ANT - LKBN ANTARA (Indonesia) articles from January 2004

ANT - LKBN ANTARA (Indonesia) archives from January 2004

INDON GOVT MAINTAINS BASIC ELECTRICITY RATE IN 2004.
January 1, 2004... Jakarta, Jan 1 (ANTARA) - Different from its controversial policies in early 2003, the government announced here Wednesday evening that the basic electricity rate would not be risen up in 2004. Speaking to reporters here, Energy and...

POLICE TO USE LIE DETECTOR TO EXAMINE ASMUNI'S SUSPECTED KILLER.
January 1, 2004... Surabaya, E Java, Jan 1 (ANTARA) - The East Java police investigators would examine the psychological condition of Lora Anshori, suspected killer of the National Awakening Party (PKB) cadre, Asmuni Ishak, the East Java police chief said here...

ROAD ACCIDENTS IN SOME INDON CITIES IN NEW YEAR'S EVE.
January 1, 2004... Jakarta, Jan 1 (ANTARA) - The New Year's eve in Greater Jakarta areas was observed peacefully but one person died and at least 19 others got injured in various road accidents, hospital sources said on Thursday. Asmadi was killed in...

1,163 POLICEMEN TO SAFEGUARD ELECTION CAMPAIGN IN BENGKULU.
January 1, 2004... Bengkulu, Bengkulu, Jan 1 (ANTARA) - A total of 1,163 policemen, assisted by 234 military personnel, would be assigned to safeguard the election campaigns of 24 participating political parties, due to take place from March 1 through March 23, a...

EIGHT KILLED IN BOMB BLAST IN ACEH ON NEW YEAR'S EVE.
January 1, 2004... Jakarta, Jan 1, (ANTARA) - Eight civilians were killed in Indonesia's strife-torn Aceh province on New Year's Eve, Indonesian National Police Chief General Da'i Bachtiar told the press here on Thursday. Bachtiar said he had received a...

TEENAGER IN BANDUNG DIES BEFORE BLOWING NEW YEAR'S TRUMPET.
January 1, 2004... Bandung, W Java, Jan 1 (ANTARA) - Iwan, 22, failed to blow his trumpet he bought to celebrate the New Year's eve after a passenger bus hit his motorcycle about 25 minutes before the coming of 2004. The resident of Cibogo hamlet, Citatah...

EIGHT CIVILIANS KILLED, 32 INJURED IN E ACEH'S BOMB BLAST.
January 1, 2004... Banda Aceh, Aceh, Jan 1 (ANTARA) - A bomb blast has reportedly killed eight civilians and injured 32 others at a musical show in Keude Peurelak village, Peurelak subdistrict, East Aceh district, on Wednesday afternoon, a military spokesman has...

DON'T FORGET CONSTITUTION'S MANDATE, SAYS CULTURAL OBSERVER.
January 1, 2004... Jakarta, Jan 1 (ANTARA) - Indonesia which has been facing multidimensional crisis seems to be reluctant to recall the Constitution's mandate in an effort to materialize justice and prosperity for the people, a noted cultural observer has said....

MALUKU DECLARES 2004 ITS "INVESTMENT, DEVELOPMENT YEAR".
January 1, 2004... Ambon, Maluku, Jan 1 (ANTARA) - The people and government of Maluku ushered in the new year with a mass gathering at Ambon city's main square where provincial authorities also declared 2004 the province's "investment and development year." ...

ACEH POLICE TO WELCOME SWEDISH POLICE, PROSECUTORS' TEAM.
January 1, 2004... Banda Aceh, Aceh, Jan 1 (ANTARA) - Aceh Police Chief Insp Gen Bachrumsyah Kasman said here Thursday he would welcome a Swedish police and prosecutors' team which is scheduled to visit Aceh soon. He said the Swedish police and prosecutors'...

MINISTER CALLS FOR AWARENESS AGAINST SARS IN BORDER AREAS.
January 1, 2004... Jakarta, Jan 1 (ANTARA) - Health Minister Achmad Sujudi has called on the ministry's representative offices in border areas shared by Indonesia and other countries to be aware of any person suffering from Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome...

SENIOR MINISTER SEES OFF RI'S MEDICAL TEAM TO IRAN.
January 1, 2004... Jakarta, Jan 1 (ANTARA) - Coordinating Minister for People's Welfare Yusuf Kalla on Thursday saw off a 57-strong medical team aboard a Hercules plane to Iran to help victims of a powerful earthquake which struck the southern city of Bam last...

TECTONIC QUAKE SHAKES PALU.
January 2, 2004... Palu, C Sulawesi, Jan 1 (ANTARA) - A tectonic quake measuring III MMI (Modificated Mercally Intensity) hit Palu in Central Sulawesi province on Thursday at about 9.54 pm local time. However, no casualties or material loss were...

PT BA TO PRODUCE 10.3 MILLION TONS OF COAL IN 2004.
January 2, 2004... Muara Enim, S Sumatra, Jan 1 (ANTARA) - Indonesian coal mining company PT Tambang Batubara Bukit Asam Tbk (PT BA) is projected to produce 10.3 million tons of coal in 2004, a spokesman said. Of the total, 9.33 million tons would be derived...

PT PUPUK KUJANG'S UREA FERTILIZER OUTPUT EXCEEDS TARGET.
January 2, 2004... Cikampek, W Java, Jan 1 (ANTARA) - Indonesian fertilizer maker PT Pupuk Kujang last year produced 597,597 tons of urea fertilizers and 398,498 tons of ammonia, accounting for 104.8 percent and 106.3 percent of their target respectively. ...

PRESIDENT ASKS JAKARTA, W JAVA GOVERNORS TO ANTICIPATE FLOODS.
January 2, 2004... Bogor, W Java, Jan 1 (ANTARA) - President Megawati Soekarnoputri on Thursday asked West Java Governor Danny Setiawan to coordinate with Jakarta Governor Sutiyoso in anticipating floods that may hit the capital. "I received a phone call...

QUAKE JOLTS PALU.
January 2, 2004... Palu, C Sulawesi, Jan 1 (ANTARA) - A tectonic earthquake measuring 4.7 on the Richter scale jolted the Central Sulawesi provincial capital of Palu on Thursday night but there was no immediate report of casualties. The epicenter of the...

BALI AND LOMBOK ROCKED BY TREMOR.
January 2, 2004... Denpasar, Jan 3 (ANTARA) - Bali was rocked by a quake measuring at 6.3 at the Richter scale on Friday morning, damaging two Balinese shrines. The similar tremor was also felt in Mataram, the capital city of neighbouring island, the West...

FRIDAY'S HEADLINES IN INDONESIAN MAJOR DAILIES.
January 2, 2004... The Jakarta Post VOTE FOR CREDIBLE LEADERS: MEGAWATI Despite a lack of promising national leaders to contest the 2004 direct presidential election, President Megawati Soekarnoputri has urged Indonesians to exercise their right to vote in...

FRIDAY'S EDITORIALS FROM INDONESIAN DAILIES: 2 JAN 2004.
January 2, 2004... The Jakarta Post's editorial summary: ON FOREIGN DIPLOMACY The hosting of the 10-member ASEAN annual summit in Bali last October, where the leaders agreed on the creation of the ASEAN Community in 2020, will very likely turn out to be the...

TWO-MONTH-OLD BABY GIRL, BROTHER FOUND SAFE AFTER LOMBOK QUAKE.
January 2, 2004... Mataram, W Nusa Tenggara, Jan 2 (ANTARA) - A two-month-old baby girl and her two-and-a-half-years-old brother were found safe in the rubbles of their home after a strong earthquake rocked the Indonesian island of Lombok early on Friday. ...

E TIMORESE PATRONIZE INDON COMMODITIES, SAYS INDON BIZMEN.
January 2, 2004... Atambua, E Nusa Tenggara, Jan 2 (ANTARA) - Indonesian traders from Belu district in East Nusa Tenggara province have observed that the East Timorese prefer Indonesian commodities to those from other countries, a businessman said here Thursday....

INDON MILY ATTRIBUTES BOMB EXPLOSION IN PEUREULAK, ACEH TO REBELS.
January 2, 2004... Banda Aceh, Aceh, Jan 2 (ANTARA) - The Indonesian military on Friday attributed to rebels the bomb that exploded on New Year's Eve in Peureulak subdistrict in eastern Aceh that killed at least 10 people and injured 28 others. "The homemade...

SEVERAL E TIMORESE SPEND NEW YEAR IN INDONESIA.
January 2, 2004... Atambua, E Nusa Tenggara, Jan 2 (ANTARA) - A number of East Timorese welcomed the new year with their relatives in Belu district in Indonesia's East Nusa Tenggara province. "We came to celebrate the new year with our families in refugee...

IBRA STILL HAS 1,361 UNSETTLED LEGAL CASES - OFFICIAL.
January 2, 2004... Jakarta, Jan 2 (ANTARA) - The Indonesian Bank Restructuring Agency (IBRA) needs to settle 1,361 legal cases before it is dissolved in February, its legal affairs director has said. "We will speed up the out-of-court settlement of the...

SEVEN INJURED IN BALI TREMOR.
January 2, 2004... Denpasar, Bali, Jan 2 (ANTARA) - Seven people in Karangasem district, some 82 km east of here, were injured when an earthquake measuring 6.3 on the Richter scale struck the Indonesian island of Bali at 5 a.m. on Friday. "All seven are being...

TELKOM INSTALLS FIXED WIRELESS LINE IN INDON PROVINCE.
January 2, 2004... Jambi, Jambi, Jan 2 (ANTARA) - Indonesia's state telecommunications company, PT Telkom, has been installing a fixed wireless network in Jambi province, an official has said. Telkom began installing the network, under the TelkomFlexi...

EIGHT INDON NGOs REPORT MINISTER TO POLICE.
January 2, 2004... Jakarta, Jan 2 (ANTARA) - Eight Indonesian non-governmental organizations (NGOs) grouped in the Reform Coalition for Haj Management have reported Religious Affairs Minister Said Agil Al Munawar to the police for fraud and corruption. "Some...

QUAKE IN INDON CITY SLIGHTLY DAMAGES HOUSES.
January 2, 2004... Mataram, W Nusa Tenggara, Jan 2 (ANTARA) - The strong earthquake that rocked the Indonesian city of Mataram on Friday, slightly damaged a number of houses and buildings but there was no casualty. Head of Cakranegara subdistrict,...

DEATH TOLL IN ACEH BOMBING RISES TO 10, INDON POLICE CHIEF SAYS.
January 2, 2004... Jakarta, Jan 2 (ANTARA) - The death toll in the New Year's Eve bomb explosion in Indonesia's restive Aceh province has risen to 10, chief of the Indonesian Police, Gen Da'i Bachtiar, said here Friday. "One of the victims has yet to be...

WORLD WAR II BOMBS UNEARTHED IN INDONESIA'S PAPUA.
January 2, 2004... Manokwari, Papua, Jan 2 (ANTARA) - Some 69 World War II bombs were unearthed in Manokwari district in the eastern Indonesian province of Papua on Thursday, police said here Friday. Manokwari Police chief, Dedi Kusnadi, said the bombs, each...

NUMBER OF TELKOMFLEXI SUBSCRIBERS STOOD AT 459,000 IN 2003, SAYS TELKOM OFFICIAL.
January 2, 2004... Jakarta, Jan 2 (ANTARA) - Some 459,000 people across Indonesia subscribed to TelkomFlexi in 2003, surpassing the state telecommunications company, PT Telkom's target of 385,000, an official said here Friday. Telkom has thus set its 2004...

BALI QUAKE DID NOT CLAIM ANY LIFE.
January 2, 2004... Denpasar, Bali, Jan 2 (ANTARA) - The strong earthquake that rocked Karangasem district in Indonesia's resort island of Bali on Friday, did not claim any life but injured nine people. "There was no fatality but nine people were hurt,"...

QUAKE DAMAGES 270 BUILDINGS IN BALI.
January 2, 2004... Denpasar, Bali, Jan 2 (ANTARA) - A strong earthquake that rocked Karangasem district in Indonesia's resort island of Bali on Friday morning damaged 270 buildings, a rescue worker said in an phone interview from here. Most of the damaged...

INDONESIA'S 2003 INFLATION RATE RECORDED AT 5.06 PERCENT.
January 2, 2004... Jakarta, Jan 2 (ANTARA) - Indonesia recorded an inflation rate of 0.94 percent in December 2003, bringing the inflation rate for the whole calendar year (January-December 2003) to 5.06 percent. The inflation rate figure for 2003 is much...

RI EXPORTS IN NOVEMBER SLIGHTLY DOWN.
January 2, 2004... Jakarta, Jan 2 (ANTARA) - Indonesia's exports during November 2003 reached a total value of only US$ 4.86 billion or slightly down from the preceding month when the figure was US$4.99 billion, a statistical official said. The decrease was...

TNI CHIEF CRITICIZES GAM'S DISCRIMATORY TREATMENT OF HOSTAGES.
January 2, 2004... Jakarta, Jan 2 (ANTARA) - Indonesian National Defence Forces (TNI) Chief Gen Endriartono Sutarto here Friday criticized the separatist Free Aceh Movement (GAM) for discrimination in its treatment of hostages or prionsers. GAM had been...

IBRA YET TO DETERMINE FATE OF SYAMSUL NURLSALIM'S SHIRMP FARM.
January 3, 2004... Jakarta, Jan 2 (ANTARA) - The Indonesian Bank Restructuring Agency (IBRA) has yet to make a decision on what it will do with the PT Dipasena shrimp farm owned by one of its debtors, Syamsul Nursalim, a spokesman said. "We have yet to...

INDONESIA'S FIXED PHONE RATES UNATTRACTIVE TO INVESTORS.
January 3, 2004... Surabaya, E Java, Jan 2 (ANTARA) - PT Telkom Managing Director Kristiono said here Friday the structure of telephone rates in Indonesia, especially those for fixed phones, were not attractive to investors. "The current structure of our...

GOVT TO ISSUE INT'L DOLLAR-DENOMINATED BONDS.
January 3, 2004... Jakarta, Jan 2 (ANTARA) - The government looks certain to issue dollar-denominated international bonds this year to cover the state budget deficit estimated at Rp24.4 trillion. "They are likely to be in dollar but it will depend on the...

POSO BLAST DID NOT CLAIM ANY LIFE, SAYS POLICE CHIEF.
January 3, 2004... Palu, C Sulawesi, Jan 2 (ANTARA) - A strong blast in Kasiguncu village, Poso Pesisir subdistrict, on Thursday evening did not claim any life, Central Sulawesi Police Chief, Brig Gen Taufiq Ridha said. "Until Friday afternoon, police...

DOSSIERS OF THREE BNI SCAM SUSPECTS HANDED TO PROSECUTORS.
January 3, 2004... Jakarta, Jan 2 (ANTARA) - Police have handed over the dossiers of three suspects in a Rp1.7 trillion lending scam at state-onwed Bank Negara Indonesia (BNI) to the Jakarta public prosecutor's office. The three suspects, all former officials of...

MUHAMMADIYAH YOUTH MOVEMENT CHIEF QUITS AS PAN'S LEGISLATIVE CANDIDATE.
January 3, 2004... Jakarta, Jan 2 (ANTARA) - Muhammadiyah Youth Movement Chairman Abdul Mu'ti has quit as a legislative candidate from the National Mandate Party (PAN). Speaking to the press here on Friday, Mu'ti said there were three reasons why he had...

ELECTORAL CONTESTANTS ASKED TO ANNOUNCE LEGISLATIVE CANDIDATES.
January 3, 2004... Jakarta, Jan 2 (ANTARA) - The General Elections Commission on Friday appealed to electoral contestants to announce their legislative candidates to give the public a chance to judge their quality. The announcement of legislative candidates...

VISA-ON ARRIVAL FACILITIES EFFECTIVE FEB 1.
January 3, 2004... Jakarta, Jan 2 (ANTARA) - The Indonesian government is planning to give visa-on arrival facilities to tourists from a number of countries starting on February 1. "The visa-on arrival facilities will be effective as from February 1," Justice...

GOVT OKAYS FORMATION OF INDEPENDENT TEAM TO PROBE ERSA'S DEATH.
January 3, 2004... Surabaya, E Java, Jan 2 (ANTARA) - Coordinating Minister for Political and Security Affairs Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono gave the green light for the formation of an independent team to probe the death of private television reporter Ersa Siregar in...

SATURDAY'S HEADLINES IN INDONESIAN MAJOR DAILIES.
January 3, 2004... The Jakarta Post and Republika INDEX THE HIGHEST SINCE 1999 The Jakarta Composite Index took a strong jump on the first day of 2004 trading on Monday, closing at above 700 - the highest in more than four years as optimism pervaded regional...

SATURDAY'S EDITORIALS FROM INDONESIAN DAILIES: 3 JAN 2004.
January 3, 2004... The Jakarta Post's editorial summary: PLEASING THE PRESIDENT President Megawati Soekarnoputri's recent venting of the shame she felt on seeing the Indonesia national sports team beaten at the 22nd Southeast Asian (SEA) Games in Vietnam last...

INDON LEGAL AID INSTITUTE TO INVESTIGATE "BLACK POLITICIANS".
January 3, 2004... Makassar, S Sulawesi, Jan 3 (ANTARA) - The local branch of Indonesia's Legal Aid Institute (LBH) will soon form a team to investigate "black politicians" who have been chosen by political parties as their legislative candidates, its chairman,...

QUAKE VICTIMS IN INDONESIA'S LOMBOK ISLAND STAY IN REFUGEE CAMPS.
January 3, 2004... Mataram, W Nusa Tenggara, Jan 3 (ANTARA) - Hundreds of earthquake victims in the Indonesian holiday island of Lombok are staying in emergency refugee camps. They come from villages in the subdistricts of Pemenang and Batu Layar in West...

INDON COMMISSION VERIFIES 50 PCT OF LEGISLATIVE CANDIDATE REGISTRATION FORMS.
January 3, 2004... Jakarta, Jan 3 (ANTARA) - Indonesia's General Election Commission (KPU) has been studying about 50 percent of registration forms filed by legislative candidates of 24 political parties eligible to contest in this year's general election, a...

MALAYSIA NAMES STREET AFTER INDON HERO.
January 3, 2004... Pekanbaru, Riau, Jan 3 (ANTARA) - A street in Seremban, capital of Malaysia's Negeri Sembilan state, has been named after Tuanku Tambusai, a hero from Indonesia's Riau province, an ANTARA reporter who visited the city early this week has...

2004 ELECTIONS SHOULD CREATE A NEW INDONESIA, HISTORIAN SAYS.
January 3, 2004... Jakarta, Jan 3 (ANTARA) - This year's general elections should serve as a good momentum to create a new Indonesia that is more democratic and free from corruption, collusion and nepotism, noted historian, Anhar Gonggong, said here Saturday. ...

CARGO BOAT SINKS IN INDONESIA'S SE SULAWESI, 11 SURVIVE.
January 3, 2004... Kendari, SE Sulawesi, Jan 3 (ANTARA) - A cargo boat loaded with staple food sank in the waters off Hari Island in Indonesia's Southeast Sulawesi province on Friday evening. The ill-fated "KM Usi Sari Indah 02" sank after it was hit by...

POLICE ARREST BOMB-MAKER IN INDONESIA'S N SULAWESI.
January 3, 2004... Manado, N Sulawesi, Jan 3 (ANTARA) - Police in Indonesia's North Sulawesi province have arrested a man caught making fertilizer-based bombs. Police arrested the man, a resident of Belang village, South Minahasa district on New Year's...

23 HOUSES IN VILLAGE IN INDONESIA'S LOMBOK DAMAGED BY QUAKE.
January 3, 2004... Mataram, W Nusa Tenggara, Jan 3 (ANTARA) - Some 23 houses in Penimbung Barat village in the Indonesian island of Lombok were damaged by Friday's strong earthquake. "Of the 23 houses, 15 were severely damaged," head of the disaster and...

TEN DIE OF DENGUE FEVER IN INDONESIA'S W JAVA.
January 3, 2004... Majalengka, W Java, Jan 3 (ANTARA) - Ten people have died in a dengue fever outbreak in Majalengka district in Indonesia's West Java province, a local official said here Saturday. Eight of the 10 victims were residents of Jatiwangi...

PRIVATE INDON AIRLINE TO LAUNCH NEW PROMOTION.
January 3, 2004... Jakarta, Jan 3 (ANTARA) - Indonesia's Lion Air will soon launch its new promotion, "Fly With Lion Air, Return a Millionaire", which starts this month and ends in December, the private airline said in a statement made available to ANTARA here...

IMPORTED SUGAR HITS INDONESIA'S S SULAWESI.
January 3, 2004... Makassar, S Sulawesi, Jan 3 (ANTARA) - Imported sugar, especially from Thailand, has hit markets in the Indonesian province of South Sulawesi and its surrounding areas, a sugar trader said here Saturday. "The Makassar port has even become a...

INDON CITY TO DEVELOP MARINE TOURISM.
January 3, 2004... Makassar, S Sulawesi, Jan 3 (ANTARA) - The city administration of Makassar is planning to develop marine tourism in coastal areas and several islets in Indonesia's South Sulawesi province in 2004, an official has said. The city...

COMMUTER TRAIN TO BE TRIED OUT IN INDON CITY OF SURABAYA.
January 3, 2004... Surabaya, E Java, Jan 3 (ANTARA) - A commuter train that will link East Java's provincial capital of Surabaya and the town of Sidoarjo is expected to be tried out middle of this month, spokesman of the Indonesian Railway Company (PT KAI),...

INT'L ASSISTANCE ARRIVES IN INDON PROVINCE.
January 3, 2004... Jambi, Jambi, Jan 3 (ANTARA) - Some Rp2.1 billion worth of humanitarian aid extended by the Federation of International Red Cross (FIRC) arrived at the Sultan Thaha airport here Saturday. ANTARA reported that the assistance, which came on...

EIGHT COUNTRIES JOIN MOSQUITO ERADICATION WORKSHOP IN INDON TOWN.
January 3, 2004... Salatiga, C Java, Jan 3 (ANTARA) - At least 26 health officials from eight countries are participating in an ongoing workshop on mosquito eradication, a local official said here Saturday. The health officials from Bangladesh, Bhutan,...

INDON GOV'T TO CHANNEL 100 TONS OF RICE TO LOMBOK'S QUAKE VICTIMS.
January 3, 2004... Mataram, W Nusa Tenggara, Jan 3 (ANTARA) - West Nusa Tenggara's provincial government will channel 100 tons of rice to victims of Friday's earthquake in the Indonesian island of Lombok, an official said here Saturday. The rice will soon...

TWO ARMED ACEH REBELS CAPTURED IN TWO FRESH RAIDS.
January 3, 2004... Banda Aceh, Aceh, Jan 3 (ANTARA) - The government soldiers captured two armed Aceh rebels in a series of raids to the separatists' hideouts on Friday, a military spokesman said. One of the two detainees was a member of "Inong Balee",...

VP NOT TO RESIGN IN ORDER TO JOIN PRESIDENTIAL RACE.
January 3, 2004... Jakarta, Jan 3 (ANTARA) - Vice President Hamzah Haz said here Saturday he would not give up his position as vice president to run in the direct presidential election later this year. Speaking to the press in his capacity as chairman of...

DENPASAR HIGH COURT GIVES BALI BOMBING SUSPECT LONGER SENTENCE.
January 3, 2004... Denpasar, Jan 3 (ANTARA) - The Denpasar High Court on Saturday dashed convicted Bali bombing suspect Hernianto's hopes of being acquitted or getting a ligher sentence by giving him an even longer prison term than he had received earlier. ...

GOVT URGED TO PUBLICIZE VISA-ON ARRIVAL FACILITIES SOON.
January 3, 2004... Denpasar, Jan 3 (ANTARA) - A local tourist operator has urged the government to soon publicize its plan to give visitors from a number of countries visa-on arrival (VoA) facilities starting February 1. "The most important thing now is to...

ACEH ADMINISTRATION TO HELP FERTILIZER COYS OVERCOME GAS SUPPLY PROBLEM.
January 3, 2004... Banda Aceh, Jan 3 (ANTARA) - The Aceh provincial administration and legislative assembly will do their utmost to enable three fertilizer companies in the province to resume their operations following a halt in gas supply from PT ExxonMobil, a...

PPP'S LEGISLATIVE CANDIDATES ARE PARTY'S BEST CADRES, SAYS HAMZAH HAZ.
January 3, 2004... Jakarta, Jan 3 (ANTARA) - United Development Party (PPP) Chairman Hamzah Haz said here Saturday his party's legislative candidates were its best cadres and none of them could be categorized as "black" politicians. "All of PPP's...

GOVT BEGINS APPLYING VAT, LUXURY SALES TAX IN BATAM.
January 4, 2004... Batam, Riau Islands, Jan 3 (ANTARA) - Government Regulation No 63/2003 on collection of value added tax (PPN) and luxury sales tax (PPnBM) in the industrialized island of Batam starting January 2004 constitutes a sunset policy to be applied...

BAMBANG TO JOIN INDON TEAM TO ASIAN KARATE COMPETITION.
January 4, 2004... Banda Aceh, Jan 3 (ANTARA) - Karate athlete Bambang Mualidin will join the Indonesian team to the Sixth Asian Karate Federation (AKF) competition to be held in Taiwan late January. "On January 15 at the latest, I will have to be in Jakarta...

BENGKULU JOB-SEEKERS JOIN APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM IN JAPAN.
January 4, 2004... Bengkulu, Jan 3 (ANTARA) - Some 41 people of Bengkulu province's work force have been sent to Japan to join a three-year apprenticeship programme in automotive and electronic industries, an official said. "The rest (90 people) will be...

MOST WEST JAVA POLICEMEN LACK DECENT HOUSING.
January 4, 2004... Kuningan, W Java, Jan 3 (ANTARA) - Some 85 percent of the police force in West Java do not live in decent houses, West Java Police Chief Insp. Gen. Dadang Garnida said here Saturday. "Eighty-five precent of West Java's 22,000 police...

PASURUAN ELECTION OFFICIAL'S HOME ALLEGEDLY BOMBED.
January 4, 2004... Surabaya, Jan 3 (ANTARA) - Unidentified persons last Friday night hurled a self-made bomb at the home of Mohammad Shodiq, chairman of the Pasuruan branch of the General Elections Commission (KPU) but nobody was hurt, a source said. "No...

SUNDAY'S HEADLINES IN INDONESIAN MAJOR DAILIES.
January 4, 2004... The Jakarta Post AFTERSHOCKS KEEP QUAKE VICTIMS ON EDGE Hundreds of earthquake victims on Lombok island remained on Saturday in makeshift tents, one day after a powerful earthquake rocked the island and its neighbouring resort of Bali. ...

FIVE KILLED IN COLLISION IN CIKAMPEK TOLL ROAD.
January 4, 2004... Karawang, W Java, Jan 4 (ANTARA) - Five people were killed and 42 others injured when the bus in which they were travelling collided with a truck in the Cikampek toll road at dawn on Sunday. "Forty-two people were injured," Supangat, an...

PPP DENIES HOLDING EARLY CAMPAIGN.
January 4, 2004... Jakarta, Jan 4 (ANTARA) - United Development Party (PPP) Chairman Hamzah Haz denied an allegation that the long march involving thousands of party cadres here on Sunday is an early campaign. "The party's 31st anniversary will fall tommorow...

ELECTION SUPERVISORS URGED TO TAKE STIFF MEASURES.
January 4, 2004... Jakarta, Jan 4 (ANTARA) - The Election Supervisory Committee (Panwaslu) has called on its provincial and district branches to take stiff measures against any political party which holds an early campaign. "We have instructed them to do so,"...

FIVE STUDENTS TAKE APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM IN MALAYSIA.
January 4, 2004... Banjarmasin, S Kalimantan, Jan 4 (ANTARA) - Five students of a vocational school here are taking part in an apprenticeship program in Malaysia under cooperation between the South Kalimantan administration and a Malaysian association of...

VEEP ASKS GAM NOT TO USE HOSTAGES TO OPPOSE GOVT.
January 4, 2004... Jakarta, Jan 4 (ANTARA) - Vice President Hamzah Haz asked the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) on Sunday not to use hostages to oppose the government. "Don't use hostages to oppose the government," he said after taking part in the march held by...

TNI, POLICE FIND ACEH REBELS' WEAPONS KEPT IN HOLE.
January 4, 2004... Banda Aceh, Jan 4 (ANTARA) - A joint team of military and police officers dug a hole containing hard and standard weapons belonging to separatist rebels in East Aceh district. "We found two 12.7 mm calibre-machine weapons, two sets of...

PASSENGER SHIP HITS CORAL REEFS IN SULAWESI WATERS.
January 4, 2004... Palu, C Sulawesi, Jan 4 (ANTARA) - A passenger ship called "KM Nusa Teratai" rammed into coral reefs in Bangkep Sea at 03:00 local time on Sunday while on its way from Luwuk port to Banggai Port in Banggai Islands district in Central Sulawesi...

FOREIGN INVESTORS THREATEN TO LEAVE BATAM.
January 4, 2004... Batam, Jan 4 (ANTARA) - A number of foreign investors have threatened to leave the industrialized island of Batam following the government's decision to impose value added tax (VAT) and luxury sales tax (PPnBM) on the island as of January 1. ...