Archive: 21 December 1999
51 articles found
Tue, 21 Dec 1999, 00:00 WIB
Governor upbeat over city's future
Governor upbeat over city's future JAKARTA (JP): Although acknowledging that Jakarta will have its central government subsidy slashed once the regional autonomy policy is implemented, Governor Sutiyoso expressed confidence on Monday that the city could survive regional competition.
Tue, 21 Dec 1999, 00:00 WIB
Thai govt stands firm
Thai govt stands firm BANGKOK (Reuters): Thai Prime Minister Chuan Leekpai said he had no intention of reshuffling his Cabinet or dissolving parliament after easily surviving a no-confidence vote on Monday, but admitted a five-day censure debate exposed some weak points. Chuan's six-party coalition defeated an opposition motion accusing it of economic mismanagement, condoning corruption and conflicts of interest over a scandal at state-run Krung Thai Bank by 229 votes to 125.
Tue, 21 Dec 1999, 00:00 WIB
Student gets seven years for murder
Student gets seven years for murder BOGOR (JP): A 22-year-old student and drug addict named Rino Siswanto was sentenced on Monday to seven years in jail by Bogor District Court for robbery and accidentally killing a housemaid in a house at Taman Cimanggu here six months ago. "Rino along with his friend Rudi (still at large) went to their friends house at 3 p.m. on that day (June 4) in Taman Cimanggu but there was no one around except the housemaid.
Tue, 21 Dec 1999, 00:00 WIB
Thai third quarter GDP up by 7.7 percent
Thai third quarter GDP up by 7.7 percent BANGKOK (Reuters): The Thai economy grew at its fastest rate for four years in the third quarter, exceeding market expectations, a government think tank said on Monday. The National Economic and Social Development Board (NESDB) said in a statement that Thai gross domestic product (GDP) expanded by 7.7 percent in the July-September period, up from a revised 3.3 percent growth in the second quarter.
Tue, 21 Dec 1999, 00:00 WIB
Festive season security in Bogor
Festive season security in Bogor BOGOR (JP): In a move to maintain security and order over the Christmas, New Year and Idul Fitri celebrations, Bogor Police will make the security of places of worship a top priority. "We will deploy reliable officers to secure places of worship and anticipate possible disputes," Bogor Police chief Lt. Col. Ade Husen said on Monday.
Tue, 21 Dec 1999, 00:00 WIB
European Union enlargement: A Euro Babel in waiting?
European Union enlargement: A Euro Babel in waiting? By Joe L. Spartz JAKARTA (JP): Following the recently concluded European Union summit meeting in Helsinki, the official list of new member candidates, including Turkey, has now been extended to 13 which could ultimately increase EU member countries from 15 to 28.
Tue, 21 Dec 1999, 00:00 WIB
KL bourse ready for Y2K
KL bourse ready for Y2K KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters): Malaysia's securities regulator said on Monday the nation's capital market is ready to face the Y2K rollover and a readiness test involving over 100 market institutions and intermediaries was successful. The Securities Commission said in a statement a handful of market companies which were unlikely to complete their Y2K programs had been placed under business restrictions.
Tue, 21 Dec 1999, 00:00 WIB
Liquor trucks seized in Semarang
Liquor trucks seized in Semarang SEMARANG: Police in a sweep of the area have seized what amounts to two full truckloads of illegal liquor from vendors in three villages in the Banyumas regency, Central Java Police spokesman Lt. Col. M. Ramlie said. "The liquor was taken from the villages of Kombas, Grendeng and Sukaraja," he said. Aside from the liquor, police also seized 15,000 firecrackers from various sites in Banyumas.
Tue, 21 Dec 1999, 00:00 WIB
Garuda wins debt payment rescheduling
Garuda wins debt payment rescheduling JAKARTA (JP): President Abdurrahman Wahid said on Monday national flag carrier Garuda Indonesia had reached an agreement with its foreign creditors to reschedule its US$1.8 billion in debt. Speaking at a breaking-of-the-fast gathering at the office of the Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), the President said the agreement allowed the maturity of the national flag carrier's debt to be extended to up to 16 years.
Tue, 21 Dec 1999, 00:00 WIB
Blessed are the ignorant?
Blessed are the ignorant? With the year 2000 just around the corner and the specter of the feared millennium computer bug advancing closer, governments around the globe appear to be increasingly busy preparing their citizens for the possibility of a slew of technological disasters beginning at the stroke of midnight on Dec. 31. Not so in Indonesia.
Tue, 21 Dec 1999, 00:00 WIB
Police search for taxi driver killers
Police search for taxi driver killers JAKARTA (JP): North Jakarta police detectives were still searching four murder suspects, who viciously stabbed an unidentified taxi driver to death, before fleeing and leaving the driver in the taxi, near the Penjaringan tollgate, on Sunday night, an officer said. Chief of North Jakarta Police detectives Maj. Eko said on Monday that a witness saw four people running away from the taxi, after the incident happened.
Tue, 21 Dec 1999, 00:00 WIB
Petrus sues police over arrest
Petrus sues police over arrest JAKARTA (JP): Lawyer Petrus Bala Pattyona filed suit at the South Jakarta District Court on Monday, protesting his arrest by city police officers last week. The suit named Jakarta Police chief Maj. Gen. Noegroho Djajoesman as defendant. "The city police officers failed to equip themselves with sufficient evidence to conduct the arrest," Petrus said in his suit, adding that the arrest was a violation of Article 17 and paragraph 2 of Article 18 of the Criminal Code.
Tue, 21 Dec 1999, 00:00 WIB
Four female weightlifters likely to miss PON for Olympics
Four female weightlifters likely to miss PON for Olympics JAKARTA (JP): Four Indonesian women weightlifters -- Sri Indriyani, Lisa Rumbewas, Winarni and Supeni -- will likely miss the 15th National Games (PON) in Surabaya in June due to their training program for the 2000 Olympics in Sydney in September.
Tue, 21 Dec 1999, 00:00 WIB
Dynaplast buys plastic packaging company
Dynaplast buys plastic packaging company JAKARTA (JP): Shareholders of plastic crate and components manufacturer PT Dynaplast approved on Monday the management's proposal to acquire plastic bottle molder PT Sanpak Unggul for Rp 35.4 billion (US$5 million). "The takeover is to expand our business while increasing the economy of scale," said Dynaplast president Ronny Hambali.
Tue, 21 Dec 1999, 00:00 WIB
Rp 200m sought for drug possession
Rp 200m sought for drug possession JAKARTA (JP): A prosecutor demanded the Central Jakarta District Court on Monday sentence defendant Rusli Patinah to seven years in jail and a fine of 200 million (US$28,570) for possession of ecstasy tablets. "The defendant was guilty of violating article 59 of the Law on Psychotropic Substances," said prosecutor Osmena Noor, in a hearing presided over by Judge I Gde Sumitra.
Tue, 21 Dec 1999, 00:00 WIB
Minister seeks more funds for national education
Minister seeks more funds for national education YOGYAKARTA (JP): Minister of National Education Yahya Muhaimin has proposed the budget for national education program be increased by 28 percent to Rp 25 trillion for the 2000/2001 fiscal year. Speaking to journalists after attending a ceremony marking the 50th anniversary of Gadjah Mada University here on Monday, Yahya said he hoped the House of Representatives would approve his proposal despite the objections of some government agencies.
Tue, 21 Dec 1999, 00:00 WIB
Cilacap fray causes Rp 300m in losses
Cilacap fray causes Rp 300m in losses BANYUMAS, Central Java: Damage from last week's riot at a plantation belonging to PT Ciseru is estimated to run to about Rp 300 million, local police chief Col. Carel Risa Kotta said on Monday. The melee broke out on Wednesday when hundreds of residents vented their frustration by looting the plantation and the factory. Residents demanded that the land be turned over to them despite police assertions that it legally belonged to the company.
Tue, 21 Dec 1999, 00:00 WIB
Stock quotations on JSX
Stock quotations on JSX Stock prices on the Jakarta Stock Exchange (in rupiah) on Dec. 20, 1999: Shares Close Change Trading Volume --------------------------------------------------------------- Ades Alfindo 1,175 75 339,500 Alakasa Industrindo 700 0 0 Alter Abadi 425 0 0 Alumindo Light Metal 1,075 0 0 Aneka Kimia Raya 575 0 3,000 Aneka Tambang (Persero) 1,350 -50 1,219,500 Anwar Sierad 275 0 1,500 APAC Centertex Corp.
Tue, 21 Dec 1999, 00:00 WIB
IBRA settles interbank claims
IBRA settles interbank claims JAKARTA (JP): The Indonesian Bank Restructuring Agency (IBRA) has completed the verification of Rp 935 billion plus US$9.6 million worth of interbank claims, according to agency deputy chairman Sumantri Slamet.
Tue, 21 Dec 1999, 00:00 WIB
Former E. Timor councilors want pay
Former E. Timor councilors want pay KUPANG, East Nusa Tenggara: As many as 19 former East Timor councilors met with representatives from the East Nusa Tenggara administration here on Monday to demand the government compensate them for lost income. They demanded compensation equivalent to the salary they would have received for five years as councilors had it not been for the self-determination referendum which took place in the territory on Aug. 30.
Tue, 21 Dec 1999, 00:00 WIB
Indonesia still needs budget support
Indonesia still needs budget support The following article is based on the presentation made by Coordinating Minister for the Economy, Finance and Industry Kwik Kian Gie to the local donor meeting in Jakarta on Dec. 14. This is the first of two articles. JAKARTA (JP): When Indonesia's new government took office just two months ago, it inherited an enormous number of problems from the past.
Tue, 21 Dec 1999, 00:00 WIB
Balinese show their creativity
Balinese show their creativity For the sensitive souls among us, a visit to the island of Bali at the end of the year, which happens to be also the end of the millennium, will inevitably evoke inside their being the spirit of creation. It is easy to guess why. Wherever you are and whatever you look at -- a piece of furniture, a stone or wooden pole, a gate, a house, a government building -- it has become an ornament in itself, born from a creative heart and mind.
Tue, 21 Dec 1999, 00:00 WIB
Governor Machmud pessimistic about elections in Aceh
Governor Machmud pessimistic about elections in Aceh JAKARTA (JP): Aceh Governor Syamsuddin Machmud was pessimistic that local elections in three troubled regencies in Aceh could be held even though they were not due for another six months. "I'm pessimistic the planned elections can be held in those three regencies," he said in a meeting with the Local Election Committee (PPL) here on Monday.
Tue, 21 Dec 1999, 00:00 WIB
Eight killed, two injured in toll road accident
Eight killed, two injured in toll road accident JAKARTA (JP): Two people injured in Sunday's accident on the Tanjung Priok-Cawang toll road which killed eight, including a two-year-old boy, were still being treated at Islamic Hospital in Cempaka Putih on Monday. One of the survivors, Nani Pariani, 30, whose husband, a policeman, died in the accident, suffered a broken left leg and was undergoing surgery at the hospital. The other victim was identified as her brother, Kiswantoro, 40.
Tue, 21 Dec 1999, 00:00 WIB
Many roads in bad condition
Many roads in bad condition PURWOKERTO, Central Java: At least 24 kilometers of the main south coastal road is in poor condition and may not be entirely safe for the heavy traffic which usually occurs during the upcoming holiday exodus. Among the damaged roads are the main streets Jl. Raya Sidareja in Karangpucung, Jl. Raya Ajibarang and Jl. Raya Karanglewas. While streets prone to flooding are Jl. A. Yani in Sidareja, JL. Raya Patimuan and Jl. Kedung Reja.
Tue, 21 Dec 1999, 00:00 WIB
Ramadhan time for Jakarta
Ramadhan time for Jakarta Tuesday Maghrib 6:08 p.m. Wednesday Imsak 4:04 a.m. Subuh 4:14 a.m.
Tue, 21 Dec 1999, 00:00 WIB
Y2K team sets up alert post
Y2K team sets up alert post JAKARTA (JP): Urging the public to go about their business as usual on New Year's Day, the government said on Monday it had taken precautions against possible computer glitches affecting public services at the turn of the millennium. J.B. Kristiadi, deputy chairman of Indonesia's Y2K team, said it was a blessing in disguise that Indonesia had not come to depend too much on computers.
Tue, 21 Dec 1999, 00:00 WIB
PLN chiefs resign in protest over govt policy on Paiton
PLN chiefs resign in protest over govt policy on Paiton JAKARTA (JP): President of state electricity company PT PLN Adhi Satriya and the company's planning director Hardiv Situmeang tendered their resignations on Monday in protest over the government's handling of its dispute with independent power producer (IPP) PT Paiton Energy.
Tue, 21 Dec 1999, 00:00 WIB
Bouraq resumes S'pore flight
Bouraq resumes S'pore flight SINGAPORE (AFP): Indonesia's Bouraq Airlines resumed operations in Singapore Monday following an 18-month lay off due to the region's financial crisis, said the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS). It said the airline will offer daily flights between Singapore and Surabaya, East Java.
Tue, 21 Dec 1999, 00:00 WIB
'First steps' taken to rebuild Australia-RI relations: Downer
'First steps' taken to rebuild Australia-RI relations: Downer MACAU (AFP): The "first steps" to restoring relations between Australia and Indonesia have been taken on the sidelines of Macau's handover ceremony, Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer said Monday. At a press conference here, Downer said he held a "cordial" and "successful" meeting with his Indonesian opposite number Alwi Shihab, the first since ties plummeted this summer following the East Timor crisis.
Tue, 21 Dec 1999, 00:00 WIB
5,900 buses for holiday exodus
5,900 buses for holiday exodus SEMARANG: The Central Java administration has prepared 5,960 buses in anticipation of a massive exodus to and from Jakarta during the holiday season. "Already 5,456 buses are operating, while another 404 buses are ready as a backup," the head of provincial land transportation agency (DLLAJ), Srihono, said on Monday. "Some buses are a loan from the private sector while others are from the Indonesian Military (TNI)," he explained.
Tue, 21 Dec 1999, 00:00 WIB
Soedjatmoko's wise lessons live on today
Soedjatmoko's wise lessons live on today By Mochtar Buchori JAKARTA (JP): Ten years ago today, Indonesia lost one of its great sons, Soedjatmoko Saleh Mangoendiningrat, or Koko as he was known by members of his family and those close to him. He died of cardiac arrest while giving a lecture in Yogyakarta at a research center founded by Amien Rais. His friends remember him in many ways: as a diplomat, a politician, an intellectual, a humanist, a moralist, etc.
Tue, 21 Dec 1999, 00:00 WIB
Noegroho urges public to stop wanton destruction
Noegroho urges public to stop wanton destruction JAKARTA (JP): Jakarta Police chief Maj. Gen. Noegroho Djajoesman urged Greater Jakarta residents on Monday to stop taking the law into their own hands through destruction of property. "Just hand over your problems to the police. Report any incident you consider wrong, or unlawful, to the police. Do not destroy, and do not burn.
Tue, 21 Dec 1999, 00:00 WIB
TV today
TV today TVRI 5:30 a.m. Religious Teachings 6:00 News 8:00 Children's Songs 9:00 Music 10:30 Interval 2:00 p.m. News 2:30 Documentary 3:00 Music 4:00 Regional News 4:30 Ramadhan Program 6:00 Sports 6:30 News (in English) 7:00 Evening News 7:30 Talk Show 8:00 Music 9:00 World News 9:35 Koran Recital 10:00 Ramadhan Program 12:00 a.m. Late News Program 2 4:30 p.m. Children's Program 5:00 Ramadhan Program 6:00 City News 6:30 News (in English) 7:00 Evening News 7:30 TV Drama TPI 5:30 a.m.
Tue, 21 Dec 1999, 00:00 WIB
Sutiyoso told to resign over 1996 incident
Sutiyoso told to resign over 1996 incident JAKARTA (JP): About 500 activists of the Society of Victims of the July 27, 1996 Tragedy protested in front of City Hall on Monday, demanding Governor Sutiyoso step down following his alleged involvement in the 1996 incident. "Sutiyoso should be held accountable because he was the Jakarta military commander at that time," the group's coordinator, Edi Siswoyo, said. "We demand Sutiyoso resign from his post on Jan.
Tue, 21 Dec 1999, 00:00 WIB
Two missing in Sawu Sea
Two missing in Sawu Sea MAUMERE, East Nusa Tenggara (JP): Two fishermen from Lamaole village, Solor Island, East Flores, were reported missing in the Sawu Sea after being caught in a fierce storm on Wednesday. The fishermen, identified as Josef Keban, 31, and Titus Jagong Herin, 34, were last seen heading out to sea on Wednesday in their boat. Residents have gone out in their fishing boats to search for the pair and have also combed the surrounding beaches, but have found nothing.
Tue, 21 Dec 1999, 00:00 WIB
Conversion Rates
Conversion Rates Bank Indonesia's conversion rates on Dec. 20, 1999: Bank notes rates Buying Selling Rp Rp U.S.
Tue, 21 Dec 1999, 00:00 WIB
CSIS asked to prove that its serves the nation
CSIS asked to prove that its serves the nation JAKARTA (JP): President Abdurrahman Wahid called on the Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) to heed criticism it had become overly exclusive, urging the 28-year-old think tank to demonstrate its work served the entire nation. Speaking during a breaking-of-the-fast gathering at the CSIS office on Jl.
Tue, 21 Dec 1999, 00:00 WIB
Oil down despite Iraq's rejection of UN deal
Oil down despite Iraq's rejection of UN deal SINGAPORE (Reuters): Crude oil prices were lower in Asia on Monday, despite Iraq's rejection of a sanctions-easing resolution adopted by the UN Security Council. January New York Mercantile Exchange (NYMEX) crude futures were last traded at US$26.55 per barrel at 0750 GMT, down 19 cents from its New York settlement. Traders said prices weakened as some traders unwound positions before the January crude contract expires later in New York trading. U.S.
Tue, 21 Dec 1999, 00:00 WIB
Prudential forms China JV
Prudential forms China JV LONDON (Reuters): Britain's largest life assurance group Prudential Plc said on Monday it would form a joint venture with China's investment flagship, China International Trust and Investment Corp (CITIC). The deal would create the first Sino-British life insurance operation in China, Prudential and Citic said in a joint statement.
Tue, 21 Dec 1999, 00:00 WIB
Asian currencies end mostly flat-higher
Asian currencies end mostly flat-higher HONG KONG (Dow Jones): The majority of Asian currencies ended local hours Monday flat to a touch higher, as regional markets stagnated ahead of the end of the year. The South Korean won, however, lost ground, depressed by dollar purchases executed by state-run banks in Seoul. The Thai baht ended slightly stronger in thin trading after the government of Prime Minister Chuan Leekpai defeated an opposition censure motion by 229 votes to 125 in parliament.
Tue, 21 Dec 1999, 00:00 WIB
Earthquake awakes sleeping Jayapura
Earthquake awakes sleeping Jayapura JAYAPURA, Irian Jaya: An earthquake measuring 6.1 on the Richter scale hit the provincial capital in the small hours of Monday morning, but did not cause any serious damage other than a few hours of lost sleep. The tremor which occurred at 2:44 a.m. was also felt in areas surrounding the capital of Irian Jaya, the local meteorological and geophysics office said.
Tue, 21 Dec 1999, 00:00 WIB
Sumatran tiger on the prowl toward extinction
Sumatran tiger on the prowl toward extinction By Emma Cameron JAKARTA (JP): In the last two years, 66 Sumatran tigers have been found ready for illegal sale in markets in Sumatra by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF). It is the equivalent of 20 percent of the tiger population of the South and Central areas of Sumatra.
Tue, 21 Dec 1999, 00:00 WIB
Mines ministry too vital to be phased out: Bambang
Mines ministry too vital to be phased out: Bambang JAKARTA (JP): The mining and energy sectors, because of their strategic natures, should continue to be overseen by the central government, Minister of Mines and Energy Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said on Monday. The ministry should be retained to regulate strategic policies, although it would have to delegate much of its current authority to the regions under the new regional autonomy law, the Army lieutenant general said.
Tue, 21 Dec 1999, 00:00 WIB
Two big burial sites found in East Timor
Two big burial sites found in East Timor MAUBARA, East Timor (Agencies): Peacekeepers in East Timor found 26 bodies at two separate burial sites on Monday they fear might contain more than 100 victims massacred by anti- independence militiamen and Indonesian troops. Australian navy divers recovered the body parts of a dozen victims that had been dumped in a lake at Maubara, some 11 kilometers west of the coastal town of Liquica. More were feared to be beneath the water.
Tue, 21 Dec 1999, 00:00 WIB
Agus urges PBSI to name team manager soon
Agus urges PBSI to name team manager soon JAKARTA (JP): The Badminton Association of Indonesia (PBSI) vice chairman, Agus Wirahadikusumah, said the organization must appoint a team manager for the 2000 Thomas and Uber Cups soon. Agus was referring to the limited time to prepare the team, especially for the Uber Cup team which they would have to compete in the qualifying round in New Delhi in February.
Tue, 21 Dec 1999, 00:00 WIB
Japan resumes RI's loan program
Japan resumes RI's loan program JAKARTA (JP): Japan has resumed its US$200 million loan program to Indonesia to help finance agriculture infrastructure development in a bid to ensure food security, officials at the Ministry of Agriculture said. They said resumption of the loans, which were suspended on Sept. 10, indicated that Japan held confidence and faith in the new government of President Abdurrahman Wahid.
Tue, 21 Dec 1999, 00:00 WIB
Violence in Aceh
Violence in Aceh Various circles mainly those involved in human rights affairs have asked the Indonesian Military (TNI) and National Police to stop the violence in Aceh in the wake of the Peureulak and Peusangan incidents, which claimed victims among inhabitants and security personnel. The request deserves to be supported by the whole community in order to avoid the useless shedding of tears and blood on the "front porch" of Mecca (as Aceh is often referred to in Indonesia).
Tue, 21 Dec 1999, 00:00 WIB
Free Aceh unthinkable
Free Aceh unthinkable Secessionist movements are strange affairs. They are nothing if not local. The grievances that cause them are local; their partisans are rooted to the soil; and they seek to affirm a local identity by detaching themselves from a larger entity. However, the success of those movements depends as much on external responses as on internal factors.
Tue, 21 Dec 1999, 00:00 WIB
Buyung faces dismissal from YLBHI's board of trustees
Buyung faces dismissal from YLBHI's board of trustees JAKARTA (JP): Senior lawyer Adnan Buyung Nasution is facing dismissal from the board of trustees of the Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation (YLBHI) for allegedly veering from the core ideals of the organization. The contentious issue apparently concerns Nasution's decision to lead the defense team representing top military generals allegedly connected to human rights violations in East Timor.
Tue, 21 Dec 1999, 00:00 WIB
Korea donates to ASEAN Foundation
Korea donates to ASEAN Foundation JAKARTA (JP): Diplomatic notes were signed here for a US$200,000 contribution by the Republic of Korea to the ASEAN Foundation on Monday. The donation was handed over in a signing ceremony between the chairman of the foundation's board of trustees, Somphand Kokilanon, and Korean Ambassador Hong Jung-pyo.