Medco 1Q net profit up 15% on higher oil output JAKARTA (JP): Publicly listed oil and gas company PT Medco Energi Internasional said on Monday its first quarter net profit rose to Rp 187 billion (about US$16.45 million) up 15 percent compared to Rp 163 billion in the first quarter of last year, citing a more than 20 percent increase in oil production and favorable crude oil prices.

Tigaraksa eyes 20% growth JAKARTA (JP): Publicly listed consumer and household goods distributor PT Tigaraksa Satria said on Monday it was upbeat of achieving its profit growth target of 20 percent this year following a strong performance in the first quarter. Last year, the company recorded Rp 15.9 billion in net profit. Tigaraksa's net profit rose 31 percent to Rp 8.6 billion between January and March this year from about Rp 6.5 billion during the same period last year.

SE Asian firm slow to reform, WB says WASHINGTON (DPA): Southeast Asia is lagging behind in measures to reform its private sector and growth could suffer as foreign direct investment moves to more favorable business environments, said a World Bank senior official. In an interview with Deutsche Press-Agentur, dpa, International Finance Corporation head Peter Woicke had harsh words for the "Asian Tigers" as they have failed to follow through on reforms following the 1997 Asian finance crisis.

Councillors take degrees, funded by city budget JAKARTA (JP): Studying from birth until death appears to be the motto of 80 city councillors currently pursuing undergraduate degrees in political science and master's degrees in management, courtesy of the city. The chairman of the council's Commission C for budgetary and financial affairs, Amarullah Asbah, confirmed on Monday that the councillors' studies were being paid for with money from the city budget.

Thousands stranded after attempted cable theft JAKARTA (JP): Thousands of rail commuters were left stranded for hours on Monday after a man cut the feeder cables of a train traveling on the Bojong Gede-Citayam line, at Pabuaran village, Citayam, Bogor.

Violence continues in West Kalimantan capital PONTIANAK, West Kalimantan (JP): Violence continued in Pontianak on Monday, with local residents and Madurese refugees engaging in gunfights following Sunday's arson attack on the makeshift houses sheltering refugees in a local sports stadium. The clashes on Monday took place near the Sutan Syarief Abdurrahman Stadium and on Jl. Purnama.

Bats, birds vie for space in Pulau Rambut sanctuary By Bambang Parlupi JAKARTA (JP): Pulau Rambut, in the Pulau Seribu (Thousand Islands) chain of islands off North Jakarta, is just for the birds. Based on a 1999 forestry minister's degree, the island, which is only one and a half hours from the Ancol Marina by speedboat, is protected by law as a wildlife sanctuary. Rambut island's unique ecosystem is an ideal habitat for various bird species.

Ary Suta appointed as new IBRA chairman JAKARTA (JP): The government installed on Monday I Putu Ary Suta, a former chief of the Capital Market Supervisory Agency (Bapepam), as the new chairman of the Indonesian Bank Restructuring Agency (IBRA), replacing the widely respected Edwin Gerungan. The move was part of the first reshuffle in the powerful finance ministry since Rizal Ramli took over the department earlier this month.

Rights body to investigate Ambon attack JAKARTA (JP): The National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) established on Monday a fact-finding team to investigate the deadly attack by joint-security troops in Ambon, Maluku, against a clinic belonging to Laskar Jihad (Jihad Force).

E. Timor refugees threaten locals KUPANG, East Nusa Tenggara: Thousands of villagers in the district of Sulamu, 120 kilometers east of Kupang, East Nusa Tenggara, are seeking protection and evacuation following alleged violence on the part of East Timorese refugees. The refugees, occupying a camp only three kilometers away from Sulamu village, have reportedly looted dozens of houses belonging to villae residents.

Robust handset sales in Asia SINGAPORE (Reuters): Asia appears to have escaped the fall-off in mobile handset demand in Europe and the United States thanks to low cellular penetration rates and a huge appetite for new technology. Telecom operators said that while regional handset demand may have eased in line with slowing Asian economies, overall sales remained relatively robust.

DPR still represents the people? From Media Indonesia Only the government is ever blamed for increases in fuel prices. In fact, the government cannot increase fuel prices unless its proposal to this effect gains the approval of the House of Representatives (DPR). Before making a decision on a government proposal, the DPR must take into account the interests of the people it represents.