Indonesian military turning its back on reforms Lee Kim Chew The Straits Times Asia News Network Singapore Thinking of reforms in the Indonesian military? Banish the thought -- for now at least. To the chagrin of many Indonesians, the country's once- omnipotent generals are seeking new laws to enhance a power that was whittled down after former president Soeharto's fall.

Business goes on despite fall in tourist arrivals Debbie A. Lubis, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta "Now, I have a life. Even though bad traffic and a heavy workload take up most of my time and drain my energy, I can still get to my destination to make a business deal or spend a weekend with my family," grinned a friend one day. This young executive was referring to the list of hotels in Jakarta on the computer screen in front of him.

Uniqueness lures tourists to Toraja The Jakarta Post, Makale, South Sulawesi Despite its distance from any airport, Tana Toraja (Toraja land), remains the favorite tourist destination in South Sulawesi, and one of the most visited sites in the country. Toraja is best known for its traditional Torajan houses, locally called tongkonan. The houses are decorated with carvings of geometric designs with buffalo horns that indicate the status and wealth of the family.

With or without IMF? Highly debatable are both the rationale used by the team of more than 30 economists to support their recommendation for abruptly ending Indonesia's reform program with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the policy measures they outline for achieving annual economic growth of 6 percent to 7 percent in the post-IMF program period.

It's a long run to `Disney on Ice' for young figure skater Ramita Franziska Schill, Contributor, Jakarta In the United States some say ice-skating is "a sport for babies" says figure skater Ramita Nasution, the number 1 in her age group of 15 years old. But she adds, "you should never let yourself be deterred by that." She takes these words from her trainer Robert Esguerra very seriously.

A close look at EOR: Enhanced oil recovery David M. Schiller Contributor Jakarta Many people unfortunately believe that oil occurs as huge underground pools or lakes, trapped in massive subterranean caves. This misconception, however, is far from the truth. Oil is actually found within rock. That's right! Hard rock -- typically sandstone or limestone -- occurring at depths of anywhere from several hundred to tens of thousands of feet below the Earth's surface.

Body parts of Oct. 12 bombing victims cremated Wahyoe Boediwardhana, The Jakarta Post, Nusa Dua, Bali The Bali authorities cremated 169 body parts belonging to victims of last year's bombing on Bali island in a ceremony here on Saturday after approval had been obtained from various foreign consulates. The body parts, most of which were unidentified and belonged to victims from the United States, Canada, France, South Korea, Sweden and Indonesia, were cremated in a Hindu ceremony attended by U.S.

S. Sulawesi now shifts priority to local tourists Adianto P. Simamora and Bambang Nurbianto, The Jakarta Post, Makassar, South Sulawesi Local businesspeople and officials are all saying that South Sulawesi is facing difficult times in terms of attracting foreign tourists to the province. Their reasons are all the same: the series of bombings across the country has worsened the already faltering confidence of tourists in the security of the country.

Why not live in harmony? I really enjoy visiting QB bookshops in Jakarta. The staff there are always smiling and helpful and brighten my day after many hours in the office. Nevertheless, an incident occurred on the evening of Thursday, Feb. 20, 2003 which disappointed me. I was browsing in the bookshop in Plaza Senayan when I heard a senior employee criticizing his staff in a loud voice in front of customers in the shop.

Lippo again I'm really deeply concerned over media reports on Bank Lippo. There are several reasons for this concern. First, the government has been tardy with its reaction even though the Bank Lippo issue has become the talk of the town for over two months.

Please see editing notes in yellow Tarki girls score with Beauty and The Beast Kenny Santana Contributor Jakarta Besides a strip club act, who would have guessed that an all-girl show could be so much fun? This is a rather sexist comment -- does he really want this to be printed? Nevertheless, the students of Tarakanita I (Tarki I) high school in South Jakarta, did just that by putting on an outstanding, three-day play based on the Beauty and the Beast tale.

Team arrives to check GAM weaponry Ibnu Matnoor, The Jakarta Post, Banda Aceh, Aceh Two Indian military officers arrived here on Saturday to check weapons to be surrendered by the Free Aceh Movement (GAM). The international weapons inspectors, Sarab Bandhawa and Amardeep Rai, were selected by Aceh peace-broker, the Henry Dunant Centre (HDC), due to their experience in several countries, including Nicaragua, officials of the Switzerland- based organization said.

The Changing Role of Indonesia in the OIC Anak Agung Banyu Perwita Department of International Relations Parahyangan Catholic University Bandung banyu@home.unpar.ac.id As reported by The Jakarta Post (Feb. 27, 2003), President Megawati Soekarnoputri has called on the United States not to unilaterally attack Iraq.

Where to go in Jakarta: Sunday, March. 2, 2003 Exhibitions * Jewelry, Jewelry Old & New, as well as the gemstone indigenous to Indonesia, at Koi Kafe Galeri, Sabero House, ground floor, Jl. Kemang Raya No. 10a, South Jakarta, March. 12 to March. 25. * Masks, Berbagai Ekspresi dari Berbagai Budaya, at Erasmus Huis, Jl. H.R. Rasuna Said Kav. S-3, Kuningan South Jakarta, (Tel. 021- 5241069), until March.

Places of interests in S. Sulawesi The Jakarta Post, Jakarta Makassar, the capital of South Sulawesi 1. Fort Rotterdam: Locally known as Benteng Ujung Pandang, Fort Rotterdam is a historical site showing the greatness of a South Sulawesi kingdom. It was built in 1945. 2. Samalona island: It is the most popular place for swimming and diving in the province. 3. Barombong: It is one of the most-visited beaches in Makassar, with black sand. Gowa regency 1.

Ba'asyir strikes back INDONESIA: The legal team of Abu Bakar Ba'asyir, a Muslim cleric allegedly linked to terrorism, in a snap meeting here on Saturday questioned the recent filing of treason charges against its client, Indosiar private television station reported. The chairman of the legal team, Adnan Buyung Nasution, said Ba'asyir had previously been charged with plotting to assassinate Megawati Soekarnoputri in 1999 and masterminding a series of bombing in the Christmas's Eve in 2000.

Tanah Abang traders try to rise up out of the rubble Tertiani ZB Simanjuntak, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta With construction of temporary kiosks for those vendors burned out of the Tanah Abang textile market yet to begin, many vendors have converted their cars and minivans into mobile kiosks in an attempt to keep their businesses alive.

Raids on women suspected of being street workers in Bogor have provoked criticism, with several people strongly protesting the Bogor administration's incompetence for netting the wrong persons last week. The women were just taking a stroll when several officers apprehended them, despite the fact that they had ID cards. They were then rushed to a rehabilitation center in the neighboring town of Sukabumi.

Peru FM makes brief visit to Indonesia JAKARTA: Peruvian foreign minister Allan Wagner Tizon made a brief visit to Indonesia on Friday to enhance bilateral relations between the two countries. During the meeting with his Indonesian counterpart Hassan Wirayuda, the two ministers signed three agreements on the establishment of a regular consultation forum, a visa-free policy for diplomats and state officials and an exchange program for diplomats.

Finance ministry to probe Bank Lippo auditor Dadan Wijaksana, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta The Ministry of Finance launched on Friday an investigation into three appraisal firms and one auditor that had conducted an appraisal on assets and the audited financial report of Bank Lippo, for possible involvement in the alleged financial manipulation by the bank's management.

Bali hotels focus on locals to stay afloat Rita A.Widiadana, The Jakarta Post, Denpasar, Bali Bali has been called the Island of the Gods, whose beauty and rich cultures has lured millions of people from around the world. But the Oct. 12 bombings shattered the heavenly picture of the island. Even though the number of foreign tourists has started to increase, most foreign travelers are still fearful of visiting the island after the bombings, which killed over 200 people, mostly foreigners.

Restructuring of state agencies From Media Indonesia In restructuring the state agencies, the government needs to ensure that its administration acts not only in accordance with existing laws, regulations and stipulations, but also in a way that would be better than before. In this respect, the goal of this restructuring would not be fully reached if the government only raises the salaries of civil servants. There is more to this restructuring effort than just money.

We need another 'Bung' Karno From Rakyat Merdeka Indonesia's first president Sukarno, better known as Bung (Brother) Karno, was excellent at uniting this nation by means of, among other things, identifying a common enemy. He diverted the attention of the nation to Papua and made The Netherlands the country's common enemy. Temporarily, we forgot inter-ethnic conflicts and our poverty as the people were busy training as volunteers to fight for the return of Papua to Jakarta's control.

TV Program: Sunday, March. 2, 2003 TVRI 5:03 a.m. Religious Teachings 6:00 News: Berita Pagi 7:00 English New Service 7:30 Children's Program: Pentas Ceria 8:00 DRTV 8:30 Variety Show: Arena Kece 9:00 Kid Channel 9:30 Bando 10:30 TV Drama: Rumah Kita 11:00 Variety Show: Maskum Show 12:00 p.m.News: Berita Siang 12:30 Traditional Comedy: Mustika Campur Sari 2:00 Entertainment 2:30 Pelangi Budaya 3:30 Religious Teachings 4:00 Sports 5:00 Entertainment 6:00 News 7:00 TV Drama: Paviliun 21 9:00 News...

On antiwar demonstrations In the Feb. 26 edition of The Jakarta Post, Spartz laments the worldwide antiwar protests, but has taken his axe to the wrong tree. The issue is not Saddam Hussein's crimes, which are well known to the whole world. Nobody has forgotten them, and no one is defending him. Protesters are also very familiar with atrocities in Africa and other places, and they also know that for decades The Great Savior, America, was nowhere to be seen.

Glodok remains messy From Warta Kota The area in front of the Harco Building in Glodok, West Jakarta, remains messy despite the iron fence and traffic signs. Clearly, local authorities have failed to exercise proper control over this area. Dozens of sidewalk vendors crowd the entry to this shopping compound, while the slow lane in Pinangsia Raya Road, the road leading to the entry of this compound, is crowded with parked motorcycles and taxis despite the "No-Parking" signs.

Tarki girls score with `Beauty and the Beast' Kenny Santana, Contributor, Jakarta The fun and games at all-girl schools seemed only to appear in Enid Blyton's books, such as the Malory Towers and St. Claire series. But students of Tarakanita I (Tarki I) high school in South Jakarta, dispelled the theory when they recently presented an outstanding three-day play based on the Beauty and the Beast tale.

Megawati says PDI-P will win election Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta Regardless of the internal conflicts plaguing her Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle, President Megawati Soekarnoputri expressed her optimism that the party would come first in the 2004 general election. "Whatever system will be applied in the upcoming election, I am sure we will win," Megawati told thousands of cheering party supporters who packed the Klabat Stadium in Manado.

Naturopathy: The nonchemical and noninvasive treatment Debbie A.Lubis, Contributor, Jakarta It was a pleasant Friday afternoon when Delia, 41, left naturopathic clinic Griya Natura in Jakarta smelling of herbs. She said a hormonal problem had caused her face to become sensitive, resulting in irritation and pimples. During a medical checkup in Singapore, a doctor also warned her of the possibility of more serious problem, a leak in her heart valve.

Jazz is not that distant in Pekanbaru Mikael Setiawan, Contributor, Pekanbaru, Riau As the jazz musicians completed their performance on Valentine's Day here recently, the look of satisfaction was clear on the faces of the audience. Titled Jazz Nite, the event was highlighted by top-notch Indonesian jazz musicians, such as singer Mergie Siegers, who was accompanied by the Idang Rasjidi quartet, and also internationally acclaimed soprano saxophonist Joe Rosenberg.

JP/20/IMAGES More to beauty than meets the eye Public ignorance of the blind has limited their rights to work in various fields. Very few people understand that despite their disability, blind people are just as smart and skilled as any normal human being. Jakarta Archdiocese' Lembaga Daya Dharma (LDD) Foundation has established an institution called Biro Tunanetra Laetitia, which helps the blind to live and interact with society.

TNI's latest move a bid to fool the clock? Imanuddin Razak Staff Writer The Jakarta Post Jakarta iman@thejakartapost.com Army chief of staff Gen. Ryamizard Ryacudu fired a lethal shot on Feb. 20 when he addressed a media conference, suggesting that the military's security role be reinstated due to the threats of separatism and other security disturbances in the country.