Endangered Omo Hada in poor condition By Edy Suhartono MEDAN, North Sumatra (JP): Omo Hada, an 18th century building on the island of Nias, North Sumatra, and Tanah Lot temple on Bali are among the 100 most endangered sites in the world. They were among 375 sites from 58 countries chosen by the New York-based World Monument Watch last September. With the addition of Omo Hada and Tanah Lot temple, Indonesia now has three of most endangered sites in the world.

Angelique wins junior c'ship JAKARTA (JP): Girl's tennis player Angelique Widjaja outclassed teammate Dea Sumantri 4-6, 6-4, 6-2 in the an all- Indonesian final of the Indonesia Gas Negara International junior championship here on Saturday. Angelique took the number one spot from Thai's Suchanan Viratprasert, who won the championship last year after upsetting Indonesian Frederika Girsang. Suchanan and Frederika are now competing in the senior event.

BII's Internet Banking gives users convenience Performing transactions through Internet-based banks is now common practice for certain people around the globe. Indonesians also have been able to enjoy this convenience via on-line services run by Bank Internasional Indonesia (BII). BII introduced in September 1998 this cyber service, which enables customers to complete transactions through the Internet around the clock.

Japanese professor shows his love for Bayat pottery By R. Agus Bakti YOGYAKARTA (JP): Chitaru Kawasaki, a ceramics expert from Japan, fell in love at the first sight with a set of plain yet unique pieces in an exhibition in Japan more than ten years ago. "I saw a very specific form of pottery and learned later that it came from a small village from Central Java," he recalled. The ceramics were crafted with a very simple technique by villagers of Pager Jurang of Bayat in Klaten, Central Java.

Leech: Sucking the life out of you JAKARTA (JP): No matter where you go in life there are leeches. Not the parasite that lives in muddy waters. The type of bloodsucker I'm referring to is the one we come into contact with on a daily basis: leechoros humongous or the human variety. They exist on the goodwill of others, never thinking for a moment they are causing all manner of misery.

Art Agenda Photo Exhibition: Peneliti & Fotografer (Researchers & Photographers), at the French Cultural Center (CCF) on Jl. Wijaya I/48, South Jakarta; Phone 720-8133; from March 9 to March 31. This exhibition puts on display part of the collection of IRD Indigo Base. This Paris-based organization, established in March l995, has collected 10,000 photographs of various subjects, particularly the relationship between humans and the environment in developing countries.

Globalization Indonesian chaos piles its citizens in stacks, chimneys, pipes and styles it flatters and hijacks. The king'd extolled his parliament for not expressing pus; I came to meet their firmament and got lost on the bus The way I used to camp out bush to catalog my words But Indonesian chaos has blessed me and confused -- By Geoff Fox Night Falls Listening to silence, Thoughts flow through my mind.

Essential reading for the military From the Place of the Dead, Bishop Belo and the Struggle for East Timor; by Arnold S. Kohen; Published by Lion Publishing, Oxford, England, 1999; 398 pages JAKARTA (JP): Carlos Filipe Ximenes may have remained totally unknown to the world but for a surprise decision by Pope John Paul to elevate him as a young man to his current position as Bishop of Dili. It may well prove to be one of the best decisions of this long papacy.

Increase in tuition fee? No way: Students JAKARTA (JP): The party is over. State universities are now having to work hard seeking ways to generate more funds in anticipation of the government's plan to reduce subsidies. Raising tuition fees is one possibility, but it may be the most unpopular one and trigger unrest among students. A number of students from different state universities talked to The Jakarta Post, expressing their objection to the plan.

Memory of Jassin remains vivid JAKARTA (JP): HB Jassin has gone, but the memory of this respected figure and his valuable works remains alive in Indonesian literary. Sapardi Djoko Damono, a professor of literature at University of Indonesia, said, "He was a great man. For 60 years he had dedicated his life entirely to this work. No one is like him." Sapardi was referring to Jassin's persistent efforts to collect literary documents from the 1940s, that were later put in the H.B.

Danamon committed to customers with new vision, mission By Christianto JAKARTA (JP): Commitment in consumer service industries will not suffice a company to prove itself as being a preferred choice. Customer loyalty will have its say. PT Bank Danamon Indonesia is one of several parties, particularly in the banking industry, which have faced their toughest experience since the economic crisis but which have not been forsaken by their customers.

Maria Ressa struggles with life choice By Mehru Jaffer JAKARTA (JP): CNN without Maria Ressa? This could happen if Ressa, 37, makes a certain choice. "I am now at an age when I have to think about it. The biological clock is ticking away. I have to ask myself if I want children. I can see that I must make that choice soon," she said. For if and when she does decide to become a mother, then raising that child will be her very first priority.

Angry terminal vendors break bus windows JAKARTA (JP): About 500 fruit, candy and cigarettes vendors pelted and broke the windows of six intercity buses at the Pulogadung bus terminal, East Jakarta, in a protest against City Public Land Transportation Agency (DLLAJ) officials' rough actions for the past week. Terminal chief Nadias Syam said, "DLLAJ officers arrived here at 9 a.m.

Falling for a Javanese folk dancer, beware the surprise Text by Singgir Kartana, photos by Ali Budiman WONOSOBO, Central Java (JP): Once there was a very pretty dancer in a village in Wonosobo regency, Central Java. Many were charmed by her beauty. Men in her audiences were infatuated by her and vied with one another for her affections. In a very short time, this dancer earned her fame and her name became a household word.

Spotlight Photo A: Melia Gran Melia WELCOME TO THE CLUB: Aston Atrium general manager Hamilton Toledo (left), Crowne Plaza general manager Stefan W. Voogel (second left), Gran Melia Jakarta general manager Ricardo Castaneda (second right) and Aston Atrium director of sales & marketing Rubi W. Purnomo pose together for a gathering of the Tuesday Club for Travel and Tourism (TTT).

New themes for jewelry and watch designs JAKARTA (JP): Clean, innovative and elegant are the themes of the jewelry and watch designs presented by Piaget, one of the world's leading jewelry and watchmakers, at its current exhibition at the Time boutique at Plaza Senayan. Willy Henri Pfister, managing director of the Geneva-based Piaget, explained that the current international trend in jewelry and watch design was toward simpler styles.

Internet banking facilitates customers in banking By I. Christianto JAKARTA (JP): Some people are reluctant to visit banks due to such reasons as long queues or fronting up to unprofessional tellers. Well, they can now enjoy carrying out transactions through the Internet from their home PCs. Online banking has been here for a while, though only few of us may have made use of it.

State universities brace for big monetary cutbacks The government's plan to cut financial assistance to state universities is worrying college administrators and students. The Jakarta Post's reporters Ainur R. Sophiaan, Agus Maryono, Asip A. Hasani, I. Wayan Juniarta, Jupriadi, Haryoso, Maria Endah Hulupi, Neles Tebay, Theresia Sufa, Yuli Tri Suwarni, and Soeryo Winoto look into the matter. Related story on Page 2.

Haze feared to affect ships KUALA LUMPUR (AP): Marine police have warned all ships plying the busy Malacca Straits to be alert for haze after visibility dropped to about two nautical miles, a news report said Saturday. Deputy commanding officer Ghazali Haron said that conditions have sharply worsened over the past two days along the waters near the Indonesian island of Sumatra, which has been affected by hundreds of blazes set by farmers and loggers using fire to clear land.

U.S. expedition team fined KUALA LUMPUR (AP): Two scientists and 14 cave explorers from the United States have been fined 20,000 ringgit ($5,260) for collecting rare invertebrates from a Borneo rain forest without a permit, a government official said Saturday.

Pandering for good food? Get yourself to Bandung Text and photos by Agni Amorita BANDUNG (JP): One Saturday afternoon young Yeannie Adisubrata, with her three girl friends, drove her car along Jl. Kolonel Masturi, leaving the busy city of Bandung and making for its hinterland, Lembang. "I want to reach The Peak before sunset," said Yeannie, who works in for international bank.

HB Jassin dies of stroke JAKARTA (JP): Hans Bague Jassin, the "Pope of Indonesian literature", died on Saturday at the age of 83. Jassin died at Cipto Mangunkusumo General Hospital almost 12 hours after suffering a stroke. The health of the noted literature documentarian and critic had been deteriorating for some time after five previous strokes. President Abdurrahman Wahid, after paying his last respects at Jassin's residence in Tanah Tinggi, Central Jakarta, lauded him as a "literary giant".

Oscar Lawalata making strides in fashion world By Chris Brummitt JAKARTA (JP): Tall, skinny and wearing an orange cotton blouse with matching scarf, black velvet jacket and dark-blue flared jeans, clothing designer Oscar Lawalata turns heads as he walks quickly through Tuesday's lunchtime crowds in Plaza Senayan. Suddenly, a woman rushes up to greet him (kisses on both cheeks, dramatic hugs) rips off his jacket and tries it on.

Officers sent to Slawi, Solo for main suspect JAKARTA (JP): Jakarta Police have sent at least 10 detectives to Slawi and Surakarta in Central Java to hunt down Achmad Riyadi, alias Assadullah, the fourth and most important suspect in last Sunday's attempted murder of National Awakening Party (PKB) chairman Matori Abdul Djalil.

'Indonesia Baru' talk show From Media Indonesia I am among the fans of talk show Indonesia Baru, which is simultaneously broadcast by the five private TV stations on Feb. 29 at 9 p.m. I watch the show to broaden my horizons. Besides, like it or not, people have to watch it so it must be made as attractive as possible from the selected sources, the topics and not least the presenter. Why? Because viewers have been robbed of their rights by this program which monopolizes all the TV stations.