Asia Africa Intelligence Wire articles from August 2004, page 9

Asia Africa Intelligence Wire archives from August 2004

MMP sees export sales reaching B500m.
August 31, 2004... (From Bangkok Post) Byline: CHATRUDEE THEPARAT MMP Packaging, a Thai-Japanese joint venture that manufactures food wrapping film, is confident its export sales will reach 500 million baht this year. According to Adul...

Sealed Air offers new alternative for retailers presenting packaged meats.
August 31, 2004... (From Bangkok Post) At the supermarket, meat usually comes in a foam tray covered with plastic wrap. Prepared by the supermarket's own meat cutters, such products normally have a shelf-life of only a few days. Packages left unsold after...

No big dividends seen from sharp increases in oil prices.
August 31, 2004... (From Bangkok Post) The market for natural rubber has been unable to take advantage of the increased potential from the sharp hike in oil prices, according to Choositt Ophaswongse, an honorary president of the Thai Rubber Association....

Tycoon resurrects bid for Liverpool stake.
August 31, 2004... (From Bangkok Post) Byline: NONDHANADA INTARAKOMALYASUT Entertainment and media tycoon Paiboon Damrongchaitham will seek to expand his private business portfolio overseas by reviving a 4.6-billion-baht bid to acquire a stake in the...

'Carrot and stick' used to lure banks.
August 31, 2004... (From Bangkok Post) Making a good business case for a migration to smart, chip-based bank payment cards is no longer a problem, according to T.V. Seshadri, MasterCard's head of technology and operations for Southeast Asia. ...

Plans afoot for regional centres.
August 31, 2004... (From Bangkok Post) Plans are under way to establish three regional centres to distribute Thai-made auto parts overseas, according to Vallop Tiasiri, the executive director of the Thailand Automotive Institute. The proposed sites for...

B2S thinks smaller in getting bigger.
August 31, 2004... (From Bangkok Post) B2S Co Ltd, the book and stationery store chain under the umbrella of Central Retail Corporation, is thinking small as it seeks to enlarge its business, which has been constrained by the lack of more sizeable...

Apirak asks PM to help.
August 31, 2004... (From Bangkok Post) Byline: SUPAWADEE SUSANPOOLTHONG Bangkok governor-elect Apirak Kosayodhin is arranging an appointment with Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra to seek the government's cooperation in implementing his election...

Roads closed for major procession.
August 31, 2004... (From Bangkok Post) Parts of Sukhumvit and Phetchaburi roads and Asoke, Ratchaprasong, Pathumwan, Pong Praram, Urupong, Yommaraj and Phitsanulok intersections will be closed to traffic today from 4pm, to make way for a parade of...

Chuwit to thank city voters with a public park.
August 31, 2004... (From Bangkok Post) Governor candidate Chuwit Kamolvisit plans to donate six rai of land in Sukhumvit area for a public park and art complex, to show his gratitude to city people who voted for him. The land, formerly Sukhumvit Square...

Apirak faces probe before endorsement.
August 31, 2004... (From Bangkok Post) Byline: MONGKOL BANGPRAPA The Election Commission will investigate a complaint against election winner Apirak Kosayodhin before endorsing him as Bangkok governor. Commission chairman Pol Gen Wassana Permlarp...

PM: Democrat victory no omen of TRT doom.
August 31, 2004... (From Bangkok Post) Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra says it's wrong to jump to the conclusion that the Democrat party's victory in the Bangkok governor poll is a harbinger of problems for his government. The only litmus test the...

Opposition to revise list of candidates for city.
August 31, 2004... (From Bangkok Post) The Democrat party plans to replace Bangkok MPs who seldom visit their constituencies with new candidates in the next general election. The party has hopes of winning more seats in the capital following the...

Samak: City voters made smartest pick.
August 31, 2004... (From Bangkok Post) Outgoing Bangkok governor Samak Sundaravej says he did not vote for Apirak Kosayodhin, but the Democrat candidate was the smartest choice for Bangkokians. Mr Apirak won by a landslide, receiving more than 911,000...

Chaturon not in favour of demolition.
August 31, 2004... (From Bangkok Post) Deputy Prime Minister Chaturon Chaisaeng has opposed a proposal of the Ratanakosin and Old City committee to demolish the old Kurusapa printing house in Ta Pra Arthit area. As chairman of the comittee, Mr Chaturon...

Halfway house for elephants to clear capital.
August 31, 2004... (From Bangkok Post) Chon Buri _ A halfway house for elephants removed from the streets of Bangkok was up and running yesterday after the authorities last week arrested several mahouts in a major crackdown to rid the capital of the...

Taiwanese brothers held for trafficking.
August 31, 2004... (From Bangkok Post) Two Taiwanese brothers were charged with drug trafficking after a raid on their apartment in Din Daeng district found 14kg of heroin destined for Australia, the United States and Europe. Police went to room 238/97...

Digging deeper.
August 31, 2004... (From Bangkok Post) Byline: Story by SANITSUDA EKACHAI Looking for a place to learn about our land's ancient past that can help free us from ethnocentric, Bangkok-biased nationalism? The Korat basin in the Northeast is a good place...

No phoning Worapoj after TOT cuts line.
August 31, 2004... (From Bangkok Post) Byline: SUPAPHONG CHAOLAN Surat Thani _ Thaweep Petchkoom, father of the Olympics boxing finalist, now knows what a difference there is between winning a silver and gold medal. The TOT Corp telephone line...

Women artists against violence.
August 31, 2004... (From Bangkok Post) Byline: KRISSIE NA KLONGTOEY Four distinguished, talented female artists will be highlighted in a exhibition entitled "Women 4 Women". The exhibition, organised by Soroptimist International of Bangkok, will...

Soldiers due back home by mid-September.
August 31, 2004... (From Bangkok Post) All Thai troops sent to Iraq on a humanitarian mission will return home after completing their task. Defence Minister Gen Chettha Thanajaro said the government was uncomfortable about maintaining military...

Chatchawal leaves Chart Thai for Mahachon.
August 31, 2004... (From Bangkok Post) Roi Et MP Chatchawal Chompoodaeng of Chart Thai has defected to Mahachon party, accusing Chart Thai leader Banharn Silpa-archa of ignoring his party members. Mr Chatchawal submitted his resignation letter on...

Master peace plan near completion.
August 31, 2004... (From Bangkok Post) The government is close to finalising its plan to restore peace in the deep South _ featuring a unified command and better understanding of cultural and religious differences. Deputy Prime Minister Chaturon...

GPS gear for police cars, bikes on border.
August 31, 2004... (From Bangkok Post) Global positioning systems will be installed in police vehicles in the three southernmost provinces for a 30-day trial period. Government spokesman Jakrapob Penkair said use of GPS would help police track down...

Pro-GMO move irks organic food traders.
August 31, 2004... (From Bangkok Post) Byline: KULTIDA SAMABUDDHI Thailand's major organic food exporters yesterday demanded Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra scrap his decision to approve open-field trials and commercial growing of...

Senators call for review of Oraphan case.
August 31, 2004... (From Bangkok Post) Senators yesterday asked the Public Health Ministry to review its order dismissing Dr Oraphan Mathadilogkul of Ratchavithee Hospital from the civil service. The request was made by three senators _ Sanit...

'Diesohol' latest innovation.
August 31, 2004... (From Bangkok Post) Ethanol-blended diesel, dubbed diesohol, could be the latest alternative fuel to help Thailand lessen its dependence on oil imports over the next two years once it meets national fuel standards, an energy expert said...

Tokyo's aid sought for airport.
August 31, 2004... (From Bangkok Post) Thailand has asked Japan to help support the restoration of Savannakhet airport in Laos which also serves domestic Thai passengers in Mukdahan and nearby provinces. Foreign Minister Surakiart Sathirathai made the...

Men are a key element in building gender equality.
August 31, 2004... (From Bangkok Post) Byline: MICHAEL FLOOD Social and economic shifts have dented the traditional rules of manhood. Males in many countries now are faced with contradictory expectations about how to behave. Men are asking themselves:...

The greatest challenge lies ahead for Apirak.
August 31, 2004... (From Bangkok Post) After seven months of hard campaigning, the last lap the most contentious as the government unofficially threw its weight behind a rival, Apirak Kosayodhin has cause to celebrate his landslide victory on Sunday. But...

Magnificent Eight back home today.
August 31, 2004... (From Bangkok Post) Byline: WANCHAI RUJAWONGSANTI Athens _ Thailand are hoping that their most successful Olympics in Athens will usher them into a new era as sports chiefs are upbeat about the country's chances in the next Games in...

Busy schedule awaits Thai heroes.
August 31, 2004... (From Bangkok Post) Thailand 's Olympic heroes return to Bangkok this morning and the eight medallists face a hectic schedule on their first day back home. They are scheduled to arrive at Don Muang on Thai Airways International...

AUSTRALIAN INTEREST RATES LESS INFLUENCED BY GOVT: ANALYST.
August 31, 2004... (From Asia Pulse) CANBERRA, Aug 31 Asia Pulse - John Howard is doing his best to scare first-time home buyers with the threat of 17 per cent-plus mortgage interest rates under a Labor government. But the new generation of home buyers...

ARROYO'S CHINA VISIT TARGETS GAINS TO BOOST AGENDA: ROMULO.
August 31, 2004... (From Asia Pulse) MANILA, Aug 31 Asia Pulse - President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo's visit to China from September 1 to 3 this year is expected to result in gains that will promote government's development agenda for the country, Department...

SINGAPORE POLY BUILDS IP TELEPHONY INTO CAMPUS IT ENVIRONMENT.
August 31, 2004... (From Asia Pulse) Byline: reducing infrastructure and staffing expenses, the IP (Full text of a statement. Contact details below.) SINGAPORE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug. 30, 2004-- Deployed by Radiance Communications with Equipment...

AUSTRALIA'S ZINIFEX BOOKS BUMPER JUNE QTR NET PROFIT.
August 31, 2004... (From Asia Pulse) MELBOURNE, Aug 31 Asia Pulse - Australian zinc miner Zinifex Ltd (ASX:ZFX) outperformed expectations in its first quarter of trade since listing on the Australian Stock Exchange, reporting a profit for the period four...

CURRENT PRICES INADEQUATE IF INT'L CRUDE KEEPS RISING: BPCL.
August 31, 2004... (From Asia Pulse) MUMBAI, Aug 31 Asia Pulse - State-owned Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd (BPCL) (BSE:BPCL) has cautioned that despite duty cuts by the government, current domestic petroleum prices would be inadequate for the oil...

Kenyan minister says AIDS "biological weapon" to "wipe out" blacks.
August 31, 2004... (From BBC Monitoring International Reports) wipe out blacks'" published by Kenyan newspaper East African Standard web site on 31 August Assistant Minister Prof Wangari Maathai yesterday claimed that HIV/AIDS was a biological weapon...

Ugandan team set to visit Kenya over peace in northern border area.
August 31, 2004... (From BBC Monitoring International Reports) hold peace talks" published by Kenyan newspaper Daily Nation web site on 31 August A Ugandan delegation is set to hold talks on how to restore peace in northern parts of the country. ...

US firm to introduce bullet-proof vehicles in Kenya.
August 31, 2004... (From BBC Monitoring International Reports) Armoured cars are to be offered for sale in Kenya's showrooms as gun attacks against motorists increase. Bullet-proof cars will now be available to motorists at between 5.2m shillings and...

S. KOREA TO PROVIDE US$21 MLN LOAN TO VIETNAM.
August 31, 2004... (From Asia Pulse) SEOUL, Aug 31 Asia Pulse - South Korea will loan US$21 million to Vietnam to help it implement a national project to improve its environmental infrastructure, the Ministry of Finance and Economy said Tuesday. ...

KOREAN ELECTRONICS MAKERS EYE MIDDLE EAST, AFRICA.
August 31, 2004... (From Asia Pulse) SEOUL, Aug 31 Asia Pulse - South Korean home appliance makers are strengthening their marketing in the Middle East and Africa, industry officials said Tuesday. Daewoo Electronics Corp. said it has set up a branch...

U.S. MAY OKAY S. KOREAN HIGH-TECH EXPORTS TO N KOREA: MINISTER.
August 31, 2004... (From Asia Pulse) CANBERRA, Aug 31 Asia Pulse - An initial review by the United States has found that most goods South Korea plans to bring to an industrial complex under construction in North Korea are not banned under regulations...

S. KOREA OPPOSES TRADE OF MINKE WHALES.
August 31, 2004... (From Asia Pulse) SEOUL, Aug 31 Asia Pulse - South Korea opposes the international trade of minke whales although their number has increased worldwide, government officials said Tuesday. According to the Ministry of Maritime Affairs...

Missiles don't destroy RI-Australia ties.
August 31, 2004... (From The Jakarta Post) Thanks to good neighborly relations and fast track diplomacy, Indonesia's concerns over Australia's acquisition of long-range cruise missiles have failed to shake the ties between the two countries. The...

Susilo dares Megawati to a face-off.
August 31, 2004... (From The Jakarta Post) Sounding confident that he could outshine the incumbent, Megawati Soekarnoputri, in a debate face-off, presidential candidate Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono challenged Megawati on Monday to confront him in a General...

Govt continues modernizing tax system.
August 31, 2004... (From The Jakarta Post) The government is now moving fast to implement its new tax administration system in tax offices across the country, and expecting an annual increase of Rp 30 trillion (about US$3.21 billion) in tax revenue. ...

'The Jakarta Post' on your mobile phone.
August 31, 2004... (From The Jakarta Post) OceanLake is pleased to announce that 'The Jakarta Post' has licensed OceanLake's mScope product to offer mobile access to all news stories from any mobile device worldwide, from any mobile carrier. This new...

Jakarta bureaucrats say they loathe to be called public servants.
August 31, 2004... (From The Jakarta Post) Complaints over poor public services are often a subject of conversation among Jakartans in offices, coffee shops, markets, waiting rooms and on public transportation. A number of bureaucrats, however, feel...

Papuan researcher wins award for study on gender issues.
August 31, 2004... (From The Jakarta Post) A Papuan anthropologist, Marlina Flassy, has been declared the winner of the 'Peniti Emas' community research award, capping a series of science and technology achievements by people in the remote province. ...

Radioactive waste pollutes Jakarta's rivers: Police.
August 31, 2004... (From The Jakarta Post) Radioactive and other live-threatening materials have contaminated most rivers in Jakarta and West Java provinces, the police said on Monday. Police Forensic Laboratory Chief Brig. Gen. Dudon Satyaputra said...

Women want domestic violence bill passed soon.
August 31, 2004... (From The Jakarta Post) At least 60 women's organizations, along with the national women's rights body, want to make sure that violence in the home is recognized as a crime -- before political squabbling waters down the final draft of...

U.S. grants RI US$157m to improve education.
August 31, 2004... (From The Jakarta Post) The United States signed on Monday two agreements to provide US$468 million in development funds to Indonesia over the next five years, the largest assistance package ever signed by the two countries. The...

'Whomever becomes president, they will need the TNI'.
August 31, 2004... (From The Jakarta Post) Jun Honna, 'the author of the book' Military Politics and Democratization in Indonesia '(2003), and an associate professor at Ritsumeiken University in Japan, has been in Indonesia for about one year to observe...

House ends debate on truth commission.
August 31, 2004... (From The Jakarta Post) The House of Representatives (DPR) and the government wrapped up on Monday their deliberations on the truth and reconciliation commission bill following a half-hour, closed-door meeting attended by faction leaders...

S. Korea labor market open to skilled RI workers only.
August 31, 2004... (From The Jakarta Post) To follow up the memorandum of understanding (MOU) Indonesia and South Korea signed on July 13, the two governments have agreed on the repatriation of around 7,000 Indonesian illegal workers now employed in the...

Government objects to House-sponsored bills.
August 31, 2004... (From The Jakarta Post) The government is ready to present alternative bills on the ministerial offices and the presidential advisory board, claiming that the drafts sponsored by the House of Representatives restrict the authority of...

PKB says it will 'stay neutral' in runoff.
August 31, 2004... (From The Jakarta Post) One day before its two-day national meeting, the National Awakening Party (PKB) pledged on Monday to stay neutral in the Sept. 20 election runoff. PKB deputy chairman M. Mahfud MD said that his party would...

Defense lawyers seek Ba'asyir's release.
August 31, 2004... (From The Jakarta Post) JAKARTA: Lawyers of controversial cleric Abu Bakar Ba'asyir, a terrorist suspect currently being held by the Jakarta prosecutor's office, launched on Monday a legal battle to secure his release. In a pre-trial...

Groups seek to combat illegal timber trade.
August 31, 2004... (From The Jakarta Post) Top government officials and environmentalists gathered here on Monday for a three-day conference to address the problems of illegal timber product trading, trans-border haze pollution and the reforestation of...

Ministry told to cede power.
August 31, 2004... (From The Jakarta Post) In what appeared to be an about face, President Megawati Soekarnoputri told the Ministry of Home Affairs on Monday to consider delegating some of its authority to district administrations in a bid to improve...

KPK to quiz Aceh councillors, mayors.
August 31, 2004... (From The Jakarta Post) JAKARTA: The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) is scheduled to question over one dozen Acehnese councillors, mayors and regents over their role in a corruption case involving Aceh Governor Abdullah Puteh. ...

'Tempo' did not intend to 'defame' Tomy.
August 31, 2004... (From The Jakarta Post) 'Tempo' weekly journalist Ahmad Taufik and editor Teuku Iskandar Ali claimed to have had no intention to defame business tycoon Tomy Winata through a disputed article 'Is Tomy in Tenabang?' in the magazine's March...

RI and Korean police cement relations.
August 31, 2004... (From The Jakarta Post) JAKARTA: The National Police and its South Korean counterpart signed on Monday an agreement to collaborate in law enforcement, including in transnational crime prevention and information sharing, while pledging to...

Residents wait for rights team.
August 31, 2004... (From The Jakarta Post) KUPANG, East Nusa Tenggara: At least 2,000 coffee farmers from Colol village are awaiting the arrival of a team from the National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) to conduct further investigations into the...

Aceh court slammed for freeing charged council members.
August 31, 2004... (From The Jakarta Post) The Banda Aceh District Court ordered the release of 10 councillors being detained on graft charges, prosecutors and their lawyers said on Monday, while hundreds of protesters staged protests in several regions...

Three shot in Makassar clash between students.
August 31, 2004... (From The Jakarta Post) A third serious brawl in two months involving university students in Makassar turned considerably more violent, after three people suffered gunshot wounds following the latest clash early on Monday. Rizal,...

Help sought for stranded Myanmarese.
August 31, 2004... (From The Jakarta Post) The Ambon branch of the Indonesian Mariners Union (KPI) has called on the London-based International Transport Workers' Federation (ITF) to step in and help Myanmarese sailors who have been stranded in Southeast...

Police investigate deadly fire in tanker ship off East Flores.
August 31, 2004... (From The Jakarta Post) Police in Larantuka, East Nusa Tenggara, said on Monday they were intensively investigating the cause of a fire and explosion in a tanker ship that left at least two crew members killed. Another member was...

Dutch firm seeks payoff from Manado government.
August 31, 2004... (From The Jakarta Post) A Dutch company is demanding that the Manado municipal administration of North Sulawesi province pay Rp 30 billion (US$3.3 million) in compensation over last week's cancellation of a tap water agreement. The...

Useful ideas on education.
August 31, 2004... (From The Jakarta Post) I would just like to express my gratitude and greatest respect for the articles that you print by Mr. Simon Marcus Gower, the Executive Principal of the High/Scope Indonesia School. Every article that I've read by...

Danger of U.S.-Singapore defense accord.
August 31, 2004... (From The Jakarta Post) On Aug. 17, 2004, Singapore and the United States started negotiations to establish a defense accord. Singapore Defense Minister Tony Tan confirmed this plan. He mentioned that the two countries were at the stage...

Will the EU keep faith with Turkey?
August 31, 2004... (From The Jakarta Post) More than forty years ago, Turkey applied for associate membership of the European Economic Community. With the Association agreement of 1963, a special relationship was established, culminating in the customs...

Two sides of Benny Moerdani.
August 31, 2004... (From The Jakarta Post) In the early hours of Sunday, one of the most feared, yet respected sons of the nation left us. Gen. (ret) Leonardus Benjamin "Benny" Moerdani, 71, deserves the praise that has been heaped on him from many...

Bogor councillors in the hot seat.
August 31, 2004... (From The Jakarta Post) Forty-five Bogor councillors are being investigated by the Bogor Prosecutor's Office over the alleged misappropriation of more than Rp 5.5 billion (US$617,977) from the 2002 council budget, a prosecutor said on...

Festival out to boost interest in local comics.
August 31, 2004... (From The Jakarta Post) Hanny, 27, was window-shopping at Mal Ciputra in Grogol, West Jakarta, when she noticed a banner informing shoppers of the Comic Festival on the fourth floor. Curious, she decided to take a look. There, in...

Sutiyoso asks for leads on corrupt officials.
August 31, 2004... (From The Jakarta Post) The Jakarta administration has announced it plans to reopen its public complaints mailbox to get feedback from the public especially about alleged corruption involving city officials. "We need information from...

Fire hits Indomaret, Melawai hotel.
August 31, 2004... (From The Jakarta Post) Although the Jakarta administration has called on building owners to install the required fire safety systems on their premises, fires continued unabated in the capital, with the two most recent fires at a mini...

TNI bill: Professionally or politically motivated?
August 31, 2004... (From The Jakarta Post) The ongoing deliberation of the Indonesian Military (TNI) bill at the House of Representatives (DPR) in the final days of the House members' terms in office has not only drawn widespread attention, but also strong...

Three go missing near Panaitan island.
August 31, 2004... (From The Jakarta Post) JAKARTA: Three Jakartans reportedly went missing near Panaitan island in the Ujung Kulon National Park in Banten. Ade, 23, Iman, 23, and Piko, 29, all residents of West Jakarta, reportedly sailed to the island...

Mangrove case files returned, again.
August 31, 2004... (From The Jakarta Post) JAKARTA: The Jakarta Prosecutor's Office returned to the police for the third time on Monday the files on three suspects accused of uprooting 240 mangrove trees in the Angke forest reserve. "The prosecutors...

Suspected robber rapes tenant.
August 31, 2004... (From The Jakarta Post) JAKARTA: A university student at Syarif Hidayatullah Islamic State University (UIN) in Ciputat was raped in her boarding house near the university by an unidentified man at about 2 a.m. on Monday. The man, who...

Lack of understanding.
August 31, 2004... (From The Jakarta Post) After reading the article 'The real scandal about Vietnam: Lack of freedom' by a Mr. Jared Genser, published in 'The Jakarta Post' on Aug. 28 , I had the impression that the article, deliberately or not, provided...

'Appreciating the arts is only for the rich'.
August 31, 2004... (From The Jakarta Post) Jakarta will host the 2004 Art Summit from Sept. 11 through to Oct. 10, with contemporary music, dance and theater performances. The triennial event is only one of a number of art events that have or will take...