Miriam gets highest honor from UI JAKARTA (JP): Miriam Budiardjo, one of the country's most respected political scientists, was presented with an honorary doctorate from the University of Indonesia yesterday, becoming the first woman to receive such a prestigious distinction.

Utut out of world chess c'ships JAKARTA (JP): Indonesian Grandmaster Utut Adianto bowed out of the world chess championships in Groningen, the Netherlands Friday. Utut was defeated by GM Peter Svidler of Russia following a loss on Thursday and a draw on Friday. Svidler scored 1.5 points while Utut only scored 0.5. With the victory, Svidler, who is ranked 10th in the world, progresses to the third round. Svidler has an elo rating of 2,695 while Utut's elo rating is 2,615.

Dayak handicrafts coming to shopping malls soon By Dini S. Djalal JAKARTA (JP): The beads were green, black, red and yellow, stitched tightly on a blouse in a swirling curlicue pattern. The owner of the blouse, and matching skirt and hat, beamed as she greeted mesmerized observers. Yulia Aloy, head of Yayasan Burung Enggang, a foundation promoting the indigenous peoples of Kalimantan, popularly referred to as Dayaks, knew it was one memorable outfit.

ASEAN leaders may deal with crisis KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters): Senior ASEAN officials prepared yesterday for a summit of Asian leaders expected to be dominated by the economic crisis facing the region. "The officials have already started meeting in the final run of preparations for the meeting of the summit," said ASEAN Secretary General Ajit Singh.

Photos Correction: The fashion pictures on this page last Sunday were inadvertently reversed. The caption should read: "Jakarta Fashion Parade, held to promote the city as a fashion center, included the latest collections of Ramli (above left), Iwan Tirta (above right), Dimas Mahendra (below left) and Didi Budiarjo (below right)." We apologize for any inconvenience. -- Editor

Electronics companies Reading the article Advertising executives don't live the high life in The Jakarta Post Sunday Dec. 7, 1997, page 11, which was based on an interview with our company, we would like to draw your attention on some flaws. In the seventh column, second paragraph from the bottom, it states: "Their biggest clients are electronics companies Samsung and Polytron". In the interview, we never mentioned Polytron as our client.

Lontar Foundation racing against time By Ati Nurbaiti JAKARTA (JP): The assumption might be that local writers would jump at the chance to speak their mind on videotape for posterity. The tape might eventually make it to TV, no better way, perhaps, to break through the notorious ignorance about literature here, a concern reiterated in last week's meeting of writers in Bukittinggi, West Sumatra. But several writers responded to the proposal with "I don't want to die yet".

Remote-control cars: Fun and thrills at a price By Aloysius Unditu JAKARTA (JP): Robby, a Jakarta entrepreneur who runs his own business was seen sitting on a wooden chair inside the five-meter wide Speedy Body Shop on the ground floor of Hayam Wuruk Plaza in downtown Jakarta Wednesday. Robby is not the owner of the store, nor even a technician, but a remote-control car racer who regularly goes there to exchange stories with the owner Alex.

What is the real meaning of 'foreign aid' JAKARTA (JP): That motley community haphazardly lumped under the term "expatriates" has been on the receiving end of knowing looks and choice comments in the last few days. Behind these is the assumption that the foreign guests, many of whom get their salaries in prized U.S. dollars, are now living on easy street with more value for their bucks.

Culture vital in the question of rights and wrongs in Asia Stephanie Lawson comments on cultural rights in the context of the debate on Asian values. SINGAPORE: Human rights debates in the Asia-Pacific region have long been dominated by perceptions of essential differences between "Asia" and the "West", especially in relation to the basic cultural values through which various approaches to human rights are determined.

Dressing down We were very disappointed to read the article about Jakarta Fashion Parade in The Jakarta Post, Dec. 7, 1997. It contained untrue information which might have misled the readers and we herewith would like to correct this impression. The article says that Didi Budiardjo was able to perform better than other participants because his mother is the organizer of the event.

Big budget 'The Jackal' tosses out bare bones plot By Laksmi Pamuntjak JAKARTA (JP): The year was 1973, and the movie was Fred Zinnemann's The Day of The Jackal. The sight of Edward Fox, standing with his lightweight rifle, eyes ablaze with the cold detachment of the truly insane, not only spoke volumes for a decade traumatized by political assassination and mass paranoia. It also established the movie as a classic in the political thriller genre.

RIF strums sweet success after years of struggle By Helly Minarti JAKARTA (JP): Only two days after the October release of its debut album, Radja (King), RIF was baptized a supergroup-to-be by a local radio station. But it seems it will still take a while for these five lads to put themselves on the map of Indonesian pop music crowded with talent. RIF has tread the rough road to fame.

I'm healthy and in good condition: Soeharto JAKARTA (JP): "I had been advised by doctors to rest, but now I am healthy and in good condition. All I need now is to restore my health," said President Soeharto in a televised broadcast yesterday evening. Soeharto spoke for over five minutes in the broadcast from his home on Jl. Cendana, Central Jakarta, prior to a tahlilan religious ceremony to commemorate the death of the late first lady Siti Hartinah Soeharto, who died in April last year.

People and their dependency on appliances JAKARTA (JP): Electronic gadgets make our lives comfortable and more enjoyable. They are useful and fun. Indeed, in this increasingly wired world, many people have become dependent on such devices, as is reflected in The Jakarta Post's interviews with a cross-section of the public. Widiastuti, a 35-year-old housewife: My five-year old son, Ino, can't go far from the electric fan. Whenever he is in the house, the fan is never far away from him.

Can Glodok maintain sales supremacy for electronics? By Imanuddin and Ivy Susanti JAKARTA (JP): It is no exaggeration to say Glodok in West Jakarta is the trading hub for electronic items not only for Jakarta, but the nation. With daily trading value of not less than Rp 50 billion (US$11.2 million), the subdistrict is undoubtedly the busiest and most liquid trading site in the city.

Keeping gadgets in top condition By Christiani S. Tumelap JAKARTA (JP): Electronic appliances are part and parcel of our modern lives. Unfortunately, few of us know how to properly store and maintain them. Poor maintenance will likely cause damage, both to the gadget and to your pocketbook. But armed with the proper knowledge, owners can keep their appliances functioning fine. Here are suggestions from those in the industry. Paimin, a technician from the Sony outlet on Jl.

Wired for life in this modern world In this increasingly wired world, there is a soaring demand for modern conveniences to be provided by electronic gadgets. Certain appliances have become more than basic needs for most of us, we have become dependent on them for our comfort and pleasure. The Jakarta Post's reporters I. Christianto, Christiani S. Tumelap, Imanuddin, Aloysius Unditu, T. Sima Gunawan, P.J. Leo and Ivy Susanti, switch on to the trends. More stories are on Page 9.

Pucang horn carvers also feel sting of rupiah turmoil By Gin Kurniawan MAGELANG, Central Java (JP): The villagers of Pucang, known for their unique handicrafts carved from animal horns, join Indonesia's bankers in having their traditional lifestyles threatened by the rupiah crisis. Pucang, at the foot of Mt. Merbabu in Secang, Magelang, Central Java, covers about 118 hectares, and has long been known as a "village of carvers".

China set to win GP's men's singles JAKARTA (JP): China is set to win the men's singles and the women's doubles titles in today's finals at the 1997 Lipton World Grand Prix Badminton Finals at Senayan Indoor Stadium. Dong Jiong, world number one, meets Sun Jun, while Ge Fei/Gu Jun face Qin Yiyuan/Tang Yongshu, making an all-Chinese finals. Dong defeated the 1996 Olympic gold medalist Poul-Erik Hoyer- Larsen 15-9, 15-7 in a 31-minute match yesterday.

The tale of Indonesia's literary figures By R. Masri Sareb Putra JAKARTA (JP): The six-day Meeting of Indonesian Literacy IX, held in the West Sumatran towns of Bukittinggi and Kayutanam, ended Thursday. The government's presence among the 400 participants, including delegates from Brunei Darussalam and Malaysia, was encouraging. Attendees included Minister/State Secretary Moerdiono, Minister of Education and Culture Wardiman Djojonegoro and Minister of Religious Affairs Tarmizi Taher.

Phillip Island is rat-race refuge By Dewi Anggraeni MELBOURNE (JP): As more Indonesians become sophisticated world travelers, they no longer set off in search of "otherness" only. They want those places with "another world" quality which are still vaguely reminiscent of home. That, apparently, is the reason more Indonesians visit Australia each year. It is close, the weather is relatively friendly except if you go too far inland, while the ambience is predominantly European.

Population pressures blamed for haze Jakarta's acceptance of responsibility for the forest fires and its decree that fire should not be used for land clearance are major steps in dealing with the haze problem. The question now is one of implementation, says Robert Fenton SINGAPORE: As human populations have increased, the world's forests have gone. This has occurred in all countries and, so far, no one has learnt from the past to leave some reasonable proportion of forest.

Wallowing in divine luxury at newly opened Bali resort PT Bakrie Nirwana Resort recently invited The Jakarta Post reporter, Sylvia Gratia Mirinda, to visit its new resort in Tabana, adjacent to Bali's sacred Tanah Lot temple. TABANAN, Bali (JP): As the rupiah continues to plummet, many people are complaining over rocketing prices of food staples and the struggle to survive. For a lucky few, however, it is still business, and pleasure, as usual.

Voicing Restlessness through Literature Ketika Jurnalisme Dibungkam, Sastra Harus Bicara (When Journalism is Repressed, Literature Should Speak Up) By Seno Gumira Ajidarma Bentang Budaya Foundation, Yogyakarta, October 1997 120 pages ISBN 979-8793-35-8 JAKARTA (JP): The closing of print media through the revocation of publishing licenses has long been a nightmare for most people in the Indonesian media world.