Jakarta Post articles from January 2001, page 7

Jakarta Post archives from January 2001

FID regrets police statements on bombings.
January 8, 2001... JAKARTA (JP): Police allegations that suspects of the Christmas Eve bombings were trained in Afghanistan were hasty and could cloud efforts to probe the attack, a member of the newly-established Indonesia Forum for Peace (FID) said on Sunday....

IMF questions delay of legal action.
January 8, 2001... JAKARTA (JP): President Abdurrahman Wahid, also known as Gus Dur, said that the International Monetary Fund had questioned the government's decision to delay legal proceedings against three business tycoons, Sjamsul Nursalim, Marimutu...

Ulemas air support for Gus Dur's presidency.
January 8, 2001... SURABAYA, East Java (JP): A meeting of senior ulemas of East Java pledged on Sunday to give their support to President Abdurrahman Wahid until the end of his term in 2004. The commitment was made in a meeting between President...

Government gloomy about dialog with GAM.
January 8, 2001... YOGYAKARTA (JP): Minister of Defense Mahfud MD said on Sunday he was pessimistic that the scheduled dialog between the government and the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) in Switzerland on Monday would be successful. "Actually, we (government)...

Bomb rocks Lombok.
January 8, 2001... JAKARTA: A bomb explosion shocked the villagers of Bajur, in Labuapi district on the resort island of Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara (NTB), on Saturday, as local leaders were meeting in an attempt to bring calm to the region following a two-day...

Navy conducts 'Sea Control 2001'.
January 8, 2001... JAKARTA (JP): The Indonesian Navy will conduct a three-week massive military exercise around Indonesia's western seas involving 15 warships, several fighter jets and a large number of Navy soldiers. Navy Headquarters said in a statement...

C. Java MUI chief elected.
January 8, 2001... SEMARANG: Amin Sholeh, head of the Hasyim Asy'ari religious school in Bangsri, Jepara, has been elected head of the provincial chapter of the Indonesian Ulemas Council (MUI) for the 2000-2005 term. He was elected here on Sunday after a...

Most regions still confused over autonomy.
January 8, 2001... JAKARTA (JP): Confusion rules the roost in the country's sprawling regions following the inception of autonomy on Jan. 1 due to the absence of technical rulings governing the exercise of authority in certain autonomous sectors, the Forum of...

Removal of taste enhancer across the nation goes on.
January 8, 2001... JAKARTA (JP): The withdrawal of over 3,000 tons of Ajinomoto taste enhancers continued across the country on Sunday as six PT Ajinomoto Indonesia executives remain in detention over the controversy, concerning the use of pig enzymes in its...

MUI invites top leaders for 'talks'.
January 8, 2001... JAKARTA (JP): In a bid to help the bickering members of the political elite mend their relationships, the Indonesian Ulemas Council (MUI) has invited five top national leaders to attend a post-fasting get-together here this week. MUI...

Police finally act to stop raids by groups at entertainment centers.
January 8, 2001... JAKARTA (JP): The year 2000 was marked by violent raids conducted by the Islamic Defenders Front (FPI) on several businesses which the Front considered sinful. The raids have resulted in damages to entertainment centers and nightspots,...

Prices of basic commodities remain high.
January 8, 2001... JAKARTA (JP): More than 10 days after the Idul Fitri and Christmas celebrations, the prices of most basic commodities have yet to come down significantly, largely because many of the big suppliers are still closed for the long holidays. ...

Police seize 5 kgs of 'shabu-shabu' in raids.
January 8, 2001... JAKARTA (JP): Jakarta Police detectives have seized over 5 kilograms of shabu-shabu (crystal methamphetamine) worth Rp 1.2 billion (US$126,000) and 12,000 ecstasy pills from six suspects in four separate raids conducted between Wednesday and...

Autonomy worries entrepreneurs.
January 8, 2001... JAKARTA (JP): Jakarta-based entrepreneurs threaten that they will relocate their businesses if any of the city administration's policies associated with implementation of regional autonomy are not conducive and cause increased costs to their...

Improved public service sought.
January 8, 2001... JAKARTA (JP): Along with the implementation of regional autonomy on Jan. 1, the Jakarta administration is expected to be able to improve its services to the public, councillors said over the weekend . Councillor Tjuk Sudono of the...

Laborers still denied their rights: Pakpahan.
January 8, 2001... JAKARTA (JP): Chairman of the Indonesian Prosperous Labor Union (SBSI) Muchtar Pakpahan said on Saturday that Indonesian laborers are still unable to freely express their opinions due to the continuing repression of security apparatuses. ...

New scheme for poverty alleviation introduced.
January 8, 2001... JAKARTA (JP): Twenty subdistricts in the capital will receive a total of Rp 54 billion (US$5.6 million) in funding for poverty alleviation and subdistrict development programs this year, an official said over the weekend. Secretary to...

Three arrested for stabbing of HK man.
January 8, 2001... JAKARTA (JP): North Jakarta Police detectives took three days to arrest three men in connection with a brutal attack on a Hong Kong national on Wednesday night. Chief of North Jakarta Police High Comr. Andi Chaeruddin said on Saturday...

Soldiers of fortune.
January 8, 2001... Police investigators' claims that one of the suspects in the Christmas Eve bombing had been trained in assembling bombs in Afghanistan does not come entirely as a surprise. This is not the first time that we have stumbled onto a report that...

New Jakarta masterplan justifies past violations.
January 8, 2001... JAKARTA (JP): Without much publicity, the old masterplan of Jakarta 1985-2005 has been replaced by a new one named Jakarta 2010. Local legislation enacted it in June 1999. The fact that it was made in a hurry six years before the old one...

Is Indonesia becoming a genocidal society?
January 8, 2001... CANBERRA (JP): Genocide is a term deriving from the Greek word genos, which means tribe or race, and the Latin cide, analogous to 'homicide' or 'patricide'. Genocide is an act committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a...

Nahdlatul Ulama, Muhammadiyah not in 'all-out' war.
January 8, 2001... Recent tension between two of Indonesia's largest religious organizations, Nahdlatul Ulama and Muhammadiyah, is an offshoot of long- standing differences. Mitsuo Nakamura, however, thinks incidents of violence involving the two groups are a...

Malaysian duo to skip Korea Open.
January 8, 2001... JAKARTA (JP): Malaysian men's doubles specialists Lee Wan Wah and Chew Choon Eng withdrew at the last minute from the US$250,000 Korea Open in Cheju Island, South Korea, scheduled for next week, due to injury and illness. Lee Wan Wah,...

Museum's offerings to spirits are 'shaken, not stirred'.
January 8, 2001... JAKARTA (JP): Where can you find a Martini served up as an offering to keep the other "spirits" happy? It's at the Jakarta History Museum, often known as Museum Fatahillah, in West Jakarta. The museum administrators feel compelled to...

Turning your computer into a database.
January 8, 2001... JAKARTA (JP): If your work depends on the availability of information, the use of the Internet is a must. Today, more and more people make more and more use of the Internet, and information at your fingertips is certainly desirable. Most...

Electronic gadgets an answered prayer for the forgetful.
January 8, 2001... ALMADEN, California (JP): There must have been times when you bumped into someone and she knew you but you had forgotten who she was, what her name was, what she did. All you knew was that both of you had met before. But where? When? ...

IBRA faces tough challenges in meeting target.
January 8, 2001... JAKARTA (JP): The Indonesian Bank Restructuring Agency (IBRA) admitted that the challenges ahead would be "incredibly huge" in meeting its 2001 target. IBRA deputy chairman Slamet Sumantri said that the agency would find it difficult to...

Riau plans own airline.
January 8, 2001... JAKARTA (JP): The Riau administration is planning to set up its own airline, starting initially with two small planes, to link up the various towns in the province which consists largely of small islands, Antara reported on Saturday. To...

Bank Indonesia warned against interest rate cuts.
January 8, 2001... JAKARTA (JP): Analysts have warned Bank Indonesia (BI) against joining the regional sentiment to cut interest rates, following the United States Federal Reserve's move to cut theirs, saying that it could risk an outflow of capital. ...

Batam retains its tax status.
January 8, 2001... JAKARTA (JP): The government said on Monday it had postponed until next year the implementation of value added taxes and luxury sales taxes on Batam, pending the issuance of a free trade zone law currently planned for the island. ...

Government, IMF to review new autonomy policy.
January 8, 2001... JAKARTA (JP): The Coordinating Minister for the Economy Rizal Ramli said on Monday that the government would continue to discuss with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) ways to improve the implementation of the new regional autonomy law....

Government issues 41 new decrees on tax and regional autonomy.
January 8, 2001... JAKARTA (JP): The Finance Ministry said on Monday that it had issued 41 new decrees, including 38 new tax and excise decrees, in a bid to meet the government's 2001 state budget revenue targets and to support the decentralization program. ...

NU advises its civilian guards on Jakarta trip.
January 8, 2001... JAKARTA (JP): Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) youth figures are calling for calm in a bid to avert an influx of NU civilian guards, but concede that despite these efforts such a mobilization of support for President Abdurrahman Wahid may still likely to...

Aceh bloodshed continues despite peace talks.
January 8, 2001... JAKARTA (JP): Bloodshed continued in strife torn Aceh on Monday even as fresh peace talks on the troubled province got underway at a secret Swiss location. Indonesian government officials and separatist rebels of the Free Aceh Movement...

Painter gives away sketches.
January 8, 2001... YOGYAKARTA: One of the Indonesia's most popular painters, Djoko Pekik, created 13 sketches in less than three hours at his birthday party here recently and gave them away to his colleagues. The modest party was held at Pekik's house in...

Ambassador Gelbard to resign on Jan. 20.
January 8, 2001... JAKARTA (JP): The United States Ambassador to Indonesia Robert S. Gelbard will tender his official resignation soon after the inauguration of the newly elected U.S. President, George W. Bush, on Jan. 20, an embassy staff said. The...

Ministry of Defense in big reshuffle.
January 8, 2001... JAKARTA (JP): The Ministry of Defense will undergo a major reshuffle of its top echelons this month, replacing all current military officials with new appointees, including three civilians. Minister of Defense Mahfud MD said on Monday...

Government issues ruling to control land degradation.
January 8, 2001... JAKARTA (JP): The government has issued a regulation to control land damage and is expected to approve a related one within two weeks, a senior official said on Monday. The State Ministry of the Environment's assistant deputy for...

How reformist can the Indonesian Military be?
January 8, 2001... JAKARTA (JP): The Indonesian Military (TNI) began its internal reform in 1998. But, has the reform had an impact on TNI and its personnel. Air Force Chief of Staff Marshall Hanafie Asnan looks at the implementation of the policy. ...

PDI-P 'to indoctrinate' cadres for loyalty.
January 8, 2001... JAKARTA (JP): In observance of its 28th anniversary which falls on Wednesday, the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) will "indoctrinate" its cadres in the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR), House of Representatives...

Teachers training curriculum needs revising: Observers.
January 8, 2001... JAKARTA (JP): Observers and officials expressed support on Monday for a revision of the teachers training curriculum, especially in the fields of science and mathematics. The calls came following a poor showing by 27 science teachers in...

Government delays unleaded gasoline requirement.
January 8, 2001... JAKARTA (JP): State Ministry of Environment Sonny Keraf disclosed on Monday that the government's plan to remove leaded gasoline from the capital by Jan. 1, 2001 has been moved back to 2003. The reason of the delay, Sonny maintained, is...

US$1.4 million illegal fees 'collected daily'.
January 8, 2001... JAKARTA (JP): Illegal levies collected daily from about 2 million street vendors in the capital amount to a total of Rp 14 billion (about US$1.4 million), head of a vendors association claimed on Monday. Chairman of Association of...

FSPM considering supporting strikers.
January 8, 2001... JAKARTA (JP): The Independent Workers Union Federation (FSPM) for Hotels and Restaurants was contemplating calling a national strike to show support for striking workers of Shangri-La Hotel, the federation's president said on Monday. ...

Police arrested Tommy's bodyguard over 1996 case.
January 8, 2001... JAKARTA (JP): The Jakarta Police has every right to arrest and question the private bodyguard of Hutomo "Tommy" Mandala Putra, Indra Hasan, on the basis of a 1996 old case of illegal weapon possession. "The case and evidence, a .32...

Shepherd alerts Bekasi Police of grenade find.
January 8, 2001... JAKARTA (JP): The vigilance of a young shepherd who was tending his buffaloes saved a lot of lives from being lost to possible grenade explosions, Bekasi Police chief said on Monday. Adj. High Comr. Idrus Gissang said that it was sheer...

PDI-P reluctantly endorses city budget.
January 8, 2001... JAKARTA (JP): The Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) endorsed the Jakarta Administration budget for 2001 on Monday, albeit reluctantly. The PDI-P faction, which walked out of the City Council plenary session when it...

Justices will welcome any new chief.
January 8, 2001... JAKARTA (JP): While the government and legislature remain in dispute over the new chief justice, the Supreme Court will welcome whoever is appointed as its chief, an official said on Monday. "Appointing the new chief justice is not the...

Big crowd to attend PPP anniversary.
January 8, 2001... JAKARTA (JP): The Jakarta chapter of the United Development Party (PPP) will mark the party's 28th anniversary with various activities targeting the poor, the organizers said on Monday. But chairman of the event's organizing committee...

Police question FPI members.
January 8, 2001... JAKARTA (JP): City Police began questioning on Monday two members of Islamic Defenders Front (FPI) Muslim organization, who have been named suspects in a raid on four gaming centers in West Jakarta in mid- December last year. FPI's...

Food enhancer boss arrested over controversial MSG.
January 8, 2001... JAKARTA (JP): As the withdrawal of Ajinomoto taste enhancers continues, police are still questioning president of PT Ajinomoto Indonesia, Mitsuo Oda Arakawa, over the use of pig enzymes in its monosodium glutamate (MSG) product. Jakarta...

Give Thaksin a chance.
January 8, 2001... Despite allegations of graft and accusations of vote buying, Thailand's tycoon Thaksin Shinawatra beat incumbent Prime Minister Chuan Leekpai, often dubbed as 'the champion of clean politics', in Saturday's general election by a simple...

DPR and holiday bonuses.
January 8, 2001... I was both surprised and concerned by a report in Republika on Jan. 9, 2001, that a group of legislators from the House of Representatives Commission IV had asked state limited liability enterprise PT Angkasa Pura II for some money as a...

Gus Dur's personal wishes.
January 8, 2001... The Jakarta Post on Jan. 6, 2001, published a letter from Adhie M. Massardi, the presidential spokesman, on comments made by Adi Sasono over President Abdurrahman Wahid's statement concerning the New Order regime. Adhie quoted the President's...

Gus Dur supporters won't stage violent protests: NU leader.
January 8, 2001... Criticisms against President Abdurrahman Wahid have reached unreasonable levels, according to ali Maschan Moesa, chief of East Java branch of Nahdlatul Ulama, the staunchest supporter of the President. He told The Jakarta Post's contributor...

Perpani yet to extend Lee's contract.
January 8, 2001... JAKARTA (JP): The Indonesian Archery Association (Perpani) secretary- general Udi Harsono said on Monday that the body had yet to decide if it would extend the contract of South Korean coach Lee Jae-hyung to groom the 2001 Kuala Lumpur...

15 C. Java wrestlers in age group c'ships.
January 8, 2001... SEMARANG (JP): The Indonesian Wrestling Association (PGSI) Central Java chapter is preparing 15 young wrestlers for the Age Group National Wrestling Championships in Bekasi in February. "The 15 young wrestlers are being groomed in...

KONI to ask government to fund SEA Games training.
January 8, 2001... JAKARTA (JP): The National Sports Council (KONI) vice chairman Arie Sudewo is scheduled to meet with director general of budget of the Ministry of Finance later this month to discuss the possibility of getting financial support for the 2001...

Annapurna an exception to rule.
January 8, 2001... JAKARTA (JP): While Nepal poses a clear example of continued poverty and environmental degradation amid so much potential income from tourism, it also hosts a fairly successful ecotourism project in the Annapurna region, where millions come...

Rupiah Rates Jan.08.
January 8, 2001... Bank notes rates TT rates Buying Selling Buying Selling Rp Rp Rp Rp U.S. dollar 1 9,010.00 10,010.00 9,462.00 9,558.00 Australian dollar 1 5,144.71 5,720.72 5,402.80 5,462.40 Austrian schilling 1 626.69 696.61 658.13 665.16 ...

Communities, environment, victims of trekking holidays.
January 8, 2001... Mountain resorts are popular holiday destinations for trekkers, yet these beautiful spots belie a host of problems affecting the local communities. These problems were highlighted at a workshop, Mountains and Media, held last month in...

Stock Exchange.
January 8, 2001... Shares Close Change Trading Volume Astra Agro Lestari 875 -75 170,000 Asuransi Bina Dana Arta 575 0 11,000 Andhi Chandra 1,150 25 183,500 Ades Alfindo 2,100 -75 103,000 Adindo Foresta Indonesia 100 0 0 GT Petrochem...

Rates for tax payment, valid from Jan. 8 to Jan.14.
January 8, 2001... U.S. dollar 1 Rp 9,470.00 Austrian schilling 1 Rp 638.73 Australian dollar 1 Rp 5,260.59 Belgian franc 1 Rp 217.88 Canadian dollar 1 Rp 6,306.19 Swiss franc 1 Rp 5,807.68 Deutschemark 1 Rp 4,496.68 Danish krone...

Pura Barutama suspected of printing counterfeit money.
January 8, 2001... JAKARTA (JP): Several legislators have expressed their suspicions that PT Pura Barutama, a paper printing company in Kudus, Central Java, was involved in a recent fake money case. Permadi, a member of the House's joint team handling the...

House to complete amendment to BI law next month.
January 8, 2001... JAKARTA (JP): The House of Representatives expects to complete the deliberation on the amendment to the central bank law sometime in the middle of February, according to a key legislator. The House special team deputy chairman Daryatmo...

Bulog budgets Rp 6.6 trillion to buy rice from farmers.
January 8, 2001... JAKARTA (JP): The National Logistic Agency (Bulog) has budgeted Rp 6.6 trillion ($694.7 million) to buy up to 2.5 million tons of unhusked rice from farmers this year with the target of propping up prices at Rp 1,500 per kilogram, Antara...

Government considers Cemex ownership in Semen Gresik.
January 8, 2001... JAKARTA (JP): The government is considering raising the ownership of Mexican-based cement producer PT Cemex Indonesia in state-owned Semen Gresik Group (SGG), as part of a compensation scheme for spinning off SGG's subsidiary PT Semen Padang,...

Land of hope and promise.
January 8, 2001... For many outsiders, this natural resource-rich province is all about oil, gas, black orchids, the pesut Mahakam (freshwater dolphin), rhinoceros hornbills, orangutans, and the Dayak tribe. For locals, it is their land of hope, particularly...

From 'Kaharingan' to 'Kwangkai'.
January 8, 2001... JAKARTA (JP): For the Dayak Bahau tribespeople living in Long Iram district, Kutai, East Kalimantan, death signifies the passing of one's soul to the spirit world. Before embarking on this journey, the dead must be purified and "taken to...

Indonesia's economy not as bad as people think: Economist.
January 6, 2001... Noted economist Dr. Mubyarto said recently that he had a different opinion about the state of Indonesia's economy to most mainstream economists. The following interview attempts to pinpoint those differences. Question: You said you...

Government asked to be flexible on tax policy.
January 6, 2001... JAKARTA (JP): Legislators on Friday called upon the government to show willingness to review recent regulations that raised income taxes on interests from bank time deposit, and imposed value added taxes on agriculture and animal husbandry...

Aceh talks to resume in Switzerland.
January 6, 2001... JAKARTA (JP): Make or break talks on Aceh will commence in Davos, Switzerland, on Saturday with Indonesian government negotiators likely to make one final offer to Free Aceh Movement (GAM) representatives for special autonomy in the province....

Withdrawal of Ajinomoto's products closely watched.
January 6, 2001... JAKARTA (JP): The government said it is closely monitoring PT Ajinomoto Indonesia's recall of its monosodium glutamate (MSG) products, which the company has promised to withdraw from store shelves within three weeks. PT Ajinomoto...

Dutch man arrested over fake passport.
January 6, 2001... MAKASSAR, South Sulawesi (JP): A Dutch national was arrested on Thursday for using a fake passport to live in Makassar for two years, an Immigration official said here on Friday. The man, identified as Frans Hubert Wessel, is now in the...

Suspect says he learned to make bombs in Afghanistan.
January 6, 2001... JAKARTA (JP): A senior police detective revealed on Friday that one of four suspects in the Christmas Eve bombing case has confessed to having received explosives training in Afghanistan. "Dedi Mulyadi, a 31-year-old suspect from...

Joint investigation on Xmas bombings proposed.
January 6, 2001... JAKARTA (JP): The Forum for Indonesian Peace (FID) in a meeting with Coordinating Minister for Political, Social and Security Affairs Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono on Friday appealed to be given access to information on the Christmas Eve bombings....

National Education Minister opens Papua University.
January 6, 2001... JAKARTA (JP): The Ministry of National Education inaugurated on Friday the new Papua State University and appointed the first rector for the university located in Manokwari city, some 638 kilometers west of the Irian Jaya capital of Jayapura....

President denies shifting task to VP Megawati.
January 6, 2001... JAKARTA (JP): President Abdurrahman Wahid denied accusations on Friday that he had been trying to shift the responsibility for making major political decisions to his deputy Megawati Soekarnoputri. Abdurrahman, who was on a two-day visit...

Tension still grips Lombok rival villages.
January 6, 2001... JAKARTA (JP): Tension continued to grip the border between the warring villages of Bongor and Parampuan on the resort island of Lombok in West Nusa Tenggara on Friday amid a heavy security deployment in the area. "Security personnel were...

New Order figures must 'be tried'.
January 6, 2001... JAKARTA (JP): The director of the Institute of Public Policy Studies said that in the rush to indict former president Soeharto and his family, the activities of other prominent players in the New Order regime should not be overlooked. ...

JSX bomb suspects to be handed over.
January 6, 2001... JAKARTA (JP): The City Police will hand over the six suspects in the bomb explosion at the Jakarta Stock Exchange (JSX) building on Sept. 13 last year, to the Jakarta Prosecutors Office, early next week. "The suspects will be handed over...

PDI-P under fire for 'illogical' protest.
January 6, 2001... JAKARTA (JP): Government and parliamentary watchdogs slammed the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) faction at the City Council on Friday, for its walkout during a plenary session which endorsed the city's draft budget...

Jakarta gets approval to buy Chinese buses.
January 6, 2001... JAKARTA (JP): The central government has endorsed the city administration's proposal to import some 4,000 completely-built-up (CBU) buses from China, Governor Sutiyoso said on Friday. "President Abdurrahman Wahid gave his approval to the...

Police report two deaths.
January 6, 2001... JAKARTA (JP): City Police reported two deaths on Thursday and Friday, with the latter case appearing to be murder. A police clerk, Rojak, identified Friday's victim as 35-year-old Baharudin from Medan, North Sumatra, a driver of the local...