Indonesia tries to kick habit of drug use Drug use is increasingly prevalent in the country, especially among the young in Jakarta and other major cities. The Jakarta Post's correspondents Asip Agus Hasani, MMI Ahyani, I Wayan Juniartha and reporter T. Sima Gunawan look at efforts to halt drug abuse. JAKARTA (JP): It was the fun of a nighttime pool-side party. The warm air was filled with laughter as a young man plunged into the water to the cheers of partygoers.

Drug addicts need help and support from society and family JAKARTA (JP): Reality bites. It could happen to anyone. Your friend, your brother, your sister or your child might use drugs, or worse, they might be addicted to them. Drug addicts are often shunned, not only by society, but also by their families. They might have done something wrong, but one thing is sure: they need help and support. The Jakarta Post talks to some people who are deeply involved in the problems.

Cikini Galeria exhibits Abas Alibasyah paintings Cikini Galeria is proud to present the works of Abas Alibasyah, a senior Indonesian painter who is displaying his paintings from the 1990s in this exhibition. The solo exhibition, titled Dialog Topeng (Mask Dialog), explores the artist's paintings of Indonesian masks. The paintings carry motives, elements and colors representing the Indonesian culture. The theme was purposely selected to reveal the rich vocabulary of Indonesian visual art.

Keep Monas clean I read an article about the National Monument (Monas) Park in the Sept. 9 The Jakarta Post. I am a regular visitor to Monas and would like to make the following suggestions about the park's upkeep: * All roads leading to Monas and around the area should be closed to vehicle traffic from late at night until 7 a.m. so that Jakartans can enjoy their morning exercise in clean air free from pollution.

PSSI seeks sponsors for Ligina c'ships JAKARTA (JP): The Football Association of Indonesia (PSSI) is having difficulty finding sponsors for the upcoming Indonesian League (Ligina), which will kick off its sixth season in November. Outgoing PSSI secretary-general Nugraha Besoes said on Saturday a number of multinational corporations which sponsored the league in the past withdrew their support due to uncertain political circumstances, which could make it difficult to hold soccer matches.

One dead in clash JAYAPURA, Irian Jaya (JP): One person died and two others were critically injured when a mob clashed with police on Friday evening in the town of Manokwari, about 450 kilometers west of the Irian Jaya provincial capital of Jayapura. According to witnesses, the incident started after a group of locals got into a tussle with several police officers near the harbor just after the passenger ship Dobonsolo docked.

Lonely junkie kicks bad habit to become peer counselor JAKARTA (JP): His life was almost destroyed by drugs. A drug addict, he dropped out school, left his job and lost his girlfriend. But he did not give up, thanks to his family's support. And now, not only has been able to kick the bad habit, he actively campaigns to fight drug use and is ready to lend a hand to those who need help. "I know how it feels to become an addict and I want to help," said Risa.

Infomedia Nusantara's journey into second curve When FORTUNE began to publish The Most Admired Companies in the mid-1980s, it was considered pointless. Reputable American corporations appeared on the list for the first four years. One of them was IBM, which has always been at the top of the list. In addition, IBM's position and performance at the time was preeminent. As a high-tech corporation, IBM was considered as a nearly faultless company.

'Ojeks' a common sight in Bau-Bau By Rolex Malaha BAU-BAU, Buton, Southeast Sulawesi (Antara): The public transportation vehicles known as ojek (motorcycle taxis) are a common sight in Bau-bau, the capital of Buton district, one of the world's largest producers of natural asphalt, in Southeast Sulawesi. There are so many of them that Bau-bau is known as Ojek Town.

Old times revisited in Yogya's graphic exhibition By Tjahjono Ep YOGYAKARTA (JP): For many, digging up old memories is an absorbingly fascinating activity which brings back to the present all sorts of memories, be they pleasing or not. Only a few people realize that daily items, generally considered trivial, may record life's various events. A product's trademark label, for example, can tell a lot about how a group of people lived when the trademark represented a particular industry.

Indonesian girls' doubles secure C'ships gold JAKARTA (JP): Indonesia secured a gold medal in the girls' doubles in the first Asian Schools Tennis Championships at the Senayan tennis complex on Saturday. Angelique Widjaja and Novianti Warsono will face compatriot Frederika Girsang and Mudarwati in the all-Indonesian final. Angelique and Novianti had a walk-over win on Saturday thanks to Chinese duo Fan Na and Liu Yidan, who did not show up for the match.

Novel tells tale of Jakarta's May riots The Pathfinder of Love; By Richard Oh; Gamelan Press, Jakarta, 1999; 160 pages JAKARTA (JP): The wounds caused by the economic crisis have yet to heal, but we already have the first novel set against the crisis to be written by an Indonesian in English. The Pathfinders of Love is a tender tale by Richard Ho set in the aftermath of the May 1998 riots in Jakarta.

Students mourn death of their colleague JAKARTA (JP): Sadness was the prevailing mood on Saturday as students gathered for peaceful ceremonies to mourn those who were killed during violent protests over the previous two days.

Retail value of Jakarta's malls, stores By Bruce Emond Jakarta, not surprisingly for an archipelagic country whose diverse peoples were united mainly by long-standing trade ties, remains a center for the retail trade. Its position has changed little even with the economic crisis, which dimmed sales somewhat, and the 1998 riots, when all and sundry helped themselves to the goodies in Jakarta's stores in the name of frustration and reformasi.

Painter urges end to repression in Aceh By Amir Sidharta JAKARTA (JP): Teuku Umar, the Acehnese hero, stands intrepidly with a rencong cleaver in his hand and his face, painted in red, is filled with rage. Passages from the Hikayat Perang Sabil (the Prose of the Sabil War) fill the background.

Telkomsel's success as a leader By Taufik The crisis which started in 1997 may have changed consumer behavior in Indonesia in terms of consumption and goods purchased. However, how about their loyalty toward products or brands? It has to be admitted that this does not have an easy answer, because the crisis has lowered consumer purchasing power, which certainly changed consumers' preferences with regard to goods purchased. One example would be the choices made between quality and a fair price.

TV today TVRI 6:00 a.m. Morning News 7:00 Health and Fresh 8:00 Children's Program 9:30 Cooking Program 10:00 Music 11:00 TV Drama 12:15 p.m. Comedy 12:30 Student's Quiz 1:00 TV Series: The Sainth 2:30 Children's Song 3:00 Sports 4:00 Regional News 4:30 Religious Teachings 5:00 Documentary 5:30 TV Drama 6:00 Sports 6:30 News (in English) 7:00 Evening News 7:30 Music 8:30 Variety Show 9:00 World News 9:30 Music and Mode 10:30 TV Drama 11:35 Late News Program 2 4:30 p.m.

UN rights commission adjourns in deadlock GENEVA (Agencies): The United Nations human rights commission, which has been meeting in special session to decide whether to send an inquiry commission to East Timor, adjourned in a deadlock on Friday night and agreed to meet again on Monday. The debate was due to wind up on Friday, but was prolonged because of differences over the text of a resolution.

Interfet ready to take command of East Timor JAKARTA (Agencies): The International Force for East Timor (Interfet) readied on Saturday to assume full military command of East Timor as the Indonesian Military pressed ahead with its withdrawal. The Australian-led Interfet is due to formally take charge of the territory by Monday. The Indonesian command has said the remaining 4,500 Indonesian soldiers would pull out during next month, following the departure by Friday of 7,000 troops.

Traditional food whets tourists' appetite By R. Agus Bakti YOGYAKARTA (JP): Kaliurang, a half-hour drive from the city of Yogyakarta, is a tourist area located at the foot of Mount Merapi. Its claim to fame is its celebrated dish jadah tempe. Jadah is a traditional snack made of glutinous rice and usually eaten with tempe bacem, or tempeh stewed in a syrupy sauce. A jadah vendor, Nunuk, said the Kaliurang dish existed for many years but experienced a growth in popularity in the 1950s.

The pleasure and pain of mixed marriages By Mehru Jaffer JAKARTA (JP): If it works it is like a house on fire. However if it does not work then the fire is for real and soon there is nothing left to call a house. The reference here is to mixed marriages between Indonesians and people from other parts of the world. Some are found to work and some others seem not to. And the reasons why that happens are a million and one.

Time for a noise abatement society JAKARTA (JP): The Kopaja minibus came roaring toward me, clashing on its sounding shield the din of war. Blazoned across its front was the slogan Titanic. I found this less than reassuring. I had woken up in the middle of the night on a recent long-haul flight on Air France to see a deck suddenly tilt at a giddy angle and witness bodies going spinning by. Somebody's dark sense of humor, was it, to screen Titanic in the middle of the night?

Batu Karas is a worthy reward for a thrilling journey By Ariyanti BANDUNG (JP): The sky was clear and the weather was warm. Some locals surfed as the waves of the Batu Karas beach came and went. With only a few visitors, its quiet was markedly different from Pangandaran, the neighboring beach which is always crowded with visitors who flock from nearby major cities of Jakarta and Bandung. Still, like Pangandaran, Batu Karas also offers natural beauty and many opportunities for fun.

Political ethics From Rakyat Merdeka Cases are piling up in our country. Policies have been issued by the Habibie administration one after another, but the people consider them all to be wrong. Some of these policies may in fact be correct, while some others are indeed wrong, like his decision on East Timor: 1. President B.J. Habibie said in a very relaxed manner that 700,000 East Timorese were meaningless compared to the total population of 200 million Indonesians.

Aloe vera satisfies healthy, thirsty people By Maria Goretti Tamen PONTIANAK, West Kalimantan (JP): We know aloe vera as the basic material in the production of good shampoos. It can also be processed into an allegedly healthy beverage. In Pontianak the aloe vera drink has found its way into the community. Some 60 booths selling the drink along Jl. Budi Utomo are perhaps an indication of how popular the drink is among city dwellers.

Health experts promote drug recovery JAKARTA (JP): The group of high school students sat on the floor near the entrance of the hospital. They chatted, laughed and once in a while some of them puffed on their cigarettes. The youngsters were all clad in their white-and-gray uniforms and carried their school bags. It is about 10 a.m. on Wednesday, a time when they are supposed to be in class, so why were they in the hospital, when none of them looked sick?

'A Sea of Taste' at Dermaga Food Court Sailing into town to rescue Jakartans from crowded mall food courts which offer patrons a disappointingly limited choice of food is the recently opened Dermaga Food Court. Located in Mal Pondok Indah, South Jakarta, one of the capital's premier shopping centers in one of the most exclusive and safest areas of the city, the Dermaga Food Court has been designed to satisfy every taste and desire of the most discerning of customer.

Indonesia a train on an unknown track By Nathaniel Myers JAKARTA (JP): I am on a train, in the Indonesian unknown. Out my window the countryside hurtles by. The train shows signs of previous glories, of luxuries once proudly offered. It is an "Executive Car" with air-conditioning. Large, plush, cushioned seats. Footrests. Women handing out sealed cups of water. A "refreshing tissue". The train is nice, but seems to only hint at what it once was.

Postal bags and sexy curves in new fashion By Agni Amorita JAKARTA (JP): When famous fashion designer Biyan Wanaatmadja decided to design teen outfits, he also created accessories such as flatshoes and large bags. "Nowadays young people go crazy with Mr. Postman's bags," he says about his mailbag collection in his newest boutique called (X)SML. Biyan's comment is followed by one from famous model, Karenina Maria Anderson, or Nina.

Censorship snag cancels EU film festival By Tam Notosusanto JAKARTA (JP): Eleven films from European Union member states made a brief visit to Indonesia. It turned out to be a very brief, useless visit. The films were scheduled to be screened at the Usmar Ismail Film Center from Sept. 23 to Sept. 26 in the first European Union (EU) Film Festival in Indonesia.