February 24, 1999
Web posted at: 4:41 a.m. EST (0941 GMT)

JAKARTA, Indonesia (Reuters) - Several people have died in fresh unrest in Indonesia in the past two days, in the spice islands in the east and Borneo in the north.

Senior politicians, government officials and community leaders warn unrest is likely to increase in the countdown to the June 7 parliamentary election.

The unrest has flared across the country, prompted by the country's worst economic crisis in 30 years and a political vacuum left by the ouster last May of President Suharto after 32 years of autocratic rule.

The military has shown itself unable, and in some cases unwilling, to stem much of the violence.

But armed forces chief Gen. Wiranto has ordered his troops, including police, to shoot rioters on sight and is raising a rapid response team to deal with fresh outbreaks.

The following are some of the likely key hot spots.

JAKARTA - The capital has been the center of political protest, frequently violent. Students, quiet for the past two month, have promised to resume their demonstrations.

As with other major urban centers, anger over high prices and unemployment has prompted widespread looting and rioting, which is expected to continue if the economy worsens. The relatively wealthy ethnic Chinese minority in the north of the city has been a frequent target.

Many residents expect the level of random crime, already worrying, to rise.

The government's planned use soon of a barely-trained civilian militia is widely expected to worsen the situation.

ACEH - This staunchly Muslim province at the northwest tip of Sumatra has a long history of resisting central rule. Human rights groups say much of the current hostility against Jakarta and the military is motivated by poverty and a sense that the central government is cashing in on the region's rich natural resources.

THE MOLUCCAS - The famed spice islands. These far-eastern islands are mainly Christian in predominantly Moslem Indonesia. They have been the scene of the worst violence in recent months, mainly rooted in religious tensions. More than 160 people died in Christian-Muslim fighting in January, mainly on the main island of Ambon and the capital, Ambon city.

EAST TIMOR - Invaded by Indonesia in 1975, Jakarta's rule there is still not internationally recognised. Fighting appears to be picking up again as U.N.-sponsored talks on the territory's future edge closer to a resolution. West Timor has also seen recent Christian/Muslim unrest.

NORTH SUMATRA - A key plantation area for palm and rubber. There have been several outbreaks between farmers and security forces supporting the plantation companies. Farmers say the plantation companies took their land by force. The main city of Medan has seen rising unrest among the poor and unemployed. Protests, sometimes violent, by workers are common.

EAST JAVA - The main home of the Nahdlatul Ulama, Indonesia's largest Moslem organisation, which was the target of a rash of bizarre murders in late 1998. The capital, Surabaya, has been a hotbed of worker demonstrations in recent weeks.

SOUTH SUMATRA - The area around Lampung has seen several outbursts of violence, usually between locals and people from Java brought in under the government's transmigration program.

WEST KALIMANTAN - There have been several riots in and around the regional capital of Pontianak on the large island of Borneo. The city has a violent history and diverse ethnic mix, including indigenous Dayak tribes, ethnic Chinese and recent migrants from more crowded islands of Indonesia.

EAST AND SOUTH KALIMANTAN - These areas have seen several worker demonstrations. Most of the unrest here is related to economic hardship rather than ethnic and religious tensions.

CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN SULAWESI - Frequent clashes, though the reasons vary from economic to ethnic and religious.

IRIAN JAYA - Taken over by Indonesia in the 1960s, the province -- covering the western half of New Guinea island -- has huge natural resources and a strongly anti-Indonesian population. There is occasional fighting between separatists and troops as well as between locals and migrants from other areas.