'Horison' turns 32, ailing but still respected By Stevie Emilia JAKARTA (JP): Relying on a small fanatic readership, and surviving much on its founders' fierce dedication, literary magazine Horison has turned 32 -- still ailing but respected. "It's a miracle," exclaimed veteran journalist Mochtar Lubis, the magazine's general manager, describing how Horison has survived the hardships that have haunted his publication.

Guess What? Emha Ainun Najib Did you know that poetry can overcome supernatural forces? Poet, essayist and musician Emha Ainun Najib had just addressed a discussion on poetry when a power failure knocked out the room's audio and lighting system. This occurred during a recent book review of ASEANO: An Anthology of Poems from Southeast Asia at the ASEAN secretariat in South Jakarta.

The agony of not knowing hurts families of missing persons JAKARTA (JP): Their loved ones have been missing for months, some for more than a year. The families of Indonesia's missing persons rely on their vivid memories to help keep their hope alive. Some of these families live far from Jakarta, and not all have the energy or the means to keep going back and forth to the capital to inquire about their lost members. The following are a few accounts from families of missing persons: D.

Cohen reaffirms RI-U.S. frienship JAKARTA (JP): Visiting U.S. Defense Secretary William Cohen said yesterday that Indonesia was a friend of the United States and deserved help to get out of its economic difficulties. Addressing a media conference after completing visits to President B.J. Habibie, Minister of Foreign Affairs Ali Alatas and Minister of Defense and Security/Armed Forces Commander Gen. Wiranto, Cohen said Washington would like to help Indonesia settle the year-old crisis.

Pedicabs in Jakarta From Kompas Becak (pedicabs) have returned to Jakarta, the result of Jakarta's Governor Sutiyoso invitation. The problem needs careful handling. Perhaps the pedicabs do not need to be returned to the drivers' villages, this will only worsen the drivers' situation. Many among them borrowed money or sold their belongings to be able to travel and bring their becak to Jakarta. The becak could operate in residential areas, of which there are so many in Jakarta.

Golf course upsets residents From Kompas We are residents of Sariharjo village, Ngaglik subdistrict, Sleman, Yogyakarta, living opposite (to the north of) the golf course belonging to the Hyatt Hotel of Yogyakarta. Only a 12- meter-high net separates our houses and the golf course. Since the golf course became operational some time ago, golf balls have been regularly smashing and damaging our roof tiles and gutters day and night.

Defining modern SE Asian art is not an easy task By Amir Sidharta JAKARTA (JP): The audience visiting a recent lecture expected to return with an understanding of what "ASEAN Modern Art" was all about, judging from the title in the agenda. They were first shown a slide show of paintings nominated in the Third Philip Morris ASEAN Art Awards in Bangkok, 1996, which they thought would be used as a case study by the speaker in the lecture. Instead, the audience was to be disappointed.

Cash flowing into Austria may be Soeharto's: Report VIENNA (Reuters): A massive flow of foreign money early this year supports suggestions that former Indonesian President Soeharto moved billions of dollars to Austrian banks shortly before his downfall, according to an Austrian business newspaper.

A portrait of the lives of Indonesians in New York Impian Amerika (The American Dream); By Kuntowijoyo; Bentang Budaya, Yogyakarta, March 1998; viii + 264 pp.; Rp 20,500 YOGYAKARTA (JP): YB Mangunwijaya, a Catholic priest, architect and novelist, believes that imaginative works like novels, poems and short stories offer the reader portraits of life. In an imaginative work, a writer may be narrating only a minor and ordinary event.

Rail travel unaffected by immigration dispute SINGAPORE (Reuters): A diplomatic row between Singapore and Malaysia over the siting of railway immigration facilities appeared to have been temporarily defused yesterday. Despite concerns the dispute would disrupt railway passenger traffic, a Reuters reporter found no problems taking trains from downtown Singapore to Johor Bahru in Malaysia.

Indonesian GM Utut gets another 2nd place in Biel JAKARTA (JP): Indonesia's top chess player Utut Adianto lost his usual self-control in the final round of the Biel Masters tournament in Switzerland Friday, costing him his bid for a second title.

Pulau Kelapa locals fight off environmental destruction By Yudha Kartohadiprodjo PULAU KELAPA, North Jakarta (JP): Dive into the blue water surrounding Kelapa island and witness the environmental damage. The seabed looks like the surface of the moon. Most of the reefs, or what is left of them, has lost its natural color, creating an eerie scenery for scuba divers. Population increases and environmental disregard by the tourist industry has led to coral reefs becoming a direct victim.

The gallery of thirteen activists who are still missing JAKARTA (JP): At least 13 families are still uncertain whether missing sons, daughters, husbands, brothers, sisters or fathers are still alive. Former missing activist Pius Lustrilanang has claimed he saw Sonny and Yani Afri released last March 12 from the detention center they shared, but the men have not returned to their families. They are among the longest missing since the last positive sighting of them was April 26 last year.

34 teams battle in debating contest JAKARTA (JP): Thirty-four teams battled it out in the first three preliminary rounds of the Indonesian Varsities English Debate 1998 yesterday, the first such national debate here. The three-day debate opened yesterday with 34 teams from 22 universities at the University of Indonesia (UI), Depok, West Java. The winning team may be nominated for the world English debating tournament, scheduled in December.

Haze has receded SINGAPORE (Reuters): The risk of a return of severe smog to Southeast Asia has faded, Singapore said yesterday. "While hot spots will continue to be detected from time to time, the risk of recurrence of a severe or sustained smoke haze episode has now receded," the Ministry of the Environment and the Meteorological Service Singapore said in a joint statement.

Guess What? Ingrid Widjanarko The host of SCTV talk show Dunia Bintang (World of Stars), Ingrid Widjanarko, has just returned from a birthday party -- in Brunei. "I coordinated a group of vocalists to sing for the sultan of Brunei," Ingrid said Thursday, while lounging around Hotel Mulia Senayan's C.J.'s Bar. She said singers Yana Julio, Rita Effendy, Memes and others had performed for the 52-year-old sultan. "It was a great honor for me to coordinate the group," she said.

Spotlight Photo A: Donation JP/leo CARE FOR ALL: Minister of Social Services Justika Baharsjah (left) hands over donations from Austrian envoy Victor Sagalla (right), who is representing the Kiwanis Club of Wels, Austria. The various donations were given yesterday to Griya Asih foundation's chairwoman, Ch. Pandaya Sukaca (second right), and Bintang Pancasila foundation's chairman, Muhammad Intan Peringatan (second left), in Cempaka Putih, Central Jakarta yesterday.

Bring them back home, dead or alive Revealing the truth behind the recent kidnapping of political activists and ensuring that innocent Indonesian citizens will never again be abducted and tortured in their own country is crucial to restoring trust in the nation's government. The families of the missing persons desperately want their loved ones back and are ambivalent to the debate on how best to bring those responsible to justice.

Dial-a-prize: One will soon learn the huge amount it costs By Stevie Emilia JAKARTA (JP): Games announcing big prizes to be won with only a simple telephone call have lured quite a number of television addicts here. These quizzes offer cash prizes of up to Rp 2.5 million, which would come in quite handy during these hard times; all you have to do to is dial a number which usually starts with a 0809 prefix.

Gamblers netted in night raid on W. Jakarta club JAKARTA (JP): Police arrested 134 suspected gamblers, including 34 females, in a raid on the Bonus amusement center on the fourth floor of the Asemka building in Pinangsia, West Jakarta, on Friday evening. A total of Rp 103 million in cash, 120 gambling machines and 200 tokens were seized, city police Chief Detective Col. Gories Mere told the media yesterday.

It's the wrong Herman: Consul-general JAKARTA (JP): The Indonesian consul-general in the southern Philippines' city of Davao, Asmadi Arbi, has dismissed an earlier claim by the Armed Forces (ABRI) that Herman Hendrawan, one the missing activists, has been found and was sheltering in his office. Asmadi said the man who appeared at his door and claimed to be Herman Hendrawan insisted that he was not the Herman Hendrawan now being sought by rights activists and the military alike.

Iwan: Writer of young rebels' anthems By Rita A. Widiadana JAKARTA (JP): He is not a poet, but his lyrics are as sharp as a sword. He is not a political leader, but he has hundreds of thousands of faithful and fanatical devotees. He is Iwan Fals, a rare phenomenon on the Indonesian music scene. Since he launched his first album Oemar Bakri in l981, he has captivated the hearts of the under-privileged.

High bills give new headache to phone users JAKARTA (JP): Despite grumbles, telephone owners tolerated increases in their bills in January, and then again in April, when a 10 percent hike was applied. Recently, the state telephone monopoly PT Telkom planned to apply interlocal charges on calls distanced more than 30 kilometers out from callers in Greater Jakarta. The plan is still being debated, but some Telkom customers have already found they have to pay double the usual rate.

Islanders' daily life no paradise idyll PULAU KELAPA (JP): Lying 30 nautical miles north of Jakarta in the Thousand Islands is the Kelurahan Pulau Kelapa (Coconut Island subdistrict). The subdistrict consists of 64 islands -- three of which are home to fishing communities and the rest of which are privately owned or reserved for tourists. The islands are well protected by smaller surrounding islands. Calm seas, mild currents and soft breezes are typical weather here.