Indonesian Political, Business & Finance News

Archive: 16 September 2002

68 articles found

Internet use taking root in ASEAN countries

Internet use taking root in ASEAN countriesMartin Abbugao, Agence France-Presse, Bandar Seri Begawan Internet use is taking root in governments, schools and with the public in Southeast Asia despite impediments such as poor infrastructure and the need for more training, the head of the e- ASEAN...

Thai's bad debts set to rise

Thai's bad debts set to riseAssociated Press, Bangkok Official bad loan totals for Thailand's financial institutions are set to balloon when the central bank adopts international standards for tallying unrecoverable loans, the bank announced Friday.

One generation, two kinds of political trials

One generation, two kinds of political trialsMax Lane, Visiting Fellow, Center for Asia Pacific Social Transformation Studies, University of Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia Akbar Tandjung has finally been sentenced to three years in gaol.

Pressure escalates as Akbar refuses to quit

Pressure escalates as Akbar refuses to quitBerni K. Moestafa and Kurniawan Hari, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta As disgraced House of Representatives Speaker Akbar Tandjung continued to turn a deaf ear to the mounting calls for him to step down, representatives of dozens of legislators will submit on...

Public officials'

Public officials' arroganceFrom 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.

Indonesian arrested in Bangkok

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...

1. YLKI - 4x 12

1. YLKI - 4x 12 Consumers to sue PLN over power blackouts 2. PIN - 2x 25 National Immunization Week gets off to shaky start 3. Toll - 1x 40 Tangerang to build new toll road and port 4. Speak - 1 x 30 'Sutiyoso involved in money politics'

Hassan Wirayuda meets top U.S. official

Hassan Wirayuda meets top U.S. official Indonesian Foreign Minister Hassan Wirayuda met U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage in Washington on Friday, and discussed Iraq, among other issues, as the U.S.'s embassy in Jakarta still closed by a security scare.

Partnerships for online community's benefit

Partnerships for online community's benefitVishnu K. Mahmud, Contributor, Jakarta In this heyday of hype and hypocrisy, it is sometimes refreshing to see a project that is created with the public's interest in mind.

'Sutiyoso involved in money politics'

'Sutiyoso involved in money politics' With Governor Sutiyoso having secured a second term in office, many people have expressed skepticism about his ability to lead the city. Some say Sutiyoso lacks public support and does not deserve the position due to allegations of money politics being behind...

Megawati may be able to remain president until 2009

Megawati may be able to remain president until 2009R. William Liddle, Political Scientist, The Ohio State University In Jakarta in July of this year I interviewed several high level party leaders and parliamentarians from each of the major parties.

Stocks likely to fall amid U.S.-Iraq tension

Stocks likely to fall amid U.S.-Iraq tensionA'an Suryana, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta The Jakarta stock market could remain under pressure this week amid jitters over a possible attack on Iraq by the U.S., an analyst said.

Internet use taking root in ASEAN: e-ASEAN Task Force head

Internet use taking root in ASEAN: e-ASEAN Task Force head Martin Abbugao Agence France-Presse Bandar Seri Begawan Internet use is taking root in governments, schools and with the public in Southeast Asia despite impediments such as poor infrastructure and the need for more training, the head of...

ASEAN, India agree to long-term free-trade goal

ASEAN, India agree to long-term free-trade goalAgence France-Presse, Bandar Seri Begawan A "landmark meeting" between economic ministers of ASEAN and India on Sunday agreed to the long-term goal of establishing a regional free-trade area.

Compulsory vasectomy

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.

Hassan meets top U.S. official

Hassan meets top U.S. official WASHINGTON: Indonesian Foreign Minister Hassan Wirayuda met U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage on Friday, and discussed Iraq, among other issues, as Washington's embassy in Jakarta still closed by a security scare.

House discussing Batam FTZ status

House discussing Batam FTZ statusAdianto P. Simamora and Fadli, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta/Batam The House of Representatives is currently drafting a law that would provide a long-awaited legal basis for Batam Island to obtain free trade zone (FTZ) status and put an end to the confusion faced by...

U.S. Embassy, Consulate to open on Monday

U.S. Embassy, Consulate to open on MondayThe Jakarta Post, Jakarta The U.S. Embassy in Jakarta and the U.S. Consulate in Surabaya, East Java, will resume normal operations on Monday after they closed for four days in response to alleged terrorist threats.However. U.S.

New tyranny from legislature

New tyranny from legislature The House of Representatives has insisted on passing the bill on broadcasting into a law despite strong protests from many groups.The Association of Indonesian Television Journalists (IJTI) has heavily criticized the bill, which proposes the formation of the Indonesian...

RI seamen smuggle wildlife

RI seamen smuggle wildlife SINGAPORE: Two Indonesians have been charged with smuggling in Singapore after thousands of dollars worth of endangered parrots and turtles eggs were found on their fishing boat, a report said Sunday.

1. US (1 x 30)

1. US (1 x 30) U.S. consumers spend heartily 2. Net (2 x 40) Internet use taking root in ASEAN, says e-ASEAN Task Force head Romulo 3. ASEAN (2 x 18) ASEAN, Australia, NZ work for closer ties 4. Argent (1 x 30) Duhalde proposes ambitious draft

Aid yet all arrived in Nunukan: Task force

Aid yet all arrived in Nunukan: Task forceTertiani ZB Simanjuntak, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta Amid the constant influx of undocumented migrant workers from Malaysia to Nunukan island, East Kalimantan, a local government official questioned on Sunday the whereabouts of the aid promised by Jakarta.

VIPs do not deserve leave: Amien

VIPs do not deserve leave: Amien MALANG, East Java: People's Consultative Assembly Speaker Amien Rais voiced his opposition against President Megawati Soekarnoputri's request for a leave, citing the unabated crisis and the heavy burden the country has to bear.

U.S. shrimp farmers latest challenge to relations with Vietnam

U.S. shrimp farmers latest challenge to relations with Vietnam Agence France-Presse Hanoi Vietnam has condemned moves by the U.S. shrimp industry to consider anti-dumping action against its seafood exporters, in the latest challenge to bilateral trade relations between the two former military foes.

1. OPEC (4 x 14)

1. OPEC (4 x 14) OPEC chief sees no oil shortage 2. RP (2 x 24) Progress in Philippine's recovery slowed by deficit 3. Thai (1 x 27) Thai's bad debts set to rise 4. Taiwan (2 x 20) Return of investors to Taiwan unlikely

Militaryman detained for robbery

Militaryman detained for robbery JAKARTA: A presidential security guard has been detained by the Jakarta Military Police Command for allegedly robbing an ojek (motorcycle taxi) driver.Private Suyitno was sent to the city military police by the Tagerang military police on Saturday, city military...

* Headlines:U.S. embassy, consulate to open Monday 2

* Headlines:U.S. embassy, consulate to open Monday 2 * National:Aid yet all arrived in Nunukan: Task force 4 * Archipelago:Governor mulls opening oil palm project for TKIs 5 * Opinion:Megawati may stay until 2009: Liddle 6 * City:Consumers to sue PLN over power blackouts 8 * Sports:De La Hoya...

Sugarcane farmers to lose Rp 11.7b

Sugarcane farmers to lose Rp 11.7b JEMBER, East Java: At least 3,000 sugarcane farmers in Jember regency, East Java, could sustain a potential loss of Rp 11.7 billion due to a recent large fall in the price of sugar in the area.M.

ASEAN, India agree to long-term free-trade goal

ASEAN, India agree to long-term free-trade goal Martin Abbugao Agence France-Presse Bandar Seri BegawanA "landmark meeting" between economic ministers of ASEAN and India on Sunday agreed to the long-term goal of establishing a regional free-trade area.

Thousands of shoppers flee Karawaci mall in panic

Thousands of shoppers flee Karawaci mall in panicThe Jakarta Post, Jakarta Thousands of customers at Supermal Karawaci in Tangerang fled the mall in panic on Sunday after hearing a thundering sound followed by thick smoke emerging from the Timezone entertainment center.

Governor mulls opening oil palm project for TKIs

Governor mulls opening oil palm project for TKIsSri Wahyuni, The Jakarta Post, Yogyakarta In response to Malaysia's crackdown on illegal Indonesian workers (TKIs), the East Kalimantan administration is considering opening up one million hectares of oil palm plantations to provide employment for...

House to probe selection of forest auditors

House to probe selection of forest auditorsRendi A. Witular, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta House of Representatives Commission III for forestry and agricultural affairs plans to investigate alleged irregularities in the appointment of forest auditors by the Ministry of Forestry.

Muninggar Sri Saraswati

Muninggar Sri Saraswati The Jakarta Post JakartaImplementation of the National Immunization Week (PIN) in Greater Jakarta failed to run smoothly, with several PIN centers lacking polio vaccines while at other centers supplies were left unused due to a lack of participants.

Military, police barred in free zone

Military, police barred in free zone ATAMBUA, East Nusa Tenggara: Belu Police chief Adj. Sr. Comm. Agus Nugroho said on Saturday that the Indonesian Military (TNI) and police personnel would not be allowed to stay in the Indonesia-East Timor free zone, based on a technical agreement between his...

Airlines focus on efficiency to survive

Airlines focus on efficiency to surviveA'an Suryana, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta The liberalization of the country's airline industry two years ago has led to cut-throat competition among airline operators, forcing them to slash fares to gain customers.

KL wants neighbors to boost border security

KL wants neighbors to boost border securityAssociated Press, Kuala Lumpur Malaysia will ask Indonesian and Philippine authorities to intensify border security to prevent the return of thousands of illegal immigrants who were expelled from Malaysia in a recent crackdown, news reports said on Sunday.

Tangerang to build new toll road and port

Tangerang to build new toll road and portMulta Fidrus, The Jakarta Post, Tigaraksa In its attempt to attract foreign investors, Tangerang regency has planned to build a new toll road from Serpong to Teluk Naga near the Soekarno Hatta airport, a container complex in Cikupa, and a seaport in Tanjung...

House fire started by candle

House fire started by candle JAKARTA: A house burned down in Sunter Jaya, Tanjung Priok, North Jakarta, on Sunday morning.The fire, which started at about 10:15 a.m., was started by a child playing with a candle, according to the North Jakarta Fire Department.

50 teachers killed recently in Aceh

50 teachers killed recently in Aceh BANDA ACEH: The Indonesian Teachers Association (PGRI) Aceh chapter urged the government to give a security guarantee to teachers in the strife-torn province, as 50 teachers had been killed and 200 others physically assaulted in the past two years.

JP/14/Brief

JP/14/BriefMerpati starts flight to Philippines JAKARTA: Indonesia's Merpati Nusantara Airlines (MNA) has opened a new route linking the city of Manado on Sulawesi island to Davao in the southern Philippines, an airline executive said Sunday.

Police streamline driving license services

Police streamline driving license services JAKARTA: The city police have streamlined its services, allowing residents to get their driving licenses or renew their licenses at the nearest police precincts, instead of going to the Daan Mogot Integrated Service Office in West Jakarta.

Plane fails to land in Manila

Plane fails to land in Manila PHILIPPINES: A Philippine Airlines plane from Australia failed to land in Manila on Sunday due to bad weather and was diverted to a central Philippine airport, officials said.

War on terrorism: A political slogan or the real thing?

War on terrorism: A political slogan or the real thing? Many say the United States government has gone too far in its war on terrorism. American Muslim scholar Mahmoud M. Ayoub, a professor of Islamic studies at Temple University in Philadelphia speaks to The Jakarta Post's Muhammad Nafik after...

Batam councillors get new cars

Batam councillors get new carsFadli, The Jakarta Post, Batam A number of non-governmental organizations have condemned the provision of luxury cars by the Batam administration to 26 members of the city legislative council, saying both the city administration and the legislature did not have a sense...

Activists urge suspension of election results

Activists urge suspension of election resultsAhmad Junaidi, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta Activists demanded on Sunday the results of the gubernatorial election be suspended following the recent confession by a candidate who admitted paying Rp 200 million (US$22,222) to 40 councillors.

Illegal fees mar anti-polio drive

Illegal fees mar anti-polio drive JAKARTA: Minister of Health Achmad Sujudi said that there were some government workers demanding fees during the first part of a national polio vaccination program that was under way.

Doing business with China

Doing business with China The chairman of China's National People's Congress, Li Peng, recently visited Indonesia, opening up opportunities for increased bilateral economic ties that both sides must properly and quickly seize.

Ancient statue discovered

Ancient statue discovered YOGYAKARTA: A team of archeologists renovating the Kadulan temple east of Yogyakarta has discovered a stone statue of the Hindu god Siva, which is believed to be from the fifth century.Team leader Tri Hatmadji said the statue, which stands two meters high and weighs 2.

Boycott Akbar Tandjung

Boycott Akbar Tandjung From Rakyat Merdeka We were rightfully disappointed by the Bulog II trials as they failed to divulge the involvement of high-ranking members of Golkar and the Golkar Party as an institution for allegedly using non-budgetary Bulog funds for its own interests and for Golkar's...

Mega's accusation

Mega's accusation of the pressFrom Bisnis Indonesia The mass media needs to react to President Megawati's accusation that the press has blown the deportation of migrant Indonesian workers in Nunukan out of proportion by refraining to report anything connected to her as a President or a private...

Students protest gambling dens

Students protest gambling dens BATAM: Dozens of students from four universities in Batam staged a peaceful rally in front of the mayor's office on Saturday demanding the closure of gambling dens in the city.

Security in Papua should be left to the police: ICG

Security in Papua should be left to the police: ICGThe Jakarta Post, Jakarta Recurring violence in the easternmost province of Irian Jaya will continue to rage unless authorities in Jakarta withdraw their troops in the resource-rich territory and rely on local police for security, an advocacy group...

Police probe grenade findings

Police probe grenade findings PEKANBARU: Riau Police chief Adj. Sr. Comm. Pandiangan said on Saturday that police had found five grenades, one mortar and seven bullets on a dredger ship in Dumai regency over the past two days.

National Immunization Week gets off to shaky start

National Immunization Week gets off to shaky startMuninggar Sri Saraswati, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta Implementation of the National Immunization Week (PIN) in Greater Jakarta failed to run smoothly, with several PIN centers lacking polio vaccines while at other centers supplies were left unused due...

East Timor rebuilds health infrastructure from ashes

East Timor rebuilds health infrastructure from ashesThe Jakarta Post, Jakarta The new government in East Timor would try to heal the psychological trauma suffered by many of its people in the 1999 violence when Indonesia withdrew from the territory, the country's health minister said.

Megawati was the clear favorite of voters according to our

Megawati was the clear favorite of voters according to our data, and probably pulled PDI Perjuangan along with her. The difference between PNI's 22 percent in 1955 and PDI Perjuangan's 34 percent in 1999 is almost certainly due in part to Megawati's appeal.

Indonesia after Sept. 11: Rowing between the cliffs

Indonesia after Sept. 11: Rowing between the cliffsSiswo 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...

Indian Kashmir prepares for violent vote

Indian Kashmir prepares for violent vote Terry Friel and Sheikh Mushtaq Reuters Srinagar, IndiaIslamic militants ambushed a Kashmiri minister's car on Sunday as the Indian state appeared set for a violent start to voting in elections that are likely to do little to ease tensions with Pakistan.

Robbery on a train

Robbery on a trainFrom KompasI went home by train from Kota station to Pondok Ranji, Bintaro Jaya, Tangerang, some time ago, when a robbery took place within a matter of seconds in North Jakarta, traumatizing me.Several robbers appeared from behind, standing beside me and wielding a long dagger.

Timorese refugees urged to relocate

Timorese refugees urged to relocateThe Jakarta Post, Jakarta Unsure about the outcome of reconciliation attempts by former pro-Indonesia fighters, leaders of East Timorese people in squalid camps in Belu, East Nusa Tenggara (NTT), have started urging refugees to participate in transmigration...

Domestic problems await Mega's arrival

Domestic problems await Mega's arrivalFabiola Desy Unidjaja, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta President Megawati Soekarnoputri returned home on Sunday evening from her trip to Africa and Europe, bringing with her a bundle of memorandums of understanding that need further discussion before they can...

ASEAN, Australia, New Zealand work for closer ties

ASEAN, Australia, New Zealand work for closer tiesAgence France-Presse, Bandar Seri Begawan Southeast Asian economic ministers on Saturday signed a declaration with Australia and New Zealand to forge a sweeping agreement on closer economic ties aimed at removing trade barriers and doubling trade...

RI, Egypt ask U.S. to go to UN on Iraq

RI, Egypt ask U.S. to go to UN on IraqMuhammad Nafik, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta Indonesia and Egypt agreed on Sunday that the United States must obtain approval from the United Nations before going through with its plan to attack Iraq.

Consumers to sue PLN over power blackouts

Consumers to sue PLN over power blackoutsBambang Nurbianto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta Consumers of electricity provided by the state-owned electricity company (PLN) have expressed their intention to file a class action suit against the company for power blackouts on Thursday and Friday which they...

Kabelvision's poor service

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.

Widespread illegal logging to bring more drought, floods

Widespread illegal logging to bring more drought, floodsMoch. N. Kurniawan, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta Prolonged droughts and forest fires will continue to hit the country during the dry season as more and more protected forests are destroyed by illegal logging, the Indonesian Forum for the...

VCD vendors attack navy men

VCD vendors attack navy men JAKARTA: Business in Glodok, West Jakarta, was temporarily halted after a clash between dozens of vendors of pirated VCDs and several members of the navy on Saturday.A vendor and two navy personnel were seriously injured during the lunchtime brawl.

Rights body urges fresh probe into Aceh abuses

Rights body urges fresh probe into Aceh abusesTiarma Siboro, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta The National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) has reminded the government of its unfinished investigations into a number of alleged crimes against humanity involving the state in Aceh.Commission member M.M.