Jakarta Post articles from August 2001

Jakarta Post archives from August 2001

Mega needs tender approach in Aceh: Acehnese figures.
August 31, 2001... JAKARTA (JP): Acehnese legislators and community leaders appealed on Thursday for President Megawati Soekarnoputri to take concrete reconciliatory measures to resolve the prolonged Aceh problem during her visit to the strife-torn province...

TNI backs government policy on illegal migrants.
August 31, 2001... JAKARTA (JP): The Indonesian Military (TNI) says it fully supports the government policy rejecting a Norwegian freighter carrying 438 asylum seekers, mostly Afghans, and will prevent the ship from entering Indonesian waters. TNI...

Government targets below 5% growth in 2002.
August 31, 2001... JAKARTA (JP): Coordinating Minister for the Economy Dorodjatun Kuntjoro-Jakti said on Thursday that the government was targeting gross domestic product (GDP) growth of just below 5 percent in the next fiscal year. "In discussing the...

WB links future loans for Indonesia to corruption fight.
August 31, 2001... JAKARTA (JP): The World Bank warned the government on Thursday to seriously tackle corruption, saying that progress in stamping out loan abuse was the key to the bank's future lending strategy for Indonesia. World Bank country director...

Regions blamed for strikes.
August 31, 2001... JAKARTA (JP): As teachers' strikes continued to hit a number of areas of the country, local administrations were scrambling to find funds, including commercial loans if necessary, to pay the teachers' back pay. On Thursday, thousands of...

Rp 29b needed to rebuild Aceh schools.
August 31, 2001... JAKARTA (JP): The government needs Rp 29 billion (US$3.2 million) to rebuild 76 schools that were destroyed or badly damaged by armed gangs in Aceh on Aug. 14 and Aug. 15, Minister of National Education A. Malik Fadjar announced on Thursday....

'Red Cross' car carries ganja.
August 31, 2001... BANDA ACEH, Aceh: Police in Trumon, southern Aceh, seized 50 kilograms of marijuana on Thursday from a car bearing the logo of the Indonesian Red Cross (PMI) heading for Singkil, a southeastern town near the border with North Sumatra. ...

Police arrest murder suspect.
August 31, 2001... SANUR, Bali: Police have arrested a man for allegedly killing an 18- year-old office assistant last Friday. Sanur Police chief Adj. Comr. Harjanto Kartiko said here on Wednesday that 24-year-old Denny was picked up from his residence on...

Griya Husada Hospital vacated.
August 31, 2001... SURABAYA: The dispute over a building occupied by Griya Husada Hospital at Jl. Bubutan Galur here has ended with the court decision to transfer ownership of the building. Eviction of the hospital was conducted on Tuesday amid the cries of...

Cilacap seeks help to deal with 138 Afghan refugees.
August 31, 2001... CILACAP, Central Java (JP): Cilacap Regent Heri Tabri Karta requested on Thursday that the central government and the office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) help the local administration deal with 138 refugees...

Golkar opposes new commission to amend constitution.
August 31, 2001... JAKARTA (JP): Golkar, the second largest party in the House of Representatives (DPR), is against the proposed establishment of an independent commission in charge of amending the 1945 Constitution, its chairman Akbar Tandjung said here on...

Union wants better deal for contract workers.
August 31, 2001... JAKARTA (JP): The Indonesian Prosperity Trade Union (SBSI) called on the government on Thursday to tighten the regulations on hiring contract workers, saying that many of them had been treated unfairly by their employers. Contract...

Hijacked tugboat docks at Belawan port.
August 31, 2001... MEDAN, North Sumatra (JP): The Ocean Silver tugboat, which had six of its crew members abducted in the Strait of Malacca two miles off Idi beach in East Aceh, arrived on Thursday at Belawan port in Medan with its remaining crew. ...

Time for new national vision, strategy: Mega.
August 31, 2001... JAKARTA (JP): Defying the conservative disposition which many pundits had assigned to her, President Megawati Soekarnoputri on Thursday called for a revamp of the nation's vision and strategy in keeping with the changing times. "The...

Outspoken army general dies of heart failure.
August 31, 2001... JAKARTA (JP): Agus Wirahadikusumah, an outspoken army general who was known for his courage in calling for major reforms to Indonesia's powerful military, died on Thursday. Lt. Gen. Agus, 49, was believed to have died of heart failure...

Robbery victim under arrest.
August 31, 2001... JAKARTA (JP): Businessman Ari Sutanto was put in police custody after being held for questioning on Wednesday for fatally shooting a man who had tried to rob him, an officer said on Thursday. "Police did not see any signs of self-defense...

Evicted residents call for Mayor's dismissal.
August 31, 2001... JAKARTA (JP): Representatives of Marunda residents in North Jakarta visited the City Hall on Thursday to protest the North Jakarta Mayoralty's eviction of about 1,500 people from vacant land they had previously been permitted to cultivate....

Defamation charges inaccurate, says lawyer.
August 31, 2001... JAKARTA (JP): The lawyer of a housewife who was tried for reporting an alleged bribery case to the now-defunct Joint Anticorruption Team (TGPTPK) asked the court to reject the indictment on Thursday. Lawyer Iskandar Sonhadji asked the...

Councillors suspected of receiving bribes.
August 31, 2001... JAKARTA (JP): City Council Commission B for economic affairs may have accepted bribes for urging the city administration to halt the demolition of a building constructed illegally in Bung Karno Sports Complex, an activist said on Thursday....

13 on death row for drug crimes.
August 31, 2001... JAKARTA (JP): In the past 18 months, the Tangerang District Court has surprisingly handed down death sentences to 13 defendants in drugs offenses. Another suspect is facing a life sentence, and will likely soon receive capital punishment...

Ignoring warning, robber shot dead.
August 31, 2001... JAKARTA (JP): An alleged robber was shot dead for ignoring warning shots as he attempted to flee from police in the early hours of Thursday on Jl. Peta in Kalideres, West Jakarta. The man, identified as 36-years-old Suharno, alias Tono,...

Refugees and others.
August 31, 2001... The seizure of the Norwegian freighter Tampa off Christmas Island by Australia's elite Special Air Service troops has become the first news item on the world's prominent television stations. As can be expected, the picture of that dramatic...

Telkom responds.
August 31, 2001... In response to Mr. M Yasan's letter in The Jakarta Post on Aug. 28, 2001 entitled Telkom must stop advertising itself, we would like to explain as follows: 1. We could not fulfill Mr. Yasan's 1999 application due to our limited access...

Where is the law enforcement?
August 31, 2001... One of our employees has embezzled company funds amounting to hundreds of millions of rupiah and the case has been brought to court. Bandung District Court, in its verdict No.243/PID/S/2001/PN.BDG, has sentenced defendant Bambang Tjanadi...

Women entrepreneurs.
August 31, 2001... It is with considerable interest that I have read the report of Asia Development Bank on Women Entrepreneurs Indonesia. As the economy is becoming more competitive, many countries are experiencing " Entrepreneurial Revolution" with women...

Exporting violence.
August 31, 2001... Has the average Indonesian good reason to be grateful to British Foreign Minister, Ben Bradshaw, for his recent announcement that the United Kingdom is once again deigning to resume arms sales to this country, providing, of course, that the...

E. Timor elections, next step toward independence.
August 31, 2001... DILI, East Timor (JP): The general elections on Aug. 30 have opened a new chapter in the run-up to the establishment of an independent state of Timor Lorosae, which will be proclaimed early next year. Indonesia will have a neighbor most...

Entrepreneurial spirit: Key to economic growth.
August 31, 2001... JAKARTA (JP): What do IBM, Chanel, McDonald's, and Estee Lauder have in common? They are, of course, among the best-known names in the world. They also all employ thousands of people and deliver a high level of customer satisfaction. But more...

Efforts to preserve Sundanese culture remain vocal.
August 31, 2001... BANDUNG (JP): The First International Conference on Sundanese Culture produced some recommendations which it is hoped will be able to help preserve the Sudanese culture, although the main point of preserving the language received a more...

Chinese-language program now aired on TV.
August 31, 2001... JAKARTA (JP): China's national language, better known as Mandarin, was forbidden during Soeharto's New Order regime. The ban not only prohibited the speaking of Mandarin but also the possession of printed material -- either newspapers,...

Winners' guitar concert draws large audience.
August 31, 2001... JAKARTA (JP): It was a classical guitar winners' concert that ensured a packed-hall audience of more than 350 people in South Jakarta. The evening looked bright when Wildan Kamil Arifin appeared on stage clutching his amplified classical...

A waste of good talent in 'Rules of Engagement'.
August 31, 2001... Rules of Engagement ** out of four stars Drama/Thriller 128 minutes Starring Tommy Lee Jones, Samuel L. Jackson, Guy Pearce, Bruce Greenwood, Ben Kingsley, Anne Archer Directed by William Friedkin, A Paramount Pictures...

Guangdong dance troupe a dynamic experience.
August 31, 2001... JAKARTA (JP): A blend of dynamic and vibrant movements, balanced with extraordinary athleticism and an elegant thrust of body language will be brought to the stage by the Guangdong Modern Dance Company of China for the Third Arts Summit...

The joint is not jumping at Millennium's Jumpa.
August 31, 2001... JAKARTA (JP): I had been itching to get out to someplace different for a few weeks now. The same old round of bars and clubs was getting extremely tiring, seeing the same people, hearing the same music and drinking the same drinks. Also,...

Sports bill aims to link KONI with government.
August 31, 2001... JAKARTA (JP): The sports bill now being scrutinized by the House of Representatives suggests that the Indonesian Sports Council (KONI) come under the government's auspices for the benefit of the country's future sporting development. A...

Main batch of Indonesian athletes to depart on Sept. 5.
August 31, 2001... JAKARTA (JP): The main batch of Indonesian athletes for the upcoming SEA Games in Kuala Lumpur will depart on Sept. 5, with officials remaining cautious about medal targets. Indonesia will be competing in the biennial event with 541...

KL vows to sweep badminton golds.
August 31, 2001... JAKARTA (JP): Host Malaysia is upbeat of turning badminton, one of its favorite sports, into a gold mine of its own at the Southeast Asian (SEA) Games, following its shuttlers' convincing performances in several events. The Badminton...

Bowler tests positive, dropped from SEAG team.
August 31, 2001... JAKARTA (JP): Men's bowler Lee You Tjam has been dropped from the Indonesian sporting delegation to the upcoming Southeast Asian (SEA) Games after testing positive for dope. SEA Games project manager Putera Astaman announced on Thursday...

Rupiah's fluctuation within normal range: Dorodjatun.
August 31, 2001... JAKARTA (JP): Coordinating Minister for the Economy Dorodjatun Kuntjoro-Jakti played down on Thursday the weakness of the rupiah, saying that the local currency's fluctuation was still within normal limits. "Fluctuation is quite normal....

Rupiah Rates Aug.30.
August 31, 2001... Bank notes rates TT rates Buying Selling Buying Selling Rp Rp Rp Rp U.S. dollar 1 8,628.00 9,628.00 9,082.00 9,174.00 Austrian schilling 1 568.90 635.53 598.83 605.56 Australian dollar 1 4,580.61 5,116.32 4,821.63 4,875.06 ...

Stock Exchange.
August 31, 2001... Stock prices on the Jakarta Stock Exchange (in rupiah) on Aug 30, 2001: Shares Close Change Trading Volume Ades Alfindo 1,525 0 55,500 Adindo Foresta 105 0 10,000 AGIS 130 0 155,000 Akbar Indo Makmur 1,075 125 1,857,000...

Japan to train auto part makers.
August 31, 2001... JAKARTA (JP): A group of five Japanese auto experts will provide technical support to local small- and medium-scale auto component makers under a two-year project, an executive said on Thursday. Mohammad Husni Banjar, director of the...

Japan warns against delay in Chandra Asri deal.
August 31, 2001... JAKARTA (JP): Japan warned Indonesia against a further delay in the restructuring of petrochemical firm PT Chandra Asri's debts, a move it said would erode investor confidence and deteriorate the value of the company's assets. Hideaki...

Experts allay fears over Freeport ruling.
August 31, 2001... JAKARTA (JP): Industry experts dismissed fears that the court ruling handed down to gold mining giant PT Freeport Indonesia in a case filed by the Indonesian Forum for Environment (Walhi) would dampen investor sentiment in the country's...

Caltex, authorities still at sea over security problems.
August 31, 2001... DURI, Riau (JP): Although security problems have been plaguing oil firm PT Caltex Pacific Indonesia (CPI)'s operations in Riau province for several years now, the company and the local authorities are still in the dark as to how to resolve...

Investment bill aimed at breaking barriers.
August 30, 2001... JAKARTA (JP): The Investment Coordinating Board (BKPM) is drafting a new investment bill that will give equal treatment to foreign and domestic investors, the BKPM chairman said on Wednesday. Theo F. Toemion said the draft bill, currently...

Regions warned of teachers' strikes.
August 30, 2001... JAKARTA (JP): The Indonesian Teachers Association (PGRI) warned regional administrations throughout the country on Wednesday of a possible spread of teacher strikes if their demands for back pay were not met. "We know that the teachers'...

Land for forest squatters.
August 30, 2001... DONGGALA, Central Sulawesi: In effort to save the environment, the Donggala regency administration in Central Sulawesi has made a total of 1,200 hectares of land available for 1,030 people squatting in Dongidongi, an area in the protected...

23,000 fishermen stuck in port due to diesel shortage.
August 30, 2001... CILACAP, Central Java (JP): About 23,000 fishermen in Cilacap regency, Central Java, threatened to stop fishing on Wednesday following a prolonged shortage of diesel fuel, which had forced them to be idle for more than a week. "We've...

DPR criticized for poor performance on its birthday.
August 30, 2001... JAKARTA (JP): In conjunction with the 56th anniversary of the House of Representatives (DPR), which fell on Wednesday, the performance of the legislature was criticized by both political observers and legislators themselves as being poor. ...

Environmentalists laud verdict against Freeport.
August 30, 2001... JAKARTA (JP): Environmentalists lauded on Wednesday a court ruling against the U.S.-based mining company PT Freeport Indonesia for environmental damage, saying that it is a good start for the environmental protection movement. State...

Germany sponsors Yogya urban renewal programs.
August 30, 2001... YOGYAKARTA (JP): A German-sponsored program aimed at improving the quality of urban infrastructure and communities in 26 cities and regencies in four provinces in Indonesia was launched here on Tuesday. Chief of Urban Development of...

City Hall told to halt demolition.
August 30, 2001... JAKARTA (JP): The city administration is facing opposition to its plan to demolish a building constructed illegally within the Bung Karno Sports Complex, Central Jakarta, after the City Council reneged on its support of the administration's...

Police in hot water over detainee's sudden death.
August 30, 2001... JAKARTA (JP): Legislators blamed the police on Wednesday for the death of a key witness in the case of the fugitive Hutomo "Tommy" Mandala Putra, saying it would damage the police's image unless the case was investigated thoroughly. Some...

Street vendors oppose official raid.
August 30, 2001... JAKARTA (JP): Sidewalk vendors operating in front of the University of Atmajaya on Jl. Jend. Sudirman, South Jakarta, smashed vases along the street on Wednesday in protest against a raid conducted by public security and order officers. ...

Most wells polluted by human waste.
August 30, 2001... JAKARTA (JP): State Minister of the Environment Nabiel Makarim has acknowledged he can do nothing but hope for an economic miracle in order to deal with the domestic waste that has polluted most wells in the city. Nabiel said that...

'Becak' drivers withdraw support for PDI-P.
August 30, 2001... JAKARTA (JP): More than 200 becak (pedicab) drivers handed over on Wednesday several Indonesia Democratic Party for Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) attributes at the party's headquarters to demonstrate that they had withdrawn their support for the...

Man held over shooting.
August 30, 2001... JAKARTA (JP): A 32-year-old businessman was held for questioning after he apparently foiled a robbery attempt at a Bank Central Asia (BCA)'s ATM booth in Pondok Indah, South Jakarta, by shooting dead one of the four alleged robbers who...

Students charged with inciting chaos.
August 30, 2001... JAKARTA (JP): The South Jakarta District Court began on Wednesday the trial of two students charged with inciting chaos in connection with their protest against the fuel price hike in June. Prosecutor Lukimanto charged Mixil Mina Munir,...

ASEAN needs no big brothers.
August 30, 2001... JAKARTA (JP): President Megawati Soekarnoputri's choice to visit the ASEAN capitals was right as a reaffirmation of her pledge to make ASEAN once again the cornerstone of Indonesia's foreign policy. It was a necessary first step to rectify...

Bambang Kesowo's return revives past fear.
August 30, 2001... JAKARTA (JP): Many fear that the promotion of Bambang Kesowo as State Secretary/Cabinet Secretary by President Megawati Soekarnoputri will also mean the revival of the office, described in the past as the feared "super ministry". It was even...

Strengthening ASEAN.
August 30, 2001... Two days after President Megawati Soekarnoputri has returned home from her first tour of ASEAN, observers and analysts, as well as the common person-in-the-street in Jakarta, are still wondering what benefits her trip will bring, both to...

Indonesia must go beyond Paris Club to seek larger debt relief.
August 30, 2001... To reach a rescheduling of Indonesia's foreign debt an independent arbitrator is needed, says Binny Buchori, who coordinates the International NGO Forum on Indonesian Development (INFID). She spoke to The Jakarta Post staff writer Riyadi...

Demand for deb cuts will raise new problems.
August 30, 2001... Demanding cuts in the repayment of foreign debts will affect Indonesia's reputation, in turn making it more difficult for the country to access new credit in the future, says Hadi Soesastro, executive director of the Centre for Strategic and...

PASI urged to send athletes to more quality events abroad.
August 30, 2001... JAKARTA (JP): Indonesia's veteran middle- and long-distance runner Eduardus Nabunome suggested that the Indonesian Athletics Amateur Association (PASI) give athletes more shots at world-class events in a bid to improve on their achievements....

POBSI tones down medal hopes at 2001 Kuala Lumpur SEAG.
August 30, 2001... JAKARTA (JP): The Indonesian Billiards and Snooker Association (POBSI) has set a realistic target of winning one gold medal at the Southeast Asian Games in Kuala Lumpur next month, defying the ambitious quest for a triple demanded by the...

Love the meaning of life for Pappa Tarahumara.
August 30, 2001... JAKARTA (JP): Hiroshi Koike is a Japanese but the 45-year-old artistic director of Pappa Tarahumara is no island. For Koike needs to get out of his island all the time to be able to experience as much of the world as possible. This is the...

Farida's birds reflect the life of human beings.
August 30, 2001... JAKARTA (JP): Birds are usually associated with peace, freedom and love. Their existence as so-called social creatures can be seen from the way they live in groups. It is this topic that has been brought to the stage by noted choreographer...

Lufthansa to auction tickets.
August 30, 2001... JAKARTA (JP): German airline Lufthansa will launch a live ticket auction through its local website www.lufthansa.co.id starting Sept 6. in a move to provide better service to its customers. Lufthansa Indonesia general manager Tobias Ernst...

Mandiri explains bond profit.
August 30, 2001... JAKARTA (JP): State-owned Bank Mandiri said profits from its recapitalization bonds in the first half of this year made up 75 percent of the bank's interest income of Rp 15.54 trillion (about US$1.7 billion), and not 75 percent of its Rp 1.53...

Spin-off plans remain an option: Semen Gresik.
August 30, 2001... JAKARTA (JP): State-owned cement producer PT Semen Gresik said on Wednesday that plans to spin off its two cement subsidiaries remain intact, despite the government's consideration of a put option deal to sell the company for US$520 million....

Rupiah Rates Aug. 29.
August 30, 2001... Bank notes rates TT rates Buying Selling Buying Selling Rp Rp Rp Rp U.S. dollar 1 8,665.00 9,665.00 9,119.00 9,211.00 Australian dollar 1 574.36 640.99 604.45 610.88 Austrian schilling 1 4,594.18 5,129.22 4,834.89...

Stock Exchange.
August 30, 2001... Stock prices on the Jakarta Stock Exchange (in rupiah) on Aug. 29, 2001: Shares Close Change Trading Volume Ades Alfindo 1,525 25 292,500 Adindo Foresta 105 0 25,000 AGIS 130 -5 42,500 Akbar Indo Makmur 950 25 3,905,500...

Experts praise government's steps to reduce debt.
August 30, 2001... JAKARTA (JP): Economists praised on Wednesday the government's plan to reduce the country's sovereign debt, saying the move had to be made if Indonesia wanted to get out of its current debt trap. "As a policy, reducing sovereign debt is...

Ministry probes concessionaires over forest fires.
August 30, 2001... JAKARTA (JP): The Ministry of Forestry is probing some 100 forest concessionaires over forest fires that have been blamed for causing the haze that recently blanketed some parts of the country. Minister of Forestry M. Prakosa said on...

Exxon resumes gas flow.
August 30, 2001... JAKARTA (JP): U.S.-based ExxonMobil Oil Indonesian Inc. resumed on Wednesday its gas supply to fertilizer company PT Pupuk Iskandar Muda, jump-starting vital fertilizer production in Aceh, a senior official at state oil and gas company...

World Bank to provide $420m new loan for Indonesia.
August 30, 2001... JAKARTA (JP): The World Bank said on Wednesday that it would extend US$420 million in new loans to Indonesia to help finance the country's poverty reduction programs. World Bank chief economist in Jakarta Vikram Nehru told The Jakarta...

Caltex's production drops due to theft.
August 30, 2001... DURI, Riau (JP): Giant oil company PT Caltex Pacific Indonesia (CPI) said its oil output in Riau had dropped by 40,000 barrels per day (bpd) to 660,000 bpd from 700,000 bpd a year ago particularly due to equipment theft. CPI's spokesman...

Government to explain LoI to DPR.
August 30, 2001... JAKARTA (JP): Economic ministers have offered to explain the content of the newly signed Letter of Intent (LoI) to members of the House of Representatives (DPR), said legislator Zulfan Lindan. He said Coordinating Minister for the Economy...

Mega tells Aceh to focus on autonomy.
August 29, 2001... KUALA LUMPUR (JP): President Megawati Soekarnoputri urged the Acehnese people on Tuesday to take full advantage of the special autonomy status accorded to them under the new Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam Law, but warned that rising separatist...

Legislators oppose govt's plan on BCA divestment.
August 29, 2001... JAKARTA (JP): The government's plan to sell 51 percent of its shares in the publicly listed Bank Central Asia (BCA) could hit a snag as legislators from some big parties have expressed strong objections to the move. Legislator Paskah...

Court rules against Freeport on fatal accident.
August 29, 2001... JAKARTA (JP): U.S.-based mining company PT Freeport Indonesia suffered a legal blow on Tuesday when the South Jakarta District Court ruled against it, saying that the firm had spread misleading information about an accident that allegedly...

Govt to review Chandra Asri debt restructuring.
August 29, 2001... JAKARTA (JP): The government will review the debt restructuring scheme for petrochemical firm PT Chandra Asri Petrochemical Center in response to findings claiming the scheme favored Japanese lenders while being disadvantageous to the...

Govt wants over $4.1b from CGI.
August 29, 2001... JAKARTA (JP): The government is likely to ask for more than US$4.1 billion from donor countries grouped under the Consultative Group on Indonesia (CGI) for the next budget year, citing increasing overseas debt repayments falling due next...