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83 killed in Indonesian clashes this week

JAKARTA: President Abdurrahman Wahid flew out of Indonesia on Friday for a two-week trip to 13 countries, leaving behind mounting criticism over his government's failure to end violence racking the country.

As Wahid left, military officials in the eastern Moluccas said 83 more people had died in religious clashes there this week.

Wahid on Thursday handed over the reins of power to Vice- President Megawati Sukarnoputri, a few hours after dismissing fears that the military could try to stage a coup while he was away.

Megawati has come in for strong criticism in recent weeks for failing to find a solution to the bloodshed in the Moluccas, while Wahid has been berated for spending too much time outside the country since his election in October.

On this trip he is due to visit 13 countries -- Saudi Arabia, Switzerland, Britain, France, the Netherlands, Germany, Italy, the Vatican, the Czech Republic, Belgium, India, South Korea and Thailand.

Military officials said four days of fighting this week on the island of Bacan in the Moluccas killed 73 people and injured 63 others.

On the large island of Halmahera in the nothern Moluccas six people died in clashes on Wednesday, while four others died on the island of Seram.

The violence in the Moluccas follows a two-day visit by Megawati earlier this week, who urged the warring Christian and Muslim communities to stop fighting.

A military spokesman said there were no reports of violence on Friday.

"The situation is currently under control," Lieutenant-Colonel Iwa Budiman told Reuters from Ambon city, 2,300 km east of Jakarta.

Officials say more than 1,600 people have died in the past year in the country's longest and worst sectarian violence. Human rights groups put the death toll at thousands.

Wahid handed over control of the country to Megawati before leaving the country and dismissed fears of a military coup during his absence.

His tour is aimed at seeking foreign investments which the country desperately to come out of its worst economic crisis in 33 years which has sent millions into abject poverty.

On Friday, World Bank said poverty levels in Indonesia had stabilised but was still unacceptably high and that it would take years to bring the rate down to pre-crisis level.

In a positive development, international loan payments the country desperately needs to stay solvent restarted after being stalled for months.

The World Bank annouced it had disbursed $300 million for schemes to help the poor, just days before Jakarta sits down with foreign donors to talk about a fresh round of loans.-Reuters