Indonesian arrested in Bangkok Thailand Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra (right) inspects a cache of 140 kilograms of heroin and other drugs in front of arrested suspects Tjong Leng Oei (center) from Indonesia and his adopted Thai son Direk Ruangritthi (left) at Bangkok's police headquarters on Friday. The prime minister confronted three suspected heroin traffickers, including the two suspects, on Friday as they were paraded before the media. "Do you know we have capital punishment in Thailand?

Business severely hit by massive blackout Damar Harsanto and Theresia Sufa, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta/Bogor An hours-long blackout affecting much of Jakarta on Thursday and Friday caused massive losses to small and medium-sized businesses forced to shut their doors while waiting for power to be restored.

Compulsory vasectomy needed From Bisnis Indonesia For quite a long time I've been overwhelmed by a great concern for the increasing number of Indonesians who are becoming poorer and less well-educated, while the birth rate rises. I cannot imagine what it would be like if the country is some day hit by a population explosion because of the following: The government is no longer financially capable of undertaking massive family planning campaigns as before.

BI requires bank NPL ratio of 5% by year-end The Jakarta Post, Jakarta Bank Indonesia has required all banks to reduce their nonperforming loan (NPL) ratio to at least 5 percent by the end of this year, central bank Governor Sjahril Sabirin said on Friday. "The net NPL target for banks is a maximum 5 percent by the end of this year," he told reporters. He said that for those that could not meet the requirement, the central bank would take certain "measures." He declined to elaborate.

Vastenburg, a national heritage site in disrepair Kartika Bagus C. The Jakarta Post Surakarta, Central Java Hidden behind high fences and in bad repair, the old fort of Vastenburg which is located at Gladak Solo intersection in the heart of Surakarta or around half a kilometer from the Surakarta Hadiningrat palace, eludes public attention. Back then, General Baron Van Imhoff erected the fort, then named Grootmoedigheid, in 1745 as a stronghold for the Dutch East Indies troops in Central Java.

Asian monies down on strong dollar demand Nirmala Menon, Dow Jones, Singapore Asian currencies slid against the U.S. dollar late Friday as market players covered short-dollar positions ahead of the weekend. Traders reported demand for dollars from oil companies hedging against higher oil prices. Concerns about foreign equity outflows from the region also weighed on regional currencies. Worries about the pace of economic recovery in the region were reignited after disappointing data from the U.S.

SE Asia declares war against tobacco The Jakarta Post, Jakarta The 55th Session of the World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Committee for Southeast Asia here concluded on Friday with a united call for curbs on the advertising of tobacco, and unhealthy foods and lifestyles. The session also suggested an intersectoral ministerial meeting to further discuss these problems.

On soldiers' rights to vote Is it consistent with democracy to deny some 420,000 Indonesian citizens who happen to wear the uniform of the military or the police their basic right to vote for reasons that are either questionable or totally irrational? The Indonesian Military (TNI) Chief General Endriartono Sutarto repeatedly stated that soldiers are not yet ready to vote because of their lack of political experience.

China to start cutting tariffs on ASEAN imports by next year Martin Abbugao, Agence France-Presse, Bandar Seri Begawan China is to start cutting tariffs on selected ASEAN imports next year under an "early harvest" package in its future free trade agreement (FTA) with the 10-nation regional bloc, economic ministers said Friday. The move is expected to give momentum to forming the world's biggest free trade zone -- based on a population of more than 1.7 billion people -- within 10 years.

Wood experts meet in Yogyakarta YOGYAKARTA: About 100 wood experts from 12 countries are attending a six-day conference in Yogyakarta to discuss the latest in wood research deemed beneficial for industrial and conservation purposes. Organizing committee chairman Sri Nugroho Marsoem said the conference, which started on Sept. 10, would also discuss how to recognize wood from illegal sources.

China ready to sign code of conduct on Spratlys Agence France-Presse, Manila China has expressed willingness to sign a "code of conduct" for the peaceful resolution of rival claims to islands in the South China Sea, Philippine officials said on Friday after meeting with China's number-two leader Li Peng. "We are moving forward.

Rupiah Rates Sept.13 Banknote rates TT rates Selling Buying Selling Buying Rp Rp Rp Rp Australian dollar 1 5,201.59 4,645.77 4,950.61 4,896.52 Brunei dollar 1 5,359.17 4,789.50 5,100.59 5,048.01 Canadian dollar 1 5,947.65 5,313.58 5,660.67 5,600.38 Swiss franc 1 6,311.49 5,640.31 6,006.96 5,944.73 Danish krone 1 1,247.34 1,114.58 1,187.15 1,174.74 Euro 1 9,264.03 8,277.42 8,817.04 8,724.18 Poundsterling 1 14,704.20 13,143.21 13,994.72 13,852.60 Hong Kong dollar 1 1,209.07 1,080.78 1,150.73...

Shamans summoned over Batutulis case BOGOR, West Java: The Bogor Police have issued a second summons for three shamans who reportedly advised Minister of Religious Affairs Said Agil Husin Al Munawar to excavate a historical site in Batutulis here last month. The chairman of the People's Alliance for Indonesian Cultural Conservation, Gartono, said after a meeting with Bogor Police chief Adj. Sr. Comr.

Overcoming the crisis: Coming to terms with modernity German Muslim scholar Bassam Tibi, a professor of international relations at the University of Gottingen, has said Indonesia could be a model democratic Muslim nation, a theory he elaborates in a number of books, such as The Challenge of Fundamentalism. The following is an excerpt of an interview with The Jakarta Post's Ati Nurbaiti on changes in the country.

Where to go in Semarang: Saturday, September 14, 2002 Tour and Travel Services * Antara Travel Service, Puri Anjasmoro, Ruko E1/9 (Tel. 024- 7605341, fax: 024-7605779). * Electra Duta Wisata Tour and Travel, Jl. Gajah Mada 1 (Tel. 024-3518444, 3511112, fax: 3511114). * Fortuna Tours and Travel, Jl. Dr. Cipto 286-288 (Tel. 024- 8313382, 8445457). * Gema Mahardika Tours and Travel, Jl. Dr. Setiabudi 53A (Tel. 7473245). * Giantra Wisata, Jl. Letjen M.T. Haryono517B (Tel.

Witness protection bill hailed as step forward Kurniawan Hari, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta Activists hailed on Friday a bill on witness and victim protection, but demanded that it not only provide protection for witnesses in criminal cases, but ensure leniency for those people involved in criminal cases willing to testify against fellow defendants. "This will help investigators probe crimes thoroughly," said the coordinator of the Indonesian Corruption Watch, Teten Masduki.

Rowing between the cliffs: RI and post-Sept.11 Siswo Pramono PhD Graduate Student in Political Science and International Relations The Australian National University Canberra The U.S.-led war on terror is not a war between the West and Islam; however, as a country with the largest Muslim population in the world, Indonesia cannot escape the impact of this war.

On pedophiles in Bali In the Aug. 29 edition of The Jakarta Post you ran an interesting section of several articles on pedophilia in Bali. This was accompanied by a photograph of a light-skinned man sitting on the beach with a dark-skinned boy. The caption, as well as the positioning of the photo, made it absolutely clear that this photo was meant to illustrate a pedophile and his toy. In Aug. 30 of the Post, you ran a cowardly disclaimer stating that it was merely meant to illustrate "Bali".

'Sutiyoso more like salesman than governor' Even though governor Sutiyoso has been reelected for a second term, many people are still skeptical about his capability to manage the city and its problems. Yudi, 28, a pushcart fruit vendor in Slipi, West Jakarta. He lives in Slipi with his wife and son.

Shadow puppet shows on TV From Bisnis Indonesia Most present-day children are very familiar with figures like Spiderman, Harry Potter or the stars of Meteor Garden. Very few of them know who Abhimanyu, the Pandawa or Resi Bhisma are. Foreign comic strips, films and TV films have dominated the collective memory of our children, who know virtually nothing about, for example, Mahabharata, an epic story rich in philosophy, wisdom and nobleness of mind.

;JP;HEN; ANPAc..r.. Leasing-products-cars Sudibyo M. Wiradji Contributor Jakarta Offering flexible alternatives in obtaining funding When you ask someone about the best alternative, other than banks, to obtain funds to purchase a car, you will probably be told to try a leasing company. Leasing means renting something from multifinance companies either in the form of office equipment or heavy machinery.

Kabelvision's poor service Last September I had Kabelvision installed in my office in Semanggi, Jakarta, in order to access the Internet via cable. That was the beginning of a very frustrating and completely unfruitful relationship with the company, which continues to this day. From the very first day, the service never worked properly. The cable modem kept losing connection. I began calling Kabelvision's customer care, and sometimes a technician would be sent over to check the signal.

Kuwait govt to fund Suramadu bridge SURABAYA: The Kuwaiti government has allocated Rp 1.5 trillion (US$168 million) to help fund the construction of the Suramadu bridge in East Java, connecting the islands of Java and Madura. The financial assistance will cover more than half of the proposed Rp 2.3 trillion budget for the construction of the bridge. East Java Governor Imam Utomo said on Friday the foreign aid would be disbursed in three installments of Rp 500 million beginning next year.

JAKARTA: About 1,000 accountants across the country will gather at the Horison Hotel from Sept. 25 to 27 to elect their new leaders and discuss the latest development in the accounting industry. The ninth congress is expected to be opened by President Megawati Soekarnoputri, the Indonesian Accountants Association (IAI) said in a statement. The association holds its congress once every four years.

'Srimpi Sukarsih': A symbol of a prince's love Kartika Bagus C., The Jakarta Post, Solo, Central Java In the dimly lit audience hall of the court of Surakarta Hadiningrat, four pretty virgins are dancing gracefully to the tune of gamelan, the Javanese musical orchestra, in a romantic atmosphere. Their delicate movements and feminine charm suggested the manner of teenage girls being in love and putting on make-up.

Hakim pledges to fight for human rights Tiarma Siboro, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta Having survived controversy and politicking during his ascent to the National Commission on Human Rights' top job, Abdul Hakim Garuda Nusantara has set now his sights on putting the nation's human rights struggle back on track.

Singer wants to be IPB rector BOGOR: More than 30 people, including singer Maya Rumantir, have registered as candidates for the post of rector of the Bogor Institute of Agriculture (IPB). The chairman of the rector electoral committee, Ismudi Muchsin, told Antara news agency the registration deadline for the election was Friday. Most of the candidates are lecturers at the institute or IPB alumni, including economist Didik J. Rachnini.

TV Today: Saturday, September 14, 2002 TVRI 5:00 a.m. Religious Teachings 6:00 News 8:30 Talk Show 9:00 Music 11:00 News 1:00 p.m. Talk Show 2:30 Music 3:00 Religious Teachings 3:30 Cartoon 4:00 Japan League (Live) 6:00 News 7:00 Variety Show 8:00 Quiz 9:00 News 9:30 Music 11:00 TV Drama 12:30 a.m. News TPI 5:30 a.m. Religious Teachings 6:00 News 7:00 Cartoon 8:00 Talk Show 8:30 Cooking Program 9:00 Variety Show 10:00 Indian Film 1:00 p.m.

Public officials' arrogance From Media Indonesia Some 88 members of the House of Representatives (DPR) and 67 from the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) are apparently in breach of Law No.28/1999 on clean governance. They are required to report and announce their wealth before and after occupying their posts. But in reality they have failed to obey the law.

Comedians and language From Kompas Television stations should carefully choose their programs for around 7 p.m. because children watch TV at this time. Inappropriate programs will adversely influence the development -- particularly psychological -- of these children. My observation shows that most TV stations screen programs featuring comedians as well as child actors and actresses. While it is true that children like comedians, it is a pity that these comedians do not use edifying language.