Jakarta Post articles from November 2000

Jakarta Post archives from November 2000

House allows government's proposal to amend central bank law.
November 30, 2000... JAKARTA (JP): The House of Representatives on Wednesday approved the government's proposal to amend the central bank law, but called for a more comprehensive adjustment than the proposed articles to reshuffle the bank's board of directors....

Government urged to lift restrictions on fuel in Irian Jaya.
November 30, 2000... JAKARTA (JP): Irian Jaya Governor Yaap P. Solossa has urged President Abdurrahman Wahid to lift restrictions on fuel to eastern areas of the country and to abolish discriminative diesel oil pricing imposed on particular industrial users in...

Amendment of BI law may aid dismissal of Sjahril.
November 28, 2000... JAKARTA (JP): Coordinating Minister for the Economy Rizal Ramli proposed on Monday a four-point amendment of the central bank law which would eliminate the legal obstacles to ousting Bank Indonesia governor Sjahril Sabirin. But Rizal...

Alwi plays down tirade on Singapore.
November 28, 2000... JAKARTA (JP): Minister of Foreign Affairs Alwi Shihab played down the significance of President Abdurrahman "Gus Dur" Wahid's verbal attacks on Singapore as "a little row between a married couple" that should not affect relations between the...

Army chief ready to face questioning.
November 28, 2000... JAKARTA (JP): Army Chief of Staff Gen. Endriartono Sutarto accepted on Monday calls for him to face questioning for his responsibility in the murder of Aceh traditional Muslim leader Tengku Bantaqiah in July last year. But Endriartono...

Police allegedly attack vendors.
November 28, 2000... BOGOR, West Java: A group of men with crew cuts ran amok and beat street vendors on Jl. Merdeka on Sunday night, causing injuries among the traders and damaging their stalls. Snack vendors Sulaeman, 45, and Robert Siregar, 40, said on...

Students protest rampant gambling.
November 28, 2000... SEMARANG, Central Java: Some 100 students of the Indonesian Muslim Students Action Group (KAMMI) rallied in front of the Provincial Legislative Council compound on Monday, demanding the local administration and police eradicate rampant...

22 suspects arrested in Cianjur over murder spree.
November 28, 2000... JAKARTA (JP): Cianjur Police have arrested 22 suspects in connection with a murder spree of at least 21 villagers accused of practicing black magic in southern Cianjur, West Java, an officer said on Monday. Chief of the police team...

Goenawan to attend White House conference on culture.
November 28, 2000... JAKARTA (JP): Author and senior journalist Goenawan Mohamad will represent Indonesia at the White House Conference on Culture and Diplomacy in Washington D.C. on Tuesday. The U.S. Embassy said in a statement here on Monday that the...

House called on to probe Gus Dur's Borobudur meeting.
November 28, 2000... JAKARTA (JP): Several legislators from minority parties on Monday began calling for a special committee to be established by the House of Representatives to investigate the private meeting between President Abdurrahman Wahid and Hutomo...

Kim Dae-jung here for two-day visit.
November 28, 2000... JAKARTA (JP): South Korean President Kim Dae-jung arrived here on Monday for a two-day official visit. Kim arrived at Halim Perdanakusuma airport on board a Korean Airlines Boeing-747 and was welcomed by President Abdurrahman Wahid. ...

House agrees to delay labor law enforcement.
November 28, 2000... JAKARTA (JP): The House of Representatives unanimously approved on Monday the government regulation in lieu of the controversial 1997 labor law, allowing an extension of the old law which was passed in 1968 until Oct. 1, 2002. All the 11...

More bodies found in Central Maluku village.
November 28, 2000... AMBON, Maluku (JP): The death toll from the weekend violence in Uraur village, Kairatu district, Central Maluku has increased with the discovery of seven bodies, residents said on Monday. Local residents found the bodies garbed in the...

Government warns of more floods and landslides.
November 28, 2000... JAKARTA (JP): The government warned residents, especially those living in mountainous areas and near rivers, to remain alert as more landslides and floods can be expected in the next three months because of heavy rain. "The government...

Court told to reject ex-banker's pleas.
November 28, 2000... JAKARTA (JP): Prosecutors asked the South Jakarta District Court on Monday to reject the arguments advanced by the lawyers for former Bank Aspac director Hendrawan Harjono and asked the court to continue with the trial. Hendrawan is...

Council to decide action on Ancol scam.
November 28, 2000... JAKARTA (JP): The city council will inspect reports detailing the receipt by some of its members of money amounting to some Rp 4 billion (US$425,500) from the developer of the Ancol leisure complex. PT Pembangunan Jaya Ancol reportedly...

Student found dead in Park.
November 28, 2000... JAKARTA (JP): Locals found the body of a senior high school student early Monday morning at Vinus Park in Kemayoran area, Central Jakarta. The body of Wisnu Herdianto, 18, was found lying on a bench in the park, with his mouth full of...

Supreme Court official gets 7 months in prison.
November 28, 2000... JAKARTA (JP): The South Jakarta District Court sentenced on Monday a Supreme Court official to seven months in prison for possession of drugs and firearms. Presiding judge Soemarno told the court that Muhamad Adil, a 39-year- old...

17 firms to be seized.
November 28, 2000... TANGERANG (JP): Seventeen companies in Tangerang might be seized by the government for failing to pay billions of rupiah in fees to the state social security program, an official said on Monday. The 17 companies are among 240 companies...

Demand for meat set to soar.
November 28, 2000... JAKARTA (JP): How many cattle will be consumed by 8.6 million Jakartans during the Ramadhan fasting month which began on Monday? Some 19,500, officials said. Head of the City Livestock Agency's slaughtering section Hery Indyanto said...

Police look for Tommy's accomplice.
November 28, 2000... JAKARTA (JP): Police are looking for a man who aided Hutomo "Tommy" Mandala Putra to escape on Nov. 3, a few hours before authorities declared him a fugitive, Jakarta Police Criminal Investigation chief Sr. Supt. Harry Montolalu said on...

Organda agrees to 30% bus fare hike for holidays.
November 28, 2000... JAKARTA (JP): The Association of Land Transportation Owners (Organda) agreed with the government decision on a 30 percent increase in intercity bus fares the week before and after the Idul Fitri holiday in anticipation of the traditional...

PDI-P member asks Sutiyoso to step down.
November 28, 2000... JAKARTA (JP): A councillor on Monday asked Governor Sutiyoso to take a leave from office as he was named a suspect in the 1996 forcible takeover of the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI) headquarters. Pantas Nainggolan of the Indonesian...

Singapore sting.
November 28, 2000... President Abdurrahman Wahid may have his personal reasons for making such stinging attacks on Singapore at the weekend, but he could have put them less bluntly and more diplomatically to avoid undermining ties between the two countries....

AFTA and a customs union.
November 28, 2000... BANGKOK (JP): Volvo Car (Thailand) Ltd recently exported one unit of its newest S80 series to Indonesia to take advantage of the lower tariffs accorded under the Common Effective Preferential Tariff (CEPT) scheme, the basis for the ASEAN Free...

Corruption has become a cultural indicator.
November 28, 2000... This is the second of two articles on corruption by Ignas Kleden, a sociologist and director of The Go-East Institute focusing on East Indonesian affairs in Jakarta. He is also a consultant with the Indonesian Anti-Corruption Consultancy...

Citi Makro card.
November 28, 2000... When I first opened my small warung (stall) at my house in May 1999, I chose Makro as one of my suppliers. One day in September 1999, just after leaving the checkout at Makro Pasar Rebo, a Citibank salesperson approached me politely and...

Manulife and justice.
November 28, 2000... I totally agree with The Jakarta Post's editorial Harassment of Manulife of Nov. 24, 2000, and I am very much impressed because I still feel there is a sense of justice in Indonesia. For the sake of realizing social justice, society...

One rape every five hours.
November 28, 2000... I had just sat down the other week to write about the deplorable conditions under which hundreds of thousands of refugees in various parts of the country have to live as the result of sectarian violence, floods and earthquakes and military...

A waste of money.
November 28, 2000... Naltrexone, used for detoxification from drugs (opiates only)... is mostly a waste of money for drug abusers, addicts, and the families who have to pay great sums of money for this treatment (The Jakarta Post, Sunday, Nov. 27, 2000). ...

Brazilians quit soccer league.
November 28, 2000... SEMARANG (JP): Two Brazilian soccer players, Arliston de Oliviera and Gabriel, have resigned from the Jepara Soccer Association (Persijap). Team manager Bambang Sanubari said on Monday that he had no idea what the reasons for the...

Indonesia to send 4 shuttlers for Copenhagen Masters.
November 28, 2000... JAKARTA (JP): The Badminton Association of Indonesia (PBSI) will send four shuttlers to the Copenhagen Masters invitational badminton tournament in Denmark later next month, an official said on Monday. "We'll enter Johan Hadikusuma in the...

Tennis association urged to promote young players.
November 28, 2000... JAKARTA (JP): National tennis coach Deddy Prasetyo urged the Indonesian Tennis Association (Pelti) to send young players to the 2001 Kuala Lumpur Southeast Asian (SEA) Games to prepare for the larger goal in the Pusan 2002 Asian Games. ...

Using 'feng shui' to analyze U.S. presidential candidates.
November 28, 2000... BANDUNG (JP): The international event that has captured most of the public's attention has been the U.S. Electoral Vote for the presidency held in Florida. The result seems to be in favor of Texas Governor George W. Bush, although his rival,...

State forests looted for Jepara furniture.
November 28, 2000... BLORA, Central Java (JP): In 1998, particularly in the period following the May riots, the forests managed by Perum Perhutani Unit I Central Java in Randublatung, Blora witnessed the illegal felling of about 19,140 teak trees, making Blora...

Deutsche Bank backs X-Tra fund.
November 28, 2000... JAKARTA (JP): Deutsche Bank's personal and private banking operation in Indonesia said it would act as sponsor, distributor and custodian to clients of Investa X-Tra, a rupiah-denominated mutual fund bond investment managed by PT MeesPierson...

FedEx improves service.
November 28, 2000... JAKARTA (JP): Express courier service Federal Express (FedEx) has introduced the wireless application protocol (WAP) on its services allowing customers to monitor their FedEx packages through their mobile phones. "In addition to it being...

Forex reserves rise to $28.96b.
November 28, 2000... JAKARTA (JP): Bank Indonesia's foreign currency reserves rose by US$300.90 million to $28.96 billion as of Nov. 23 from $28.662 billion in the previous week, according to the central bank's latest weekly report. The central bank...

S. African mission visits RI.
November 28, 2000... JAKARTA (JP): A South African trade mission comprising 10 businessmen visited the National Agency for Export Development (BPEN) last week to explore business opportunities with local firms. BPEN chairman Gusmardi Bustami said on Monday...

Rupiah Rates Nov.27.
November 28, 2000... Bank notes rates TT rates Buying Selling Buying Selling Rp Rp Rp Rp U.S. dollar 1 8,980.00 9,980.00 9,433.00 9,527.00 Australian dollar 1 4,680.38 5,206.57 4,916.48 4,970.24 Austrian schilling 1 548.45 609.88 576.11 582.20 ...

House urges government to dissolve SGG.
November 28, 2000... JAKARTA (JP): The House of Representatives called on the government on Monday to dissolve Semen Gresik Group (SGG) and allow member companies to operate independently. The House Commission V for trade and industry said the merger of East...

Budget committee revises state budget plans.
November 28, 2000... JAKARTA (JP): The joint government-legislature state budget committee agreed on Monday to revise several assumptions in the 2001 state budget draft. Legislator Aberson Marle Sihaloho, a member of the committee, said the exchange rate of...

Stock Exchange.
November 28, 2000... Stock prices on the Jakarta Stock Exchange (in rupiah) on Nov. 27, 2000: Shares Close Change Trading Volume Ades Alfindo 2,300 -100 268,000 Adindo Foresta Indonesia 110 0 210,000 Alakasa Industrindo 275 0 0 Alfa...

Malaysia's Kumpulan Guthrie wins Salim plantation firms.
November 28, 2000... JAKARTA (JP): Kumpulan Guthrie Bhd. of Malaysia has won the bid to acquire 25 palm oil plantation companies formerly owned by the giant Salim Group. The Indonesian Bank Restructuring Agency (IBRA) said in a press statement late on Monday...

Fasting while in economic hardship.
November 26, 2000... JAKARTA (JP): The fasting month of Ramadhan is here again and Muslims are welcoming it with joy. Most Indonesians see the Muslim holy month as a time when social conditions and solidarity change for the better. However, in general it...

School's out for the fasting month.
November 26, 2000... With the Ramadhan fasting month beginning on Monday, millions of Indonesian children are in for a long break from school. The Jakarta Post's Rita A. Widiadana, Ida Indawati Khouw, Edith Hartanto and contributor Trihafiningsih examine the pros...

Africa a huge market for RI.
November 26, 2000... My last letter to The Jakarta Post, titled Goodbye Indonesia, was published on Feb. 22, 1998. Thanks to God that two years later I am still able to write, which I think bears testimony to my sweet memory of the Post. But I am quite aware that...

PDI Perjuangan opposes move to challenge Gus Dur.
November 26, 2000... JAKARTA (JP): While some of its members are collaborating to challenge the presidency of Abdurrahman Wahid, the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan), as an institution, opposes such a synergy. "PDI Perjuangan will not...

Another blast rocks Medan, injuring two.
November 26, 2000... MEDAN, North Sumatra (JP): A blast occurred at a house belonging to the chairman of North Sumatra chapter of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) on Jl. Pattimura on Saturday, injuring two people and destroying a...

Ishadi realizes his obsession in TV.
November 26, 2000... JAKARTA (JP): Not a new name in television industry, Ishadi Soetopo Kartosapoetro first gained his reputation as resourceful and creative bureaucrat when heading state-owned television station TVRI's branch in Yogyakarta between 1985 and 1987...

Sultan wants to assure peaceful transition.
November 26, 2000... Tenth in a lineage of rulers known for their tradition of resistance against foreign domination, Sultan Hamnegkubuwono X counts among his forebears such illustrious national heroes as Sultan Agung Hanyokrokusumo (Hanyokrokusumo the Great),...

'Thunder' seeks answers to Asia's greatness -- and woes.
November 26, 2000... Thunder from the East, Portrait of a Rising Asia By Nicholas D. Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn Nicholas Brealey Publishing, London, 2000 377 pp Pound19.99 JAKARTA (JP): As a general rule, outsiders always see the future of vast and complex...

Sriyanto -- Painting, Drawings and Sketches.
November 26, 2000... Jayakarta Agung Offset, 2000 234 pp Rp 300,000 (soft cover), Rp 400,000 (hardback) JAKARTA (JP): It is normally difficult to see your favorite artist's whole range of works in one place, unless you have the luxury of going to the...

The Dog Is Dead So Throw It in The River:.
November 26, 2000... Environmental Politics and Water Pollution in Indonesia -- An East Java Case Study By Anton Lucas with Arief Djati Monash Asia Institute, Australia 2000 152 pp A$25 JAKARTA (JP): The book's title is catchy, taken from the last line of a...

Clearly tasty broths from a kitchen in Central Java.
November 26, 2000... JAKARTA (JP): The Indonesian broth of soto is cooked up in distinct versions around the country, from Makassar to Madura. Eaten with rice, the broth, usually with meat and vegetables, is a meal in itself. These recipes are from Central Java....

A day with a zookeeper at Ragunan.
November 26, 2000... Maman A.S., 48, has worked at the Ragunan Zoological Park in South Jakarta for over 17 years. Now head keeper of the zoo's nursery, a rehabilitation and temporary sanctuary, the Bogor native lives among his charges in the care center. In...

Advertisers distort women's image to attract consumers.
November 26, 2000... JAKARTA (JP): Sensual girls flash in beer commercials for macho men. A housewife wins her mother-in-law's heart because she washes with cheap but powerful detergent. A wife is embraced by her husband because the laundry detergent she uses...

Jakarta's youth centers fail to attract young people.
November 26, 2000... JAKARTA (JP): So-called youth centers can be found in many strategic places in Jakarta and often on a plots of spacious land. They mainly have sports facilities and halls for teenagers who want to develop their artistic and cultural...

Muslims prepared for the fasting month.
November 26, 2000... JAKARTA (JP): All worldly aspects of life will be temporarily renounced by many among the one billion Muslims in the world once the new moon is sighted on the first day of the Holy month of Ramadhan. From Bangladesh to Bosnia, France to...

TV program 'Alternatif' presents long-distance healing.
November 26, 2000... JAKARTA (JP): Repeating Allahu Akbar (God is Great) over and over, HMA Bijak Bestari, a 'hypermetaphysical expert', was trying to send his energy from the ANteve studios in Jakarta to Heru, an audience member in Surabaya, East Java, who was...

Bedwetting is embarrassing but it can be treated.
November 26, 2000... JAKARTA (JP): Four-year-old Tonny sat sadly next to his bed. His mind was filled with turbulent thoughts when he woke up in the morning and learned that he had wet the bed. Again. This was the second time this week... What would mother...

Montblanc shows it is more than a pricey fountain pen.
November 26, 2000... HONG KONG (JP): Claus Johannes Voss may well turn over in his grave at the knowledge that the Montblanc he founded in 1906 has diversified beyond the realm of being a maker of classy fountain pens. Since it opened its first specialty...

Time for a sports watch from Montblanc.
November 26, 2000... Luxury pen maker Montblanc has launched its first sports watch collection. The Jakarta Post's Pandaya attended the ceremony in Hong Kong, the German company's base in the Asia-Pacific region, on Nov. 9. HONG KONG (JP): Top of the bill...

Hughes offers chic outfits for big women.
November 26, 2000... JAKARTA (JP): Big is beautiful, said popular TV presenter Dewi Hughes when opening her unique fashion boutique, Big Hughes, in Jakarta last week. Born Desak Made Hughesia Dewi in Tabanan, Bali, to Dewa Made Sumertha and Putu Hermawati,...

Alternative films shown in mainstream theater.
November 26, 2000... Run Lola Run (Lola Rennt) Thriller, 90 minutes, (in Deutch with Bahasa Indonesia subtitles) Starring: Franka Polente, Moritz Bleibtreu, Herbert Knaup. Directed by Tom Tykwer An X-Filme Creative Pool Presentation The Million Dollar...

U2 launches retrospective album.
November 26, 2000... JAKARTA (JP): When a band which has succeeded in staying together for two decades and is universally regarded as one of the world's uber rock 'n' roll groups releases a new album, expectations are high. Listening to their latest album,...

On the record.
November 26, 2000... Album:Painting It Red (PT Universal Music Indonesia/2000) Artist: The Beautiful South The Beautiful South made British pop history in 1994 when their greatest hits collection, Carry On Up the Charts, went straight to number one, where it...

Now Showing.
November 26, 2000... Boiler Room (Drama/Thriller, 119 minutes). Starring Giovanni Ribisi, Ben Affleck, Tom Everett Scot, Vin Diesel, Nia Long, Scott Caan. Directed by Ben Younger. College dropout Seth Davies (Ribisi) does his utmost to win the love and...

Now Showing.
November 26, 2000... Bossa Nova. (Drama/Romance, 90 minutes). Starring Amy Irving, Antonio Fagundes, Alexandre Borges, Stephen Tobolowsky. Directed by Bruno Barreto. Romantic comedy follows nine characters over the period of a few days, showing how their...

Home Movies.
November 26, 2000... JAKARTA (JP): Many films glorify war and tell stories of how heroes are born on the battlefield. In essence, their message seems to be that one side is above the other and thus entitled to kill its adversaries. The other side of the story...

Legal hurdles facing VoIP in RI.
November 26, 2000... JAKARTA (JP): Adrie Taniwidjaya is a businessman who graduated from the Bandung Institute of Technology. He made Global Net, a Calling Card company providing inexpensive overseas calls. Using Voice over Internet Protocols (VoIP) technology,...

Voice over Internet Protocol: Free phone calls via the Net.
November 26, 2000... JAKARTA (JP): "Hello?" "Hey, Cap! What's (krrzzk) up?" "Dude, this is a very bad line!!" "Really? I... trying this (krrzzk)... net phone!" And thus began my experiment with Internet Telephony, otherwise known as Voice over...

International Paris Photo exhibition has it all.
November 26, 2000... PARIS (JP): Gray skies dominate the French capital in November, but this year there were enough riveting photos exhibited in the Mois de la Photo to divert the public's attention from unfriendly weather. The five day international photo...

Expert 'struggles' to understand 10 best stories.
November 26, 2000... JAKARTA (JP): Understanding a short story is a daunting job for many people, including literary experts. Apsanti Djokosujatno of the School of Letters at the University of Indonesia discussed on Nov. 21 the 10 best stories published in...

Letcher, Hsieh win int'l junior c'ships.
November 26, 2000... JAKARTA (JP): Indonesian sole survivor in the boy's singles Al Imron lost his dream of winning his first international title after bowing out to Clint Letcher of Australia 1-6, 1-6 in the 2000 Nabisco International Junior Championships final...

Art auction postponed after public outrage.
November 26, 2000... JAKARTA (JP): A scheme to rake in millions of U.S. dollars from the sale of 50 paintings touted as the long-lost works of domestic and international masters lay in ruins as the organizers finally halted the controversial auction yesterday...

IBRA to sell Salim's oil palm plantations soon.
November 26, 2000... JAKARTA (JP): The Indonesian Bank Restructuring Agency (IBRA) said on Friday that the sale of the 24 oil palm related companies formerly owned by the Salim Group has been brought down to two bidders. Speaking in a press meeting, Dasa...

Some nightspots to open on Ramadhan's first day.
November 26, 2000... JAKARTA (JP): As the capital enters the Muslim fasting month of Ramadhan, some of the capital's favorite entertainment centers will be closed to public on Sunday and Monday night (Nov. 26 and Nov. 27), while some will remain open. ...

Abdurrahman considering new grouping.
November 26, 2000... SINGAPORE (JP): Unhappy with the ASEAN summit's emphasis on economic competitiveness and not solidarity, President Abdurrahman Wahid said here on Friday that he might set up a new multilateral grouping that includes East Timor, Papua New...

Civil emergency status the last resort: Widodo.
November 26, 2000... BANDUNG (JP): The Indonesian Military (TNI) prefers to settle the Aceh problem non-violently, but is ready to safeguard the government's decision to preserve unity at all costs. TNI commander Gen. Widodo AS reiterated here on Friday that...

Regional autonomy untimely, says Australian expert.
November 26, 2000... JAKARTA (JP): The implementation of regional autonomy next January is premature as most regions are not self-supportive yet, an Australian expert in public policy said "Although the central government will retain full authority in...

ESCAP considers other energy sources.
November 26, 2000... NUSA DUA, Bali (JP): The Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) regional meeting was officially closed on Friday night with the endorsement of the Bali Declaration on Asia Pacific Perspective on Energy for Sustainable...

Poor knowledge cost hemophiliacs lives.
November 26, 2000... JAKARTA (JP): Thousands of hemophiliacs in Indonesia remain untreated and eventually die because knowledge of the disease among Indonesian people remains very poor, specialists in Cipto Mangunkusumo General Hospital (RSCM) revealed on Friday....

More kindergartens needed for 11 million children.
November 26, 2000... JAKARTA (JP): The Ministry of National Education is set to launch a nationwide "kindergarten-for-all" program in a bid to help some 11 million children between three and six years old attend preschool, starting in January. "Eighty...