Indonesia through to four Astra finals JAKARTA (JP): The country's rising star Wynne Prakusya led Indonesia to four final places, two singles and two doubles, in the 10th Indonesia Astra International Junior Championships at the Hilton Hotel tennis courts yesterday. Wynne Prakusya cruised to the girls' final after beating compatriot Eny Sulistyowati 6-2, 6-3 in 65 minutes. The 16-year-old Wynne, who is a member of the country's Fed Cup team, dominated the match with her backhand shots.

Callers beware, party lines less fun than advertised JAKARTA (JP): More than 25 services are trying to win the long-distance phone business of Indonesian callers. One of the services even originates in the Netherlands Antilles (country code 599), a tiny country in the Atlantic Ocean. In their ads, found mostly in magazines for teenagers, the services omit their business names or addresses in favor of such phrases as Mari Bergabung (Let's Join).

Thailand extends its domination JAKARTA (JP): Thai swimmers continued their domination of the 24th Southeast Asia interclub age group swimming championships yesterday despite stiff challenges from Singaporean swimmers. Thailand took 14 golds on the second day while Singapore won 13 golds in the championships for the Sanya Samakki challenge cup at the Pelita Harapan school pool in Karawaci, Tangerang. Two records were broken yesterday.

Bre-X mining saga could have been scripted for film TORONTO (AFP): David Walsh, president of the Bre-X mining company, was hunkered down in his Calgary office on Friday, trying to sort out what went wrong with a company that once had taken the investment world by storm.

Book on film appreciation glosses over issues Dasar-dasar Apresiasi Film (The Basics of Film Appreciation) By Marselli Sumarno Grasindo, 1997 127 pages JAKARTA (JP): It's ironic that at a time when Indonesian films are all but obsolete, film critic Marselli Sumarno publishes a book titled Dasar-dasar Apresiasi Film (The Basics of Film Appreciation).

TV today TVRI 6:00 a.m. Religious Teachings: Hikmah Pagi 6:25 Morning news 6:45 Healthy and Fit 7:00 News 7:30 TV Series: Speed Racer 8:00 Fashion Program: Tata Busana 8:30 Information 9:00 English News Service 9:30 People and Events 10:00 Music: Album Minggu Ini 11:00 Children's Story: Cerita Untuk Anak 11:30 Comedy: Ria Jenaka 11:45 Sports: Dari Gelanggang Ke Gelanggang 1:15 p.m.

Cambodian film festival opens without top guest PHNOM PENH (Reuter): A landmark film festival got under way in Cambodia yesterday, but guest of honor Alain Delon failed to make it for the opening. The First Southeast Asian Biennial Film Festival kicked off with the showing of an Indonesian film, Cemeng 2005, the Last Primadonna.

Christie's Gallery Talks offer Previews to Sales By Yenni Kwok JAKARTA (JP): Only a prestigious name like Christie's could make the rich and wealthy stay, enduring mosquito bites and the humid temperature of the non-air-conditioned Museum Seni Rupa Jakarta. Who would not anyway? Christie's Gallery Talks, held every Tuesday and Wednesday night, are not just a rare opportunity to listen to world class art experts in this economically booming but culturally deprived city.

'Prayer in the Moonlight' series airing postponed By Marselli Sumarno JAKARTA (JP): At last Philippine President Fidel Ramos banned the showing of The Sarah Balabagan Story. The film on the woman who became a defendant in a "self-defense murder" case had been earmarked for simultaneous release in a number of prominent theaters in Metro Manila on March 12. The show was postponed indefinitely.

Probe into envoy dropped AMSTERDAM (AFP): A court here rejected Friday an application for bail made by lawyers for a pilot of Indonesia's Garuda airline, who is suspected of involvement in trafficking the drug ecstasy, legal sources said. Mohammad Said, 49, was arrested on Sept. 28 last year in possession of some 6,400 tablets of the drug ecstasy, just before he was due to take off from Amsterdam airport on a flight to Bali.

Night Safari, another must-see wildlife tourin Cisarua By K. Basrie CISARUA, West Java (JP): When did you last visit the country's famous Safari Wildlife Park at the foot of Mount Pangrango? On that occasion, you might not have been satisfied when touring the wildlife zone not only because of the huge crowds but also the failure to see the movement of wild animals, such as the Sumatran tigers and Russian bears.

Female caddies work hard for their living SURABAYA (JP): Ni Ketut Sariati, 21, is perhaps one of the lucky caddies in Indonesia. She told The Jakarta Post she could earn Rp 650,000 (US$271) per month. That is much more than a university lecturer earns in a month. The youngest of six children, Ketut now supports herself. "When I am not working, I study at Surabaya Hotel School," she said. She wants to be employed permanently by a fine hotel. But working as a caddy is not always fun.

MacLaine's star still shines in an otherwise mediocre sequel By Laksmi Pamuntjak-Djohan JAKARTA (JP): The fundamental problem confronting The Evening Star is the inevitable scrutiny it will come under in being compared to its 1983 predecessor. Yes, sequels are a chancy business at best. Terms of Endearment didn't only win five Oscars including Best Picture, but Aurora Greenway also gave Shirley MacLaine a character which redefined her career.

Take a trip down memory lane at Rawamangun golf course By Kosasih Derajat JAKARTA (JP): A local newspaper once published a letter from a student who said he was almost hit by a flying golf ball. The student said he had been waiting for a bus in front of his campus in Rawamangun, East Jakarta. The experience was frightening, the student wrote, but he would keep the small, hard ball as a memento of the country's oldest golf course.

Comfort women continue to suffer The Japanese occupation of Indonesia during World War II lasted only three years. But for some, the pain lasts forever. R. Fadjri and Lucia Idayanie, contributors to The Jakarta Post, write the following two articles on the issue of comfort women and the long struggle for their rights.

Golf memberships booming in Jakarta If you don't like golf, you should, because a great deal of important lobbying has been successful after a few hours with the right partner on the greens. These benefits may have kept fees high but memberships are increasing. The Jakarta Post's reporters Imanuddin, Primastuti Handayani, Devi M.

Why Indonesian golfers still get left behind By Sri Wahyuni JAKARTA (JP): Golf does not necessarily exclude the less-than wealthy. Regardless that the market price of transferable permanent membership at certain golf courses is very expensive -- some cost up to US$150,000 -- there is also a growing number of talented and qualified golf players in Indonesia, both professional and amateur, being of families that are not rich.

'Fatty food is no bad food for you, but...' JAKARTA (JP): Can't give up fried chicken? No problem if that's your pleasure. Same with pizza, burgers, chocolate, ice cream and milk shakes, or anything else included in your daily menu. More and more working people in Indonesia's big cities are rushing to fast-food outlets for lunch.

East Java gets aboard blossoming golf bandwagon By Sirikit Syah SURABAYA (JP): There are no less than six golf courses in East Java and at least one more will emerge this year. But is there a market for them? Recent data doesn't make it look very promising. There are fewer than 500 golf players in East Java. So the problem is how to make golf more accessible to more people. Sydney, in Australia, has a population of some four million people and has 75 golf layouts.

The amusing and confusing technology era JAKARTA (JP): "I don't want to be a dinosaur," announced Mia one day. "I want to be ready for the new millennium, I want to be computer literate and I am going to be on the Internet. Very soon, we won't have to call each other anymore, we will e-mail each other." These words sent me into a state of panic. There had always been rivalry between us, and I felt that this too was part of the competition.

At 26 'Prambors Rasisonia' is still the hottest in town By Helly Minarti JAKARTA (JP): How do Jakarta's teenagers start their day? Many of them might turn on the radio right after they wake, tuning to 102.3 FM and listening to the latest songs and the fresh jokes of popular DJs Becky and Ari. The radio station, Prambors Rasisonia, threw a party at Fashion Cafe on Sunday for its 26th anniversary. Tickets were sold out two weeks before and about 700 enthusiastic youngsters attended the party.

Busy people prefer driving ranges JAKARTA (JP): Business people with limited time to practice their swing prefer to go to the city's driving ranges. One can just stop by for one or two hours after work instead of driving out of town to a golf course. One of the most popular ranges is the Sasana Golf Wijaya, on Jl. Wijaya, Kebayoran Baru, South Jakarta. Others are the Senayan driving range at the Senayan eastern parking lot, and the Pringgondani at the Halim Perdanakusuma complex, East Jakarta.

Garin optimistic on ailing local film industry By Rita A. Widiadana JAKARTA (JP): People may say that Indonesian cinema industry is dead, but Garin Nugroho presses forward in his role as one of the country's most prolific and talented movie directors. Indonesia's once flourishing film industry has been in a sorry state since l991, when the industry stopped producing good films.

Indonesian films show signs of hope By Yenni Kwok JAKARTA (JP): Since March 30 was declared National Film Day in 1992, the day has been observed more as a day of mourning rather than a jubilant celebration. And people do have reason to mourn: The number of movies produced are few, and most of them are steamy, semi-pornographic movies. "It would have been all right if those 'porn' movies had been good," said actress-director Jajang C. Noer.

Pekalongan riot case suspects sent to court JAKARTA (JP): Fourteen of the 29 people detained for rioting in the Central Java town of Pekalongan last week have already appeared in court, police said yesterday. Sergeant Erwin of Pekalongan police precinct told The Jakarta Post last night that the remaining 15 suspects would be taken to court soon. They are charged with crimes such as damaging properties and disrupting public order.

Bre-X geologist's brother pledges to clear up problems MANILA (Agencies): The brother of the late chief Filipino geologist for a Canadian firm that reported a gold strike in Indonesia said yesterday "everything will be cleared up" after the funeral.

Guess What? Conglomerate owner Ciputra and business icon Jack Welsh of the giant American corporation, General Electric, have two things in common -- they are great businessmen with long diversified lines of businesses, and they are passionate about sharing their knowledge. The latter Ciputra admitted he was not good at.

Party lines struggle to lure young Indonesian callers Party lines are nothing new in Indonesia. They were first offered in the 1980s, but it was not until late last year that their popularity began to boom following the improvement of telecommunications services in the country. K. Basrie of The Jakarta Post wrote the following reports on the phenomenon. JAKARTA (JP): Party lines, claimed to be operated from Canada, Hong Kong, Sweden and Cameroon, are booming again in Indonesia.

Guess What? Bureaucracy often does not make sense. Amir Santoso's experience is a perfect example. Amir, a researcher at the Center for Policies and Development Studies and a lecturer at University of Indonesia, was recently offered the position of director of the postgraduate program at the private University of Jayabaya. And he took it. As a consequence, he had to apply for a registration number. Amir did not mind even though as a civil servant he had already had a number.

Garin's latest film blends art and anthropology By Rita A. Widiadana JAKARTA (JP): For those of you fed up with slapstick comedies and sinetron, check out the new film by Garin Nugroho. The 74-minute Angin Rumput Savana (The Wind in the Savanna Grass) -- jointly financed by Johns Hopkins University, the National Family Planning Board and education TV station Televisi Pendidikan Indonesia (TPI) -- will be aired on TPI early next month.

Sotheby's auction sets world records SINGAPORE (AFP): An auction of Southeast Asian paintings at international art house Sotheby's here yesterday chalked up sales totaling S$4.2 million (US$3 million) and set world auction records for two artists. The highest price of $1.1 million went to Landscape in oil painted by Russian-born German painter Walter Spies, who lived and worked in Bali, Indonesia, early this century.

Comfort women fight for rights at home, abroad YOGYAKARTA (JP): The case of former Indonesian jugun ianfu was revealed during the visit of five Japanese lawyers from the Nichibenden (the federation of Japanese lawyers) to Indonesia in April 1993.