Chatichai named advisor to PM BANGKOK (AFP): Chatichai Choonhavan, former premier and head of the second largest party in Thailand's coalition government, was yesterday appointed special advisor to Prime Minister Chavalit Yongchaiyudh. Chatichai's appointment as advisor for economic and foreign affairs came just days after Chavalit named his cabinet, which included a team of seasoned technocrats without party affiliations to head key economic ministries.

UN program helps development at the grassroot level Eleven years ago today, the United Nations General Assembly established Dec. 5 as International Volunteer Day. The day was set to celebrate humankind's noblest spirit of volunteerism and the efforts volunteers around the world have made to improve the lives of others, from the palm-laced villages of Bali to the concrete streets of New York City.

Robbers still on the loose PADANG, West Sumatra: Police admitted yesterday they were still in the dark about the whereabouts of robbers who snatched over Rp 100 million from two government employees in Bukittinggi Monday. Col. J. Simanjuntak, deputy to the provincial police chief, said the authorities had found a van and motorcycle abandoned by the robbers on Padang Panjang road, but nothing more.

Habibie brushes off meeting with Gus Dur JAKARTA (JP): B.J. Habibie, chairman of the politically well- connected Association of Indonesian Moslem Intellectuals (ICMI), brushed aside suggestions yesterday that he meet with Abdurrahman Wahid of the Nahdlatul Ulama, Indonesia's largest rural-based Moslem organization.

Spokesman denies Sudjana's $21 million fraud JAKARTA (JP): The Ministry of Mines and Energy's secretary- general, Umar Said, yesterday denied press reports that his boss, Minister I.B. Sudjana, had channeled Rp 50 billion (US$21.36 million) from PT Tambang Batubara Bukit Asam into his personal bank account. "The reports on the personal account were too much. We may sue the source of that information," Umar told a press conference held to rebut reports on "irregularities" at the ministry.

Japan-RI talks on car policy end in stalemate GENEVA (AFP): Talks between Indonesia and Japan Tuesday over the former's controversial national car policy ended inconclusively with no proposals put forward that would change the status quo, a Japanese government official said.

RI told to tackle problems outside WTO JAKARTA (JP): Indonesia must address its investment, competition and environmental problems despite rejecting their inclusion on the agenda of the coming Word Trade Organization (WTO) meeting, experts said yesterday. Hasan Kartadjoemena, Indonesia's former ambassador to the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (WTO's predecessor), warned yesterday that sooner or later these contentious issues would make their way into WTO negotiations.

Traders urge city govt to manage Aldiron plaza JAKARTA (JP): Traders in Aldiron plaza in the Blok M shopping complex asked yesterday the city administration to manage the building because the current management failed to accommodate their needs. The city must take over management of the building, which is on municipality land, because manager PT Aldiron Hero had let the building become run down, said the plaza's traders' association spokesman Azwar Wahid.

No compensation money for Karet fire victims JAKARTA (JP): Fire victims of the gutted Karet Tengsin slum area in Central Jakarta would get only land in a coming apartment project as compensation, an official said yesterday. City housing agency head Ongky Sukasah said the city had no funds to compensate the Karet Tengsin residents for the loss of their buildings. Ongky did not say the families did not have the right to compensation for their buildings.