Tension grips E. Timor as UN talks continue JAKARTA (JP): Tension shrouded East Timor on Saturday after an estimated 5,100 people fleeing attacks by armed prointegrationists sought refuge in a church and Catholic school in the southern coastal town of Suai, a rights activist said.

Officer jailed, dismissed in Aceh battery case BANDA ACEH (JP): Standing at attention, a tearful Maj. Bayu Najib received a military court's verdict of a six-year prison sentence and dismissal from the Armed Forces (ABRI) for battery leading to the death of civilian detainees. The prison term is two years more than the demand of prosecutor Col. S. Elgin. In reading the verdict, presiding judge Sri Umi Sularsih said Bayu was guilty of using violence which inflicted injury.

Police strive to polish up shoddy image By Ivy Susanti JAKARTA (JP): The rising crime rate in the city has put the reputation of the Jakarta Police under increased public scrutiny. Some have questioned the police's ability to protect people from criminals when robbers, pickpockets and highwaymen freely prey on people in the streets, on toll roads, in taxis and in their own homes -- often in broad daylight. City police spokesman Lt. Col.

Telkomsel leads the way in Indonesia's cellular industry PT Telekomunikasi Selular (Telkomsel), the Global System for Mobile (GSM) communications operator, has again established itself as a pioneer and trendsetter in the mobile cellular telecommunications industry in Indonesia. The company, committed to providing world-class quality service, has launched its newest service, called simPATI Nusantara, which is a GSM prepaid card which can be used in all 27 of Indonesia's provinces.

Sad tale of the missing side mirror By Zatni Arbi JAKARTA (JP): The Jan. 6 issue of The Jakarta Post says the police have arrested ten teenagers for stealing side mirrors from luxury cars that were stuck at Jakarta intersections. Oh, well, just three days earlier, I had lost the right kaca spion (side mirror) of my 1987 Honda Civic Wonder, a car that had never been a luxury car even when it was still on the drawing board.

Garuda's profit ridiculous From Bisnis Indonesia In response to a news story in Bisnis Indonesia on Jan. 13, under the headline, "Garuda bukukan laba Rp 905 miliar" (Garuda records Rp 905 billion in profit), I, as a person with some knowledge of accounting, find this headline misleading.

'Gado-gado' vendor strives to survive economic crisis By Santo Koesoebjono JAKARTA (JP): "Since the economic recession my daily gross earnings have dropped by almost 60 percent," related Soekardjo, a 79-year-old seller of gado-gado, the popular dish of vegetables in a peanut sauce. He and his wife live in a tiny wooden house in the Poncol area, a stone's throw from the glitters of Senen plaza. They share their house with their two youngest sons from their six children.

Dirty water from PAM From Neraca Nearly our entire neighborhood subscribes to services of the city water company, PAM. With the coming of the rainy season, PAM's water supply to East Cengkareng is now brownish, like tea. Needless to say its smell is most offensive. We demand an explanation from the PAM office responsible for our area. The dirty water is a health hazard. PANDI Tangerang, West Java

Guess What? Yayuk Basuki Indonesia's tennis queen Yayuk Basuki is three weeks pregnant and will quit the national team after the Federation Cup Group II Zone Asia Oceania in Bangkok scheduled for Feb. 22 to Feb. 27. "I had planned to retire after the 13th Asian Games in Bangkok in December. Now, I have clinched all my ambitions. What else should I do?" she said with a smile when making the surprise announcement on Friday. She married former player Suharyadi, then her coach, in 1994.

Indonesians arrested in China BEIJING (AP): Police in the northeastern city of Dalian have arrested two Indonesians and two Chinese and shut down an underground factory for processing the illicit drug ecstasy, the state-run Xinhua News Agency reported Saturday. Police seized more than 6,000 tablets of ecstasy, known in China as the "head-shaking drug," 17 kilograms of raw materials for making the drug and 50 grams of the menthamphetamine known as "ice," the report said.

Group urges Mahathir to resign KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters): Several hundred people demonstrated peacefully near a shopping complex in Kuala Lumpur on Saturday, shouting slogans for Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad to quit, witnesses said. Their shouts of "Mahathir resign" and "Reformasi" (Reform) at a busy intersection were greeted by the blaring of car horns in an apparent show of support by passing motorists. They were watched by around 50 uniformed policemen.

'Dangdut' music finds a spot on 'MTV' By Stevie Emilia JAKARTA (JP): Ask a sampling of teenagers their favorite TV programs, and you probably would not be surprised to find most of the answers start with MTV. MTV Most Wanted, MTV Land, MTV Seratus Persen Indonesia (100 percent Indonesia), MTV Getar Cinta (Love Vibration) and so on. Do not assume all of them only air videos of international artists like Alanis Morisette, Backstreet Boys, Boyzone, Fugees, Madonna and Sheryl Crow only.

Be prepared for prepaid cards There's no doubt about it, ever since financial turmoil struck Indonesia, GSM prepaid cards have become the best choice for cellular users. Some people consider cellular phones a necessity. Without one, they feel inconvenienced. Many people experience the need to be reachable and accessible at any time, anywhere. Their mobile phone meets this need. It is also viewed as a status symbol. The crisis has turned the trend.

SIA to help RI's tourism SINGAPORE (DPA): Singapore Airlines (SIA) said on Friday that it would provide help in promoting tourism to Singapore's beleaguered neighbor, Indonesia. The airline would help by flying overseas tour operators and travel writers to Indonesia and taking Indonesian tourism industry members abroad to help them promote their country, SIA said in a news release.

Spotlight Photo A: BPS JP/afs BANKING BUSINESS: Abdurrahman Wahid (center), president of Harawi Sekawan Group which is majority shareholder in Bank Papan Sejahtera, briefs journalists after an extraordinary meeting in Jakarta. Accompanying him on Thursday were bank commissioners Hamonangan Sinaga (left) and Mustafa Zuhad Mughni (right). Photo B: Insurance JP/alx BRANCH OPENING: David W.

Many Jakartans these days simply feel threatened By Devi M. Asmarani JAKARTA (JP): Imagine this. You are driving alone late at night, slowing down at a red light in a not-so-familiar area, when you suddenly realize that your car is the only one in sight. Three young scruffy-looking males with a guitar are approaching. You begin to feel a rush of panic and wonder whether you should stop or run through the red light, instead, to get to a safer place.

Cellular industry picking up again After being dragged down by the economic crisis, the cellular phone industry in Indonesia is showing signs of a recovery and the number of subscribers is once again on the up. The total number of cellular phone users in the country is now 1,065,820. Subscribers have a choice of three different systems run by seven operators. Cellular phone subscriptions have grown sharply in Indonesia in recent years.

Jakarta becomes a city of fear The city's growing crime rate is making Jakartans insecure. Rumors of riots or brawls are enough to raise one's level of fear. But even with crime becoming almost commonplace, people find it hard to pinpoint the exact source of their fear. And now frightened Jakartans are arming themselves in the name of self- protection. The Jakarta Post reporters Budiman Moerdijat, Devi M.

Gabsi ready for Bermuda Bowl event JAKARTA (JP): The Indonesian Contract Bridge Association (Gabsi) has hired a Canadian coach to guide the national team to the goal of its first Bermuda Bowl men's championship title ever in 2000. Speaking after his induction as Gabsi chief for a second four- year term on Saturday, Gen. Wiranto explained that the new coach, Erick Hogges, would introduce the use of computers for probability computation, a method already applied by most Bermuda Bowl contenders.

Political will essential to end Asian crisis: Rubin DAVOS, Switzerland (AP): A key U.S. official said Saturday the global economy needs reform, but that countries must take charge of their own problems. "There are no easy answers and no magic wands, and each of us must do our part" in stemming the financial crisis which started in Thailand in 1997, Treasury Secretary Robert Rubin told an audience of political and business leaders.

The art of trafficking in Jakarta JAKARTA (JP): Have you ever noticed how Indonesia often gets on the wrong Top 10 lists? We seem to get elected, nominated or defaulted into the Most Polluted Cities, Most Corrupt Countries and most recently into Reader's Digest's list of "Asia's Worst Drivers". According to this survey, we were the No. 4 worst drivers out of 11 countries.

Prostitution spoils tourists' image of paradise Bali By Putu Wirata DENPASAR (JP): A booming sex industry fueled by the economic crisis is threatening to put in the shade Bali's vaunted "cultural tourism" campaign. With little fanfare, sex tourism has developed over time, both openly and furtively, promoted by entertainment businesses that are fronts for prostitution. Kerti Praja Foundation, which deals with social welfare, found 3,112 prostitutes in Badung regency last year.

Witch way to the chick's flick and finally an Oscar award? By David Schiller JAKARTA (JP): The overwhelming success of last year's Titanic proved to Hollywood a new axiom of the movie industry for the 1990s: if you can build a better chick's flick, approximately half the females on the planet will beat a path to your box office door, dragging their boyfriends and husbands, kicking and screaming, behind them.

Fresh fighting erupts in RP COTABATO, Philippines (AFP): Fresh fighting between Moslem rebels and government troops erupted in the troubled south Saturday, despite a new cease-fire pact and scheduled peace talks, officials said. About 100 Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) rebels pounded four army detachments with mortar and grenade launchers outside this southern Philippine city, only hours after a cease-fire took effect.

Jakartans armed but fearful amid terrifying crime wave JAKARTA (JP): The mounting incidence of random violence and crime has struck fear into ordinary Jakartans, stirring up palpable tension as people come up against fiercer and bolder criminals. Many of those interviewed by The Jakarta Post expressed alarm at the situation and hoped for a return to a safer environment. And many have armed themselves against security threats. Mirna A.