Supporters boost Amien Rais' chances BANDA ACEH, Aceh (JP): Supporters of incumbent Muhammdiyah chairman Amien Rais made a last minute dash to rally support for him as the congress of the Moslem organization began the long process of electing its new leaders. Some 1,350 participants, of the congress, cast their votes yesterday to elect the 13 names for the new executive board.

Local kite makers still favor bamboo frames JAKARTA (JP): What makes Indonesian kites different from their foreign counterparts? Their frames. While most kite makers from overseas have started using fiberglass, Indonesian kite makers still favor bamboo. The result is Indonesian kites aren't as strong. When the wind blows hard, not many survive. Some Indonesian kites flown at the International Kite Festival 1995 in Ancol, North Jakarta snapped in 18 kilometer per hour winds.

AIDS victims need family members' support By Chris W. Green JAKARTA (JP): The scourge of AIDS has hit Indonesia. Although only 309 people have been diagnosed as being HIV positive, experts estimate that more than 200 times that number are actually carrying the virus that causes AIDS. Within the next few years the total could rise to over half a million. Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) cuts broadly across the population, although it has hit the under-30s particularly hard.

Working with NGOs can be rewarding JAKARTA (JP): Rita Serena Kalibonso, a lawyer at the Jakarta chapter of the Legal Aid Institute (LBH): It's nice to work with people who have the same vision. We work for the public interest. I am part of the public, so, in this case, I can say that I also work on my interest. I like working in a NGO like LBH because of the democratic atmosphere. Things must be different in government offices.

Guess What? Harmoko When Minister of Information Harmoko came for his scheduled hearing with the House of Representatives' Commission I on foreign policy, information and security, it was expected that the issue of the paper crisis would be among the most debated topics. However, no one really expected the farcical exchange of comments that would occur around this heated topic. As usual, at a House hearing, copies of the minister's written answer are distributed at the beginning of the session.

Arbi survives heat to lead RI charge KUALA LUMPUR (Reuter): World champion Heryanto Arbi sweated his way to a 15-6 12-15 18-17 victory over South Korea's Lee Kwang-jin on Friday in quarter-final action at the star-studded Malaysian Open badminton championships. Ardy Wiranata and Olympic champion Alan Budi Kusuma also won as the talented Indonesian men booked three of the four slots in Saturday's semifinals.

'Bina Swadaya' excels in cooperation spirit By Johannes Simbolon JAKARTA (JP): The office you first see once you get into Bina Swadaya's headquarters in Central Jakarta, does not look that interesting, except for the notice attached to the counter, which reads, "Leader in Alternative Tourism". Bina Swadaya tours and travels offers unconventional tour packages: ecotourism, agro-tourism, and -- the most unique of all -- study tourism.

Holf circuit tournaments offer attractive cash prizes JAKARTA (JP): Handsome cash prizes totaling about Rp 250 million are on offer in a golf circuit to be staged on four courses around the greater Jakarta area starting next week. Two of the four events which offer minimum cash prizes of US$40,000 are eligible for ASEAN golfers which are included in the ASEAN mini tour, Indonesia Golf Association secretary-general Taufik Aziz said yesterday.

Can NGOs achieve their destiny? JAKARTA (JP): Achmad Baskara, 29, an employee of a Jakartan public relation consultancy, channels his socio-political concerns through two NGOs, which he and friends finance themselves. One NGO is named "Indonesia of the year 2000", a study group, he boasts, aimed to prepare Indonesia for democracy after Soeharto's presidency.

Indonesia commits to economic reforms Reza Y. Siregar examines Indonesia's success with its various economic reform programs. From the end of the era of the oil price boom in the early 1980s up to 1994, Indonesia has attempted about 23 economic reform packages. This, plainly, is an impressive showing of commitment to economic liberalization.

Royal staff search for blessings YOGYAKARTA (JP): Working as abdi dalem (kraton personnel) clearly doesn't pay the bills, but 600 abdi dalem work at Kraton Surakarta for between Rp 20,000 and Rp 50,000 a month. The Mangkunegaran Palace of Surakarta provides a maximum of Rp 100,000. "I am searching for nothing but blessings," said Sumopawiro who is 60 years old. An inhabitant of Sukohardjo village in Central Java, Sumopawiro spends his time doing menial jobs from dawn till noon at the kraton.

Cemetery available for beloved pets JAKARTA (JP): A bouquet of fresh red roses lay on top of a tiny grave. The lovely bouquet had been placed there by the bereaved owner of the grave's occupant. Owner? Yes. The grave was that of a dog buried in the Jakarta Pet Hospital's animal cemetery. Located right in front of the hospital in the Ragunan area, South Jakarta, the cemetery is built to cater to animal owners' wishes to provide the best "final resting place" to their beloved pets.

Vet recommends monthly checkups JAKARTA (JP): To make sure that your pets are safe from any disease, regular checkups are essential, veterinarian Wiwiek Bagdja, the director of the Jakarta Pet Hospital, advises. "At least, once a month a checkup should be performed. If you doubt that your pet is healthy, a blood test can be demanded. It is one of the quickest ways to know if there is something wrong," Wiwiek said. Vaccinations are also a must.

Stop littering at the zoo, it can kill animals By Jim Plouffe JAKARTA (JP): The Komodo dragon lay motionless, which isn't unusual. However, early in January last year, the native lizard hadn't moved for days. When the zoo keepers went to investigate, they found stones littered around the large reptile's body. Their immediate conclusion was it had been stoned to death by "impatient visitors, in an attempt to wake what they thought was a sleeping Komodo," The Jakarta Post reported at the time.

Semsar takes the system to task in life, art By Lela E. Madjiah JAKARTA (JP): I was quite unprepared to see the rented house that well-known sculptor turned painter Semsar Siahaan lives in. It is a very simple house but with a large garden. The furniture is simple too and limited to a few chairs and a dining table where paint, brushes, books and letters have to make room for coffee mugs, an ashtray and a plate. No sofas in case guests stop by.

Alatas in Geneva for Timor talks GENEVA (Agencies): Indonesian Minister of Foreign Affairs Ali Alatas met with United Nations' Secretary General Boutros Boutros-Ghali yesterday at the start of the latest round of talks to discuss the future of East Timor. Boutros-Ghali also separately met with Jose Manuel Durao Barroso, the foreign minister of Portugal, East Timor's former colonial master. The three were later to gather in a joint meeting and a working lunch, according to Reuters.

Raw deal From Republika I am one of the 2,000 Indonesian workers hopeful to depart to South Korea. I deposited the Rp. 1,100,000 application fee and attended training at PT Binawan Group's overseas workers' training center in Cianjur, West Java in July, 1994. Since then only 600 workers have been sent to South Korea. That is after complaining to many institutes like the local legislative council, the National Commission on Human Rights, the press and the local Ministry of Manpower office.

Kite history stretches back over 2,000 years JAKARTA (JP): Although they were probably independently developed in many areas of the world, kites almost certainly first originated in China more than two thousand years ago. Legends abound to explain their origin, everything from runaway boat sails to a farmer's hat being carried off by the wind and retained by the string around his neck.

Guess What? Ali Alatas Some people feel tremendous pressure when being bombarded by a barrage of questions but not, apparently, Foreign Minister Ali Alatas. During his announcement on the withdrawal of the appointment of Mantiri as ambassador for Australia, journalists blitzed the minister with endless questions. "What is the effect of the withdrawal?" asked one reporter. "What does this do to the bilateral relationship," asked another.

Kraton festival boosts tourism but fails to help palaces The week-long National Royal Palace Festival, which involved 20 palaces from all over Indonesia, has just ended. Behind the glamor of the festival, the kratons are actually facing various problems, which have yet to be solved. The Jakarta Post correspondent, R. Fadjri, looks into the matter in the following article. Photographer IGN Oka B. Yogaswara records this event in a series of pictures.

Can Asia-Pacific security vacuum really be filled? Denny Roy looks at whether the prospective vacuum created in the Asia-Pacific in the wake of a U.S. military withdrawal will actually be filled by another power. The assumption that a withdrawal of U.S. influence from the Asia-Pacific would create a power or security "vacuum" has become commonplace among analysts of the region. This assumption, however, has been largely unexamined.

Citra Usadha campaigns against AIDS in Bali By Dini S. Djalal Kuta, Bali (JP): It is midnight in Kuta, Bali. The packaged tourists and their families have retired to their air-conditioned hotel rooms. Taking their place are single travelers and surfers, and the prostitutes, male gigolos, drug dealers, and hustlers who wait to serve them. Wandering among them are two youths, distributing condoms and advice.

Souvenir sales up in Dili DILI, East Timor (JP): As East Timor opens up to the world, inhabitants with an eye for business have turned to selling souvenirs. One shop, right in front of the Dili Sports Stadium on Jl. Bispo Medeiros, is called "Toko Dili". It stocks curios from all 13 regencies in the province. Salem Musalam Sagram says it has been his long-time dream to own the souvenir center he established in 1987. It is now owned by PT Karya Timor Agung and PT Wisata Timtim Pertiwi.

Government to reduce ABRI representation Nazaruddin Sjamsuddin analyses the reasons for and the likely impact of the proposed reduction of the Indonesian Armed Forces' representation in the House of Representatives. The Indonesian government recently announced intentions to reduce the size of the Armed Forces' representation in the House of Representatives (DPR). The move will materialize when the DPR formally endorses it.

It's a game of musical maids Musical maids JAKARTA (JP): If someone was to procure a statistic on the favorite topic of conversation among housewives in Jakarta, I can say the topic of maids would win hands down. For a newcomer to Jakarta the prospect of having the luxury of employing two or three housemaids is incredibly delicious. However the taste does turn slightly sour when one learns of the mystery that lies behind holding on to them.

Well equipped veterinary hospital caters to pets' needs JAKARTA (JP): When the veterinarians of Jakarta's Pet Hospital in Ragunan, South Jakarta, decided to put Astor, an ailing, handicapped Doberman, to sleep, the facility's kennel boys got angry, protested and cried. "It's a common sight here, employees crying because an animal they have been taking care of has died. So, it's not only the owner of the animal who feels sad.

Two Pattimura teams to meet in final JAKARTA (JP): Pattimura One and Pattimura Two, both from the Pattimura Club of South Jakarta, were scheduled to meet in the final of the National Inter-club Bridge Championship on Saturday in Kuta, Bali. In the semifinals, Pattimura One won over PU Sulut from North Sulawesi with 33-23 International Match Point (IMP), while Pattimura beat Prasetya 70-57 IMP. Prasetya, two time winner of the competition, is also from North Sulawesi.

How to teach mathematics to your children By Novita Tandry JAKARTA (JP): Your child's first experience with numbers has little to do with math. Your child may have learned to chant them in order without really knowing what the words mean. If you say "one, two, three, whee!" each time you lift the child out of the bath, he or she will soon learn to copy you, but to the child it's just the same as saying "ready, steady, go!" Learning numbers by rote like this isn't a waste of time, though.

Resistance and memory in the visual field Astri Wright prepared this article on a special publication of a terracotta art exhibition featuring the works of Dadang Christianto, which took place between June 24 and 30 in Bentara Budaya, Yogyakarta. YOGYAKARTA: It's highly appropriate that an exhibition like this takes place in the year which celebrates the 50th anniversary of Indonesia's declaration of independence.

TV today TVRI 7:00 a.m. Morning News 7:30 Healthy and Fresh with Berty Tilarso 7:40 Cartoon: Vicky The Viking 8:05 Children's Program 8:35 Children's Stories 9:00 People and Events 9:30 Comedy: Ria Jenaka 9:45 Music 10:45 Youth Program 11:15 Music 11:45 Sports: Dari Gelanggang Ke Gelanggang 1:15 p.m.