S'pore's muted free-speech corner opens SINGAPORE (AFP): Singapore launched a muted free-speech corner on Friday with local issues dominating but few willing listeners. The crowd, outnumbered by local and foreign journalists in the morning, peaked around 100 at lunchtime, swelled by curious office workers from nearby buildings.

De Mello lauds moves to try East Timor suspects JAKARTA (JP): Following the announcement of 19 suspects in the East Timor case, several expressed hope that these would only be the first of another batch of officials and officers to be named in the case.

Restoring investor confidence The following is based on a presentation by economist and chairman of the Indonesia Forum Foundation Mohammad Sadli at the ISEAS Forum on regional strategic and political developments. The event held by the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies took place in Singapore on Aug. 29. SINGAPORE: The economic recovery in Indonesia started during the second half of 1999, if recovery means that the economy is no longer contracting.

Symbol of justice The trial of former president Soeharto, which opened in Jakarta on Thursday, is a symbolic gesture more than anything else on the part of the government to show that rule of law prevails in this country. The trial is being conducted largely to live up to the government's promise to restore the supremacy of law. Like most things that are symbolic, it has little substance, if any at all.