Bali designers set the fashion trends Text by Rita A. Widiadana, photos by Murdani Usman KUTA, Bali (JP): Fashion designers had their own way of celebrating the 56th anniversary of Indonesia's Independence Day, by showing off their aspiring new creations. Held at the newly opened Discovery Kartika Plaza Hotel in crowded Kuta, some 10 km west of Denpasar, the show hosted as many as ten fashion designers grouped in the Moda Bali Association (Mobas).

Acehnese remain defiant amid efforts to sway them By Tiarma Siboro LHOKSEUMAWE, North Aceh (JP): Winning the hearts and minds of the Acehnese is just as difficult as healing a long-sustained wound, or so it has turned out. The Acehnese have perceived themselves as being a victim of numerous injustices. Their major complaint is that while Aceh is a natural-resource rich province, much of the earnings from these resources have been centralized in Jakarta.

Taufik eases to third round at Asian Championships JAKARTA (JP): Men's singles defending champion Taufik Hidayat from Indonesia advanced easily to the third round of the US$150,000 JVC Asian Badminton Championships at Manila's Philsport Stadium on Wednesday. World number five Taufik was too strong for home favorite Lloyd Escoses, whom he beat 15-6, 15-8.

Minivan drivers on strike TANGERANG (JP): Hundreds of public transportation minivans serving Tangerang Perumnas II-Cikokol bus terminal routes went on strike at Cibodas terminal on Wednesday to demand the Tangerang Land Transportation Agency halt the operation of some 300 other minivans that were without operational licenses. The strike stranded hundreds of passengers for at least 5 hours.

Open letter to RI govt Allow us to take this opportunity to provide you with the political views of the Hong Kong Coalition of Indonesian Migrant Workers (KOTKIHO) with regard to the new government resulting from the public assembly of the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) in July, 2001.

Hubert Neiss testifies in BI governor's trial JAKARTA (JP): The former deputy director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF)'s Asia Pacific operations, Hubert Neiss, testified in the trial of Bank Indonesia's Governor Sjahril Sabirin on Wednesday that the IMF had recommended the guarantee scheme over the third party. "Yes, we recommended the guarantee scheme to the Indonesian government in order to assure that the third party's claim over the defunct banks would be paid.

Hamzah hopes Indonesia team will finish second JAKARTA (JP): Vice President Hamzah Haz called on all Indonesian athletes on Wednesday to fight to the finish at the Kuala Lumpur 2001 Southeast Asian (SEA) Games, but did not expect them to return to the top of the medals tally.