Papua New Guinea (PNG), already something of a failed state, is getting dragged into the growing civil war in Indonesian Papua, with which it shares the island of New Guinea. Indonesian police and army commanders are chasing after separatists in Papua, while getting more involved with corrupt practices in PNG.

August 25, 2006: Continued gang violence in East Timor has left at least 13 people wounded. Meanwhile, The UN approved the establishment of UNMIT (United Nations Integrated Mission in Timor-Leste). This non-military organization ( 1,608 police and 35 military liaison officers) needs to be renewed by the UN every six months. UNMIT will replace the 2,300 troops and police, mainly from Australia, later this year. Maybe.

August 24, 2006: Police have discovered that an Islamic terrorist leader, imprisoned for a 2002 attack, had a laptop computer, with a wireless connection to the Internet, smuggled to him in prison two years ago. Via that connection, the prisoner, Imam Samudra, helped plan an attack last year.

August 23, 2006: Three Australian police were injured when they tried to break up a fight between gangs in the capital of East Timor. Three police cars were also destroyed. Although the gangs have lost nearly all their firearms, they continue to use rocks, clubs, machetes and knives. Worse, the continue to prowl the capital, Dili, looting, robbing and attacking even police.