violent protest on Wednesday. Security forces were on high alert in Wahid's East Java stronghold which has already seen three days of violence.

The move came amid fears that Wahid will try to dissolve parliament and impose emergency rule after legislators voted overwhelmingly to begin impeachment on Wednesday following allegations of corruption and incompetence. Wahid denies the allegations. Leaders of the different political factions in Indonesia are meeting on Thursday to decide how quickly they should hold a meeting of the People's Consultative Assembly, the country's top policy-making body, which will determine the fate of Wahid.

Political analysts in Jakarta say it is not clear when the next stage in the political drama will take place, but with so much of the political establishment arranged against him, Wahid has few options left. A close ally of the president, says Wahid has ruled out declaring a state of emergency. Foreign Minister Alwi Shahib said the president still hoped that a compromise could be reached to end the country's political crisis...

U.S. Embassy Issues Warden Message

On 29 May, U.S. Embassy Jakarta issued the following Warden Message in regards to the current political crisis in Indonesia: 

"The Embassy advises American citizens in Indonesia to be aware of possible demonstrations in Jakarta due to the developing political situation. The police have mobilized additional forces in response to the possible arrival of groups from outside the city. Likely sites for any gatherings are Senayan, Monas, Semanggi and the Hotel Indonesia roundabout. In addition, Americans should avoid all nonessential travel to East Java, as violent demonstrations, targeting various political and religious buildings, have already occurred. Events over the next few days may trigger an escalation of the violence in that region. The Embassy has no information to suggest that American citizens or property will be the target of these demonstrations. However, we urge all Americans to avoid large gatherings and remain alert in regard to their personal security."

30 May 2001

INDONESIA:

TODAY'S CENTRAL FOCUS

Indonesian Parliament Reportedly Stormed By Wahid Supporters

As opposition legislators voted to impeach Indonesian President Abdurrahman Wahid, hundreds of angry supporters of the embattled president stormed the gates of the parliament compound in Jakarta on Wednesday. Riot police and troops armed with automatic weapons are now blocking their progress towards the building itself. The protesters did reportedly break down the gates and pushed inside the compound.

In East Java, Wahid's home province, security forces shot and killed one of his supporters and wounded five others in a third day of violence. The situation in Jakarta later calmed down somewhat, as the protesters stopped moving towards the parliament building. Thousands of Wahid's supporters marched through central Jakarta as the country's two main parties called for him to face an impeachment hearing.

In a letter read out at the parliament session, Wahid strongly denied the allegations of corruption and incompetence made against him. Just a few hundred yards from the parliament building Wahid on Wednesday opened a poorly attended summit of developing nations - the G-15 gathering. It is estimated that up to 10,000 of Wahid's supporters are now in Jakarta to stage demonstrations and are threatening a bloodbath.

Elsewhere in East Java, there were also large pro-Wahid demonstrations in Situbondo, east of Pasuruan. Buildings belonging to opposition organizations were attacked and even churches set on fire. Wahid has threatened to declare a state of emergency so he can dissolve parliament. But senior government ministers, as well as the security forces, have so far refused to support such a move. ERRI analysts are concerned that the crisis may further disintegrate...

29 May 2001

INDONESIA:

Supporters Of Wahid Riot In East Java

Attacking a local parliament building, churches and a Chinese temple, thousands of supporters of President Abdurrahman Wahid rioted in two East Java cities on Tuesday. Police reportedly fired warning shots when a mob tried to break into the provincial parliament in Surabaya, the capital of Wahid's home province and stronghold. Several policemen were injured by rocks thrown by the protesters.

In another East Java city, Pasuruan, thousands of Wahid's supporters set fire to a Protestant church and tried to attack the district police station. An estimated 10,000 protesters were said to be roaming the city and police arrested 126 people after the attacks. A mob also pelted another church and a Chinese temple with stones and burned tires in the streets. On Monday, thousands of Wahid backers ransacked the Pasuruan office of the Indonesian Democratic Party for Struggle (PDIP), which is at the forefront of efforts to impeach Wahid.

28 May 2001

INDONESIA:

Action Demanded By Indonesian President

As tension mounts ahead of a parliamentary vote on his impeachment later this week, Indonesian President Abdurrahman Wahid issued a decree ordering the security forces to enforce law and order. His order stopped short of declaring a state of emergency or martial law, which military chiefs are resisting. The presidential decree said: "I have ordered the security minister to take actions and special steps to coordinate the functions of all the security forces to overcome the crisis, to enforce law and order and security as soon as possible."

Wahid, who is facing possible impeachment in parliament on Wednesday over charges of corruption and incompetence, warned that attempts to oust him could trigger massive rioting and bloodshed and ultimately the disintegration of Indonesia. He said the provinces of East Java, Irian Jaya and Aceh would all declare independence if he was forced out of office. But, political analysts say the parliament is almost certain to go ahead with the impeachment proceedings.

It is not immediately clear what effect the decree will have. Wahid's defense minister said the move would not lead to mass arrests. And his top security minister, Bambang Susilo Yudhoyono. said he would "study" the decree.

In Wahid's stronghold in East Java, police fired warning shots to break up protests by his supporters. Thousands of Wahid supporters took to the streets of towns around the regional capital, Surabaya, to protest against the impeachment proceedings. Hundreds tried to force their way into the regional parliament building, burning tires on the street in front. 

Earlier, the East Java protesters threw stones at a party office of Wahid's deputy and chief rival, Megawati Sukarnoputri, then rampaged through the streets, setting fire to more piles of car tires. Thousands of Wahid's supporters have reportedly formed suicide squads, allegedly trained in martial arts in secretive camps in East Java, to defend the ailing Muslim cleric...

27 May 2001

INDONESIA:

President Threatens To Dissolve Parliament

If parliament initiates impeachment proceedings against him later this week, President Abdurrahman Wahid warned that he would impose martial law and dissolve parliament. The announcement dramatically raised the stakes in Indonesia's political crisis on Sunday. An army spokesman said the military would not act against the legislature if ordered by the increasingly isolated head of state. A presidential spokesman said: "The president will declare a state of emergency if parliament sticks to its plan to convene a special session of the People's Consultative Assembly and if the life of the nation is threatened." Wahid's message, which came after a number of meetings at Jakarta's state palace, was the strongest warning yet that he is willing to take unilateral action to stay in office.

At Least 19 Killed In Aceh Province

Officials said that at least 19 people, including a policeman, were killed in the latest violence between government and rebel forces in the separatist-plagued Indonesian province of Aceh. The policemen was fatally shot in a clash in the East Aceh sub-district of Birem Bayeun. An East Aceh spokesman for the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) said his men had on Saturday ambushed soldiers and police conducting raids in three subdistricts -- Birem Bayeun, Simpang Ulim and Idi Rayeuk.

The rebels alleged that two civilians were shot and killed by policemen conducting a sweep operation in the village of Lokop Sabon in the Central Aceh subdistrict of Buket on Saturday. Police said rebels fatally shot a farmer and severely wounded another when they were passing through the village of Tebes Luas in the Central Aceh sub-district of Silih Nara on Friday on their motorcycle. Separatist gunmen also shot and wounded two men driving a truck in Birem Bayem late on Friday evening.

Soldiers raiding a suspected GAM base in Cot Keueng in the Aceh Besar district on Saturday shot and killed five rebels. In the district of Pidie, another rebel was shot and killed while two soldiers were wounded in an ambush on a security convoy on Saturday. In North Aceh, troops fatally shot two suspected rebels late on Friday evening during a sweep in Banda Sakti subdistrict.

06 May 2001

INDONESIA:

Fresh Aceh Violence Leaves At Least Five Dead

Police said on Sunday that fresh violence involving government forces and separatist rebels of the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) has left at least five people dead. Gunmen riding a motorcycle shot and killed a policeman in the downtown area of Lokhseumawa in North Aceh after dark on Saturday. The attackers also took the victim's firearm before escaping.

In the neighboring district of Pidie, a civilian suffering from mental problems was fatally shot by soldiers during a sweep in the area on Saturday. He was killed as he fled from troops. In West Aceh, a man arrested by police on suspicion of involvement in the GAM was found dead in Krueng Sabe on Saturday.  

BANDUNG:  Police said that at least 18 people were killed when a bus veered off a busy highway and fell into a ravine on Sunday. The accident occurred near the city of Bandung, about 80 miles southeast of Jakarta on the island of Java. Seventeen people were hospitalized, and authorities feared the death toll could rise. At least 69 were on board when the bus crashed. Witnesses told police the bus swerved off the road when it tried to avoid a motorcycle.

02 May 2001

INDONESIA:

Four Wounded In Riot In Irian Jaya

A report said on Wednesday that Indonesian security forces shot and wounded four men and arrested seven others in riots over the flying of a separatist flag in a town in the easternmost province of Irian Jaya. A hospital official said four men were brought to the hospital, one in critical condition with a gunshot wound to the chest. The state-run Antara news agency said that clashes with police broke out after a mob burned the car of a local official and damaged another. The mob turned violent when police came to the scene following the attack on the cars and police fired on the rioters to disperse them. Seven people, believed to be the instigators of the violence, were arrested.

INSTANT 13:40CDT - 30 Apr 2001

Wahid Censure Issued; Fate Unknown

INDONESIA: As expected mass demonstrations by his supporters fizzled amid foul weather today, Indonesia's Parliament met to discuss the possibility of issuing a second censure against President Abdurrahman Wahid. Numerous political opposition parties voiced their support for a second censure of the president, which would later open the president to the possibility of being impeached. On Sunday, the Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), a 40 million strong Islamic organization, held a large rally in Senayan stadium in Jakarta, where an estimated 30,000 people showed their support for the president, although the turnout was much lower than expected. Although no violence was reported, police said that two bottles filled with unknown chemicals exploded in the stadium's parking lot.

28 Apr 2001

INDONESIA:

Jakarta Said Braced For Violence

President Abdurrahman Wahid has made an appeal for calm as fears grow of outbreaks of violence in the Indonesian capital, Jakarta. Thousands of Wahid's supporters have begun arriving in Jakarta for a rally on Sunday to voice their opposition to moves by parliament to impeach him. On Monday, parliament is expected to pass a second censure motion against Wahid, who is alleged to have been involved in two financial scandals.

Wahid supporters - some of whom have allegedly been undergoing military-style training where his support is strongest, in East Java- were arriving in Jakarta. Analysts say many of the supporters are fanatical, believing they have mystical powers that make them invincible as they prepare for a jihad against Wahid's opponents. Indonesian authorities say they are prepared to deploy up to 40,000 soldiers and police to quell any violence from up to 400,000 supporters. Police have already begun searching people entering Jakarta for weapons.

27 Apr 2001

INDONESIA:

Embassies Seek Protection In Jakarta

As Jakarta braces for possible violence during next week's expected parliamentary censure of President Abdurrahman Wahid, foreign embassies in the Indonesian capital have asked for extra police protection. A police spokesman said that extra personnel have been deployed to protect all embassies and also offices of international organizations such as the United Nations. Police have said they were ready to shoot rioters when MPs meet on Monday for a hearing that is almost certain to deliver a second censure against the country's first democratically elected leader over two financial scandals.

Indonesian media quoted one MP who had met Wahid on Thursday as saying the president would view the second censure as a warning. If censured, Wahid will have 30 days to reply. Should legislators consider his response unsatisfactory, parliament can request impeachment proceedings in the top legislature.

The official Antara news agency reported that the embassies of the United States, Japan, Britain, Canada and the Netherlands were among those that had requested special protection. The first big test will come on Sunday, when possibly hundreds of thousands of Wahid supporters plan a prayer rally in a central Jakarta stadium in what many see as an attempt to intimidate Wahid's opponents. But analysts said if the rally turned violent it could well further undermine Wahid, who is already widely blamed for failing to drag the country out the social and economic crisis he inherited when he took office in 1999.

26 Apr 2001

INDONESIA:

Police Officials Warns Troublemakers Of Shoot-On-Sight Orders

As thousands of supporters of embattled President Abdurrhaman Wahid started pouring into the capital Jakarta, Indonesia's police chief General Suroyo Bimantoro on Thursday warned that police would shoot troublemakers on sight. Bimantoro, speaking before attending a cabinet meeting at the presidential office, said procedures had been laid down on when policemen could open fire. It was reported on Wednesday that government troops had been issued rubber bullets and blanks.

Bimantoro's statement came a day after the Jakarta military commander, Major General Bibit Waluyo, said his troops would not hesitate in taking "stern measures," including shooting on sight, during mass rallies expected on Sunday and Monday. Waluyo said: "I stress that if shots should be fired, they should not hesitate to immobilize anarchic masses and soldiers should not fear violating human rights because human rights are not something to be feared."

Tens of thousands of members and supporters of the Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) the country's largest Muslim organization, which was headed by Wahid for 15 years before he was elected president of Indonesia in 1999, have started pouring into the capital by road and rail.

They are slated to hold a mass prayer on Sunday, on the eve of a plenary meeting of the lower house of parliament (DPR) that may issue a second censure motion against Wahid that could lead to the launching of impeachment proceedings. Deputy Jakarta Police Chief Brigadier General Makbul Padmadnegara warned that his personnel at the parliament complex would not hesitate to shoot any demonstrator attempting to break into the venue. Bimantoro said that under the Geneva Convention, police were empowered to engage in measured violence.

25 Apr 2001

INDONESIA:

Troops Deployed In Jakarta

Ahead of next week's parliament session to decide whether to censure President Abdurrahman Wahid for a second time, government security forces on Wednesday deployed armored cars and stepped up security preparations. A military officer said on Wednesday that as many as 30 armored cars would be deployed to evacuate MPs should Monday's parliamentary session turn violent as Wahid's supporters have threatened. Tens of thousands of loyalists from Wahid's East Java homeland have joined a group called the Front for the Defenders of Truth, pledging to defend Wahid "to the death" against any efforts to impeach him.

Hundreds of people have reportedly been undergoing martial arts and guerrilla-style training in the jungles of East Java. The 30 April session appears almost certain to issue a second censure against the 60-year-old Wahid and pave the way for impeachment proceedings by August. Wahid has warned he may not be able to control his grassroot supporters if another censure memorandum is issued.

At the parliament complex on Wednesday, hundreds of elite police mobile brigade (Brimob) troops were seen setting up tents across the huge compound. Police, who have 42,000 men on stand by in case of violence in Jakarta on and before 30 April, were seen on Tuesday erecting "hospitality tents" for the anticipated flood of pro-Wahid crowds. On Monday, more than 8,000 police were deployed to check for weapons at major road entry points to the capital ahead of the momentous parliamentary session.

18 Apr 2001

INDONESIA:

Concerns For Violence

Supporters of President Abdurrahman Wahid said on Tuesday that about 30,000 members of the Front for the Defenders of Truth (FKP), a new group that has vowed to fight to keep Wahid in power, are in the capital Jakarta ahead of 30 April, when the Indonesian Parliament is likely to censure the president a second time, clearing the way for his impeachment. Wahid supporters have said that they plan to gather outside the Parliament building on 30 April to demonstrate against the legislature's attempts to impeach the president.

The presence of the activists in Jakarta has created a concern of violence. The FKP has set up combat training grounds in East Java, where it is said to be training an estimated 50,000 people in martial arts techniques. Although the group has said that it does not wish to engage in violence unless provoked, most of the members are passionate supporters of the president, making violence possible should members of Parliament continue to move toward impeachment...

15 Apr 2001

INDONESIA:

At Least Six Killed In Violence In Aceh Province

Police said that renewed violence in Aceh province over the weekend has left at least six people dead. A policeman was killed and three others were wounded afer a truck carrying them was ambushed by separatist rebels on Saturday. The truck overturned after it passed over a landmine and was hit by a grenade. The driver of the police truck was killed. The local spokesman of the separatist Free Aceh Movement (GAM) said his group carried out the attack.

A soldier was fatally shot by two men in the North Aceh subdistrict of Dewantara on Friday. Soldiers also shot and killed a 13-year-old student in East Aceh on Saturday. Another civilian was wounded in a shooting and was being treated at the general hospital in Langsa, the main town in East Aceh.

A retired soldier was found dead in Nurussalam, also in East Aceh late on Friday. Police blamed the killing on the GAM. In West Aceh, the body of a man with three gunshot wounds and his hands and feet bound, was found on Saturday. Jakarta on Thursday said President Abdurrahman Wahid had issued a decree ordering security forces to restore order in Aceh. The decree would allow troop reinforcements to be sent to the region.

12 Apr 2001

INDONESIA:  

Indonesia Orders Crackdown In Aceh Province

Tough new military action against separatist rebels in the northern Indonesian province of Aceh. The government order to the police and military to restore law and order in the province was given in a decree signed by President, Abdurrahman Wahid. The decree deliberately avoids using the words military operation. But it is well known that for months, army generals have been putting pressure on the government to sanction a crackdown on the separatist movement. The announcement was made despite an appeal to the president earlier this week by a delegation of Acehenese leaders to scrap the plans for a military crackdown.

The government is officially describing the latest move as an effort to bring about a comprehensive solution to the Acehenese problem. The rebels recently have been gaining strength, especially as it became increasingly clear that direct peace talks were making little progress. In March, the government officially outlawed the rebel Free Aceh Movement to give legal cover for the planned military operation. 

There is an urgent need to quell the violence in Aceh, which has already claimed hundreds of lives this year. It also led to the closure last month of huge gas-fields in the province operated by the US multinational company Exxon-Mobil.

A similar crackdown in the 1990s led to thousands of people being killed. The army was accused of massive human rights violations. With 30,000 troops already in the province, there are fears the bloodshed will now increase rather than peace being restored.

10 Apr 2001

INDONESIA:

Mass Evacuation Continues From Borneo

In the latest outbreak of ethnic violence in Borneo, at least 12 people have reportedly been killed. Local sources say the clashes in the town of Pangkalan Bun between the indigenous Dayak people and migrants from the island of Madura have claimed as many as 30 lives. The mass evacuation of the Madurese migrants is continuing. It appears there has now been an agreement between Madurese leaders and the local government in Pangkalan Bun to evacuate the entire population of Madurese migrants from the area. All the refugees are being taken to the central island of Java.

07 Apr 2001

  INDONESIA:

Borneo Clash Leaves Nine Dead

National Police Chief Surojo Bimantoro said on Saturday that three policemen and six civilians were killed in a clash during a police raid for weapons in Indonesian Borneo. The fighting erupted after police tried to confiscate weapons from locals who were on alert one month after nearly 500 people were killed in savage ethnic clashes between indigenous Dayaks and migrants from the island of Madura.

Bimantoro said the three policemen had been stabbed to death and that locals had fired homemade guns at them. He did not say how the six locals had been killed or if they were ethnic Dayaks. Sixteen people were arrested in the incident.

The Jakarta Post daily reported on Saturday that at least two people lost their lives after fresh communal fighting in a remote district in the troubled province of Central Sulawesi. In another part of the province, 300 armed attackers stormed a police post and two people were reportedly fatally shot.

27 Mar 2001

INDONESIA:

Police On Alert For Wahid Address

As more than 1,000 of his supporters staged a show of force in the streets of Jakarta, police were put on alert on Tuesday a day ahead of embattled President Abdurrahman Wahid's reply to a parliament censure. About 9,000 police personnel will be deployed to safeguard the capital on Wednesday, when Wahid is to respond to the censure motion issued against him in February over his alleged involvement in two financial scandals.

The police will be reinforced by more than 200 soldiers. The deployment came as 1,500 supporters of Wahid, from cities across Java, rallied outside the presidential palace for two hours before marching toward the parliament. Senior police officials said security forces were taking no chances. Plainclothes officers will be deployed at entry points to the capital, including major highways and bus and train stations, to prevent groups of supporters entering Jakarta.

22 Mar 2001

INDONESIA: 

Report Of Gunfire At Exxon Mobil Field In Aceh

A report said on Thursday that government troops and separatist rebels exchanged gunfire at an Exxon Mobil gas field in Aceh. The incident tool place a day before the area was designated part of a violence-free zone. The gunfire erupted at around 0900 hours local time (0200 GMT) on Wednesday at Point A, a location in the Exxon Mobil field in the North Aceh sub-district of Tanah Luas, and lasted for several hours. There were no reports of casualties.

A local newspaper said that the first exchange of gunfire lasted for 30 minutes. It was soon followed by a second exchange which went on for more than two hours. The paper said the clashes began when a convoy of troops from the elite Brimob police unit were ambushed and shot at in Sumbok Rayeuk.

21 Mar 2001

INDONESIA:

Senior Minister Says Nation's Stability At Risk

A senior government minister warned on Wednesday that the stability and integrity of the country are in danger. The comments by the senior security minister, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, follow more than a week of sometimes violent demonstrations by supporters and opponents of President Abdurrahman Wahid. Yudhoyono urged the president and his parliamentary opponents to act to prevent a slide towards anarchy. International observers say the sheer size of the demonstrations suggest that the feuding political leaders may have neither the means nor the intention of controlling their supporters. The minister also said the government was doing its best to control separatist conflicts in the provinces of Aceh and Irian Jaya and prevent the break-up of the country...

20 Mar 2001

INDONESIA:

Minister's Copter Hit By Gunfire In Aceh

Less than a week before President Abdurrahman Wahid is due to visit Aceh province, gunfire hit two helicopters carrying the nation's mines and energy minister and other officials on Tuesday. A military official said there were no casualties in the attack. Shots hit a helicopter ferrying minister Purnomo Yusgiantoro to the closed gas fields run by Exxon Mobil on the tip of Sumatra island. Another helicopter with journalists on board was also hit by gunfire.

Exxon Mobil Says It Needs Better Security Before ResumingOperations In Aceh

The oil giant Exxon Mobil said on Tuesday it was still awaiting improved security measures before resuming gas production in violence-torn Aceh province. An Exxon Mobil spokesperson said: "We would like to resume operations as soon as possible but the decision depends on government security protection in the field. We have not yet made a decision to resume operations. Our main concern is the safety of our workers and the adjoining community." Exxon Mobil halted its operations at three oil and gas fields in North Aceh on 9 March after threats from the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) separatist rebels.

14 Mar 2001

INDONESIA:

Police Quell Jakarta Prison Riot

After about 2,000 prisoners went on a rampage, about 150 armed policemen stormed a prison in Indonesia's capital Jakarta on Wednesday. One inmate was killed and three others were injured after police using tear gas entered the huge, high security Cipinang jail to restore order.

Firefighters were called in after the rioters started blazes in the kitchen and several other administrative buildings inside the penitentiary. A prison warden said the trouble started after some of the inmates complained about a group of prisoners being moved to another jail in an effort to reduce overcrowding. He said there were currently 2,300 prisoners at the jail, which has a capacity for 1,800 people. The angry inmates injured a guard they had taken hostage - he was later released.

Rival Students Fight In Jakarta In Protests Over Wahid

As the administration faced new accusations of financial impropriety, supporters and opponents of Indonesia's embattled head of state pelted each other with rocks and bottles on Wednesday in a third day of protests. About 1,200 students opposed to President Abdurrahman Wahid marched past a down-town campus loyal to him and demanded he resign. At least three Wahid supporters were badly beaten in the subsequent clashes. Meanwhile, about 1,000 supporters rallied outside the presidential palace.

Government To Launch Limited Security Ops Against Aceh Rebels

Indonesian Defense Minister Muhammad Mahfud said on Tuesday that the government is planning to launch "limited security operations" against separatist rebels in the troubled province of Aceh. Mahfud's statement came after he met with President Abdurrahman Wahid at the Merdeka Palace, and a day after the cabinet officially slapped the "separatist" tag on the Aceh Merdeka Movement (GAM) which has been fighting for a free Islamic state there since the mid 1970s.

Mahfud said: "The government has already ruled that GAM is a separatist movement and in legal terms it is of a subversive nature." He added that concrete steps to face the separatists in Aceh were being formulated. He said: "Security operations will immediately be conducted there..."

11 Mar 2001

INDONESIA: 

Security Minister Warns Nation "On Brink Of Collapse;" Violence Continues

Indonesia's chief security minister warned the country was on the brink of collapse as thousands of pro- and anti-government protesters flooded the streets of Jakarta. But embattled President Abdurrahman refused to resign, saying if he did the giant archipelago would fall apart.

Meanwhile, violence involving government forces and separatist guerillas in Indonesia's troubled Aceh province left two people dead and at least six others injured. In Pidie district, unknown attackers shot and killed a man and his wife near the main town of Sigli on Sunday. In East Aceh, unidentified armed men set fire to five houses in Ranto Pereulak on Saturday. Five villagers were also tortured by 20 armed attackers and one of them was shot and wounded in the abdomen.

Sunday also saw several attacks on police and military facilities in several Aceh districts. A hand grenade was thrown into the sub-district military headquarters in Peusangan, Bireuen district, wounding five soldiers. Also in Bireun, armed men attacked the Jeumpa sub-district police post twice on Sunday but there were no reported casualties. In Tanah Jambu Aye, North Aceh, separatist guerillas attacked the local police and military subdistrict posts. Exchanges of gunfire took place in both attacks but no one was injured.

Two men speeding on a motorcycle threw a hand grenade into a fuel depot of the state oil and gas company Pertamina in Lhokseumawe, the main town in North Aceh, but only five drums of diesel oil were damaged. In Blangpidie, South Aceh, a bomb was thrown by unidentified men at the back of the subdistrict police post early on Sunday but no one was injured.  

27 Feb 2001

INDONESIA:

Government Confirms Massacre Of An Additional 118 People

Even as security forces called in to quell ethnic violence instead turned their guns on each other, the Indonesian government confirmed on Tuesday that a mob of native Dayak fighters attacked and massacred at least 118 migrants traveling under police escort. Thousands of desperate refugees on Borneo Island are scrambling to board ships taking them to safety. The death toll after ten days of violence stood at 428 people, mostly Madurese migrants -- some beheaded and with their hearts cut out, in keeping with ancient Dayak traditions of warfare.

On Tuesday, a shootout broke out between police and soldiers charged with restoring peace to Borneo Island. An unknown number of people were injured in the clash at the Central Kalimantan river port town of Sampit, about 465 miles northeast of Jakarta. A national police spokesman said: "It was a misunderstanding between police and soldiers ... there were some shooting casualties but at this stage I can't confirm the number."

Earlier on Tuesday, mobs of Dayaks torched homes in the provincial capital, Palangkaraya, but residents said an uneasy peace had been restored by late afternoon. 

26 Feb 2001

INDONESIA:

Troops Finally Sent To Stop Borneo Slaughter

As migrants continue to flee murderous local gangs, the Indonesian government has pledged to halt ethnic violence on the island of Borneo within three days. At least 270 ethnic Madurese have been killed by groups of indigenous Dayak fighters since violence broke out eight days ago. Men, women and children have been butchered with machetes, spears and axes - some bodies have been decapitated and had the hearts cut out.

International observers say they saw troops and police sit watching as one settler's house was set on fire. Chief Security Minister, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, who is in Borneo, said the government was shocked by "the humanitarian tragedy" and was sending hundreds of extra troops into the area. But he warned that that the killings of migrants could continue in some outlying districts which were difficult for the security forces to reach.

Most settlers have already left the capital but observers say those who remain are clearly in extreme danger. Many of those who fled Palangkaraya and other settler communities are trying to escape through the river port of Sampit. Some 10,000 refugees have been shipped out on navy vessels and passenger ferries. That leaves about 15,000 in crowded transit camps, under military protection. The government has been flying in food and medical supplies, but the situation remains desperate with many survivors having gone without food for days.

25 Feb 2001

INDONESIA:

Indonesia's Borneo Violence Death Toll Up To 400

Up to 400 people have lost their lives in a week of ethnic bloodshed in a district of Borneo Island where gangs armed with machetes and spears still roam the streets. High-ranking Indonesian security officials have finally flown into the area to see the carnage for themselves. The visit marked the first serious response from the embattled government in Jakarta to violence between indigenous Dayaks and immigrants from Madura Island, off Java, that has created some 40,000 refugees.

Local officials said the confirmed death toll was 270, although the state Antara news agency said around 400 people had been killed. Scores of people have been wounded. Chief security minister Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono led the delegation that included military chief Admiral Widodo on a tour of the river town of Sampit, scene of most of the killings. He said the top priority was to save lives.

The grisly massacres -- some victims were beheaded and their heads paraded through Sampit -- underscore the mess Indonesia finds itself in more than three years after plunging into political and economic chaos. Antara reported that several buildings in the provincial capital Palangkaraya belonging to immigrants had been set on fire Sunday. It was unclear if there were any casualties. That follows the burning of three homes belonging to Madurese in Palangkaraya on Saturday night. The city is a four-hour drive to the east of Sampit.

One official in Sampit expressed shock at the reluctance of the 2,000 soldiers and police there to disarm marauding Dayaks, once fearsome headhunters, and whom witnesses say have carried out most of the massacres. Officials have said troops had not been ordered to disarm the gangs in Sampit, 465 miles northeast of Jakarta. Police have arrested about 80 people over the violence, including three men who allegedly started the violence.

24 Feb 2001

INDONESIA: 

Violence Death Toll In/Near Sampit At 210; Brutality Carried to New Heights

Six days of brutal ethnic violence on Borneo Island has killed at least 210 people and is causing thousands of terrified people to flee. Some 15,000 refugees were huddled in government buildings and police stations to avoid armed mobs as they waited to leave the town of Sampit, where indigenous Dayaks were fighting immigrants from the island of Madura near Java. As the refugees scrambled aboard a large navy transport, two dead bodies floated past the crowded pier, a stark reminder of the savage fighting that has seen beheadings and mutilations. 

Officials said three more ships were expected to arrive in the next 24 hours to ferry away refugees. Violence is said to be spreading in the Indonesian province of Kalimantan. Indigenous Dayak fighters have seized control of parts of the province from the security forces and have been killing members of migrant communities, often by beheading them.

The World Bank has warned that the worsening political instability in Indonesia could bring about the collapse of the country's fragile economy, as the government focuses on curbing social and political unrest rather than much-needed economic reform.

Some of the most bitter clashes have been on the road from the provincial capital to the town of Sampit. Dayaks - the native tribes of Borneo - have been burning houses belonging to migrants from the island of Madura. Observers have reported seeing Sampit completely controlled by Dayak fighters armed with traditional weapons such as long machetes and spears. Large numbers of police and military in and around Sampit have reportedly made little headway in attempts to quell the unrest. The security situation is said to be deteriorating....

INSTANT 08:00CST - 23 Feb 2001 

INDONESIA:

Death Toll Hits 143 On Borneo Island

Thousands of people were said to be fleeing brutal ethnic clashes on the Indonesian part of Borneo Island Friday as police said the violence -- which has so far claimed at least 143 lives -- was getting worse. A navy landing craft and two transport ships were speeding to the river port at Sampit to pick up refugees from the fighting between native Dayak people and immigrants from Madura Island. The ships, which were due to arrive Friday night, can accommodate 7,000 people.

INDONESIA: 22 Feb 2001

Borneo: Brutal Fighting Kills At Least 100

The death toll has reached at least 100 after five days of violence in the Indonesian province of Kalimantan, on the island of Borneo. Authorities are sending troops and riot police to try to contain the conflict, as well as ships to evacuate up to 10,000 people displaced by the fighting. Indonesia's national police chief said two local government officials have been arrested, accused of provoking the clashes.

International observers say the conflict have been especially brutal, with houses burned and people hacked to death with machetes. Other victims were reportedly beheaded, with rioters seen carrying and displaying the decapitated heads. An official in the central Kalimantan city of Sampit said the displaced people needed food and medical assistance.

Violence broke out on Sunday between the indigenous Dayak population and migrants from the islands of Java and Madura. Police chief General Suroyo Bimantoro said two local officials had allegedly paid several men to stir up the long-standing hostility between locals and migrants. The officials had reportedly lost their jobs due to new regional autonomy laws.

On Wednesday, just as security forces appeared to have gained control of the situation, fresh clashes broke out, leaving at least eight people dead. And more houses were burned on Thursday. Witnesses have said that mobs of Dayaks were on the streets of Sampit carrying machetes and daggers...

16 Feb 2001

INDONESIA: 

Separatist Aceh Rebel Leader Threatens "Chaos" Throughout The Country Unless He Gets His Way; Terrorist Attacks Expected

A report said on Friday that a rebel leader in Aceh province has threatened to mount attacks throughout Indonesia if Jakarta goes ahead with its plans to send 6,000 fresh troops to the region.

The threat by Abdullah Syafiie, military commander of the Free Aceh Movement (GAM), came as the Indonesian government and separatist representatives were talking peace in Switzerland. Syafiie told the Aceh-based Serambi daily newspaper: "If Indonesia sends additional forces, there's no other way for GAM than to fight to defend the nation and people of Aceh. If Aceh returns to a situation similar to the DOM era, GAM will create chaos all over Indonesia. With all our might we will destroy Jakarta." The DOM refers to a decade of harsh military operations to quash rebels in Aceh, which was halted in 1998. An estimated 5,000 people were killed during the period.

On Thursday police in Aceh said Indonesia would send some 6,000 additional soldiers into the troubled province to support a new campaign to restore security and order, but did not say when they were expected to arrive. There are currently 30,000 police and soldiers in Aceh.

10 Feb 2001

INDONESIA:

Separatist Rebels Ambush Soldiers In Aceh

Military sources said that separatist rebels on Friday shot and killed an Acehnese army soldier and wounded 13 others in a pre-dawn ambush on the village prayer house where they were resting in Indonesia's restive Aceh province. The attack on 30 army personnel in the village of Mukojurong, in Pidie district triggered a 15 minute shootout, in which the rebels used automatic weapons and rocket launchers.

One of the soldiers was killed and 13 others injured, seven of them seriously, before the rebels disengaged. The injured were flown to hospitals in Lhokseumawe and in the North Sumatra city of Medan. There were no reports of rebel casualties.

Earlier on Friday police said a policeman had been fatally shot and two people were seriously wounded in renewed violence in the province. A police sergeant was shot at point-blank range by unknown men outside his home in the Sungai Pauh Langsa area of East Aceh on Thursday. A police spokesman, however, said: "I'm sure the attackers were GAM (Free Aceh Movement) members..."

08 Feb 2001

INDONESIA:

Nineteen Wounded In Bus Explosion

Nineteen people were wounded, three seriously, when a bomb exploded on Tuesday aboard an inter-city bus traveling from Palu, capital of the province of Central Sulawesi, to Tentena. There has been no claim of responsibility for the bombing, and the motive is unknown at present.

Raid On North Jakarta Warehouse Nets 1,480 Bombs

The Jakarta Post newspaper reported on Wednesday that police questioned the owner and guard of a warehouse in which they seized around 1,480 bombs of various sizes in North Jakarta. Police said that the owner of the explosives -- all imported from China -- was still at large. The bombs were packed in 150 cardboard boxes and were ready to use.

07 Feb 2001

INDONESIA:

Rebels Kill Sub-District Military Chief, Policeman In Aceh

Police said on Wednesday that suspected separatist rebels fatally shot a sub-district military chief and a policeman in Indonesia's troubled Aceh province. The military chief of Idie Rayeuk sub-district in East Aceh, was gunned down on Tuesday by two unidentified men at a market. In the main North Aceh town of Lhokseumawe, a police sergeant was shot and killed by an unidentified man while he was sitting in a bus. The policeman was on his way to work. He was shot in the head when the bus slowed to pick up another passenger.

At least 120 people have been killed this year in the armed conflict between government forces and Free Aceh Movement (GAM) guerrillas, who have been fighting for a free Islamic state in the province since the mid-1970s. The killings have continued despite a one-month moratorium on violence in Aceh effective 15 January, agreed on between representatives of the government and the GAM in Switzerland earlier in the month. Last year's violence in the province claimed more than 1,000 lives.

30 Jan 2001

INDONESIA:

Minister Warns of Military Takeover

Indonesia's defense minister on Tuesday warned that the military could seize power if political leaders did not end their bickering and focus on running the country. The often outspoken Mahfud M.D. said there were no signs yet of a military takeover, but the armed forces would "step in to prevent anarchy and the break-up of the world's fourth-largest nation."

According to the Agence France-Presse, Mahfud told a news conference: "There are two things that could lead to TNI (military) taking over -- If the politicians fail to lead this country and, secondly, if there is chaos or anarchy which cannot be controlled, then the TNI can take action. They don't want to see this country break apart."

Wahid and parliament are reportedly locked in a confrontation over two corruption scandals linked to the president, whose grip on power may be increasingly shaky.

29 Jan 2001

INDONESIA:

Students And Police Clash In Jakarta

Police fired tear gas on Monday as thousands of protesting students tried to storm parliament, where legislators were considering an inquiry into corruption scandals linked to President Abdurrahman Wahid. It was the biggest demonstration in Jakarta in the 15 months since Wahid became the first democratically-elected leader of the giant archipelago which straddles some of the world's most strategic sea-lanes.

Analysts caution against too quick a comparison between Wahid and the fate of Philippine President Joseph Estrada, who fell from power this month in the wake of impeachment proceedings. They said for the moment, the politically-agile Wahid still has the support, albeit grudging, of key politicians and military officers who would be deeply reluctant to be seen pushing him from office. Wahid is expected to survive this latest parliamentary attack with no more than "a wrap over the knuckles." But many analysts said the repeated battering puts in doubt his chances of staying in power until his term ends in 2004 and many fear that the growing bitterness over the issue could trigger violent clashes between Wahid's opponents and supporters...

27 Jan 2001

INDONESIA:

Fighting In Aceh Leaves Four Dead

Police said on Saturday that at least four people were killed in new fighting in Indonesia's restive Aceh province. Two guerrillas were killed in separate shootouts on Friday. Rebel leaders said the victims were policemen. Villagers said police also shot and killed two civilians in northern Aceh, about 1,100 miles northwest of Jakarta. The latest deaths bring to at least 23 the number of people killed in the region since rebel representatives and government officials agreed to extend a peace agreement ten days ago.

Two Bomb Blasts Reported In Sulawesi

One person was killed and two others were wounded by a bomb that exploded in a crowded area in front of a government office in Baubau in Sulawesi on Friday. A local news report said that no one has claimed responsibility for the blast, but police suspect that it is related to recent incidents of communal violence in the area.

Meanwhile, another explosion was reported in Lipu in Sulawesi, but when two nearby policemen attempted to investigate the blast, a crowd of people attacked and killed them. No other information was available.

Irian Jayan Rebels Threaten To Execute Hostages

The Australian Associated Press reported that Irian Jayan rebels threatened on Friday to execute 18 hostages, including three South Koreans, unless Papua New Guinea exchanged them for 13 arrested guerillas. Mathias Wenda, commander of the Free Papua Movement, was arrested on Monday with 12 other rebels after being caught inside Papua New Guinea.

Wenda's group, also known as the OPM, has been fighting for independence from Jakarta for Irian Jaya province since Indonesia occupied the former Dutch colony in 1963. Irian Jaya shares a border with PNG...

22 Jan 2001

INDONESIA: 

Earthquake Aftermath...

Officials said on Monday that a series of rain-triggered landslides and an earthquake in Indonesia's North Sulawesi province killed at least 31 people. Authorities fear the death toll could rise on the remote islands in the Sangihe chain, about 1,350 miles northeast of Jakarta. At least five people were reported missing. At least three landslides hit remote villages on the islands late Saturday, burying 31 people. A magnitude-5.8 quake struck on Sunday followed by several aftershocks. Details of the current situation remain sketchy. Rescue teams have been dispatched to the islands.

Eight Killed In Riot-Torn Ambon

Eight Muslims were reported killed and 19 others were injured on Monday after an attack on an Indonesian military patrol in Ambon. Angered by recent killings of Muslim residents by members of a joint military battalion, Muslims armed with home-made weapons attacked a patrol unit in the Batumerah area on Monday. The soldiers shot back killing three of the attackers. Five other people -- including a woman -- were then killed during a raid by soldiers searching for the attackers in the same area later in the day.

On Friday, members of the battalion reportedly shot and killed two Muslims riding on a motorbike in the Mardika area after one of its members, a marine, was shot in the arm by unknown assailants. On Saturday, marines also killed a Muslim resident in Batumerah.

19 Jan 2001

INDONESIA:

Police Find Three Bombs

Raising fears that a new wave of bombings might sweep Jakarta, security guards found three unexploded bombs at a theme park built to symbolize Indonesia's unity on Friday. Jakarta's police bomb squad defused the explosive devices found in an  unattended car in a parking lot at the Taman Mini amusement park on the southern outskirts of the capital. 

Police later raided a house near the home of ex-dictator Suharto. Two women have been detained. One was said to had been caught "red-handed" near the car. Another was taken in for questioning after more than 20 officers raided the house one block from Suharto's residence in central Jakarta. Police said they were searching for several other suspects. All the bombs contained dynamite and one was fitted with a timer. 

17 Jan 2001

INDONESIA:

Police And Protesters Clash

In the biggest demonstration yet against President Abdurrahman Wahid, police on Wednesday fired warning shots and tear gas when about 3,000 protesters stormed the gates of Indonesia's Parliament. The protesters, many of them college students, demanded that Wahid quit over a series of financial and political scandals.

Hundreds of riot police carrying batons and shields pushed the demonstrators onto a road outside the legislature after the crowd tried to break through the main gates. No one was injured. The protest followed days of speculation that Jakarta would be hit by a new wave of demonstrations against the government. Thousands of police were placed on alert in the capital, which has also been wracked by a series of bombings. Police also reportedly arrested a man for attempting to smuggle homemade firearms into the parliament building during the demonstration.

07 Jan 2001

INDONESIA:

Bomb Explodes On Lombok Island

News reports said on Sunday that no injuries occurred when a bomb exploded on a violence-plagued resort island in Indonesia, damaging part of a house. Police were unsure if the explosion on Lombok on Saturday night was related to fighting between gangs that killed nine people on Wednesday. The state Antara news agency reported that the bomb exploded near the site of a meeting of community and religious leaders.

Police Guard Factories

Police said on Sunday they have deployed about 100 officers to guard the factories of a food maker whose use of a pork-based enzyme has outraged Muslim officials. Authorities fear the offices of the Japanese firm PT Ajinomoto may be targeted by angry Muslims after it was revealed that a flavor enhancer contained enzymes grown on pork fat, which Islamic law forbids Muslims from eating. About 90 percent of Indonesia's 203 million people are Muslim, and many follow Islamic dietary laws against pork.

06 Jan 2001

INDONESIA:

Eleven Killed In More Violence

Police said on Saturday that 11 people were killed when separatist violence flared in Indonesia's troubled Aceh province. Friday's deaths - nine civilians, one policeman and a separatist rebel - bring to 24 the number killed this year. Security forces said the policeman was shot and killed in a battle with a separatist gang in the south of Aceh, a province located on the northern tip of Sumatra island. 

The rebel was killed during a military raid on a rebel hide-out in southern Aceh. Six other rebels were captured and two other escaped. On Saturday, villagers found three bodies near the rebel hide-out. Elsewhere, two men were shot and killed by an assailant on a motorcycle in the town of Lhokseumawe. Four others lost their lives in separate attacks in the province's east.

Police have blamed the rebels for all the killings, but a volunteer for a local refugee organization, claimed that two of those killed in eastern Aceh were shot by soldiers in a busy marketplace. The separatist Free Aceh Movement took responsibility only for the policeman's death.

06 Jan 2001

PHILIPPINES:

Muslim Rebels Linked To Holiday Bombings

Police in the Philippines and Indonesia say that Muslim extremists suspected in holiday bombings in both countries may all have learned their deadly skills in Afghanistan. In the Philippines, the national police chief said Afghan-trained Muslim separatists were responsible for five New Year's holiday bombs that killed 22 people and injured more than 120 in metropolitan Manila.

In Indonesia, meanwhile, bombing suspect Dedi Mulyadi - being held for a string of deadly church bombings on Christmas Eve - told investigators that he and two accomplices learned bomb-making at an Afghan mujahedeen camp in the early 1990s. Eighteen people were killed and 84 badly injured in the blasts in nine Indonesian cities and towns on Christmas Eve.

Authorities said they were still unsure if the two Muslim groups are related, or the bombings were -- in anyway -- linked. On Friday, Philippine police charged the chairman of the secessionist Moro Islamic Liberation Front, Salamat Hashim, and six other rebels with murder for allegedly masterminding the bombings of a commuter train, a bus, the airport, a park and an abandoned gasoline station.

The director general of the Philippine police, Panfilo Lacson, said government soldiers who overran a rebel camp in November found plans for December bombings in Manila. Police said on Saturday they found and defused another powerful bomb in a shopping mall in the southern city of Davao.

On 29 Dec 2000, EmergencyNet News reported; "Emergency Response & Research Institute (ERRI) analysts hypothesize that attacks in Manila may have been scheduled to coincide with other Christmas [holiday] terrorist attacks in Pakistan, Kashmir, and Indonesia. It is not currently known if the various attacks were somehow "coordinated" by any sort of controlling authority, although at least one ERRI analyst is looking to Afghanistan for additional answers." 

Reference: http://www.emergency.com/philwarn.htm

03 Jan 2001

INDONESIA: 

Rebels Tell Mobil Oil To Leave Aceh

Separatist rebels in Aceh province said on Wednesday they warned Mobil Oil Indonesia to leave the region for its own safety. Abu Sofyan Daud, North Aceh-based army commander of the Free Aceh Movement (GAM), said: "We have urged the top management of Exxon Mobil to leave Aceh immediately because we cannot guarantee their safety if Jakarta imposes a state of emergency in Aceh. We cannot be held responsible for any damage suffered by Mobil Oil in the event that we attack Indonesian soldiers in the company's complex."

Daud said foreign investors in the resource-rich province on the northern tip of Sumatra could come back to Aceh once it had gained independence from Jakarta. GAM has been fighting for an independent Islamic sultanate of Aceh for 25 years.

Mobil runs the huge Arun Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) production complex in Aceh. In the past two years GAM guerillas have mounted many attacks on government security guards posted at Mobil Oil, causing disruption to the company's activities.

02 Jan 2001

INDONESIA:

Six Killed In Latest Aceh Fighting

Police and hospital officials said on Tuesday that at least six people were killed in New Year's fighting in Indonesia's troubled Aceh province. In the north of the province, a policeman was shot and killed in a marketplace by masked gunmen on Monday, after two civilians were found stabbed to death nearby. Hospital officials said another three bodies were found on Sunday in other parts of the region.

At least 900 people - including 130 soldiers and police - were killed last year in skirmishes between the rebel Free Aceh Movement and security forces, despite a cease-fire that went into effect in June. There has been a sharp escalation in violence in the past month and Indonesia's government has said it does not plan to extend the truce when it expires on 15 January.

Published By EmergencyNet News on 28 Dec 2000

INDONESIA:

U.S. State Department Issues Travel Warning

On 26 December, the U.S. Department of State issued the following Travel Warning for Indonesia: "The Department of State urges American citizens to defer nonessential travel to Indonesia and all travel to Aceh, Maluku, Papua and West Timor. Those who must travel to Indonesia, or who are resident there, should exercise extreme caution. 

Bombings of religious, political and business targets have occurred throughout the country, culminating in several dozen explosions at churches on Christmas Eve. Serious violence has broken out in the past year on most major islands. Events in the Middle East have increased the possibility of further violence. Indonesia is experiencing a major political transition, and unrest and violence can erupt with little forewarning anywhere in the country. This has been complicated by a rise in anti-American rhetoric by some national political leaders and extremist groups. In addition, events in the Middle East have sparked tensions between Muslim and Christian communities in parts of Indonesia, increasing the possibility of further violence.

Due to the continuing threat of serious violence, all travel should be avoided to the regions of Aceh, Maluku and West Timor. Further, all travel by U.S. and other foreign government officials to Aceh, Papua and the Moluccas (provinces of North Maluku and Maluku) has been restricted by the Indonesian government because of security concerns. Private Americans should adhere to these same restrictions.

A massive bombing campaign struck churches throughout Indonesia on Christmas Eve ... Bombings have also occurred over the past several months at Indonesian government buildings, foreign diplomatic facilities and business and financial centers, including the Jakarta Stock Exchange. The U.S. Embassy has had indications that this wave of bombings may continue and that U.S. interests may be targeted.

On occasion, the U.S. mission in Indonesia may have to suspend services to the public or close because of security concerns. In those situations, the Embassy will continue to be available by telephone to offer emergency services to American citizens.

Some foreign travelers in troubled areas of Indonesia have been subject to arbitrary arrest, detention and deportation and, on at least one occasion, false accusations of espionage. In the central Java city of Solo, groups opposed to U.S. policy have undertaken or threatened "sweeps," trying to identify American citizens and order them to depart the country. There also have been a number of acts of intimidation and violence directed at American companies and U.S. diplomatic facilities. Security officials have sometimes been unwilling or unable to intervene in instances of unrest.

The Abu Sayyaf terrorist group has been active throughout the islands in the extreme southwest Philippines, near Indonesia, and continues to hold an American citizen kidnapped in the Philippines. American citizens traveling to the border regions in Northern Kalimantan and North Sulawesi, in particular the smaller islands closer to the Philippines, are urged to review their security procedures."

Foreign nationals in Jakarta should be particularly alert at this time, and be ready to adjust routes to avoid trouble areas. There remains a possibility of further bombs following the explosion at the Stock Exchange Building on 13 September. In view of this, strange vehicles parked near residences, or unattended packages (including in public areas such as shopping malls or parking lots) should be treated with caution.

In recent weeks, there have been attacks by extremists on nightclubs in Jakarta, with expatriates sometimes the target. Foreign nationals visiting bars and clubs should remain alert and be ready to leave at the first sign of trouble. There has been a rise in crime, including in previously unaffected expatriate residential areas. There have been frequent attacks of piracy and armed robbery against ships in and around Indonesian waters. Mariners are advised to be vigilant and take appropriate precautions.

There have been several explosions in Jakarta in the past two months. Bomb threats to various buildings increased since the explosion outside the Residence of the Philippines Ambassador on 1 August, and have continued after the Stock Exchange bomb. Visitors should therefore exercise increased vigilance in public places. ERRI analysts believe that Indonesia is one of a number of countries where there is an increased threat to Western interests from global terrorism.

Maluku and North Maluku Provinces: ERRI advises against all travel to Maluku Province. The Indonesian Government has declared a state of civil emergency, including a ban on all travel to North Maluku and Maluku Provinces. Intercommunal violence continues between Christians and Moslems in Ambon, where the situation is unstable and dangerous.

Central Sulawesi: Christian/Moslem violence has also flared in recent months in Poso, Central Sulawesi, and the neighboring area. This has disrupted the Trans-Sulawesi highway, the main south to north route. Foreign visitors are advised to stay away from Poso.

Aceh: ERRI advises against non-essential travel in Aceh where there have been a number of violent incidents and attacks on security personnel.

West Timor: Foreign nationals should not travel to West Timor. Any foreign nationals still in West Timor are recommended to leave immediately following the deaths of several international UNHCR staff in an incident at Atambua on 6 September and the generally deteriorating situation there.

Irian Java (West Papua): Particular care should be taken in Irian Jaya where an independence movement is active and civil disturbances have increased recently. ERRI advises against travel to Wamena for the time being, following riots from 6-8 October, when several people were killed.

Kalimantan (Island of Borneo): ERRI advises against all non-essential travel to Pontianak, West Kalimantan, where recent inter-ethnic riots have claimed several lives. Earlier this year there was some hostility to foreigners in East Kalimantan (Balikpapan, Samarinda and inland). Although this now appears to have subsided.

27 Dec 2000 -- Series of EmergencyNet News "Real Time" Reports Concerning Multiple Bomb Blasts in Indonesia on Christmas Eve - 24 Dec 2000 to 27 Dec 2000

21 Dec 2000

INDONESIA:

Nine Killed In Clashes In Aceh Province

One day after a visit by Indonesia's president that was meant to cool tensions between rebels and the military, nine people were killed Wednesday in a rash of shootings in troubled Aceh province. A separatist leader warned of civil war if a fragile six-month cease-fire that expires next month is not renewed.

President Wahid, seeking to quell the violence, stopped briefly on Tuesday in Aceh, about 1,100 miles northwest of Jakarta. He called on troops to stop attacking Acehnese civilians and urged the rebels not to abandon the peace process. Within hours, nine people were dead in three shootings - seven civilians, a policeman and a rebel fighter.

Guerrillas gunned down the officer as he shopped at a market, and a rebel was shot later in the same area. At least 441 people have been killed since the cease-fire went into effect in June.

Bomb Explodes Near Crowded Market

Police said that a bomb exploded on Wednesday near a crowded market in Sampit in Kalimantan Tengah province. Recent violence between migrants from other areas of the country and local tribes is the likely motivation for the attack.

Government Deploys 4,000 Extra Police For Festive Week

It was announced on Thursday that police have deployed almost 4,000 extra officers in the Indonesian capital to ensure security for next week's triple holidays. The move follows a series of violent raids on nightspots by thugs and Muslim extremists. As Christmas, the Muslim Eid-Al-Fitr and New Year all fall in close succession during the next ten days, police said they were taking no chances, with officers prepared to "shoot on sight" extreme troublemakers.

Police said they would also provide protection for planned New Year's Eve parties by most of Jakarta's major cafes and nightspots in anticipation of possible attacks by militant Muslim groups. Earlier this month, members of the militant Islamic Defenders Front (FPI) and extortionist thugs launched scores of late-night raids on local discotheques, bars, cafes and game arcades in and around the capital. They attacked staff, smashed windows and destroyed liquor at the premises.

20 Dec 2000

INDONESIA:

Bomb Explodes At Hospital

One person was wounded and minor damage was reported when a small bomb exploded Tuesday in a hospital in Yogyakarta, located about 280 miles east of Jakarta. A person informed a security guard at the hospital that they had seen a suspicious package in a bathroom. The device exploded while the guard was inspecting it. Although police have not yet identified any suspects, bombings have occurred throughout the country, especially in strife-torn areas and periodically in Jakarta.

16 Dec 2000

INDONESIA:

Troops On Presidential Security Detail Attacked In Aceh

Police said that armed men on Saturday attacked army troops securing the capital of Indonesia's troubled Aceh province ahead of next week's presidential visit. A clash broke out between a team of military and police and rebels from the Free Aceh Movement (GAM). The fighting occurred just minutes from the city's airport, where President Abdurrahman Wahid is scheduled to arrive on Tuesday.

There were no casualties in the incident that occurred at around 0900 hours local time (0200 GMT) near Sultan Iskandar Muda airport. Independent sources said the attack took place as the troops were on their way to pick up members of the presidential guard.

GAM sent a letter last week warning of intelligence reports that "hard-line Indonesian military elements" could be plotting to assassinate Wahid during the visit.

Police Warn Hard-Line Muslims Over Bar Raids

Saying that they had gone too far, police have warned hard-line Muslim gangs raiding and smashing bars, discos and red-light areas in and around the capital. According to the Jakarta Post, the warning, issued by police came after members of the militant Islamic Defenders Front (FPI) shaved the heads of three alleged prostitutes with knives and killed a youth who came to the girls' defense.

The young man tried to stop the gang, but was beaten and stabbed to death on Wednesday in the township of Subang, 65 miles east of Jakarta. FPI members on Friday also attacked a police station in Karawang, some 50 miles east of Jakarta, in retaliation for the police shooting out the tires of one of its trucks. The truck had reportedly been driving off after an amusement arcade raid, loaded with stolen games equipment including air conditioners.

FPI members have reportedly launched scores of late-night raids, targeting discotheques, cafes with signs advertising liquor and games arcades, beating up staff and smashing widows.

12 Dec 2000

INDONESIA: 

Eight Wounded As Aceh Rebels Attack Security Forces

Authorities said on Tuesday that eight policemen and soldiers were wounded in separatist rebel attacks on security posts and a natural gas facility in Indonesia's Aceh province. Three soldiers were wounded by grenade shrapnel when they came under attack while guarding the Exxon-Mobil Oil Indonesia's A-IV natural gas cluster in North Aceh's Matangkuli sub-district on late Sunday night.

The Free Aceh Movement (GAM) claimed responsibility for the incident, saying it was in retaliation for the "abusive" attitude by troops in the area. A separatist group spokesman said: "We warned Exxon Mobil to immediately end its security contract with the TNI (armed forces) because security troops guarding the company have abused their authority by harassing residents. We have no intention to ban or disturb Exxon-Mobil's operation as long as they do not facilitate TNI soldiers' abuse of citizens..."

Police Ban Armed Separatist Force In Irian Jaya

The chief of police on Tuesday in the restive province of Irian Jaya banned the National Liberation Force (TPN), an armed separatist group that is operating in the remote jungles of the province as subversive. The ban was contained in a statement issued by Irian Jaya police chief Brigadier General Sylvanus Wenas, dated Tuesday.

The statement said: "bans the organisation which calls itself the TPN or any similar organisation affiliated to TPN or the embryo of the TPN organization." It said that the organization "clearly was formed to provide resistance against the lawful government of the Republic of Indonesia with the aim of seceeding from the sovereign territory of the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia."

The police statement also warned of "firm measures in line with the prevailing legal regulations and laws" against anyone trying to incite people to, or help efforts or attempts, to secede from Indonesia...

EAST TIMOR:

United Nations Soldier Wounded

Officials said on Tuesday that an Australian soldier with the United Nations peacekeeping force in East Timor was wounded in an attack authorities suspect was carried out by a pro-Indonesian militia. An explosive device was thrown at a U.N. position 40 miles west of the former Indonesian territory's capital of Dili. A soldier, who was on guard duty, was hit by shrapnel. He was said to be in satisfactory condition.

The attack late Monday came hours after the United Nations indicted 10 militia members and an Indonesian army officer for war crimes in killings that took place in East Timor during and after its August 1999 independence referendum. In Jakarta, Indonesia's top military commander said armed forces will not cooperate with U.N. investigators who want to interrogate other army officers about the violence that laid waste to the territory after its people voted to end 23 years of Indonesian rule... 

06 Dec 2000

INDONESIA:

Two Killed As Bombs Rock Maluku Capital

The military said that one soldier was killed and at least seven other people were wounded when bombs were thrown into a Christian procession in Ambon, capital of the riot-torn Indonesian province of Maluku on Wednesday. The state Antara news agency said another man, a Muslim, was killed and four were wounded during clashes that followed the bombing.

The bomb attack occurred in the A.Y. Patty area in downtown Ambon on Wednesday. One wounded victim had his right foot blown off at the ankle while another had shrapnel wounds in his back. Two other men were slightly injured. According to reports from people who brought in the victims, at least two bombs exploded among a procession of Christian men. 

05 Dec 2000

INDONESIA:

Government Vows To Fight Insurgency

After a day where at least 15 people were killed in clashes on the 24th anniversary of a separatist war, the Indonesian government vowed on Tuesday to suppress a growing insurgency in the Aceh province. In Jakarta, Defense Minister Mohammad Mahfud said: "Any action that threatens the unity of the state will be met with repressive force."

Hundreds of armed guerrillas took part in ceremonies through-out Aceh on Monday to commemorate 4 December 1976, the day when separatists unilaterally declared its independence from Indonesia. At least 5,500 people have died in fighting in the past decade. An army unit shot six suspected rebels to death in Setia Bakti, in the western part of the province. The army said they had attempted to ambush the soldiers. A local separatist spokesman claimed the victims, including two women, were unarmed villagers.

In northern Aceh, three guerrillas and a soldier lost their lives when rebels attacked an army patrol. Five other victims, all civilians, were reported killed in clashes in the province. Aceh, on the northern tip of Sumatra island 1,100 miles northwest of Jakarta, is one of several regions demanding to secede from the sprawling, ethnically diverse archipelagos nation of 210 million people. Indonesia has ruled out demands for an independent Aceh, fearing it would lead to disintegration. 

03 Dec 2000

INDONESIA (Irian Jaya): 

Security Forces Raid Headquarters

The provincial police chief said Indonesian security forces occupied the headquarters of a group pushing for Irian Jaya's independence and made dozens of arrests on Sunday. The pre-dawn raid followed deadly clashes between security forces and separatists in the province. Police detained 47 members of the Papua Task Force during the raid on a cultural center housing the independence movement's headquarters.

On Saturday, eight people were killed -- seven of them Irianese -- after clashes with police in the remote town of Merauke, near the border with Papua New Guinea. Merauke officials said the fighting erupted when Irianese tore up Indonesian flags and attacked police with bows and arrows after they took down the separatist "Morning Star" flag.

Frustrated hard-line separatists in Irian Jaya have threatened to use guerrilla warfare to resurrect their campaign, after police stepped up a crackdown on their activities. Leaders of the central highlands-based Penis Gourd Council of Elders (DMK), introduced by Papua Presidium deputy leader Tom Beanal as "the hardline members of the presidium," said their approach from now on would be two-pronged.

Petrus Tabuni, a district leader of the council, said: "We will use guerrilla tactics through the Free Papua Movement (OPM), and dialogue with the central government through the Papua Presidium. The OPM, from hideouts in the jungles, will attack Indonesian soldiers and any non-Papuans who conspire with them to hide them or their weapons."

He said that should the soldiers hide within the population, the OPM and the DPK fighters, named after the traditional male outfits of the Dani tribe, would not only target soldiers but also all non-Papuans.

At the opposite end of the country, a pro-independence movement is also on the rise in the province of Aceh where the Free Aceh rebels celebrate their 24th anniversary on Monday. Police in Aceh said that they were not aware of any plans to mark the anniversary and insisted that the staunchly Muslim territory was under control.

02 Dec 2000

INDONESIA:

Eight Killed In Irian Jaya Protest

Eight people were killed as tensions between Indonesian forces and separatists pushing for Irian Jaya's independence exploded into violence on Saturday with police firing on a group of bow-and-arrow-wielding separatists during a clash. Police said that the two sides clashed after the separatists tried to raise an outlawed rebel flag in the southeastern town of Merauke. The independence supporters challenged police during the flag-raising ceremony and also fired arrows at settlers from other parts of Indonesia, wounding three.

Police said seven separatists were killed. An eighth man, a taxi driver from Java Island, died from his injuries later. It was not known whether the taxi driver was one of the settlers, nor was it clear whether the separatists physically attacked police before the officers opened fire. The deaths bring to 10 the number of people killed during the past two days as the restive province marks the anniversary of a failed 1961 independence bid. The anniversary has prompted a security clampdown in the region.

On Saturday, heavily armed Indonesian police seized control of a cultural center in the provincial capital, Jayapura, that had been occupied by the separatist movement for the past year. Riot police with guns, shields and batons entered the building soon after dawn. In a gesture of conciliation, officers said some activists could stay temporarily as long as no rebel flags were raised at the site.

In Maluku province, also known as the Moluccan islands, two people were shot to death on Friday after a mob of about 2,000 Muslims threw bombs at security officers. On Thursday, police said 50 people were massacred in a remote village in the region, about 1,600 miles northeast of Jakarta.

30 Nov 2000

INDONESIA: 

Fifty Killed In Clash In Spice Islands

Although details remain sketchy, police said on Thursday that 50 people have been killed in fierce fighting after Muslims attacked Christian villagers in Indonesia's ravaged Moluccas Islands earlier this week. The raid on the village of Kairatu on Tuesday shattered what has been a recent period of relative calm in the spice islands, where thousands have been killed in almost two years of religious and communal violence. Kairatu is located about 30 miles northeast of Ambon, the main city in the Moluccas.

A Christian community leader and lawyer in the Moluccas, said Muslim groups had attacked several villages in recent days and were forcing Christians to convert and killing those who refused. One policeman in Ambon, 1,400 miles east of Jakarta, said they get regular reports of both sides attempting to force conversion to Islam or Christianity.

22 Nov 2000

  INDONESIA: 

Australian Ambassador Assaulted in E. Timor

A group of pro-Indonesia East Timorese assaulted the Australian Ambassador to Indonesia on Tuesday in Makassar, capital of the South Sulawesi province, located about 900 miles east of Jakarta. The diplomat was not injured. Witnesses at the scene said that police did not intervene energetically to protect the ambassador. Opponents of East Timorese independence accuse Australia of supporting anti-Jakarta forces in the former Indonesian province.

ACEH: 

State of Emergency to Be Declared in Province??

Indonesia on Wednesday threatened to take tough action in two provinces to quell escalating separatist fighting and protests. Top security minister Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said the government might declare a state of emergency in western Aceh province, where at least 41 people have been killed in the past two weeks in fighting between rebels and security forces. He also warned rebels in Irian Jaya, in eastern Indonesia, not to proceed with pro-independence rallies next week, saying such demonstrations were treasonous.

17 Nov 2000

INDONESIA: 

2nd Explosion in 24 Hours in Indonesia

Police said no injuries were reported when a small explosive device went off in a Jakarta hotel hallway on Friday - the second blast in the capital within 24 hours. The device exploded on the fifth floor of the Omni Batavia Hotel, breaking glass and causing other damage in a corridor. The building is located in the Chinatown district of northern Jakarta.

12 Nov 2000

INDONESIA:

Violence Leaves Seven Dead

Banda Aceh, the provincial capital of Indonesia's restive Aceh province, was calm on Sunday as the death toll linked to two days of pro-independence rallies reached 38. Although Banda Aceh was calm, six bodies were found in the Idie Rayeuk sub-district in East Aceh since late on Friday.

The bodies of two men, their necks tied with a rope, were found on the side of the road in the village of Bulee Totue in Idie Rayeuk on Sunday. In the same sub- district, the body of a woman was found on the side of the road on Saturday while the bodies of three men were found wrapped in a single black plastic sheet late on Friday night. All showed signs of violence.

One army sergeant was found dead, burned in his car in the Lampineung area in Banda Aceh on Sunday. The car, carrying six people, had been shot at by security forces as it passed a checkpoint there on Saturday. The driver was killed and the five passengers were all injured. The car veered into a ditch after it was shot and later caught fire. The driver of the car, a plain-clothed sergeant, was later found in the burned wreck of the vehicle.

Security forces also shot at another car in Lampineung on Saturday, leaving one person critically injured. A 40-year-old woman was shot in four places -- in both her thighs, in her waist and in her abdomen.

10 Nov 2000

INDONESIA:

Six Killed In Clashes Before Aceh Rally

Officials said on Friday that six people were killed as clashes erupted ahead of a large separatist rally in Indonesia's Aceh province. Violence between pro-independence residents and security forces has left 19 people dead in the past four days as an estimated 100,000 Acehnese have poured into provincial capital Banda Aceh for Saturday's rally. The most recent six victims lost their lives on Thursday.

Two rebels were shot and then arrested in west Aceh on Thursday by a security patrol. They later died in a hospital. Local residents said the two were civilians. Also on Friday, a body was found on the banks of a river in the center of Banda Aceh. Additionally, three civilians were fatally shot on Thursday by security forces in the east part of the province, about 1,100 miles northwest of Jakarta.

Indonesia's government announced on Thursday that it will meet in Switzerland next week with the rebel group, the Free Aceh Movement.

Also on Friday, in East Timor -- angry youths pelted United Nations riot police with stones after a mob chased four alleged prostitutes through the capital. The women found shelter in a nearby medical clinic. A policeman and a civilian were injured.

05 Nov 2000

INDONESIA:

Aceh Violence Leaves At Least Seven Dead

News reports and police said on Sunday that violence between government forces and separatist rebels killed at least seven people. A policeman was among those killed or found dead over the weekend in various parts of Aceh.

Five rebels were shot and killed during an armed clash with a joint police and military patrol in Bireum Bayeun, East Aceh on Saturday. The five were killed after some 20 rebels ambushed the patrol. But residents said only four people were killed and that they were all civilians with no links to the separatist Aceh Merdeka (Free Aceh) movement. Residents said the four men were arrested alive at a roadside food stall in Bireum Bayeun on Saturday, taken aboard a truck to the police post but were later taken to the state hospital in Langsa already dead.

A policeman was slashed and stabbed to death by two unidentified men at his home in Uteun Geulinggang, North Aceh late on Friday night. In Cot Matahe, also in North Aceh, three rebels ambushed a convoy of security personnel passing the area after dusk on Saturday but there were no casualties. In Tapaktuan, the main town in the district of South Aceh, villagers found the body of a badly maimed man on Saturday. The motive for the killing was unknown.

Three Activists Killed In Irian Jaya

A media report said on Sunday that three members of the pro-independence civilian guard in Indonesia's troubled Irian Jaya province were shot and killed and at least 18 other people were injured, including a policeman. Police fatally shot three members of the Papua Taskforce and injured 17 other members on Saturday as they attempted to escape a police post in the province's main Merauke district.

One policeman was stabbed in the violence and flown to a hospital in Jayapura, the province's main city. The 17 injured taskforce members were treated at the general hospital in the town of Merauke, on the southern part of Irian Jaya near the border with neighboring Papua New Guinea.

Some 25 members of the Papua taskforce had been detained at the police post since Friday following violence at the main market in Merauke. They attempted to flee on Saturday and were shot after warning shots were fired. The violence at the market was sparked after members of the taskforce beat up a policeman in a jealous incident over a girl from the local Marin tribe, and policemen returned in force.

04 Nov 2000

INDONESIA:

Security Upgrade At U.S. Embassy Jakarta

The U.S. State Department said on Friday that it hoped to reopen its embassy in Jakarta after the Indonesian government upgraded security at the mission following a dispute between U.S Ambassador Robert Gelbard and senior government ministers.

The embassy closed to the public on 24 October citing "credible" security threats, and an embassy notice issued on Thursday said the mission would remain closed to the public at least until Tuesday of next week. The closure came as US ambassador Gelbard became embroiled in a war of words with senior Indonesian ministers who objected to the forthright nature of his criticisms of the Indonesian government.

Foreign Minister Alwi Shihab and a presidential spokesman on Friday urged the embassy to reopen to avoid giving the impression that ties between Indonesia and Washington were strained. Presidential spokesman Wimar Witoelar said the government was "dismayed" and upset both by the prolonged closure, and by a U.S. warning that Indonesia was unsafe for U.S. tourists.

ERRI analysts said that Indonesia is one of the largest countries in population in the region and an important ally in the Asian theatre, but that the security situation there has been increasingly unstable with several separatist movements and a rising Islamic militancy.

03 Nov 2000

INDONESIA:

Three Policemen, One Civilian Killed In Aceh

Authorities said on Thursday that three policemen and a civilian were killed as separatist rebels and Indonesian government forces clashed in the restive province of Aceh. A police sergeant was gunned down by three men on motorcycles as he was playing volleyball in the village of Pante, North Aceh, on Wednesday. Seven shots were fired at the policeman.

In a separate incident, a police sergeant major was shot by unknown gunmen as he was sitting outside his home in Banda Masen, also in North Aceh, late on Wednesday. In a third incident, a police superintendent, who had been treated for gunshot wounds at a hospital in Jakarta after being ambushed by gunmen in Lambada area of Aceh Besar two weeks ago, died on Thursday.

Early on Thursday, suspected Free Aceh separatist (GAM) rebels also threw a grenade into the house of an army lieutenant colonel Hanafiah in Kutablang area of Lhokseumawe in North Aceh. The officer survived the attack, but was badly wounded. A 21-year-old civilian was also gunned down by man in a passing van in Pulo Blang Tunong, North Aceh on Wednesday. The victim was shot twice in the chest. The reason for the murder remains unclear.

02 Nov 2000

INDONESIA:

U.S. Embassy Jakarta Extends Closure to Next Week

The U.S. embassy in Indonesia on Thursday extended its closure to the public until early next week because of an unspecified threat. In a statement, the embassy said its public services would remain closed through Monday and reminded Americans to be cautious throughout the world's most populous Muslim nation.

The latest closure means the embassy in central Jakarta -- which normally handles scores of visa applications and other inquiries daily -- will have been shut to the public for almost two weeks. The embassy statement said: "American citizens in Indonesia are once again urged to use caution in regards to their personal security. They should avoid areas of instability and potentially dangerous situations."

Officials have not detailed the credible threat, although the mission has been subject to frequent protests over Washington's support for Israel. Additionally, U.S. Ambassador Richard Gelbard, is reportedly returning to the United States on a scheduled "personal leave," amid several recent verbal clashes with senior Indonesian officials over security issues.

ERRI SPECIAL REPORT-ERRI Risk Assessment Services-Wednesday, November 1, 2000

INDONESIA:

U.S. State Department Issues Updated Public Announcement

On 30 October, the U.S. Department of State issued the following updated Public Announcement for Indonesia and East Timor: 

"American citizens traveling to Indonesia or East Timor should exercise extreme caution. Tourists planning travel to Indonesia should take the following information into account. Please see the new paragraph on Java in this announcement. Although major tourist destinations in Bali, parts of Sumatra and North Sulawesi have been relatively calm, Indonesia is experiencing a major political transition, and unrest and violence can erupt with little forewarning.

There has been a rise in anti-American rhetoric by some national political leaders and extremist groups. Some foreign travelers in troubled areas have been subject to arbitrary arrest, detention and deportation and, on at least one occasion, false accusations of espionage.

There have been a number of acts of intimidation and violence directed at American companies and U.S. diplomatic facilities. Security officials have sometimes been unwilling or unable to intervene. 

Citing security concerns, the Government of Indonesia has restricted the travel of U.S. and other foreign government officials to Aceh, Papua and the Moluccas (provinces of North Maluku and Maluku). American citizens should avoid travel to these regions. The cities of Jakarta and Medan, in addition to other locations, have been struck by a number of bombings in recent months. The Jakarta Stock Exchange, diplomatic facilities and Indonesian government buildings have been targeted. The U.S. Embassy has had indications that this wave of bombings may continue and that U.S. interests may be targeted.

Although Indonesia has a tradition of religious tolerance, inflammatory statements by community leaders, as well as violence in the Molucca Islands and the Middle East, have sparked tension between Muslim and Christian communities in several areas in Indonesia. American citizens resident or traveling in Indonesia are advised to exercise caution at all times. Be alert to suspicious or unclaimed packages. Vary times and routes and other aspects of your personal daily routine and keep a low profile.

Americans should remember that many parts of Indonesia, including many tourist destinations, are isolated and difficult to reach by available transportation or communication links. In cases of unrest, medical emergency or logistical problems, travelers may find it difficult to depart quickly. Americans also should be watchful while in urban areas, where demonstrations and other violence can occur without warning. Americans should avoid large crowds and potential demonstration sites. Travelers and residents should ensure that passports and important personal papers are in order in the event that it becomes necessary to leave the country quickly. 

Because the situation is uncertain and new outbreaks of violence are possible, American citizens are advised to consult the U.S. Embassy in Jakarta and the U.S. Consulate General in Surabaya for the most recent security information and generally to exercise caution.

Although United States citizens traveling anywhere in Indonesia and East Timor should be extremely cautious, certain areas warrant specific mention:

Aceh: Separatist aspirations have led to a state of prolonged violence in the province of Aceh. Violence has targeted American companies with growing frequency. American citizens are strongly urged to defer all travel to Aceh and to consider departing if already there.

The Moluccas and Sulawesi: Serious communal violence broke out on the island of Ambon in January 1999 and has now spread throughout this island group. American citizens are urged to avoid all travel to the Moluccas. Violence in the province of Maluku, which includes the island of Ambon, is particularly severe, and American citizens are encouraged to depart immediately if they are already there. In North Maluku, tensions remain high and American citizens should avoid traveling to that province. Serious communal violence also broke out in the province of Central Sulawesi in May 2000. Although the violence has subsided, inter-religious tensions remain, and American citizens should avoid traveling there.

West Timor: On September 6, 2000, a militia mob in Atambua, West Timor, attacked United Nations offices, killing several UN international staff, one of whom was an American citizen. Until violent militia activity is brought under control, similar incidents may occur in other areas of West Timor. The militias have specifically targeted foreigners. American citizens are strongly advised to avoid all travel to West Timor. Americans in West Timor should depart immediately by the safest means available.

Papua (Irian Jaya): Aspirations for independence in Papua (also known as Irian Jaya) have led to violent confrontations with security forces in this province. American citizens are urged to avoid tourist travel to Papua.

Java: Intimidation and threats of violence have been directed at American citizens in Java, including Jakarta and the city of Solo (Surakarta). On Sunday, October 29, a number of groups identifying themselves as Islamic organizations visited hotels in the Solo area to demand names of American visitors and to deliver the ultimatum that American citizens must leave the country within 48 hours. American citizens are encouraged to defer travel to Java.

Northern Kalimantan: The Abu Sayyaf terrorist group has been active throughout the islands in the extreme south- west Philippines, near Indonesia. American citizens traveling to the border regions in Northern Kalimantan and North Sulawesi, in particular the smaller islands closer to the Philippines, are urged to review their security procedures, remain vigilant to their surroundings, keep a low profile, and vary routes and times of all required travel.

Lombok: On January 17, 2000, anti-Christian violence broke out on the resort island of Lombok, leading to looting and the burning of a number of churches. Although there has not been a recurrence of major violence since January, American citizens should take this earlier unrest into account when planning travel. Lombok is about 25 miles from the island of Bali.

East Timor: East Timor voted for independence from Indonesia in an August 30, 1999 referendum and is currently under the authority of the United Nations Transitional Administration in East Timor (UNTAET). Violence erupted throughout East Timor after the United Nations-sponsored ballot in that province. Although a measure of stability has returned to the territory following the arrival of international forces, crime and lawlessness remain a major problem. 

American citizens are strongly encouraged to exercise caution in East Timor, particularly during nighttime hours, and to avoid areas along the border between East and West Timor. Militia incursions have occurred in the western and central districts of East Timor, and travelers wishing to visit these areas are encouraged to consult UN authorities in Dili before departing; and to obtain updated information on the security situation."

(c) Copyright 2000 by the Emergency Response and Research Institute. All rights reserved. Information provided by the U.S. Department of State is included in this report.

29 Oct 2000

INDONESIA:

Muslims Demand Hotels To Bar Americans

In what appears to be more evidence of growing anti-U.S. sentiment, scores of Muslim men entered several international hotels in the central Java city of Solo on Sunday and demanded that American guests leave the country. Staff at the hotels said they told the men that no Americans were staying. The Muslims, from several organizations, warned that regular checks would take place in the future.

Media reports quoted one Muslim leader who accused the United States of being involved in some of the unrest hobbling the country. Relations between Indonesia and the United States have soured in recent months over a range of issues, while Muslim groups nationwide have condemned Washington for its stance on recent violence between Israelis and Palestinians.

The manager at the Lord Inn in Solo said that about 50 Muslim men entered the hotel lobby, although they did not physically check rooms. The manager said: "They came to tell Americans that the U.S. had done bad things. They forcefully demanded the guest list so although it was violating our rules, I had to show them. They said if there is an American guest, he should get out of the country."

A receptionist at the Novotel Hotel in Solo said they were warned not to accept American guests. She said a group of men had entered the hotel while hundreds more waited outside. Solo lies 280 miles east of Jakarta and is popular with foreign tourists who visit its famous royal palace.

27 Oct 2000

INDONESIA

Seven Killed In Ethnic Clashes On Borneo

Media reports and the military said that at least five people were killed and four others were injured in renewed clashes between local Malays and settlers in the province of West Kalimantan on the island of Borneo on Thursday. The casualties brought the total known killed and injured since the clashes first erupted late on Wednesday over a minor traffic accident in the capital city of Pontianak to six dead and eight injured.

The accident involved a Malay motorcyclist and a bus driver from Madura, off east Java. Thursday's fatalities were identified by the state-run Antara news agency as two unidentified men in the city's Sungai Jawi area and three others near Pahlawan Street. Antara also said that four men suffering various injuries had also been admitted late Thursday to the state Sudarso hospital.

West Kalimantan police chief Brigadier General Atok Krismanto was quoted by the SCTV private television as saying that he had instructed his men to carry out a shoot to kill orders -- if needed -- to stop the fighting. Earlier on Thursday, a military police spokesman said that "one man died in a skirmish following the accident" on Wednesday, which also injured two civilians and two policemen. Street stalls which had been abandoned by the Madurese were also set on fire from around 18.00 until midnight."

On Friday, ethnic fighting raged in a remote Borneo town when mobs decapitated two people and carried their severed heads on sticks through the streets. It was the third straight day of bloodshed in West Kalimantan province. Police and soldiers were outnumbered by Malays armed with machetes, daggers and homemade rifles in Pontianak.

26 Oct 2000

INDONESIA:

U.S. Envoy Says He Received Death Threats

Indonesian Foreign Minister Alwi Shihab said Thursday that U.S. ambassador to Jakarta, Robert Gelbard, has received death threats as the U.S. embassy closed its gates to the public because of the threats. Shihab said: "He told me there had been bomb threats against the embassy. He also said he had received death threats."

Anti-U.S. sentiment has been running high in Indonesia amid the violence in the Middle East and the killings of Palestinians by Israeli troops. Indonesian Muslims have accused Washington of siding with the Jewish state. Shihab said Gelbard during talks Wednesday raised concerns about the rise of anti-US sentiment in Indonesia.

The U.S. embassy in Jakarta issued a notice saying it was closed to the public until the end of the week, with the State Department saying Tuesday the public services section would remain closed after Wednesday's public holiday, due to "credible information" about a possible attack.

25 Oct 2000

INDONESIA:

Three Rebels Fatally Shot In Troubled Aceh

News reports said on Wednesday that security forces shot and killed three alleged rebels during armed clashes in the troubled province of Aceh in north Sumatra. The state-run Antara news agency said a raid by three platoons of security forces on a suspected rebel headquarters in the village of Cot Baro Tepi Raya in the Glumpang Tiga subdistrict of Pidie district on Saturday led to a clash during which three suspected rebels were killed.

One of the victims was the deputy commander of the rebel command in Pidie. Security forces also confiscated one M-16 automatic rifle, one revolver, ammunition for grenade launchers, one grenade and several bombs.

Police And Students Clash In Jakarta

Police and students clashed in Jakarta on Tuesday as hundreds of protesters assembled to demand that the government bring former ruler and dictator Suharto to trial for corruption. Police fired tear gas at the crowd, and students threw rocks at the officers. Several students were injured during the riot.

U.S. Embassy In Jakarta Closes After Warning

A U.S. official said on Tuesday that the U.S. Embassy in Jakarta will close to the public for the rest of the week in response to a threat against the facility (see above secondary terrorism warning). A U.S. State Department spokesman said: "In response to credible information of a threat to the embassy complex, the ambassador and his team decided to close public services."

The temporary closure also follows a global caution to Americans and U.S. facilities issued after a suspected suicide bombing of the destroyer USS Cole on 12 October at the Yemeni port of Aden, which killed 17 sailors. The DoS did not link the Middle East violence with the closure in Indonesia, the world's most populous Muslim state that has seen pro-Palestinian demonstrations.   

22 Oct 2000

EAST TIMOR:

United Nations Says Militia Infiltrate Deeper Into East Timor

The United Nation's senior official in East Timor said on Monday that pro-Jakarta militia in Indonesian West Timor have abandoned hit and run attacks on East Timor and begun infiltrating deeper into the territory. Sergio Vieira de Mello said he would raise the issue with Australia to ensure U.N. peacekeepers in East Timor had the military capacity to deal with the militias.

It is believed the U.N. wants Australia, which supplies the bulk of U.N. peacekeepers in E./W. Timor, to be more flexible with the rules of engagement in East Timor. At a news conference, de Mello said: "There has been an obvious change in the tactics by the militia since late July. Until then they would launch very short, hit and run, cross border attacks against UNTAET (United Nations Transitional Administration in East Timor) positions in East Timor and then run back to West Timor and seek sanctuary. In the last two and a half months there have been deeper infiltrations by groups, varying from five to 30 men, who have reached sector central."

De Mello said UNTAET must be ready for any in