Haj fee decreases, pilgrims increase BOGOR (JP): The number of haj pilgrims from Bogor and Tangerang this year doubled that of last year's, thanks to a decrease in the haj pilgrimage fee and the improvement of the residents' wealth, officials said on Tuesday. Head of the Bogor office of the Ministry of Religious Affairs, Idim Taufiqsaid, said the number of haj applicants reached 863 this year, while in 1999 the figure was only 365. "There has been a significant drop in the haj pilgrimage fee.

Sepaktakraw team to tryout in M'sia SEMARANG (JP): Central Java men's sepaktakraw team will take on a Malaysian team in a warm-up tournament ahead of the 15th National Games (PON) in Surabaya, East Java, in June, coach Setyo Budi said here on Wednesday. "We will compete in Malaysia because its team is the most advanced among Southeast Asian countries. Hopefully, we can improve our athletes' performance through this tryout," he said, adding that his team would also face Riau in Pekanbaru.

Tourists sample Bali village life in Kemenuh By Tarko Sudiarno DENPASAR, Bali (JP): The sun rises in the East. The compound awakens early in the small village of Kemenuh near Gianyar, south of Denpasar. Farmers go to their rice fields shortly after sunrise in order to finish their work before noon. Women prepare morning offerings -- food, fruits and flowers -- at their family shrines and ask for the protection of God, their ancestors and holy spirits.

Zarina's accomplice charged JAKARTA (JP): A prosecutor indicted defendant Ahian Santoso alias Yeye with double charges on Wednesday for allegedly possessing and carrying psychotropic substances and for failure to report an illegal drugs possession to the police. "The defendant has violated article 62 of the 1997 Law on Psychotropic Substances for possessing the drug," said prosecutor Hasan Madani in a hearing at the West Jakarta District Court.

TNI remains target of condemnation From Panji Masyarakat What has happened in the last few days in the Halmahera islands of Maluku is ironic. Hundreds of Muslims became the victims of acts of violence by non-Muslims. The issue of the human rights of the victims has apparently not attracted the attention of the people who always claim to be civilized. Where have our state apparatuses gone? Where are the human rights activists? Yet they rigorously claim that they are human rights champions.