* Headlines: Int'l help needed to fight money laundering 2 * National: House rejects eight govt ambassadorial candidates 4 * Archipelago: Samudra to face trial in Batam for blasts5 * Opinion: Anatomy of conflicts in post-Soeharto era7 * City: NGO alleges corruption of education fund 8 * Sports: Ronaldo wins World Player award for 3rd time10 * World: S.

House asks govt to explain `loss of islands' to public Berni K. Moestafa, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta The House of Representatives (DPR) demanded Wednesday that the government explain to the public the "loss of two islands" to avoid a backlash after the International Court of Justice ruled that the long-disputed islands of Sipadan and Ligitan belonged to Malaysia.

Corruption of the Republic B. Herry-Priyono Driyarkara School of Philosophy Jakarta The herd of that social vice called corruption rumbles on unabated. The year 2002 has seen a rapid escalation of this contagion, even though the chorus of criticism grows louder. As the vicious herd and virtuous criticism take their opposing course, most of us may expect that they would soon collide in a most dramatic manner. If only life were a Hollywood film, of course!

Experts doubt RI's good corporate governance drive A'an Suryana, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta The drive to implement good corporate governance in this country could stumble due to the lack of government political will and a malfunctioning legal system, according to an expert. "There is no punishment for those practicing bad corporate governance here," said Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) economist Tubagus Feridhanusetyawan during a workshop on good corporate governance.

Sjafrie threatens to sue ICG JAKARTA: The Indonesian Military (TNI) spokesman Maj. Gen. Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin will file a suit against the International Crisis Group (ICG) should it fail to revise its latest report on Jamaah Islamiah's operations in Indonesia. "The report could cause public misinterpretation as it links me to one of the Jamaah Islamiah members, Fauzi Hasbi of Aceh province. It even said that I still maintain regular communication with him. "The report is incorrect.

Sleman regency: A paradise for handicraft aficionados Next to scenic beauty and cultural heritage, another feature that sets a tourist resort apart from other holiday destinations is its specific products. When one mentions Kotagede -- an ancient town in Yogyakarta province -- its beautiful silverware instantly comes to mind. Meanwhile, Kasongan, a village in Bantul regency, immediately conjures images of its unique earthenware. What about handicrafts?

Law must be enforced in Aceh, Megawati says Nani Farida and Ibnu Mat Noor, The Jakarta Post, Banda Aceh Despite the decreasing violence, President Megawati Soekarnoputri stressed the importance of law enforcement as the preliminary requirement to implement the cessation of hostilities agreement, especially during the one-month transitional period. She said all law violations, including abductions and murders, must be tackled under the Criminal Code.

Fitri Wulandari The Jakarta Post Jakarta Samsung has seen rosy days in Indonesia, despite the economic woes that have plagued many electronics producers here in recent years. While many players in the electronics industry struggled to cope with a variety of problems, including weakening demand, unfavorable fiscal policies, labor disputes and corruption, PT Samsung Electronics Indonesia (SEI), the subsidiary of South Korean's giant firm, Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.

Where to go in Bali for Thursday, December 19, 2002 Exhibitions * Painting Emerging Worlds, Gaya Fusion of Senses, Jl. Raya Sayan, Ubud (Tel. 0361 979253), until Dec. 20. * Painting AIDA The Space in Between by Peter Dittmar, Gaya Fusion of Senses, Jl. Raya Sayan, Ubud (Tel. 0361 979253), Dec. 28 to Feb. 15. Museums and Galleries * Blue Moon Gallery, Jl. Tirta Tawar, Banjar Kutuh Kaja, Ubud (Tel. 0361 976727), daily, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. * Museum Puri Lukisan, Jl. Raya Ubud, Gianyar (Tel.

Anatomy of conflicts in post-Soeharto era Sidney Jones, Indonesia Project Director, International Crisis Group, Jakarta Since President Soeharto resigned in May 1998, violence and conflict seem to have become part of Indonesian life. We have seen bitter sectarian strife, now on the wane, in Maluku and Poso and attempts to provoke it elsewhere.

Licking our wounds Indonesia never really had a chance in its legal battle to claim the ownership of Pulau Sipadan and Pulau Ligitan. This much is now clear from the overwhelming vote against Indonesia by the panel of 17 judges at the International Court of Justice in The Hague on Tuesday. The judges voted 16 to 1 to rule that the two islands off the northeastern tip of Borneo/East Kalimantan belong to Malaysia.

`I'm skeptical the evictions are serious' City Public Order officers evicted street vendors in front of the Harco Shopping Center in Glodok, West Jakarta on Dec. 9. Many of them sold pirated Video Compact Disks (VCDs), including blue movies, and also disrupted the traffic. Many of them, however, have resumed operations. Some residents talk to The Jakarta Post about the issue. Honi, 55, a vendor selling VCDs at Roxy, West Jakarta for about one year.

Aceh needs aid for schools: UN team Nani Farida, The Jakarta Post, Sigli Aceh is in dire need of financial aid to help restore educational and health facilities damaged during the 26-year bloody conflict, according to a UN team.

NGO alleges corruption of education fund Damar Harsanto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta A non-governmental organization demanded on Wednesday that the city administration impose sanctions on the primary education division of the city education agency for alleged corruption causing the state to suffer more than Rp 3.5 billion in losses.

Samudra to face trial in Batam for Xmas blasts Fadli, The Jakarta Post, Batam, Riau Imam Samudra, the alleged mastermind of the devastating Bali bombing in October, will be tried on the industrial island of Batam in Riau province on charges of bomb attacks on churches there two years ago, the police said on Wednesday. Barelang Police chief Sr. Comr. Suhartono said Samudra would go on trial in Batam District Court for his alleged key role in attacks on three churches on Christmas Eve in 2000.

Indian PM may discuss Polaris case with Megawati Agencies, New Delhi/Jakarta Indian Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee is likely to speak to Indonesian President Megawati Soekarnoputri if the chief executive of Indian software company Polaris Software Laboratory Ltd. isn't released shortly, the local Economic Times reported Wednesday, quoting India's IT and Communications Minister Pramod Mahajan.

Elementary school roof collapses TANGERANG: Part of the roof of state elementary school SDN 8 on Jl. Amil Murin in Panunggangan subdistrict, Pinang district, Tangerang, collapsed on Wednesday morning. No one was injured as the incident took place at 6 a.m. before school starts. According to Sutrisno, a teacher, the beams supporting the roof were termite-infested. "We repeatedly asked the municipal administration to renovate the school building, but Mayor M.

UNTUK FOTO POLICE The Japanese Government provides technical assistance to speed up the reform process of the Indonesian police. The picture shows a pilot project on the enhancement of civilian police activities such as crime scene identification and communication, as well as command control for police deployment at the Bekasi Police Resort.

Water supply In response to the complaint from Retno Triani Johan in The Jakarta Post on Dec. 17, titled Frequent absence of water supply, we would like to explain as follows: On Dec. 14, Palyja's technical team checked and repaired the clean water network. As a result, it has been confirmed that the water supply is back to normal. MARIA SIDABUTAR, Public Relations Manager, Palyja, Jakarta

On criminal relocation From Media Indonesia As evidenced by the high number of newspaper reports, the town of Bekasi is no longer a safe place to live due to its increasingly higher crime rate, quantitatively and qualitatively. Jakarta has lately intensified anti-crime drives, even by shooting criminals on the spot, which therefore has further reduced banditry and deterred perpetrators in the capital.

(Caption for Spotlight column. Client: Hotel Borobudur) BATHING IN CHOCOLATE: Hotel Borobudur Jakarta hosted on Dec. 11 the annual corporate party, the Chocolate and Champagne Evening, for about 250 Top Corporate Accounts and Embassies. Besides the endless flow of champagne -- provided by PT Indowines and the Chilean Embassy -- the main attraction of the evening was a model bathing in a bathtub filled with chocolate syrup.

ASEAN - Japan Exchange Year 2003 (Nihon-ASEAN Koryunen 2003) Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi proposed to designate the year 2003 as the "ASEAN - Japan Exchange Year" during his visit to Southeast Asian countries last January. Exchange program and activities would not only contribute to deepening mutual understanding between ASEAN and Japan as they should galvanize their economies, which have been suffering since the Asian Financial crisis in 1997 and 1998.

Steel makers ready to compete under AFTA Adianto P. Simamora The Jakarta Post Jakarta Indonesia's steel manufacturers are ready to compete with their regional peers under the ASEAN free trade area (AFTA) as the former group was more efficient than the latter, said an industry executive.

New Year galas on budget JAKARTA: The maximum cover charge for New Year's Eve celebrations at five-star hotels and other international entertainment places in the city is Rp 5 million, according to a gubernatorial decree issued on Wednesday. Decree No.158/2002 also stipulates that the entrance fee for events at three- and four-star hotels should not exceed Rp 3 million.

Kalipke worries over Sakai survival Haidir Anwar Tanjung The Jakarta Post Pekanbaru, Riau Few Indonesians are interested in the diverse number of tribes living in the country's hinterland, much less in the origins of the Malay dialect, which is the base of Indonesia's national language. But that is not the case with Hans Kalipke, an 85-year-old German who has lived for more than 17 years among the Sakai tribespeople in a remote area of Riau province.

Cobra-in-bed scare for Dutch tourist in Malaysian hotel KUALA LUMPUR: A Dutch tourist who looked under his pillow in a Malaysian hotel room after he felt something wriggling there was temporarily blinded in one eye when a cobra spat at him. Jaroean Ferdinand, 27, was due to fly home Wednesday after spending two days in hospital in the historic southern port city of Malacca, the member of parliament for the area, Sim Tong Him, told AFP.

done Success story during the World Cup finals The 2002 FIFA World Cup, co-hosted by Japan and South Korea, captivated the Japanese public throughout June. In its second appearance at the World Cup finals, the Japanese team chalked up its first ever World Cup points and qualified for the knockout stage as the winner of Group H.