Soldiers to quell violence in Aceh: Minister of Defense Matori

Soldiers to quell violence in Aceh: Minister of Defense Matori Abdul Djalil said on Monday he had opted for the deployment of soldiers rather than police officers to rid the strife-torn province of Aceh of the campaign of violence launched by separatist rebels. Matori said at a hearing with Commission I for defense affairs of the House of Representatives that "It is better to confront armed members of the movement in Aceh with soldiers, not police officers".

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Gus Dur fined: Central Jakarta District Court fined former president Abdurrahman "Gus Dur" Wahid Rp 500 million on Monday for damaging the reputation of the former secretary general of the now defunct forestry and plantations ministry. The fine was much less than demanded by the plaintiff, Soeripto, who had earlier asked for Rp 3.75 billion in damages.

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PBSI gives second stringers: Organizers of the US$30,000 Hong Kong Open badminton championships have invited four Indonesian shuttlers to take part in the event and have promised to cover all their expenses during the competition, which will run from Wednesday through Sunday. The Badminton Association of Indonesia (PBSI) has registered young shuttlers Ardiansyah and Sony Dwi Kuncoro in the men's singles and Dewi Tira in the women's singles. The fourth shuttler, Silvi Antarini, resigned due to poor health.

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Recession: Hong Kong and Malaysia will join Singapore and Taiwan in recession this year as a result of fallout from the terrorist attacks in the United States, Dutch-based bank ABN Amro said Monday. The Sept. 11 attacks on the World Trade Center in New York and the U.S.' military headquarters at the Pentagon in Washington as well as an imminent U.S. recession have prompted a "massive downgrade" for gross domestic product (GDP) growth in Asia.

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Single digit inflation: Although year-on-year inflation has been running at double digit rates since March, ending the year with an inflation rate of below 10 percent was still possible on the back of lower inflation expected for September and October, the Central Bureau of Statistics. BPS said on Monday that the consumer price index for September and October should be lower so as to produce single digit inflation by the year's end.

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Boatpeople: The United Nations urged Australia on Monday not to use force against 217 asylum seekers refusing to leave a navy vessel off the Pacific island of Nauru. In a bid to crack down on rising illegal immigration, Australia has started to intercept boats carrying asylum seekers before they reach Australia and take them to alternative destinations for their claims for asylum to be processed.

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U.S. team in Pakistan: A U.S. military delegation was in Pakistan on Monday to discuss plans for Washington's campaign against Afghanistan's ruling Taliban and their "guest" Osama bin Laden. The delegation, whose arrival had been kept secret, is to discuss details of the military cooperation the United States is seeking from the administration of Pakistan's military ruler Gen. Pervez Musharraf.

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