Leave the Aceh question to civilians: Religious leaders Suherdjoko The Jakarta Post Semarang Noted religious leaders and Muslim scholars urged the government on Saturday to leave the Aceh question to civilians to avoid war between the Indonesian military (TNI) and the Free Aceh Movement (GAM). Syafii Maarif, Solahuddin Wahid and Nurcholis Madjid called on the government to pursue dialog to resolve the decades-long conflict in Aceh once and for all.

Offering high degree of flexibility to customers Mahendra Gautama Contributor Jakarta Today, the banking industry more than ever needs to meet its customers' demands and provide various channels through which they can satisfy their needs in the most economical and effective ways. It is not surprising, therefore, that the industry is striving consistently to accommodate the customer's need for convenient methods of banking through the current multichannel services.

Meet the man behind the largest rally ever held here, the recent antiwar protest that drew hundreds of thousands of people. Far from the typical outspoken activist the president of the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) Hidayat Nur Wahid is down-to-earth and a coherent speaker. Page 6 Artsy fashion The balance, yin and yang kind of thing, is what fashion and art are to designer Tiarma Dame Ruth Sirait.

Meetings in cafes? Why not? Many Indonesians believe that discussions are more productive and will be more satisfactory to all parties concerned when they are held after a delicious meal. Probably, that is why almost all meetings -- business or otherwise -- include sumptuous meals. Quite a number of restaurants and cafes in Indonesia's major cities see this as a business opportunity.

Learning English to get a better job Leo Wahyudi S Contributor Jakarta Changes in business practices as a result of globalization have unavoidably altered the way companies recruit employees. A formal education is no longer enough for potential employees hoping to hook on with most companies. Besides having a formal education, job seekers today also require additional skills.

From business meetings to social gatherings Ari Darmawan Contributor Jakarta One of the meetings rooms at The Park Lane hotel in Jakarta was filled with some 30 marketing executives from a well-known manufacturer of milk-based products in the country. They were intently listening to an expatriate marketing expert explain distribution strategies for such products in today's highly competitive market.

Leave Aceh to civilians, scholar say Suherdjoko, The Jakarta Post, Semarang, Central Java Noted religious leaders and Muslim scholars urged the government on Saturday to leave the Aceh question to civilians to avoid war between the Indonesian military (TNI) and the Free Aceh Movement (GAM). Syafii Maarif, Solahuddin Wahid and Nurcholis Madjid called on the government to pursue dialog to resolve the decades-long conflict in Aceh once and for all.

RI must be firm, but realistic, says Hidayat Here is the man behind the largest rally ever held in Indonesia in protest of the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq on March 30. Hundreds of thousands of antiwar protesters took to the streets of Jakarta to condemn the destruction of Iraq, the cradle of the world's oldest civilization. Despite the huge turnout, there were no clashes or stone throwing reported. It was indeed a very peaceful rally that belied the violent stereotype of Muslim protesters.

;JP; ANPAc..r.. Meeting-rooms-business Turning meeting rooms into lucrative business Rhenald Kasali Contributor Jakarta Recent events in Jakarta, such as massive demonstrations and criminal trials of public figures, have created problems for business executives. Meetings that have been planned for a long time have had to be moved suddenly or even canceled.

On the record Artist : Dewa Budjana Album : Samsara (Sony Music Indonesia) The title Samsara (cycle of existence conditioned by karma) suggests something mystical or spiritual will come from the music. And then there is the song titled Shambala (a mystical, mythical place), taken from the book of spiritual teacher Anand Khrisna, which adds to the mystical flavor. In that sense, this album does not achieve what it suggests, as the music does not imbue one's soul with spiritual vibes.

Do S'pore hospitals really give better health care? Hera Diani, The Jakarta Post, Singapore We have heard all the talk about wealthy Indonesians getting medical treatment at Singapore's Mount Elizabeth Hospital, as they prefer the better service and technology compared what local hospitals can offer. Managed by the Parkway Healthcare Group, the facade of the hospital is actually not that impressive, just like any other regular building.

WHO praises government measures on SARS The Jakarta Post, Jakarta Despite public criticism, the government has received praise from World Health Organization (WHO) for its measures to cope with Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) in the country. "I know that health officials here have been doing a lot these weeks and I think the government has been delivering the measures well," WHO technical advisor on SARS in Indonesia, Steve Bjorg, told The Jakarta Post on Saturday.

Zarisa By Korrie Layun Rampan The river was like one that flowed somewhere under the skies of this country. "Is it the one in my dream? No, it's certainly not but I must have seen one like it before somewhere in the interior of Jambi, Riau, Irian Jaya, in Bengkayang district, Katingan, around Tamiang Layang, Aceh or near Poso." I just couldn't figure out where. But the river flowing before my eyes seemed so familiar, making me wonder why it looked so much like one I had seen before.

1. Aceh -- 3 cols, 3 lines, 72 pts Religious leaders, Muslim scholars urge dialogue in Aceh 2. Iraq -- 4 cols, 2 lines, 36 pts Iraqis rally to restore control of battered Baghdad 3. SARS -- 3 cols, 2lines, 30 pts WHO praises govt measures on SARS 4. BTW -- 3 cols, 2 lines, 36 pts Bumsfelt and Spanks coy over Grotavia plans

Where to go in Jakarta: Sunday, April 13, 2003 Exhibitions * Painting, Kontemporer Russia 2, at Galeri Nasional,Jl. Medan Merdeka Timur 14, Central Jakarta, (Tel. 021-3813021), until April 17, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. * Painting, Milestones Of Modesty, by I Made Djirna, at Graha Paramita Building, Jl. Denpasar Raya Blok D 2 Kav. 8, Kuningan, South Jakarta, (Tel. 021-5265161, Ext:852), until April 24, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Top three and St. Petersburg talk RUSSIA: The leaders of France, Germany and Russia ended two days of talks in Saint Petersburg on Saturday, with fresh calls for a central UN role in the reconstruction of Iraq. The encounter ended without a joint declaration from Russian President Vladimir Putin, French President Jacques Chirac and German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder.

Short-term courses can create high-powered professionals Debbie A. Lubis Contributor Jakarta "Higher education and business are basically interdependent. One needs money to produce educated people, and the other needs educated people to produce money," goes a saying from Milton S. Eisenhower in Words of Wisdom. Producing professionals still, of course, relies on formal educational institutions. But providing know-how on management within a short period of time is another story.

SARS war: Dodging the virus text and photos by P.J. Leo Besides the war in Iraq, people around the world, particularly in Asia, are waging a different kind of battle. This war is against the outbreak of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome or SARS. While the Indonesian government has come under fire for its measures imposed to fight the spread of the often fatal virus, people have been forced to act to protect themselves.

Despite SARS threats, PATA gets many enthusiasts Wahyoe Boediwardhana and I Wayan Juniartha, The Jakarta Post, Denpasar, Bali Despite the global threat of SARS, delegates attending the four-day 52nd Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) Conference, to be officially opened by President Megawati Soekarnoputri in Bali on Monday, are flowing into the country. As of Saturday evening, 850 delegates from more than 42 countries had registered with organizers in Bali.

Park & Wilson shake the tables at Musro Joseph Mangga, Contributor, Jakarta Compared with most pop stars, your average DJ is a very odd creature indeed. On stage, the only instruments they play are a CD player, two turntables and recordings of someone else's music.

Papua has 14 new regencies INDONESIA: Home Affairs Minister Hari Sabarno inaugurated 14 new regencies and installed 11 regents in Papua during a ceremony in the provincial capital of Jayapura on Saturday. The newly inaugurated regencies are Sarmi, Keerom, Sorong Selatan, Raja Ampat, Pegunungan Bintang, Yahokimo, Tolikara, Waropen, Kaimana, Bouen Digoel, Mappi, Asmat, Teluk Bintuni and Wandama. Hari said the three remaining regents would be installed in Jakarta once elected.

Fashion and art, a presentation self in Tiarma's design Fitri Wulandari The Jakarta Post Bandung, West Java Fashion and art is like two sides of one coin for fashion designer cum artist Tiarma Dame Ruth Sirait. Both are complimentary to each other like day and night, yin and yang. Her works have been presented in catwalks as many as in art exhibition.

checked Distance learning - the pros and cons Simon Marcus Gower Contributor Jakarta It is by now something of a cliche that we have entered a new age. An age of the "new economy", an age where "e-commerce" is the way ahead and failure to be on-line is a suggestion that one is likely to go the way of the dinosaurs.

Gigi: Originality is the name of the game Hera Diani, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta The four members of pop group Gigi quickly got very defensive when asked by journalists why, after eight albums, the band had never managed to achieve runaway commercial or critical success. Despite several hits, collaboration with international musicians and even experiments with opera, they have still failed to come up with any albums that are truly memorable.

Top three and St. Petersburg talk RUSSIA: The leaders of France, Germany and Russia ended two days of talks in Saint Petersburg on Saturday, with fresh calls for a central UN role in the reconstruction of Iraq. The encounter ended without a joint declaration from Russian President Vladimir Putin, French President Jacques Chirac and German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder.

Brief profiles of some Singapore hospitals In 2000, the World Health Organization ranked Singapore sixth in the world in terms of providing the best health care (number one was France while Japan was number 10). That placed the country's health system as the best in Asia. More than 150,000 international patients come to Singapore every year, with Indonesians being the largest market. Here are brief profiles of hospitals in Singapore, which provide international patient services.

Art exhibitions lure cultured shoppers Carla Bianpoen, Contributor, Jakarta After the successful exhibition of "The Art of the Flying Dragon" by sculptor-cum-installation artist Yani Mariani Sastranegara last February, Plaza Senayan's intent for furthering the art appreciation of the general public seems to be firming up even more. At least that is the impression vis-a-vis the current contemporary art exhibitions held in the lobby in conjunction with the Plaza's seventh anniversary.

TV Program: Sunday, April 13, 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 Indonesia 8:30 Variety Show: Arena Kece 9:00 Children's Program: Media Kids 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 Tourism: Pelangi Budaya 3:00 English For Fun 3:30 Religious Teachings 4:00 Sports 5:00 Entertainment 6:00...

Tiarma balances art and fashion Fitri Wulandari, The Jakarta Post, Bandung, West Java Fashion and art is like two sides of one coin for fashion designer cum artist Tiarma Dame Ruth Sirait. Both are complimentary to each other like day and night, yin and yang. Her work has been displayed prominently on catwalks and in art galleries.

Comfy BMW X5 takes you wherever you want Novan Iman Santosa, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta It was about 9 a.m. on a calm Tuesday morning when I hopped into the new BMW X5 3.0i sports utility vehicle (SUV). Traffic was getting heavy as the city's workers converged on their offices. I, however, was not thinking about office hours as I prepared to test drive this beautiful car on the slopes of the twin Gede and Pangrango mountains in West Java, with planned stops in Puncak, Cianjur and Sukabumi.

Insular Life Theater, a hi-tech theater in downtown Manila James P. Ong, Asia News Network, Inquirer, Manila It's only fitting that Alikabok, a musical inspired by an 18th century painting of Juan Luna, is being restaged at the new Insular Life Theater in Alabang.