Government to curb Puncak development JAKARTA (JP): The office of the state minister for agrarian affairs will control and supervise all building construction in the tourist resort of Puncak, West Java, following an edict by President Soeharto. State Minister Soni Harsono told reporters after meeting with President Soeharto at Bina Graha Office yesterday said that supervision and control is expected to curb the changes in land use in this hilly area, which lead to floods lower down in Jakarta.

Office of rights body opens in Dili JAKARTA (JP): East Timor's first branch office of the National Commission of Human Rights was officially opened in Dili, yesterday. The secretary of the provincial administration, Radjakarina Brahmana, symbolically handed over the office keys to two commission members, BN Marbun and Clementino dos Reis Amaral.

Denmark gives aid to Aceh JAKARTA: The Danish Embassy in Jakarta is donating Rp 82 million (US$36,000) worth of medical and food supplies to the victims of the flood which hit East Aceh this month. The donation is scheduled to be delivered by Danish Ambassador Michael Sternberg in Langsa, East Aceh, today, through the cooperation of the Leuser International Foundation.

Manila urged to eradicate terrorism, respect human rights MANILA (AFP): The Philippines should take a tougher stand against international terrorism but must guard against threatening human rights and democracy, a senior US official and Filipino legislators said. Their comments came amid growing public opposition to a proposed bill aimed at fighting attempts to make the Philippines a base for international terrorists.

Capital inflows to stay strong despite deficit JAKARTA (JP): Capital inflows are expected to remain strong this year despite the projected increase in the country's current account deficit, according to JP Morgan. The company's Singapore-based research unit said that the capital inflows will remain in excess of the deficit financing in 1996. Morgan said that the accelerated depreciation allowed by the widened intervention band has raised the rupiah's exchange rate risk.

Kotjo bids for UPP stake SINGAPORE (Reuter): United Overseas Bank Ltd and N.M. Rothschild said yesterday a group of prominent Indonesian investors had exercised a series of options to buy a large stake in United Pulp & Paper (UPP) at Singapore $1.10, triggering a general offer for the firm at that level. The institutions, acting as advisors to the Indonesian investors which include Bambang Trihatmodjo and Johanes Kotjo, said on Nov.

Chinese travel more BEIJING (dpa): Overseas travel, once an unattainable dream for the majority of Chinese living under communist rule, has become a reality for a fraction of society, the official media reported yesterday. Hong Kong, Macao, Thailand, the Philippines, Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia were reported as the most popular destinations for more than one million Chinese tourists in 1995, the Xinhua News Agency said.