Indonesian Political, Business & Finance News

Archive: 30 October 2001

71 articles found

Jakarta International Film Festival (JiFFest) Schedule for Tuesday:

Jakarta International Film Festival (JiFFest) Schedule for Tuesday: Pusat Perfilman Haji Usmar Ismail, Jl. H.R. Rasuna Said Kav. 22, South Jakarta (Tel. 5268458); Our Island of South Pacific, 7:30 p.m., Indonesian Comfort Woman, 9:30 p.m. Djakarta Theater, Thamrin, Central Jakarta (Tel. 3848944); Djomeh, 7:30 p.m., City of Sadness, 9:45 p.m. TIM, Jl. Cikini Raya 73, Central Jakarta (Tel. 325130); Police Woman, 4:55 p.m., Spinning Gasing, 7:05 p.m., Serangan Fajar, 9:15 p.m.

Let us renew our spirit of nationalism, union

Let us renew our spirit of nationalism, union The following is an unofficial translation of the speech of President Megawati Soekarnoputri, delivered at the commemoration of Youth Pledge Day on Oct. 28 at the Cibubur camping ground, East Jakarta. Today, we commemorate the Youth Pledge, an important chain in the formation of this great nation.

Man sentenced for murder

Man sentenced for murder TANGERANG: The Tangerang District Court sentenced on Monday a man to six years imprisonment for killing a neighbor, who was accused of assaulting the defendant's brother. Presiding Judge Agus Budiarto said defendant Arpin Jalaludin, 20, a resident of Rawa Bambu village in Juru Mudi subdistrict, Benda district of Tangerang, was found guilty of killing his neighbor Abdillah, 25, on Feb. 2 this year.

Officers charged with corruption

Officers charged with corruption MALAYSIA: Eleven Malaysian law enforcement officers have been charged with corruption involving illegal immigrants in the past three years, a minister said in Kuala Lumpur on Monday. Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Adnan Tengku Mansor told Parliament that the charges applied to a period between 1999 and last month, the Bernama national news agency reported.

Indonesia to replant rubber next year

Indonesia to replant rubber next year Reuters, Jakarta Indonesia, the world's second largest rubber producer after Thailand, will rehabilitate 100,000 hectares of rubber plantations a year for four years from 2002 to cut output and lift prices, the Agriculture Ministry said.

Meaning of Youth Pledge

Meaning of Youth Pledge From Rakyat Merdeka Prior to the commemoration of Youth Pledge Day on Oct. 28, we should be pondering over what we have done or should have done for our beloved nation since it was proclaimed in 1928. We should be pondering over the pains and great efforts taken by our pioneers and freedom fighters to unite a myriad of youth organizations from various ethnic backgrounds and religious faiths into an organization based on the spirit of nationhood.

RI told to speed up reforms to cope with slump

RI told to speed up reforms to cope with slump Vincent Lingga, The Jakarta Post, Hong Kong Indonesia had no alternative but to stay on course and speed up reforms and structural measures to cope with the likely full- blown global economic recession exacerbated by the impact of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks on the United States, international analysts asserted in Hong Kong on Monday.

Mega seen as moving too slowly in resolving economic woes

Mega seen as moving too slowly in resolving economic woes Dadan Wijaksana, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta Although 100 days may be too short to evaluate the performance of President Megawati Soekarnoputri in tackling the country's deep economic problems, some say that her economic team has been moving too slowly. "Generally speaking, it has been "slow motion" progress by the government.

Anti-graft drive 'must start with govt officials'

Anti-graft drive 'must start with govt officials' Bambang Nurbianto and Abu Hanifah, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta President Megawati Soekarnoputri and high-ranking government officials will have to avoid corruption themselves if they want anticorruption campaigns to succeed, observers say. "If Megawati and high-ranking government officials really want to fight corruption, they had better start with their own families," George Junus Aditjondro told The Jakarta Post by phone on Monday.

Six schools torched in Aceh

Six schools torched in Aceh BANDA ACEH, Aceh: Six schools were burned down on Sunday in separate places in Kluet Utara subdistrict, Aceh Selatan regency, with police claiming on Monday that the arson attacks had been perpetrated by an Acehnese insurgent group. Indonesian security force officials estimated that the arson attacks, which took place some 500 kilometers away from the capital Banda Aceh, had cost the state hundreds of millions of rupiahs.

JP;RMS;

JP;RMS; ANPAa..r.. Cirebon-province PDIP supports development of Cirebon province JP/7/Cirebon "The culture of Cirebon is very different to Sundanese culture." Prince Arief

PLN seeks foreign loans

PLN seeks foreign loans Moch. N. Kurniawan, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta The state-owned electricity company PLN is seeking foreign loans to finance power generation projects in a bid to avoid looming power shortages in Java and Bali in 2004. PLN president Eddie Widiono said on Monday that borrowing was inevitable as the company did not have sufficient internal funds to finance the projects. "We have to seek foreign funds ...

Women painters still fail to be recognized

Women painters still fail to be recognized Ida Indawati Khouw, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta Ask people to name the greatest Indonesian painters in history and they will mention Raden Saleh, Affandi or Basoeki Abdullah. Missing something? Indeed. They're all men's names and not a single woman painter's name comes up on the list. It doesn't mean that Indonesia had no women painters in the past.

Indonesian kids all victors in Spain

Indonesian kids all victors in Spain Musthofid, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta Three Indonesian teenage chess players made amends for their losses overnight with wins on Sunday in the seventh round of the World Youth Chess Championship in Oropesa del Mar, Spain. Susanto Megaranto has proven that he is one to be reckoned with in the championship campaign after upsetting 1999 champion in the U-12 category FIDE Master (FM) Wang Yue of China in the U- 14 competition.

Megawati gets tough on drug dealers

Megawati gets tough on drug dealers Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta Criticized for its futile attempts to curb drug trafficking, the government has now decided to change tack. President Megawati Soekarnoputri has ordered National Intelligence Agency chief A.M. Hendropriyono to take charge of coordinating the antidrug activities undertaken by all state institutions.

Two ATMs stolen on Sunday

Two ATMs stolen on Sunday Two automatic teller machines (ATMs) were stolen on Sunday, resulting in Rp 261 million (US$26,100) in losses, a senior police officer said on Monday. City police spokesman Sr. Comr. Anton Bachrul Alam said the ATMs belonged to Bank Mandiri and Bank Prima Express. The Bank Mandiri ATM, containing Rp 201 million, was at Perum Palm Lestari, Cengkareng, West Jakarta, while Bank Prima's, with Rp 60 million, was located at Jl. KHS Mansyur 154, Tambora, West Jakarta.

The following is an unofficial translation of the speech of

The following is an unofficial translation of the speech of President Megawati Soekarnoputri, delivered at the commemoration of Youth Pledge Day on Oct. 28 at the Cibubur camping ground, East Jakarta.

Brawlers 'scalped' in Indramayu

Brawlers 'scalped' in Indramayu INDRAMAYU, West Java: Local police shaved the heads of dozens of locals who were involved in the recent communal brawls that took place in Jatibarang subdistrict, Indramayu, West Java, on Sunday. A police officer said that the brawlers had their heads shaved to teach them a lesson for ignoring the police's earlier warning to stop the brawling that frequently occurred in the area.

North Sumatra wins rowing gold

North Sumatra wins rowing gold MEDAN, North Sumatra: Host North Sumatra joined the gold medal winning clubs at the National Rowing Championships after three days of competition on Monday. The duo of Mintauli and Tiori gave the host team its first gold in the 500m kayak women's pairs, beating Irian Jaya's Mery/Moning and Southeast Sulawesi's Atimin/Sabarsyah, who finished second and third respectively.

BI closes Unibank as CAR drops below zero

BI closes Unibank as CAR drops below zero Berni K. Moestafa Apriadi Gunawan The Jakarta Post Jakarta/Medan Bank Indonesia closed on Monday the publicly listed PT Unibank, after days of massive runs against the bank had plunged its capital adequacy ratio (CAR) into negative territory. Bank Indonesia Senior Deputy Governor, Anwar Nasution, said the Indonesian Bank Restructuring Agency (IBRA) would take over Unibank to handle its closure.

Elite shuttlers to star in national championships

Elite shuttlers to star in national championships Novan Iman Santosa, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta The country's elite players dominate the seedings at the 2001 National Badminton Individual Championships at Bung Karno Badminton Stadium, which starts on Tuesday. The week-long championships will be the first major event at national level to use the new best-of-five seven points scoring system.

PDIP supports formation of Cirebon province

PDIP supports formation of Cirebon province Nana Rukmana, The Jakarta Post, Cirebon, West Java The Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan), a major faction in the Cirebon, Majalengka and Indramayu regency legislatures, gave its full support for the proposed establishment of the new province of Cirebon, comprising several regencies, citing cultural, economic and geographic reasons.

Quake jolts Bengkulu, East Nusa Tenggara

Quake jolts Bengkulu, East Nusa Tenggara Yemris Fointuna, The Jakarta Post, Bangka/Kupang A strong earthquake measuring 5.3 on the Richter scale shook Bengkulu early on Monday. No casualties have been reported as yet. Tanto, a staff member of the local office of the Bengkulu Meteorology and Geophysics Agency, said the quake rocked the southern part of the province at 5:31 am and its epicenter was 87 kilometers south of Manna in South Bengkulu regency.

Flood hits C. Kalimantan

Flood hits C. Kalimantan PALANGKARAYA, Central Kalimantan: Heavy downpours over the last few days have led to flooding in Sampit, the capital of Kotawaringin Timur district, and Buntok, the capital of South Barito district. The floods have already reached around 1.5 meters above the normal river level. Antara reported on Monday that the situation was forcing locals to stay at home as the floods were inundating public buildings, facilities and roads, as well as their homes.

BI closes Unibank as CAR drops below zero

BI closes Unibank as CAR drops below zero Berni K. Moestafa, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta Bank Indonesia closed on Monday the publicly listed PT Unibank, after days of massive runs against the bank had plunged its capital adequacy ratio (CAR) into negative territory. Bank Indonesia Senior Deputy Governor, Anwar Nasution, said the Indonesian Bank Restructuring Agency (IBRA) would take over Unibank to handle its closure.

1. Airpor (2x30)

1. Airpor (2x30) Govt to transfer management of airports to regions 2. PLN (4x8) PLN seeks foreign loans 3. Airlin (4x8) FDI in national airlines to be limited 5. Asia Asia seen insulated from Argentina risk: Barings

Indonesia trailing against Norway in Bermuda Bowl

Indonesia trailing against Norway in Bermuda Bowl Musthofid, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta With just two sessions remaining, Indonesia is trailing Norway by 54 Individual Match Points (IMPs) in their six-game quarterfinal match in the Bermuda Bowl World Bridge Championship in Paris on Sunday. "It's a rough road for Indonesia to reach the semifinals.

PDIP supports development of Cirebon province

PDIP supports development of Cirebon province Nana Rukmana The Jakarta Post Cirebon, West Java The Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan), a major faction in the Cirebon, Majalengka and Indramayu regency legislatures, gave its full support for the proposed development of Cirebon province for cultural, economic and geographic reasons.

Rupiah Rates Oct.29

Rupiah Rates Oct.29 Bank notes rates TT rates Buying Selling Buying Selling Rp Rp Rp Rp U.S.

Damage to Monas regretted

Damage to Monas regretted The Jakarta Post, Jakarta The National Monument (Monas) park was dirty and in poor shape on Monday with parts of the pavement damaged and the grass trampled after an exhibition on regional autonomy that took place on the site. Worse still, the week-long event, which should have ended on Sunday, was still open on Monday. Councillor Posman Siahaan of the Justice and Unity Party regretted the damage.

TNI to downgrade territorial affairs post

TNI to downgrade territorial affairs post Tiarma Siboro, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta In a move designed to go some way toward relinquishing its social and political roles, the Indonesian Military (TNI) will downgrade its territorial affairs post, which is currently directly subordinate to the TNI chief, into an assistant's post under the chief of general affairs. The downgrading will be carried out following the appointment of the TNI Chief of Territorial Affairs Lt. Gen.

Autonomy law revision 'not to centralize power'

Autonomy law revision 'not to centralize power' Tiarma Siboro, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta The Ministry of Home Affairs' director general for regional public administration, Sudarsono Hardjosoekarto, reiterated on Monday that a plan to revise the law on regional autonomy was aimed mainly at avoiding multiple interpretations of the law. He strongly denied allegations that the revision was intended to centralize power.

Telephone rates shouldn't go up

Telephone rates shouldn't go up From Forum Keadilan The delay in discussions at the House of Representatives (DPR) on the increase of telephone rates is understandable, due to the lack of transparency in the calculation of such an increase, as presented by PT Telkom. In addition, PT Telkom has not given its customers much advance notice of the planned increase. I cannot accept their reason that the increase is necessary due to expansion and continued maintenance of the existing network.

Flooding continues, children miss classes

Flooding continues, children miss classes Agus Maryono, The Jakarta Post, Kebumen The floods that hit Kebumen, Banyumas and Cilacap regencies in southwest Central Java have been subsiding, but dozens of schools in the three regencies were still flooded or water damaged, preventing children from returning to school after a one-week holiday.

JIFFest films

JIFFest films Thank you for publishing an article on the Jakarta International Film Festival (Jiffest) in the Sunday edition of The Jakarta Post (Oct. 28, 2001, JIFFest: A feast for movie enthusiasts). After reading the article, we feel, however, that Jiffest buffs might be deterred from going to see the films as one could get the impression that the tickets have already been sold out. Film tickets can actually be purchased at the respective theater one hour before the film is shown.

Hundreds might lose their houses

Hundreds might lose their houses JAKARTA: Some four hundred families in the Pondok Kopi area, East Jakarta, will possibly lose their homes as the Mayor of East Jakarta has issued an order to demolish their village. The village of Kampung Garapan had been developed in 1986 by the residents themselves, who had built makeshift houses and roads, according to Joni Marpaung, an activist from the Urban Poor Consortium.

Wanted: Special prosecutors for Akbar

Wanted: Special prosecutors for Akbar Kurniawan Hari, Tiarma Siboro, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta An anticorruption campaigner proposed on Monday that the Attorney General's Office assign special prosecutors to deal with the misappropriation of Rp 40 billion in funds from the State Logistics Agency (Bulog) allegedly involving Golkar chairman Akbar Tandjung.

Satisfaction boosts profitability

Satisfaction boosts profitability Puji Astuti, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta A young woman met her tailor to have an evening gown made to wear to her friend's wedding party on the weekend. For the tailor, it was a difficult mission since such an order was usually completed in two weeks. But he realized that he was dealing with one of his loyal clients.

Govt to transfer management of airports to regions

Govt to transfer management of airports to regions Tantri Yuliandini, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta In the spirit of decentralization, the government will transfer the management of airports currently not managed by state-owned airport operators PT Angkasa Pura (AP) I and II to regional administrations, a Ministry of Communications senior official has said.

No bank liquidation

No bank liquidation Central bank (BI) governor, Syahril Sabirin, has assured that there will be no bank liquidation, at least for this year -- a comforting statement amid reports that many banks have failed to meet the capital adequacy ratio requirement of 8 percent. For the time being, the nation is free from panic and the other psychological effects of bank liquidation. The government can also save on huge funds needed for such measures.

The central bank saga

The central bank saga The House of Representatives failed to select three new deputy governors of the central bank out of the nine candidates put forth early this year by Bank Indonesia Governor Sjahril Sabirin. This means that Bank Indonesia will have to do with only four deputy governors at a time when its work burden is steadily increasing amid the worsening economic crisis as the House will not return from its current recess until late next month.

Unity in danger, Mega warns

Unity in danger, Mega warns Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta President Megawati Soekarnoputri warned on Monday that excessive ethnic pride, currently widespread in the country, posed a threat to national unity. Referring to the increased tendency within the regions to emphasize regional distinctiveness in the wake of the implementation of regional autonomy in the country, the President said it opened up the possibility of Indonesia becoming another Balkans.

Paku Alam IX wins deputy gubernatorial election

Paku Alam IX wins deputy gubernatorial election Asip A. Hasani, The Jakarta Post, Yogyakarta The head of Yogyakarta's Paku Alam royal family, Paku Alam IX, was elected as deputy governor on Monday, ending an unusual and tight vote contested by the heirs of the royal family. Paku Alam IX, whose real name is Ambarkusumo, won a second ballot during a plenary session of the provincial legislative council against his half brother Prince Anglingkusumo.

"From an economic and administrative point of view, Cirebon is

"From an economic and administrative point of view, Cirebon is more prepared than Banten, Gorontalo and Bangka-Belitung to become an independent province." Suryana

'Sweeping' unclear to some Jakartans

'Sweeping' unclear to some Jakartans Annastashya Emmanuelle, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta Although they have often heard of the word "sweeping", residents of Pondok Pinang area in South Jakarta have no clue about its meaning, let alone establishing an antisweeping forum to help protect foreigners in the city.

'Asian recession different than '97'

'Asian recession different than '97' Agence France Presse, Hong Kong Economic growth in the Asia-Pacific region, excluding China, will plunge to 1-2 percent this year due to the global slowdown and in the wake of the terrorist attacks on the U.S., the IMF said Monday.

Kusmayanto elected ITB rector

Kusmayanto elected ITB rector Yuli Tri Suwarni, The Jakarta Post, Bandung Newly elected rector of the Bandung Institute of Technology, Kusmayanto Kardiman, has vowed to improve the institute's image and help students who have financial difficulties. "I will do my best to improve the institute's image both at home and overseas and help students with financial difficulties," he told The Jakarta Post here on Monday.

Entertainment centers 'feed over 1 million people'

Entertainment centers 'feed over 1 million people' Ahmad Junaidi and Damar Harsanto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta The city administration urged Muslim organizations on Monday to support its decision to allow entertainment venues to operate undisturbed during the fasting month of Ramadhan, while police also promised to protect the businesses. Acting Governor Abdul Kahfi said support is needed from the organizations as the businesses feed over one million people.

Asylum seekers removed from UN office

Asylum seekers removed from UN office The Jakarta Post, Jakarta Police removed some 150 asylum seekers from Central Asia and the Middle East from the Arya building, which houses the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) office in Jakarta, on Monday. The asylum seekers, including women and children from Iran, Iraq and Afghanistan, had been staging a sit-in at the building since Friday to demand that the UN agency speed up the process of sending them to third countries in the West.

Unibank closed as CAR drops below zero

Unibank closed as CAR drops below zero Berni K. Moestafa, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta Bank Indonesia closed on Monday the publicly listed PT Unibank, after days of massive runs against the bank had plunged its capital adequacy ratio (CAR) into negative territory. Bank Indonesia Senior Deputy Governor, Anwar Nasution, said the Indonesian Bank Restructuring Agency (IBRA) would take over Unibank to handle its closure.

City celebrates Halloween

City celebrates Halloween JAKARTA: Halloween, which falls on Oct. 31, is now much celebrated here despite of the fact that it is not a traditional part of the country's culture. Entertainment venues in Jakarta have been gearing up for the festival with special events as part of an effort to attract both children and adults.

Asian monies mixed late, data fears check dollar bulls

Asian monies mixed late, data fears check dollar bulls Dow Jones, Singapore Asian currencies were mixed late Monday, with the market's appetite for U.S. dollars somewhat restrained by fears that U.S. economic data due this week may disappoint, dealers said. Jitters of possible intervention by some of the region's central banks also confined most of the currencies within familiar ranges, dealers said.

Seven-month prison term sought for two activists

Seven-month prison term sought for two activists Muninggar Sri Saraswati, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta Two university students are both facing a possible seven-month jail sentence for allegedly inciting chaos during a demonstration against the fuel price hike in June. Prosecutor Lukimanto demanded the sentence on Monday during the trial of Mixilmina Munir, alias Mixil, 25, and Aris Wardoyo, 22 at the South Jakarta District Court.

'RI workers exploited in Taiwan'

'RI workers exploited in Taiwan' JAKARTA: Many Indonesian female workers are exploited in Taiwan, where they work without proper salaries, announced Anung Sudarto, an executive of a labor supply company. Anung said over the weekend that such exploitation is conducted by a syndicate of foreign worker agents in Taiwan, who frequently cancel work contracts after the workers have paid, in installments, all the costs for their employment.

Electoral system needs major overhaul

Electoral system needs major overhaul Kurniawan Hari, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta It is feared that preparations for the 2004 general election may be disrupted if lawmakers fail to reach a consensus on the presidential election system during the upcoming Annual Session of the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR). A member of the General Election Commission (KPU), Mulyana W.

Foreigner charged with smuggling people

Foreigner charged with smuggling people Agence France-Presse, Perth, Australia A man alleged to be a leader of a lucrative people-smuggling ring out of Indonesia, appeared before a court here on Monday, charged with smuggling more than 1,500 asylum-seekers into Australia. Keis Abd Al Rahim Asfoor, 31, was apprehended at Perth international airport on Oct. 5 and charged with smuggling 1,698 people into Australia aboard 17 boats between June 1999 and March 2001.

'Don't be afraid' to visit Bali

'Don't be afraid' to visit Bali DENPASAR, Bali: The Japanese Ambassador to Indonesia, Yukio Takauchi, said that he would inform his government and Japanese citizens that Bali was safe. "The results of my monitoring during my two-day visit to Bali show that the island is safe, so I will encourage Japanese tourists not to be afraid of visiting Bali," he said in Denpasar on Monday. Speaking to reporters after meeting with Bali police chief Brig. Gen.

Asia should build oil reserve: EIA

Asia should build oil reserve: EIA Dow Jones, Singapore With petroleum demand in developing nations, particularly in Asia, outstripping the rest of the world, building oil stocks for energy security will become more of a priority, according to a senior economist with International Energy Agency.

Global downturn top ASEAN agenda

Global downturn top ASEAN agenda BRUNEI: The global economic slowdown and U.S.-led campaign against terrorism will dominate next week's Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit, the host ministry of foreign affairs said in a statement on Monday. The seventh ASEAN summit will be the first meeting of all the Southeast Asian leaders since the September terror attacks in the United States.

Big fish need special pampering

Big fish need special pampering Jonminofri Nazir, Contributor, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta Would you like to be treated like a king by Telkomsel and be given a wide range of facilities for free? You could even have your number not appear on the receiver's cellular screen. A customer service staff member will also be made available to cater to all your requirements and handle any complaints about your phone.

Common stance needed to fight terrorism

Common stance needed to fight terrorism Following the Sept. 11 terrorists attacks in the United States, what has become of the relations between Indonesia and the U.S.? Kornelius Purba of The Jakarta Post talked to former foreign affairs minister Ali Alatas. The following are excerpts of the interview. Question: What is your comment on Indonesia's position in dealing with the attacks?

Citibank and Bank BNI announced Monday that they had signed a

Citibank and Bank BNI announced Monday that they had signed a cooperation agreement allowing the former's credit card holders to make payment using the latter's automated teller machines and PhonePlus facility throughout Indonesia -- JP PT Anta Express Tour & Travel Service, an Indonesian tour and travel company, plans to sell 80 million initial public offering shares from Nov. 30 to Dec. 4, it said Monday.

Where to go in Bandung:

Where to go in Bandung: Films * French Films at CCF - French Cultural Center, Jl. Purnawarman 32 (Phone:

Ending Indonesia's economic malaise: Fix the banks, quick!

Ending Indonesia's economic malaise: Fix the banks, quick! Christopher Lingle, Global Strategist, eConoLytics.com Indonesia's economy remains plagued by structural inefficiencies and the banking system is near collapse. A first step toward escaping from these economic doldrums is for the government to change policies that inhibit long-term investment. That requires fixing the financial system whereby ailing banks are recapitalized so they can increase the supply of credit.

State secretary defends nomination of Da'i as new National Police chief

State secretary defends nomination of Da'i as new National Police chief The Jakarta Post, Jakarta State/Cabinet Secretary Bambang Kesowo expressed on Monday President Megawati Soekarnoputri's belief that Comr. Gen. Da'i Bachtiar could unite the police force, following Megawati's decision to submit his name to the House of Representatives for approval as the new National Police chief.

Greater diplomatic efforts urged

Greater diplomatic efforts urged JAKARTA: A noted religious figure urged the government on Monday to step up its foreign diplomatic efforts to request the U.S. to cease military attacks against Afghanistan. "I'm waiting for the government to make more concerted diplomatic efforts," Yusuf Hasyim, a leader of Tebu Ireng Islamic boarding school, said, after meeting with Vice President Hamzah Haz at Merdeka Selatan Palace.

FDI in national airlines to be limited

FDI in national airlines to be limited The government said on Monday that it would limit foreign ownership in national airline companies to a maximum 49 percent to protect the continuance of air transportation in the country. Director-general of air transportation Soenaryo said that the limitations were necessary to prevent capital flight in times of trouble.

Villagers protest land annexation

Villagers protest land annexation PEKANBARU, Riau: About 500 people from three villages in Bangkinang subdistrict, Kampau Riau regency, came to the Riau governor's office to protest "the annexation" by the Air Force of large tracts of their communal land. "The Air Force has been using some of 3,200 of our communal land as their shooting range for about four or five years.

Stock Exchange

Stock Exchange Stock prices on the Jakarta Stock Exchange (in rupiah) on Oct. 29, 2001: Shares Close Change Trading Volume --------------------------------------------------------------- Ades Alfindo 1,250 -25 9,000 Adindo Foresta 80 0 0 AGIS 110 0 355,000 Akbar Indo Makmur 170 -30 27,000 Alakasa 215 0 0 Alfa Retailindo 825 -25 97,000 Alter Abadi 55 0 0 Alumindo Light 525 0 0 Andhi Chandra 2,025 0 25,000 Aneka Kimia Raya 260 0 0 Aneka Tambang 900 -25 195,000 Apac Citra 250 -15 55,500 Aqua...

Sawmill threatens to lay off 100 workers

Sawmill threatens to lay off 100 workers RAHA, Southeast Sulawesi: A big sawmill company, PT Kedaung Nusantara, in Raha, Muna regency, has threatened to lay off around 100 workers because of a lack of raw materials. Hasanuddin, chief of the local manpower and transmigration office, said he had received an official letter from the company informing him of the planned lay-offs.

Surakarta to deport 3 expats

Surakarta to deport 3 expats Kartika Bagus C., The Jakarta Post, Surakarta, Central Java Bangladeshi Mukhtar Khan, 26, Australian Garry John Palmer, 61, and his seven-year-old daughter Tahani Wulandari, are awaiting deportation for staying illegally in Surakarta. Mukhtar who illegally entered the country through Tanjung Balai, North Sumatra, last July has been in the local immigration office's custody for three months for possessing no passport or visa documentation to stay in Indonesia.