Archive: 11 November 1999
51 articles found
Thu, 11 Nov 1999, 00:00 WIB
Gus Dur to visit Aceh after meeting Clinton
Gus Dur to visit Aceh after meeting Clinton JAKARTA (JP): President Abdurrahman Wahid defied calls on Wednesday to promptly visit Aceh. Instead he is dispatching his Cabinet ministers to meet with public figures in the restive province this weekend. Abdurrahman, who is scheduled to fly to the United States on Thursday for a meeting with President Bill Clinton and also for medical treatment, intends to visit Aceh later this month.
Thu, 11 Nov 1999, 00:00 WIB
Observers slam rape case panel proposal
Observers slam rape case panel proposal JAKARTA (JP): A lawyer and a judge lashed out at a government plan to issue a regulation that requires at least one judge on a three-member panel trying rape cases to be a woman. They said on Sunday the scheme may breach a fair and honest trial. "It's not about gender... but how the judges can make honest and fair decisions. "Judges, whether men or women, must hand down verdicts according to their conscience," Tumbu Saraswati said.
Thu, 11 Nov 1999, 00:00 WIB
Korean businesspeople positive about investment opportunities
Korean businesspeople positive about investment opportunities JAKARTA (JP): A delegation of business executives from South Korea's largest province of Kyongbuk said they were optimistic about investment opportunities in Indonesia. Kyongbuk Governor Eui-Geun Lee, who is leading the trade mission, said here on Wednesday investment opportunities in the country had continued to improve since the presidential election last month.
Thu, 11 Nov 1999, 00:00 WIB
Student protest on Heroes Day
Student protest on Heroes Day SEMARANG (JP): Students marked National Heroes Day, which fell on Wednesday, by staging rallies. They picked various themes, ranging from calls for a thorough inquiry into alleged military atrocities to demands for independence. A group of students rallied against the Indonesian Military (TNI) here.
Thu, 11 Nov 1999, 00:00 WIB
Attorney General's office appeal Tommy's decision
Attorney General's office appeal Tommy's decision JAKARTA (JP): The Attorney General's office has filed an appeal to the Supreme Court against the acquittal of former president Soeharto's youngest son Hutomo Mandala Putra from corruption charges in a land exchange deal. Spokesman for the Attorney General's office Soehandoyo was quoted by Antara as saying on Wednesday that the South Jakarta Prosecutor's office filed the appeal last Friday.
Thu, 11 Nov 1999, 00:00 WIB
Rudi sick, Bank Bali trial delayed
Rudi sick, Bank Bali trial delayed JAKARTA (JP): A judge at the South Jakarta district court adjourned on Wednesday the initial hearing of the high profile Bank Bali scandal until Nov. 17 after the bank's former president Rudy Ramli, the man at the center of the Rp 546 billion (US$78 million) scandal, failed to turn up in the court room. L.L.M.
Thu, 11 Nov 1999, 00:00 WIB
DPR members lack dynamism
DPR members lack dynamism Now that the people have elected a new president and a vice president and the new Cabinet has been sworn in, all political activities should shift from the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) to the House of Representatives (DPR), if democracy is to function properly and in accordance with democratic ethics.
Thu, 11 Nov 1999, 00:00 WIB
Newlyweds killed in traffic accident
Newlyweds killed in traffic accident SURAKARTA, Central Java: A newlywed couple died as their motorbike collided head-on with a truck on the main road on Tuesday afternoon. The two fatalities were identified as Sugiyanto, 28, and Ninik Sulastri, 24. Both were residents of the Sidodadi subdistrict. Surakarta Police Traffic chief Maj. Rahardjo said the truck hit the couple after failing to return to the left lane as soon as it overtook a car.
Thu, 11 Nov 1999, 00:00 WIB
Irianese planning mass independence rally, prayer
Irianese planning mass independence rally, prayer JAYAPURA, Irian Jaya (JP): Hundreds of Irianese people have poured into Jayapura from all parts of the province to attend a mass prayer scheduled for Friday in Sentani, some 45 kilometers south of here. People from Jayawijaya regency were seen arriving in Jayapura on Wednesday, two days after ships carrying some 500 representatives from Puncak Jaya, Paniai, Nabire, and Yapen Waropen regencies docked at the town's port.
Thu, 11 Nov 1999, 00:00 WIB
Human rights group demands military personnel face trial
Human rights group demands military personnel face trial JAKARTA (JP): A leading human rights group demanded on Wednesday that military personnel allegedly involved in atrocities in Aceh be tried in a human rights tribunal. The Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras) said experience had proven that a court martial was not independent and was used as a means to protect the military as an institution.
Thu, 11 Nov 1999, 00:00 WIB
VP agrees on capital's costly subway project
VP agrees on capital's costly subway project JAKARTA (JP): Vice President Megawati Soekarnoputri has given her approval to the city's US$1.5 billion Fatmawati-Kota subway project, a city official said on Wednesday. City administration Spokesman Muhayat said the vice president's approval was obtained during a visit of Governor Sutiyoso to Megawati's residence in the Kebagusan subdistrict, South Jakarta, on Tuesday evening.
Thu, 11 Nov 1999, 00:00 WIB
Twisted justice
Twisted justice The probe into the Bank Bali scandal has reached a stage where it is beginning to look like the earlier case in which Teten Masduki of Indonesian Corruption Watch (ICW) was pitted against then attorney general Andi M. Ghalib. Rather than investigating allegations that he had received millions of rupiah in bribes deposited in his bank accounts, police at that time chose to focus its inquiry on the attorney general's complaint of defamation.
Thu, 11 Nov 1999, 00:00 WIB
Unocal discovers oil and gas
Unocal discovers oil and gas EL SEGUNDO, Calif. (Dow Jones): Unocal Corp. discovered oil and gas in the Bangka and Aton prospects in deepwater properties offshore Indonesia. In a press release Tuesday, Unocal said the Bangka No. 2 well was drilled 9,752 feet deep and encountered 367 net feet of liquid-rich gas pay in the Upper Miocene area. The Bangka No. 2 pay is confined to two zones of high-quality reservoir rock with hydrocarbon columns calculated to be greater than 500 feet.
Thu, 11 Nov 1999, 00:00 WIB
Child painter wins Japanese art prize
Child painter wins Japanese art prize By Tarko Sudiarno YOGYAKARTA (JP): Famed as a child painter and stamp designer, 12-year-old Intan Sari Dewi Saputro is now also known as the illustrator of an Illustrated Diary, or Enikki in Japanese. This teenage Yogyakarta painter has again become the Grand Prix Winner of this year's Enikki competition in Japan, the same title accorded her in the 1993 competition. Intan has made quite an achievement in painting.
Thu, 11 Nov 1999, 00:00 WIB
Nokia markets new cell phone
Nokia markets new cell phone JAKARTA (JP): Nokia Mobile Phones Indonesia launched on Wednesday a new mobile phone amid growing competition in the country's cellular phone market. The company's general manager, Alexander Lambeek, said the Nokia 7110, one of several mobile phone series the company sold in Indonesia since early last year, offered a feature enabling users to access the Internet.
Thu, 11 Nov 1999, 00:00 WIB
Call for regulations to protect tribespeople and their land
Call for regulations to protect tribespeople and their land JAKARTA (JP): The Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) faction in the House of representatives has called on the government to issue a regulation which recognizes tribal land ownership rights. "We have enacted the 1960 Agrarian Law and 1999 Law on Forestry, both of which recognize a tribe's rights over its own land, but no government regulations have been issued to enforce them.
Thu, 11 Nov 1999, 00:00 WIB
Police indifferent to fighting drugs
Police indifferent to fighting drugs YOGYAKARTA: The provincial legislature blamed on Tuesday the intensifying drug trade in the town on local police, whom they accused of lacking initiatives to crack down on the dealers. "Police have not yet performed well in clamping down the distribution of illegal drugs.
Thu, 11 Nov 1999, 00:00 WIB
'Detak' apologizes for report: Wismoyo
'Detak' apologizes for report: Wismoyo JAKARTA (JP): National Sports Council (KONI) chairman Wismoyo Arismunandar announced on Wednesday representatives of Detak tabloid met with him to apologize for its report alleging his involvement in the Bank Bali scandal. "Detak formally apologized to me today (Wednesday)," he said during a ceremony to install new officials of the Soccer Association of Indonesia (PSSI). However, he refused to provide details of the meeting.
Thu, 11 Nov 1999, 00:00 WIB
Stock Exchange
Stock Exchange Stock prices on the Jakarta Stock Exchange (in rupiah) on Nov. 10, 1999: Shares Close Change Trading Volume ----------------------------------------------------------------- Ades Alfindo 875 225 4,625,500 AHAP Insurance 550 0 0 Alakasa Industrindo 450 0 17,500 Alter Abadi 400 0 200,000 Alumindo Light Metal 1,300 0 0 Aneka Kimia Raya 600 0 50,000 Aneka Tambang (Persero) 1,475 0 473,000 Anwar Sierad 300 0 314,500 APAC Centertex Corp.
Thu, 11 Nov 1999, 00:00 WIB
E. Timor backs project, demands treaty review
E. Timor backs project, demands treaty review DARWIN (Reuters): East Timorese leaders have backed the A$1.4 billion (US$896 million) Bayu-Undan gas project, an important part of the broken territory's economic reconstruction, but warned on Wednesday key treaty areas must be renegotiated.
Thu, 11 Nov 1999, 00:00 WIB
Dialog with people of Riau
Dialog with people of Riau From Suara Karya According to media reports, President Abdurrahman Wahid has said that he will have people calling for a free Riau arrested and that these people calling for a free Riau come from Jakarta. The President reportedly has given his word that once they are identified they will be sent to a detention house for investigation. The statement made by the President is right and must be supported by all Indonesians.
Thu, 11 Nov 1999, 00:00 WIB
Where to go in Bali:
Where to go in Bali: Exhibitions * Painting Exhibition: See and Visualise by Syarief Hidayat, Katharina Popp, Andrew Storey, at Bali Cliff Resort, Ungasan (Phone: 0361 771992), Nov. 12 - 30. * Painting Exhibition: Magic and Modernism, at Museum Puri Lukisan, Jl. Raya Ubud, Gianyar (Phone: 0361 975136), 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., until Nov. 30. * Sculpture Exhibition: Reflection by Nyoman Nuarta, at Agung Rai Museum of Art (ARMA), Pengosekan, Ubud, Nov. 14 to Dec. 14.
Thu, 11 Nov 1999, 00:00 WIB
Setting history straight
Setting history straight Many Indonesians may think it a waste of time and energy, especially during the economic and social crisis, for the nation to dwell on a controversy which has been considered settled for more than three decades. After all, what happened in and around Jakarta during those critical hours on Oct. 1, 1965, is by now fairly well-known to most Indonesians. But is it?
Thu, 11 Nov 1999, 00:00 WIB
Ethics must guide freedom of the press, minister says
Ethics must guide freedom of the press, minister says JAKARTA (JP): While freedom of the press is necessary in a democracy, in Indonesia the press must still be guided by ethics and subject to some form of social control, Minister of Law and Legislation Yusril Izha Mahendra said on Wednesday. Indonesia's new press law, enacted in September, has given the industry virtually unlimited freedom, Yusril said. This should be followed by tightening social control mechanisms, he added.
Thu, 11 Nov 1999, 00:00 WIB
Government plans campaign for overseas workers
Government plans campaign for overseas workers JAKARTA (JP): The Ministry of Manpower will launch a nationwide campaign to inform Indonesians wanting to work abroad of their rights and duties, as well as the correct procedures right from the time they leave their villages.
Thu, 11 Nov 1999, 00:00 WIB
Navy's role requires modernization
Navy's role requires modernization By Bantarto Bandoro JAKARTA (JP): Several days after Abdurrahman Wahid was elected Indonesia's new President, he indicated that the sea has played an important role in the country's history. His statement should be seen within the context of geographical configurations here, in which the sea constitutes an important part of national defense.
Thu, 11 Nov 1999, 00:00 WIB
Church thief gets five months
Church thief gets five months BOGOR (JP): Bogor District Court sentenced Saih bin Naih, 48, to five months in prison on Tuesday for stealing an electronic keyboard and a set of amplifiers from the Sidang Jemaat Allah church on Jl. Semboja last August. "The defendant entered the church in the wee hours of Aug. 7 and broke the gate," presiding Judge Martini said. Saih, who once worked for the church for three months, knew the exact location of the valuables, Martini said.
Thu, 11 Nov 1999, 00:00 WIB
Takahashi to join mission
Takahashi to join mission UNITED NATIONS (Agencies): A Japanese diplomat was named on Tuesday as the deputy special representative for the UN mission in East Timor that will run the territory until independence, the United Nations announced. Akira Takahashi, an expert in development assistance, was appointed to the post by Secretary-General Kofi Annan on the eve of his official visit to Japan. The Japanese envoy is expected to arrive in East Timor in early December.
Thu, 11 Nov 1999, 00:00 WIB
Bus terminals to undergo repairs soon
Bus terminals to undergo repairs soon JAKARTA (JP): The city administration has allocated a Rp 2 billion (US$294,117) fund to renovate six city bus terminals in anticipation of the peak travel periods at Christmas and Idul Fitri, an official said on Tuesday.
Thu, 11 Nov 1999, 00:00 WIB
Citicorp names RI agent
Citicorp names RI agent JAKARTA (JP): Citicorp announced on Wednesday the appointment of Bank Ekonomi as the selling agent for its Citicorp VISA TravelMoney. The vice president of Citicorp Travel Payment Services, Ian Nott, said in a statement that Bank Ekonomi would sell Citicorp VISA TravelMoney through its branches in Jakarta, Surabaya. Medan, Bandung, Semarang, Denpasar, Banjarmasin and Makassar.
Thu, 11 Nov 1999, 00:00 WIB
Japan threatens RI on debt
Japan threatens RI on debt TOKYO (AFP): Japan will avoid extending fresh financial aid to Indonesia if the country seeks relief from its sovereign debt, according to a report Wednesday by Kyodo News agency. "Japan will consider extending fresh loans only when Indonesia gives up debt relief," the senior government official was quoted as saying on condition of anonymity. "We won't be able to do anything unless this condition is met," the official reportedly said.
Thu, 11 Nov 1999, 00:00 WIB
YLKI strongly protests planned power tariff hike
YLKI strongly protests planned power tariff hike JAKARTA (JP): The Indonesian Consumers Association (YLKI) challenged on Wednesday state-owned electric company PLN's plan to increase its rates. "The public has never been made aware of the reasons for raising electricity rates," YLKI chairwoman Indah Suksmaningsih said during a seminar on consumer protection on Wednesday. PLN recently asked the government to increase rates by 68 percent, but the request was rejected.
Thu, 11 Nov 1999, 00:00 WIB
Students protest C. Java PON bid
Students protest C. Java PON bid SEMARANG (JP): About 50 students staged on Wednesday a protest against a provincial administration plan to host the 2004 National Games (PON). "People in Central Java are poor and about 11 million children suffer from malnutrition. Why is the Central Java administration willing to spend Rp 200 billion (US$29.4 million) to stage the Games. It's arrogant.
Thu, 11 Nov 1999, 00:00 WIB
Conversion Rates
Conversion Rates Bank Indonesia's conversion rates on Nov. 10, 1999: Bank notes rates Buying Selling Rp Rp U.S.
Thu, 11 Nov 1999, 00:00 WIB
3 nations face Y2K capital flight
3 nations face Y2K capital flight SINGAPORE (DPA): Fear of the "millennium bug" will cause damaging capital flights from China, Indonesia and Thailand, where investors will worry the computer problem could wipe out their funds, analysts said in a report Wednesday. But in places better prepared for the Y2K problem, such as the region's financial centers Hong Kong and Singapore, investors will bring money home to avoid unknown risks abroad, to the benefit of the local economies.
Thu, 11 Nov 1999, 00:00 WIB
Y2K won't affect Palapa-C2 satellite, operator hopes
Y2K won't affect Palapa-C2 satellite, operator hopes KUTA, Bali (JP): Private telecoms operator and satellite transponder lessor PT Satellite Palapa Indonesia (Satelindo) avouched on Wednesday that its Palapa-C2 satellite would unlikely be affected by Y2K problems.
Thu, 11 Nov 1999, 00:00 WIB
Free alarms for Jakartans
Free alarms for Jakartans JAKARTA (JP): United States-based home security company Protection One is offering free security systems for 1,000 selected Jakartans, a company executive said on Wednesday. "1,000 units of our latest alarm system, Central 2000, will be given to residents of selected housing complexes in the capital," the head of the company's business and product development department, Hanson Hardjojuwono, said.
Thu, 11 Nov 1999, 00:00 WIB
Pressures mount on NU to shun politics ahead of congress
Pressures mount on NU to shun politics ahead of congress YOGYAKARTA (JP): Pressure is mounting on the Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) to reaffirm its distance from politics when it holds its five-yearly congress in Kediri, East Java, later this month. NU's Yogyakarta chapter confirmed on Wednesday that it would propose to separate NU from its political associate, the National Awakening Party (PKB), at the congress, its secretary Nuruddin Amin said here.
Thu, 11 Nov 1999, 00:00 WIB
PSSI sanction complies with rules: Official
PSSI sanction complies with rules: Official JAKARTA (JP): The Soccer Association of Indonesia (PSSI) is awaiting PSIS Semarang's appeal of the penalty it imposed on the club after a melee on the opening day of the new Indonesian Soccer League (Ligina) season at Jatidiri stadium in Semarang on Sunday.
Thu, 11 Nov 1999, 00:00 WIB
Red-light district to be shut down
Red-light district to be shut down JAKARTA (JP): The city's oldest red-light district, Kramat Tunggak in North Jakarta, will be closed on Dec. 8, the day before the Muslim fasting month of Ramadhan begins, an official said on Wednesday. The head of the city's social services agency, Edi Widodo, said the closure of the 10.4-hectare brothel complex would occur on the same day the last of 320 prostitutes completed an education and training program. "After Dec.
Thu, 11 Nov 1999, 00:00 WIB
Foreign woman loses hand in vicious robbery
Foreign woman loses hand in vicious robbery JAKARTA (JP): People tend to believe what is reported on television, but nobody could probably regret it more than 46-year-old Taiwanese national Yu Lai Ho. Yu, who had postponed plans to visit to Jakarta since 1997 because of political instability within the capital, lost her left hand in a brutal attack in West Jakarta last Sunday.
Thu, 11 Nov 1999, 00:00 WIB
Forex reserves rise to $16.40b
Forex reserves rise to $16.40b JAKARTA (JP): Indonesia's net foreign exchange reserves rose by US$123.80 million to $16.40 billion in the week ending Nov. 5. Bank Indonesia said in its latest weekly report that the rise was partly due to an increase in oil and gas export revenues and the reimbursement of foreign debts. The central bank said the country's net foreign exchange reserves exceeded the minimum target of $14.3 billion set by the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
Thu, 11 Nov 1999, 00:00 WIB
Expert warns against rice import duty
Expert warns against rice import duty JAKARTA (JP): The government's plan to reimpose an import duty on rice would only pamper local farmers, not solve the country's rice supply problem, an agricultural expert Bungaran Saragih said here on Wednesday. "I don't think that an import duty on rice is necessary, even if it is only for a short-term period. Local farmers should neither be spoiled nor overprotected," Bungaran told Antara.
Thu, 11 Nov 1999, 00:00 WIB
Economy on track toward recovery: Bank Indonesia
Economy on track toward recovery: Bank Indonesia JAKARTA (JP): Domestic business activity continued to improve during the third quarter of this year, confirming that the country's crisis-hit economy is on track toward recovery, according to the latest survey on domestic business conditions conducted by Bank Indonesia (BI).
Thu, 11 Nov 1999, 00:00 WIB
Police seize 1.5 tons of Aceh ganja after a tip-off
Police seize 1.5 tons of Aceh ganja after a tip-off JAKARTA (JP): City police detectives seized nearly 1.5 tons of Aceh marijuana worth about Rp 3 billion (US$428,571) hidden in 12 sealed oil drums in a single raid early Wednesday morning. City Police chief of detectives Col. Alex Bambang Riatmodjo said four Achenese had organized delivery of the marijuana-filled oil drums into the capital from Medan, North Sumatra. The suspects were identified as Muzakkir, 31, M.
Thu, 11 Nov 1999, 00:00 WIB
House asks President to clarify closed ministries
House asks President to clarify closed ministries JAKARTA (JP): The House of Representatives passed a motion on Wednesday to summon President Abdurrahman Wahid on Monday Nov. 15 to explain his decision to close down the Ministry of Information and the Ministry of Social Services. Deputy Speaker Soetardjo Soerjogoeritno said the House leadership would write to the President demanding his presence at the House on Nov. 15. The date looks set to clash with the President's schedule.
Thu, 11 Nov 1999, 00:00 WIB
Balinese yuppies eagerly hunt for their past glory
Balinese yuppies eagerly hunt for their past glory By Degung Santikarma DENPASAR, Bali (JP): In an exclusive neighborhood in Denpasar, a team of workmen shake their heads in confusion. They've been hired to work on a multibillion rupiah project: the renovation of a house that, in their eyes, already epitomizes the ultimate in modern luxury. The front gate, an abstract sculpture of twisted iron and glass, is to be torn down and replaced with huge wooden panels hijacked from a 100-year-old house.
Thu, 11 Nov 1999, 00:00 WIB
Bali, a home to hidden archeological treasures
Bali, a home to hidden archeological treasures By I Wayan Juniarta DENPASAR, Bali (JP): I Made Suardana could hardly catch his breath when he dug up a stone box in front of his house in Gianyar, 15 kilometers south of Denpasar. A team of archeologists who descended on the man's home in Banjar Sampiang village initially thought it was no different from the ordinary sarcophagus often found in Bali.
Thu, 11 Nov 1999, 00:00 WIB
Wynne to face Carlsson in Wismilak 2nd round
Wynne to face Carlsson in Wismilak 2nd round KUALA LUMPUR (Agencies): With top seeded players tumbling in the first round of the US$180,000 Wismilak International '99 tennis event here, Indonesian Wynne Prakusya reached the second round after eliminating Katarina Srebotnik of Slovenia 6-3, 7-5. Wynne, who received a wild card, played cautiously to win point by point.
Thu, 11 Nov 1999, 00:00 WIB
Analysts predict oil firm till year-end
Analysts predict oil firm till year-end SINGAPORE (Reuters): Crude oil prices, already double levels seen a year ago, are set to remain firm for the rest of the year, analysts said on Wednesday. They said OPEC's commitment to agreed production cuts, shrinking global oil stocks, and peak northern hemisphere demand, combined to ensure that prices end the millennium on a high note.
Thu, 11 Nov 1999, 00:00 WIB
Grave moving draws mixed views
Grave moving draws mixed views BOGOR (JP): A plan to shift the grave of first president Sukarno from Blitar, East Java to Batutulis Palace in Bogor has drawn mixed feelings from locals living around the historical mansion. Many residents here are scared that they will be evicted once the plan is carried out, while others praised the idea. "We must be proud if Bung Karno's grave is moved here, because the town will become more famous," Andi, a local who lives near the palace, said.