Indonesia

Indonesian Muslim hardliner faces two years in jail over attack

Jakarta - Government prosecutors demanded a two-year prison term Monday for an Indonesian Muslim hardliner on trial for his alleged role in a violent attack against an interfaith rally in early June that left dozens of people injured.

Prosecutors said Habib Rizieq Shihab had been proven guilty for ordering his followers to commit violence against the demonstrators, the state-run Antara news agency reported.

The prosecutors charged Shihab, chairman of the Islamic Defenders Front (FPI), with violating the criminal code articles on ambush, inciting violence and spreading hatred, which could bring a maximum sentence of nine years in prison.

Indonesian stocks tumble on reopening after three-day halt

Indonesian Stock MarketJakarta - Indonesia's stock exchange resumed trading on Monday following a three-day halt after the bourse cut the limit on stock-price movements and the government eased buyback rules to help revive investor confidence.

The Indonesia Stock Exchange said its benchmark composite index fell 85.43 points, or 5.88 per cent, to 1,366.24 about an hour after it reopened. The IDX opens its morning session at 9:30 am (0230 GMT).

Indonesian families, mourners mark 6th anniversary of Bali bombings

Indonesian families, mourners mark 6th anniversary of Bali bombings Kuta, Indonesia - Survivors, family and friends of victims of the 2002 terrorist bombings on the Indonesian resort island of Bali marked the 6th anniversary of the attacks on Sunday with low-key ceremonies.

The widows of several Balinese men, along with family members of more than a dozen other Indonesian victims, laid flowers and prayed at a memorial monument in the Kuta Beach district, where twin bombs at two nightclubs killed 202 people and injured hundreds more on October 12, 2002.

Exiled rebel leader returns to Indonesia's Aceh

Jakarta- Greeted by thousands of cheering supporters, the 83-year-old founder of Aceh's rebel movement returned to the tsunami-wracked Indonesian province of Aceh Saturday for the first time in almost 30 years.

Hassan di Tiro fled to Sweden in late 1970s after declaring Aceh independent in 1976, a move triggered that a long-running conflict in the north-western Indonesian province.

About 15,000 people are estimated to have died in the conflict before a truce was reached between the government and the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) in August 2005, after the devastation and the deaths of about 170,000 people in the province caused by the December 24, 2004 tsunami.

Indonesian president congratulates Ahtisaari on Nobel Peace Prize

Jakarta, IndonesiaJakarta - Indonesia President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono Friday congratulated former Finnish president Martti Ahtisaari for winning this year's Nobel Peace Prize.

"He is a solution-oriented person, and he also has played important role in Aceh," the state-run Antara news agency quoted presidential spokesman Dino Patti Djalal as saying, adding that Yudhoyono would soon directly contact Ahtisaari to congratulate him.

Indonesia market suspends trading again

Indonesian Stock ExchangeJakarta - The Indonesian Stock Exchange suspended trading in its morning session Friday for the second consecutive trading day amid sharp falls on global markets.

The market announced on its website that "the equities and derivative trading for session I on October 10 is suspended" due to the indices' sharp declines at bourses across the world.

Erry Firmansyah, the market president, told Elshinta private radio programme that it was "impossible for us to resume trading" after Friday's plunges on Asian markets as well as steep losses on Wall Street overnight.

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