Archive: 8 March 1999
47 articles found
Mon, 08 Mar 1999, 00:00 WIB
Illegal 'Chinese' immigrant detained
Illegal 'Chinese' immigrant detained SORONG, Irian Jaya: The immigrant office here has detained an illegal immigrant, allegedly from mainland China, Antara reported on Saturday. Identified as Lie Ziusieng, 33, the immigrant found on board state-owned PT Pelni's MV Rinjani passenger ship last week -- after it arrived from riot-torn Ambon city -- said he was born in Yihantali in China, immigration office head A.T. Sinaga said.
Mon, 08 Mar 1999, 00:00 WIB
Five African men arrested for scam
Five African men arrested for scam JAKARTA (JP): Police detectives have arrested five African men for attempting to cheat a Bekasi businessman by claiming they could duplicate U.S. dollar notes with a black box. City Police detectives chief Col. Alex Bambang Riatmodjo told reporters on Saturday that the five, four Liberians and one Cameroon national, were arrested on Thursday night at a hotel in the Ancol amusement park in North Jakarta.
Mon, 08 Mar 1999, 00:00 WIB
Four men nabbed with marijuana
Four men nabbed with marijuana JAKARTA (JP): East Jakarta Police detectives arrested four men in separate raids on Friday night with 6.6 kilograms of dried marijuana worth about Rp 10 million (US$1,200) in their possession. City Police spokesman Lt. Col. Zainuri Lubis on Saturday identified the suspects as Roni Siahaan, Yonihar Siahaan, Yulinas Napitupulu, and Bismar Simanjuntak, aged between 21 and 38.
Mon, 08 Mar 1999, 00:00 WIB
Australia: Responding to RI's transformation
Australia: Responding to RI's transformation The following is an excerpt from an address by Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer at the Australia-Asia Institute's 1999 "Australia in Asia" lecture series at the State Library of New South Wales in Sydney on March 1, 1999. This is the first of two articles. SYDNEY: In 1998 Indonesia's economy suffered nothing less than a real body blow. In fact, Indonesia's Coordinating Minister for Economics, Finance and Industry Prof.
Mon, 08 Mar 1999, 00:00 WIB
'Referendum' banners rife in Aceh
'Referendum' banners rife in Aceh BANDA ACEH, Aceh: Hundreds of banners demanding a referendum over the province's future were visible on Friday and Saturday throughout villages along the eastern coast of Aceh, from the town of Pidie to the North Sumatra borderline, Antara reported on Sunday. Posters were also displayed at bus terminals and markets in Lhokseumawe, the site of recent violence. Lhokseumawe is 270 kilometers east of here. All banners and posters were written in the local dialect.
Mon, 08 Mar 1999, 00:00 WIB
Government urged to take concrete steps on Irian Jaya
Government urged to take concrete steps on Irian Jaya JAKARTA (JP): An Irian Jaya leader and a Communion of Churches in Indonesia (PGI) official on Saturday urged the government to take concrete measures to respond to growing demands for the province's independence. "We want a peaceful... solution for Irian Jaya. As the church representatives, we sense the Irianese seriously want to be independent.
Mon, 08 Mar 1999, 00:00 WIB
ASEAN cuts deeper into trade barriers
ASEAN cuts deeper into trade barriers PHUKET, Thailand (AFP): The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is several steps closer to forming an integrated market of more than 500 million people following trade and investment talks here. Trade ministers and investment chiefs from around the region said that under new targets of economic liberalisation, most of ASEAN's nine members would be fully integrated by 2003.
Mon, 08 Mar 1999, 00:00 WIB
Moral hazards in banking
Moral hazards in banking If the differences of views between Finance Minister Bambang Subianto and the central bank's Governor Sjahril Sabirin regarding the extent of disclosures to be made in the upcoming bank cleanup are any indication, we can expect a package of measures dead on arrival due to a complete lack of credibility.
Mon, 08 Mar 1999, 00:00 WIB
Bali chosen as 'a model'
Bali chosen as 'a model' DENPASAR, Bali: The resort island of Bali has been chosen for a regional development program that aims to anticipate pollution in Southeast Asian waters, Antara reported on Saturday.
Mon, 08 Mar 1999, 00:00 WIB
The World Bank toughens its stance
The World Bank toughens its stance The World Bank's attitude towards Indonesia has changed. In the past, the bank always avoided censuring president Soeharto even though it admitted corruption, repression and the collapse of the financial system progressively grew in Indonesia during his 32-year rule.
Mon, 08 Mar 1999, 00:00 WIB
East Timor
East Timor From Sinar Pagi As many circles believe, the East Timorese who are for a referendum and independence constitute only a minority compared to the rest of the province, who want to stay with Indonesia. It is only thanks to Ramos Horta's ardent activities abroad that this minority group has gained over-echoed publicity. Moreover, NGOs and the mass media, as well as Bishop Belo, are more inclined to benefit the interest of this minority.
Mon, 08 Mar 1999, 00:00 WIB
Thousands flock to Golkar Party meeting
Thousands flock to Golkar Party meeting JAKARTA (JP): The ruling political grouping Golkar officially declared itself a political party on Sunday, with a massive turn out at the Senayan Sport Stadium, despite criticisms targeted at the institution since its main patron, Soeharto, stepped down last May. The estimated 200,000 people -- mainly from Jakarta, West and Central Java -- packed the stadium from early in the morning. The stadium was a sea of yellow, Golkar's trademark color.
Mon, 08 Mar 1999, 00:00 WIB
Where to go in Jakarta:
Where to go in Jakarta: Exhibitions * Traditional Toys Exhibition at National Museum, Jl. Medan Merdeka Barat 12, Central Jakarta (Phone: 3811551), Sunday, Tuesday to Thursday, 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., Saturday, 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., until March 25. * Painting Exhibition: Media within Media, Installation as Media of Art, at Gedung Pameran Seni Rupa Depdikbud, Jl. Medan Merdeka Timur 14, Central Jakarta (Phone: 3813021), until March 25.
Mon, 08 Mar 1999, 00:00 WIB
Painting expo at Taman Anggrek
Painting expo at Taman Anggrek JAKARTA (JP): The Indonesian Fine Arts Foundation and the ASEAN Secretariat, in an effort to support "ASEAN Countdown 2000", is organizing a painting exhibition featuring more than 100 works of finalists and semifinalists of the Indonesian Art Awards 1998. The exhibition at the ASEAN gallery at Mal Taman Anggrek shopping center in West Jakarta was opened on Sunday and will run until March 28.
Mon, 08 Mar 1999, 00:00 WIB
Noodles lack nutrients
Noodles lack nutrients I refer to Mr. Odo Fadloeli's letter, "Making a meal of noodles", published in The Jakarta Post, Feb. 26, 1999. I agree with you, and I love noodles too. However, the list of nutrients in a packet of Indomie is short in protein, has no vitamin C and no minerals. An adult needs one gram of protein per kilogram of body weight every day. To make the meal nutritionally complete you should add a piece of meat or some shrimps or eggs, and green vegetables and fruit.
Mon, 08 Mar 1999, 00:00 WIB
Try tipped for PKP presidential candidate: Edi
Try tipped for PKP presidential candidate: Edi JAKARTA (JP): The Justice and Unity Party (PKP) may nominate former vice president Try Sutrisno as presidential candidate for the 1999/2004 period, chairman of the party, Edi Sudradjat, said on Saturday. Edi was quick to add, however, that PKP had yet to reach an agreement on the issue, saying that the selection process of candidates was still underway.
Mon, 08 Mar 1999, 00:00 WIB
Thailand to press narcotics issue
Thailand to press narcotics issue BANGKOK (AFP): Thailand has concluded that military-ruled Myanmar is the main obstacle to its own antinarcotics drive and plans to raise the issue with the junta at meetings this week, officials said on Sunday. Prime Minister Chuan Leekpai will meet his Myanmar counterpart, Senior Gen. Than Shwe, in northern Thailand on Monday for talks at which drugs policies will be under the spotlight.
Mon, 08 Mar 1999, 00:00 WIB
Asian currencies to slip further in April-June
Asian currencies to slip further in April-June SINGAPORE (AFP): All key Asian currencies will weaken further against the U.S. dollar in line with the yen in the April-June period, according to a poll of financial market players. Close to 90 percent of the offshore foreign exchange and bond traders and hedge fund managers polled by ANZ Investment Bank in Singapore felt the yen would fall to 125-127 against the U.S. dollar in the "near term," from its Friday close in New York of 122.75.
Mon, 08 Mar 1999, 00:00 WIB
3M upbeat about Asia outlook despite crisis hitting the area
3M upbeat about Asia outlook despite crisis hitting the area SINGAPORE (Reuters): U.S. Industrial conglomerate Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Co. (3M) is upbeat about its future in Asia despite the region's economic downturn, Executive Vice President Ronald Baukol said over the weekend. "3M is definitely operating as if these things (economic conditions) are going to be relatively difficult, but we are poised and definitely looking forward to an upturn," Baukol told Reuters in an interview.
Mon, 08 Mar 1999, 00:00 WIB
Howard faces dilemma on E. Timor
Howard faces dilemma on E. Timor By Hilman Adil This is the first of two articles on Australia's policy on East Timor. JAKARTA (JP): Australia, the first country in the world to formally recognize East Timor's integration into Indonesia in 1978, announced a major policy shift last January, indicating that it would support giving the territory the long-term option of becoming independent.
Mon, 08 Mar 1999, 00:00 WIB
Ginandjar downplays rift with IMF on bank closures
Ginandjar downplays rift with IMF on bank closures PHUKET, Thailand (Dow Jones): Indonesia's Coordinating Minister for Economy, Finance and Industry, Ginandjar Kartasasmita, Saturday played down any rift with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) over its decision to postpone an announcement on bank closures.
Mon, 08 Mar 1999, 00:00 WIB
PLN weighs suing ship owner over cable snafu
PLN weighs suing ship owner over cable snafu By Johannes Simbolon SURABAYA (JP): State electricity company PT PLN is preparing to sue Pacific International Lines (PIL) for damage allegedly caused by one of its vessels to PLN's underwater power cables connecting Java and the offshore island of Madura. The damage has cut off power from the Gresik power plant in East Java to Madura's three million population since Feb. 19.
Mon, 08 Mar 1999, 00:00 WIB
Resumption of talks urged
Resumption of talks urged MANILA (AP): The country's largest Charismatic movement urged the government and Communist rebels on Sunday to resume peace talks to avert new fighting that it said would hurt Manila's fragile economy. A spokesman of the El Shaddai movement also asked the rebels to free several captives, including an army general, to boost the chances of restarting the talks.
Mon, 08 Mar 1999, 00:00 WIB
Soeharto's trial 'may boost trust in govt'
Soeharto's trial 'may boost trust in govt' JAKARTA (JP): Taking former president Soeharto to court is vital to restoring public trust in the government, students said on Sunday. Continuing the investigation into Soeharto will not automatically restore faith, but it would at least be a good start, the organizing chairman of a three-day student dialog said. "It cannot be denied that people really believe the present government is a continuation of that under Soeharto," the chairman, Guntur S.
Mon, 08 Mar 1999, 00:00 WIB
Govt urged to help staffs of closed banks
Govt urged to help staffs of closed banks JAKARTA (JP): Legislators and economists have urged the government to provide a financial package and technical assistance to workers of insolvent banks facing closure next week. Paskah Suzetta of the House of Representatives' Commission VIII for state budget and finance said on Saturday the move must be effected immediately through the issuance of a presidential decree stipulating a fund allocation to help employees of the closed banks.
Mon, 08 Mar 1999, 00:00 WIB
ABRI sends special team to Ambon
ABRI sends special team to Ambon JAKARTA (JP): The Armed Forces (ABRI) dispatched 19 Maluku- born officers back to Ambon on Sunday in an effort to stop the communal bloodshed in the province's capital. The dispatch of middle and high-ranking military personnel came after overnight incidents in which two people were reportedly killed.
Mon, 08 Mar 1999, 00:00 WIB
BI to assist farmers
BI to assist farmers JAKARTA (JP): Bank Indonesia, the central bank, will provide Rp 250 billion (about US$29 million) in soft loans for the purchase of farming machinery and equipment, Minister of Agriculture Soleh Solahuddin has said. Soleh said the funds would be given to farmers in several main rice producing areas to buy thrashers and dryers, to boost the quality and production rate of rice produced by farmers.
Mon, 08 Mar 1999, 00:00 WIB
Officer latest victim of brazen daylight robbery
Officer latest victim of brazen daylight robbery JAKARTA (JP): Criminals have apparently grown more brazen in their operations, with an Army officer being the latest target. A group of criminals broke into a Kijang van belonging an Army member, identified as Lt. Col. Bambang Kusnandar, in Jagakarsa area, South Jakarta, in broad daylight on Saturday. The car bore Armed Forces license plate B 1227 BD. City police spokesman Lt. Col.
Mon, 08 Mar 1999, 00:00 WIB
Lufthansa improves seats
Lufthansa improves seats JAKARTA (JP): Lufthansa German Airlines has announced that it has spent DM 330 million (US$206 million) on new passenger seats in its aircraft to provide more comfort for passengers during long flights. Lufthansa's visiting vice president for the Asia Pacific region, Manfred Reimer, said on Friday the new seats would be placed in the first, business and economy classes in Lufthansa's long-haul fleet.
Mon, 08 Mar 1999, 00:00 WIB
Foreign poll observers welcomed
Foreign poll observers welcomed JAKARTA (JP): The National Commission on Human Rights welcomed on Saturday the presence of foreign observers in the first post- Soeharto elections scheduled for June, saying they would help speed up the democratization process in the country. "Their presence could help develop understanding on standards that should be achieved in the elections," chairman of the rights body, Marzuki Darusman, was quoted by Antara as saying.
Mon, 08 Mar 1999, 00:00 WIB
Government asks for discount for Lippo Bank's shares
Government asks for discount for Lippo Bank's shares JAKARTA (JP): The government may back off from its initial commitment to finance Lippo Bank's recapitalization program unless it gets a better price deal, according to a source familiar with the renegotiation process.
Mon, 08 Mar 1999, 00:00 WIB
E.Q. black-and-white photos at Cahya
E.Q. black-and-white photos at Cahya JAKARTA (JP): Photographer Eky Tandyo is to hold his first solo exhibition this year at the Cahya photo gallery at Plaza Menteng on Jl. Cokroaminoto, Central Jakarta beginning Tuesday. During the March 9 - March 30 exhibition, the photographer better known as E.Q. will display his 60 black-and-white shots made between 1997 and 1998.
Mon, 08 Mar 1999, 00:00 WIB
U.S. shell Amraam missiles to Saudi Arabia
U.S. shell Amraam missiles to Saudi Arabia RIYADH (AFP): The United States has agreed to sell Amraam air- to-air missiles to Saudi Arabia and to step up joint military exercises with the Saudi army, a senior U.S. defense official announced here on Sunday. At a meeting between U.S. Defense Secretary William Cohen and his Saudi counterpart Prince Sultan, the two sides also decided to form a joint committee to study the threat from chemical and biological weapons, he said.
Mon, 08 Mar 1999, 00:00 WIB
Political spotlight focuses on Sabah
Political spotlight focuses on Sabah KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters): Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad this week faces his first electoral test since firing his deputy Anwar Ibrahim when voters in Sabah state on Borneo Island go to the polls to elect a state assembly.
Mon, 08 Mar 1999, 00:00 WIB
Delay in WTO boss election
Delay in WTO boss election PHUKET, Thailand (Dow Jones): Economy ministers from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations said Saturday they were concerned over the delaying until this month of the selection of a new head of the World Trade Organization. "The ministers noted that the current general director's term is scheduled to end in April 1999," the ministers, who are meeting informally on this resort island, said in a news release.
Mon, 08 Mar 1999, 00:00 WIB
'Marsinah' part of International Women's Day revelry
'Marsinah' part of International Women's Day revelry By Mehru Jaffer JAKARTA (JP): Joyous sounds are expected to echo around the world as International Women's Day dawns Monday. Jakarta will flag off the day with a talk on the emerging role of women in Asia by Louise Williams, author of Wives, Mistresses and Matriarchs.
Mon, 08 Mar 1999, 00:00 WIB
Funds for projects arrive late
Funds for projects arrive late BANDARLAMPUNG, Lampung: Funds for labor intensive projects under the Ministry of Forestry to help the poor clear neglected land in the West Lampung regency frequently arrive late. Red tape and the distance between the villages and the treasury offices are to blame, Dedy Juanda, an official in charge of the projects, said.
Mon, 08 Mar 1999, 00:00 WIB
Australia to release East Timor documents
Australia to release East Timor documents JAKARTA (JP): Australia will release secret government documents concerning its policy toward East Timor and Indonesia during a crucial two-year period in the 1970s, Australia's Foreign Minister Alexander Downer said on Sunday. The announcement came after reports on Australia's monitoring of Indonesia's role in the former Portuguese colony, appeared in Australian newspapers on Friday, Reuters reported from Sydney.
Mon, 08 Mar 1999, 00:00 WIB
INACA wants higher fares
INACA wants higher fares JAKARTA (JP): The Indonesian National Air Carriers Association (INACA) is proposing a 70 percent hike in domestic airfares to US$0.13 per kilometer per seat starting at the end of March. Association chairman Soelarto Hadisoemarto said it was impossible for airline companies to cover operating costs at the current airfare rate of US$0.075 per kilo meter per seat following a 76 percent increase in jet fuel prices .
Mon, 08 Mar 1999, 00:00 WIB
No absolute goodness
No absolute goodness I always remember the people of our country to be warm and wonderful. Once, far from home, as evening neared, I became worried as nowhere in the village was there a country inn. Fortunately, a peasant gladly took us -- my wife, two little kids and me -- into his home for the night and even shared his food.
Mon, 08 Mar 1999, 00:00 WIB
Buildings pelted in Bandung
Buildings pelted in Bandung BANDUNG, West Java: Three house-shops used by church congregations, a school, a supermarket and at least 20 shop- houses were pelted by stones thrown by crowds here on Sunday. Some of the buildings were then set on fire. Police said they were investigating the cause of the people's anger, but said it was believed the people were angry that a Mass had taken place in a shop-house that morning because it was not an official worship site, they said.
Mon, 08 Mar 1999, 00:00 WIB
Experts say obscene calls the work of psychopaths
Experts say obscene calls the work of psychopaths JAKARTA (JP): A noted psychiatrist and two psychologists, expressing shock and incredulity, have labeled as psychopaths those responsible for making obscene and threatening phone calls to about 60 junior high school students.
Mon, 08 Mar 1999, 00:00 WIB
Tapping phone calls to tough task
Tapping phone calls to tough task By Zatni Arbi JAKARTA (JP): The tapping of the telephone conversation between Mr. President and Mr. Attorney General taught us a couple of things. First, it showed how we, Indonesians in general, still have a lot to learn when it comes to taking precautions. Time and time again it is only after a gruesome accident or many lives have been lost that we begin to think of the measures we should have taken to ensure safety and security.
Mon, 08 Mar 1999, 00:00 WIB
Hendrawan upsets world No. 1 Gade in Copenhagen
Hendrawan upsets world No. 1 Gade in Copenhagen COPENHAGEN (Reuters): Indonesia's Hendrawan upset world number one Peter Gade Christensen in straight sets to lead his country to a 3-2 team win over Denmark on Saturday. Hendrawan, ranked 11 in the world, confounded the 22-year-old Dane with well-disguised shots to win 15-11, 15-11. "I am disappointed. I should have played better. I lacked my usual attacking style," Gade said.
Mon, 08 Mar 1999, 00:00 WIB
Export funding firm to operate promptly
Export funding firm to operate promptly JAKARTA (JP): The government is confident the planned export funding agency will be operational this year, despite some difficulties in its establishment, a senior official at the Ministry of Industry and Trade said Saturday. Director General of International Trade Djoko Moeljono said the agency has to begin operations as soon as possible, saying it is badly needed to revitalize the country's export activities.
Mon, 08 Mar 1999, 00:00 WIB
Rp 13 billion fund for scholarships
Rp 13 billion fund for scholarships JAKARTA (JP): The government has earmarked Rp 13 billion to provide scholarships to more than 57,000 needy students from private and state elementary to senior high schools in the capital, an official said. Head of the city office of the Ministry of Education and Culture Alwi Nurdin said on Friday that the scholarships were being provided under the social safety net program.
Mon, 08 Mar 1999, 00:00 WIB
Gus Dur presents report of people's wishes to Habibie
Gus Dur presents report of people's wishes to Habibie JAKARTA (JP): Chairman of the largest Muslim organization Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) Abdurrahman Wahid met with President B.J. Habibie on Sunday to present a 300-page report of people's aspirations conveyed to him during Ramadhan. After the meeting Minister of Justice also said the President had agreed to a clemency for political prisoner Budiman Sudjatmiko, chairman of the Democratic People's Party (PRD).