The Indonesian President Abdurrahman Wahid has again called on the former armed forces chief, General Wiranto, to resign from the government.

It's the third time in the past week Mr Wahid has asked General Wiranto to step down and the president said he hoped the resignation would be handed in before his return from a tour of Europe.

He added that General Wiranto would be placed on trial for his role in last year's atrocities in East Timor and would have to leave the cabinet while the case was being heard.

General Wiranto has refused to accept the findings of an Indonesian inquiry into the events in East Timor, which he said had ignored army evidence.

Mr Wahid was speaking after meeting the Pope John Paul at the Vatican. They discussed the Christian-Muslim violence that's cost the lives of hundreds of Indonesians over the past year.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service