Indonesian president to face critics

Protesters are calling for political squabbles to stop

Indonesia's embattled President Abdurrahman Wahid has said he will respond next week to a parliamentary censure implicating him in two financial scandals.

The economy has been going downhill amid the violence

His comments come amid fresh outbreaks of ethnic warring and separatist violence across the politically fragile archipelago.

In Borneo, army reinforcements have been sent to the latest site of bloodshed in Central Kalimantan province.

About 800 people have fled their homes in Kuala Kapuas town in the province where, according to the official Antara news agency, up to 17 people have been killed.

Jakarta is accused of human rights violations in Aceh

In Aceh, where fierce fighting between government troops and separatist rebels has been raging, police said five civilians had died in the latest outbreak of violence.

The violence underscores the deep undercurrents of tension within the country and is among the long list of problems on Mr Wahid's plate.

Second censure

The president, who is battling for his political survival, said he would appear in parliament on 28 March to deliver his 16-page reply to the censure motion - the first step in impeachment.

But his reply - in which he is expected to maintain his innocence in two multi-million dollar scandals - is unlikely to pacify his opponents in parliament, who are looking to speed up the impeachment process with a second censure.

There are fears that politicans cannot control their supporters

On Wednesday, a senior Indonesian minister warned that the political wrangling was threatening the country's fragile unity and stability.

Jakarta has been besieged in recent weeks by continual demonstrations, sometimes violent, between supporters and opponents of the president.

Mr Wahid has urged his fanatical supporters to stay away from the capital, but major demonstrations are planned next month.

In recent weeks in the province, hundreds of immigrants from the island of Madura have been brutally murdered by native Dayak tribesmen.